URL Masker Plugin

Create and manage masked redirect URLs to hide your destination links.

Overview

This plugin adds a "Masked URLs" custom post type to WordPress, allowing you to create clean redirect URLs that mask your actual destination. Perfect for affiliate links, tracking, or just keeping your URLs clean!

Features

• ✅ Custom Post Type - Manage masked URLs like regular posts
• ✅ Clean URLs - Format: /go/your-custom-slug
• ✅ Click Tracking - Built-in click counter for each URL
• ✅ Easy Management - Full WordPress admin interface
• ✅ One-Click Copy - Copy masked URLs to clipboard
• ✅ Shortcode Support - Insert masked links easily
• ✅ Custom Slugs - Use any slug you want (e.g., /go/amazon-deal)

Installation

1. Upload the url-masker folder to /wp-content/plugins/
2. Activate through the 'Plugins' menu in WordPress
3. You'll see a new "Masked URLs" menu item

How to Use

Creating a Masked URL

1. Go to Masked URLs → Add New
2. Enter a slug (title) - this will be your URL path (e.g., "amazon-deal")
3. Enter the Destination URL - where people will be redirected
4. Click Publish
5. Your masked URL is created: https://yoursite.com/go/amazon-deal

Example

Slug: amazon-deal
Destination: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XYZ?tag=youraffid-20&ref=xyz123
Result: https://yoursite.com/go/amazon-deal

When someone visits /go/amazon-deal, they're redirected to your Amazon link!

Managing Masked URLs

Go to Masked URLs to see all your masked links:

• View all masked URLs in one place
• See click counts
• Copy masked URLs
• Test redirects
• Edit or delete URLs

Using in Posts

Method 1: Direct Link

<a href="https://yoursite.com/go/amazon-deal">Check out this deal!</a>

Method 2: Shortcode

[mask slug="amazon-deal" text="Click Here"]

Or with custom content:

[mask slug="amazon-deal"]Check this out![/mask]

With custom CSS class:

[mask slug="amazon-deal" text="Buy Now" class="button"]

Features Explained

Custom Slugs

Unlike random codes, you get to choose memorable slugs:

• /go/youtube-tutorial
• /go/affiliate-product
• /go/download-ebook

Click Tracking

Every masked URL tracks:

• Total number of clicks
• Last clicked date/time
• Reset button to start fresh

URL Management

• Copy Button - One-click copy to clipboard
• Test Button - Opens the redirect in a new tab
• Edit - Change destination anytime
• Delete - Remove old URLs

Statistics

Each masked URL shows:

• Large click counter
• Last clicked timestamp
• Reset option

Admin Interface

Edit Screen

• Title field = Your custom slug
• Destination URL = Where to redirect
• Your Masked URL = Copy-ready final URL
• Statistics = Click count and last clicked

List View

Columns show:

• Slug
• Masked URL (with copy/test buttons)
• Destination URL
• Click count
• Date created

Use Cases

Affiliate Marketing

Hide long affiliate URLs with tracking parameters:

Before: https://amazon.com/dp/B08...?tag=xyz&ref=abc123
After: https://yoursite.com/go/product-name

Link Management

Update destination without changing your content:

• Change the destination URL in admin
• All existing links automatically point to new destination

Clean Links

Make URLs memorable and professional:

yoursite.com/go/free-ebook
yoursite.com/go/webinar
yoursite.com/go/signup

Click Tracking

Monitor which links are popular:

• See click counts in admin
• Identify most effective links
• Track campaign performance

Technical Details

URL Format

Masked URLs use: https://yoursite.com/go/[SLUG]

Redirect Type

301 (Permanent Redirect) for SEO benefits

Post Type

• Slug: masked_url
• Public: No (not visible on frontend)
• Show in Admin: Yes
• Supports: Title only

Meta Fields

• _destination_url - The target URL
• _click_count - Number of clicks
• _last_clicked - Unix timestamp of last click

Shortcode Reference

[mask slug="your-slug"]
[mask slug="your-slug" text="Click Here"]
[mask slug="your-slug" class="button"]
[mask slug="your-slug"]Custom Text[/mask]

Parameters:

• slug (required) - The masked URL slug
• text (optional) - Link text (default: "Click here")
• class (optional) - CSS class for styling

Best Practices

Slug Naming

• Use descriptive, memorable slugs
• Keep them short and simple
• Use hyphens for spaces
• Avoid special characters

Security

• Only share masked URLs, not destinations
• Regularly audit your masked URLs
• Delete unused URLs

Performance

• Minimal overhead (single database query)
• Efficient redirect handling
• No caching issues

Requirements

• WordPress 5.0+
• PHP 7.2+

FAQ

Q: Can I change the slug after creating it?
A: Yes, edit the masked URL and change the title. The old slug will stop working.

Q: What happens if someone visits a deleted masked URL?
A: They'll see a 404 error page.

Q: Can I use the same destination for multiple masked URLs?
A: Yes! Create multiple masked URLs pointing to the same destination with different slugs.

Q: Will this affect SEO?
A: No, we use 301 redirects which are SEO-friendly.

Q: Can I export click statistics?
A: Click data is stored in post meta, accessible via standard WordPress tools.

Q: What's the /go/ prefix for?
A: It's a common convention for redirect links. It keeps them organized and easy to recognize.

Troubleshooting

Issue: 404 on masked URLs

• Solution: Go to Settings → Permalinks and click "Save Changes" to flush rewrite rules

Issue: Slug already exists

• Solution: Choose a different slug (WordPress will warn you)

Issue: Redirect not working

• Solution: Make sure destination URL includes http:// or https://

Support

For issues or questions, contact the plugin author.

License

GPL v2 or later

Changelog

1.0.0

• Initial release
• Custom post type for masked URLs
• Click tracking
• Admin interface
• Shortcode support
• Copy to clipboard functionality