Enabling the Get Shortlink Button Easily in WordPress

Ever looked at long URLs of your blog posts and wondered a way to make them compact? Well, that’s what shortlinks do. In WordPress, the get Shortlink button used to be right beside the Permalink button when you created a new blog post, but it was removed in version 4.4.

Shortlinks are useful while sharing the links on social media, and customizable shortlinks make it look even better. So, if you are wondering how to get back the shortlink option in your WordPress account, you are at the right place.

How to Get Back the Shortlink Button in WordPress?

WordPress never explained why it removed the shortlink button in v4.4. In any case, where there is a will, there is a way. If you really want to get back the shortlink option, there are two methods to do it.

Method 1: Getting the Plugin for Shortlink Button

Like most things in WordPress, a plugin can get things done for you. We recommend the WP Bitly plugin, as it is easy to use and get the “Get Shortlink” button exactly like it used to be in the same location. Furthermore, you get the option to customize the shortlink as per your needs. The shortlink can be easily shared across emails and social media and apart from the overhead of one extra plugin, things go pretty smooth.

Method 2: Inserting the Code

If you are a long-time WordPress user and/or prefer doing things the right way, then you can always insert the following code right into WordPress.

add_filter( 'get_shortlink', function( $shortlink ) {return $shortlink;} );

This removes the dependency on an additional plugin for using the shortlink feature. If you want the changes to be applicable to the entire WordPress, you need to edit the functions.php file. Alternatively, you can edit the site-specific plugins for the same. In either case, you will enable the shortlink button again.

Conclusion:

The two methods should be enough to enable the shortlink button in your WordPress once again. Please let me know your feedback on this read in the comment box below. You are also welcome to share your experiences after applying any of the above-mentioned two methods.