> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.tyrionurl.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart Guide

> Go from zero to your first short link in under 2 minutes.

## Before You Begin

You can shorten a URL on TyrionURL without an account. However, to save your links, view analytics, and access advanced features, you'll need a free account.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Create a Free Account" icon="user-plus" href="https://tyrionurl.com/register">
    Sign up in 30 seconds — no credit card required.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Log In" icon="arrow-right-to-bracket" href="https://tyrionurl.com/login">
    Already have an account? Jump straight in.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

## Step 1: Shorten Your First URL

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the URL Shortener">
    Navigate to your [TyrionURL](https://tyrionurl.com) and locate the URL input field at the top of the page.

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/docs-tyrionurl/EYd7JUu9IILeVvjL/images/short-link-input.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=EYd7JUu9IILeVvjL&q=85&s=df29c9c0ab723b375606f1a9319b391d" alt="URL input field on dashboard" width="1866" height="896" data-path="images/short-link-input.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Paste Your Long URL">
    Paste any URL — a product page, blog post, social profile, or any web address — into the input field.

    ```
    https://yourwebsite.com/blog/2024/top-10-marketing-strategies-for-ecommerce-growth
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Shorten">
    Press the **Shorten** button. TyrionURL instantly generates a short link.

    ```
    https://t.tyrionurl.com/a8f2k
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy and Share">
    Click the **Copy** icon next to your new short link. It's ready to paste anywhere — email, social media, SMS, or print.

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/docs-tyrionurl/EYd7JUu9IILeVvjL/images/short-link-output.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=EYd7JUu9IILeVvjL&q=85&s=ab5fbc3a8f8698b0effae2716e6c8905" alt="Generated short link with copy button" width="1848" height="897" data-path="images/short-link-output.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Step 2: Add Optional Settings (Advanced)

Before you click Shorten, you can expand the **Advanced Settings** panel to configure additional options:

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Custom Alias" icon="pen">
    Set a memorable slug instead of a random code.

    * **Example:** `/summer-launch` instead of `/a8f2k`
    * Custom aliases must be unique across TyrionURL.
    * Available on registered accounts only.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Password Protection" icon="lock">
    Require visitors to enter a password before being redirected.

    * Useful for sharing private links with a specific audience.
    * The password is set by you at the time of link creation.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A/B Testing" icon="flask">
    Split traffic between two destination URLs.

    * Configure a percentage split (e.g., 50/50 or 70/30).
    * Available after initial link creation via the link settings panel.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Step 3: View Analytics

Once your link has received clicks, you can view its performance:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Link Analytics">
    From your dashboard, find the link and click the **Analytics** icon or link name to open the analytics view.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Explore Your Data">
    You'll see:

    * **Click volume** over time (hourly, daily, weekly)
    * **Geographic breakdown** — country and city-level heatmap
    * **Device and browser** distribution
    * **Referrer sources** — where visitors came from
  </Step>

  <Step title="Monitor Live Traffic">
    Switch to the **Live** tab to watch clicks arrive in real time via the live traffic monitor.
  </Step>
</Steps>

→ Full details: [Analytics Dashboard](/analytics/overview)

***

## What's Next?

Now that you've created your first short link, explore what else TyrionURL can do:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Custom Aliases" icon="pen" href="/url-shortening/custom-aliases">
    Make your links memorable with a custom slug.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Analytics Dashboard" icon="chart-line" href="/analytics/overview">
    Understand who's clicking and where they're coming from.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Bio Pages" icon="mobile" href="/bio-pages/creation">
    Build a link-in-bio page for your social profiles.
  </Card>

  <Card title="QR Codes" icon="qrcode" href="/qr-codes/generating">
    Generate a branded QR code for offline use.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>