URL shortening is a technique on the World Wide Web in which a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) may be made substantially shorter and still direct to the required page.

This is achieved by using a redirect which links to the web page that has a long URL.

For example, the URL "" can be shortened to "", and the URL "" can be shortened to "".

Often the redirect domain name is shorter than the original one.

A friendly URL may be desired for messaging technologies that limit the number of characters in a message (for example SMS), for reducing the amount of typing required if the reader is copying a URL from a print source, for making it easier for a person to remember, or for the intention of a permalink.

In November 2009, the shortened links of the URL shortening service Bitly were accessed 2.1 billion times.

In computer programming, an Application Programming Interface (API) is a set of subroutine definitions, protocols, and tools for building application software.

In general terms, it is a set of clearly defined methods of communication between various software components.

A good API makes it easier to develop a computer program by providing all the building blocks, which are then put together by the programmer.

A Uniform Resource Locator (URL), commonly informally termed a web address (a term which is not defined identically) is a reference to a web resource that specifies its location on a computer network and a mechanism for retrieving it.

A URL is a specific type of Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), although many people use the two terms interchangeably.

A URL implies the means to access an indicated resource and is denoted by a protocol or an access mechanism, which is not true of every URI.

Thus is an URL, while is not.

URLs occur most commonly to reference web pages, but are also used for file transfer (ftp), email (mailto), database access (JDBC), and many other applications.

Wiki markup, also known as wikitext language and wikicode, is a lightweight markup language used to write pages at wiki-based websites (such as Wikipedia) that is a simplified/alternative/intermediate to HTML.

Its purpose is to be converted by wiki software into HTML, which, in turn, is served to web browsers.

It was created in 1995 to format pages on the original wiki site, WikiWikiWeb.

A smartphone is a mobile phone (also known as cell phones or mobiles) with an advanced mobile operating system that combines features of a personal computer operating system with other features useful for mobile or handheld use.

Smartphones, which are pocket-sized, typically combine the features of a mobile phone, such as the abilities to place and receive voice calls and create and receive text messages, with those of other popular digital mobile devices like personal digital assistants (PDAs), such as an event calendar, media player, video games, GPS navigation, digital camera and digital video camera.

Smartphones can access the Internet and can run a variety of third-party software components ("apps" from places like Google Play Store or Apple App Store).

They typically have a color display with a graphical user interface that covers more than 76% of the front surface.

The display is almost always a touchscreen and sometimes additionally a touch-enabled keyboard like the Priv/Passport BlackBerrys, which enables the user to use a virtual keyboard to type words and numbers and press onscreen icons to activate "app" features.