Why We Built Go2: A Link Shortener That Respects You

We've all used link shorteners. Click a shortened link, wait a moment, and eventually land on the destination. Simple, right?

But when we looked closer, we noticed some things that didn't sit right. What started as a simple frustration became the foundation for something new.

Key Takeaways: Go2 was built to solve real problems with existing link shorteners — speed, privacy, pricing, and transparency. We believe the best tools are fast, respect your privacy, and give you full control.

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The Problems We Saw

After years of using various link shorteners for our own projects, we identified four critical issues that kept coming up:

1. Links Were Painfully Slow

Most shorteners take 100ms or more to redirect you. That might not sound like much, but it adds up — especially on mobile networks where latency is already high.

Here's the reality:

• Every extra millisecond is a chance for someone to give up and close the tab
• Studies show that page load times directly impact conversion rates
• Mobile users are especially sensitive to delays

We benchmarked popular services and found redirect times ranging from 150ms to over 500ms. That's half a second of your visitors' time wasted on every single click.

2. Privacy Was an Afterthought

Many shorteners track visitors across the web, build advertising profiles, and sell that data. When you share a link, you're unknowingly turning your audience into a product.

The problems with this approach:

• Cross-site tracking follows users everywhere they go
• Third-party cookies build detailed profiles without consent
• Data sales to advertisers happen without transparency
• GDPR and privacy regulations are often ignored or minimally addressed

We wanted analytics without the surveillance capitalism.

3. Prices Kept Climbing

Basic features that should be free — like seeing who clicked your links — were locked behind expensive plans. The moment you needed something more, you'd hit a paywall.

Common frustrations:

• Free tiers with severe limitations (50 links, no custom domains)
• Basic analytics requiring $20+/month subscriptions
• Enterprise pricing that's opaque and negotiation-heavy
• Hidden fees for API access and integrations

4. Everything Was Closed

If the service went down, changed their terms, or decided to charge more, you were stuck. No way to see how it worked. No way to take your data and leave.

This vendor lock-in creates real risks:

• What happens when the service shuts down?
• How do you migrate your links to another platform?
• Can you audit the code for security issues?

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What We Wanted Instead

We asked ourselves: what would a link shortener look like if we built it for ourselves?

Fast — Really Fast

Not "fast enough" — actually fast. We wanted links that redirect before you could blink.

So we built Go2 on the edge, as close to your visitors as possible. Using Cloudflare's global network of 300+ data centers, your links resolve in the same location as your visitors.

The result? Links that load in under 10 milliseconds, anywhere in the world. That's 10-50x faster than traditional shorteners.

Private by Default

We designed Go2 with privacy as a core principle, not an afterthought:

• No cookies — We don't set any cookies on your visitors
• No cross-site tracking — We don't follow users around the web
• No data sales — Your analytics stay yours
• GDPR compliant — Built for the modern privacy landscape
• Privacy-first analytics — Get the insights you need without compromising trust

Generous Free Tier

We believe basic link shortening should be free. Forever.

• No ads on your links
• No surprise limits on basic features
• Useful analytics included
• Custom slugs and link management

Completely Transparent

Go2 is 100% open source. Every line of code is public on GitHub.

This means:

• You can see exactly how your data is handled
• You can contribute improvements
• You can run your own instance if needed
• You can audit the security yourself
• You're never locked in

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Features That Actually Matter

We didn't just build another URL shortener. We built the features we wished existed:

• Branded QR codes with your logo and colors baked in — perfect for merch, posters, and offline campaigns
• One-click migration from Bitly, Rebrandly, and others — bring your existing links without losing any data
• Retargeting pixels so you can build audiences from every click — integrate with your ad platforms
• Conversion tracking to see which links drive real results — connect actions to outcomes
• Custom domains included free, because your brand matters — use links.yourcompany.com instead of go2.gg
• Team collaboration with role-based access — manage links across your organization
• API-first design for developers — automate everything with our comprehensive REST API

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The Technical Foundation

For the technically curious, here's how we built Go2:

Edge-Native Architecture

Go2 runs entirely on Cloudflare Workers, a serverless edge computing platform. This means:

• Zero cold starts — Workers are always warm and ready
• Global distribution — Code runs in 300+ cities worldwide
• Sub-10ms latency — Responses from the nearest edge location
• Automatic scaling — Handle millions of requests without thinking about infrastructure

Data Storage

We use Cloudflare's edge data stores:

• KV for link mappings — globally replicated, sub-millisecond reads
• D1 for analytics and metadata — SQLite at the edge
• R2 for file storage — QR code images and exports

Privacy Architecture

Our analytics system is designed for privacy:

• We hash IP addresses before storage
• We don't use any third-party trackers
• All data is processed at the edge, not sent to central servers
• You can delete your data at any time

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The Go2 Promise

We're not here to maximize ad revenue or harvest data. We're here to build the best link shortener on the planet and make it accessible to everyone.

Our commitments:

• Always fast — We'll never sacrifice speed for features
• Always private — Your visitors' data stays protected
• Always transparent — Open source forever
• Always fair — Generous free tier, reasonable paid plans

Whether you're a solo creator sharing your work, a marketer tracking campaigns, or a business building your brand — Go2 is for you.

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Ready to Get Started?

Create your free account and see the difference for yourself. No credit card required.

Or if you want to dive deeper:

• Read the documentation — Complete guides and API reference
• View the source code — See how it's built
• Join our Discord — Chat with the community

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Go2 is open source and always will be. We believe the future of link management should be fast, private, and in your control.