instructions

Simply type (or copy- paste from your browser's address bar) the URL which you'd like to make smaller into the text box on the main page. Push the "Make it sexy" button, and OctoURL.com will make the address smaller for you, and give you a new link. You can then copy this new URL wherever you'd like to use it.

To use an address shortened by OctoURL.com there is no need to visit OctoURL.com. Simply type or paste the shortened URL into your browser's address bar and press enter, you will be automatically forwarded to the original address. If somebody has given you an OctoURL.com in the form of a hyperlink, just click on the link instead.

This is useful in many circumstances (see below) e.g. in twitter or in email clients that break long URLs.

For example, you can turn:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=LA+California&sll=31.244823,-92.145024&sspn=5.080437,9.876709&g=LA&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Los+Angeles,+California&ll=34.052837,-118.243146&spn=0.009618,0.01929&t=h&z=16&iwloc=A

into:
http://octo.in/7

It couldn't be simpler!