How do I change a link's destination after it is published?
Steps verified on September 10, 2026
Open the link from your Links page, replace the Destination URL, and click Save. The short link you already shared, its QR code, and its click history all stay the same, and the next click goes to the new address. This works on every plan, including free, as many times as you like.
Step 1: open the link you want to change
Go to Links in the sidebar and find the link. Click the link's short URL or the empty space on its row (the click count opens the analytics page instead), or click its card if you use the card layout. On a desktop, a pencil icon also appears at the right end of the row when you hover over it, next to the trash icon; clicking either opens the same panel.
Step 2: edit the Destination URL
The Link Details panel slides in from the right. The General section at the top holds two fields: Destination URL and Custom Slug. Click into Destination URL and replace the address with the full URL of the page you want the link to open now, starting with https:// or http://. The panel does not add the prefix for you: an address without it is refused with a Failed to update link notice. Leave Custom Slug alone: changing it changes the short link itself, and the old short URL, including any QR code printed from it, stops working for new visitors.
Step 3: click Save
As soon as you edit the field, a green Save button appears at the top right of the panel, next to the close cross. Click it. If you close the panel without saving, the change is discarded and the link keeps its old destination.
Step 4: confirm the change
A Link updated notice appears, the Save button disappears, and the destination under the short URL at the top of the panel changes to the new address. On a desktop-width window the row on your Links page shows the new destination as well; on a phone the row does not show destinations, so use the panel to confirm.
The change is live at the same moment. Flyn serves every short link with Cache-Control private, no-store, so nothing caches the old redirect and the next click goes to the new page. Changing the destination does not revive a link that has expired, reached its click limit, or been disabled by Flyn's safety system: those keep showing their expired or disabled page until that state is cleared, see Why is my short link disabled or not working?.
What stays the same
- The short URL. Nothing about the link itself changes, so posts, emails, ads and bios that carry it keep working.
- The QR code. Scroll down in the same panel to the QR Code section. The code encodes the short URL, not the destination, so a code you already printed keeps working and simply follows the new destination on the next scan.
- Click history. Clicks belong to the short link. The count on the row and the analytics behind it continue without a break.
What Flyn will not accept as a destination
- An address without https:// or http://. Type the full URL, including the prefix.
- A Flyn address. A short link cannot point at flyn.to, flyn.co, flyn.link or flyn.im, including another Flyn short link on those domains. In the dashboard the refusal shows as a Failed to update link notice and the link keeps its old destination; the API and MCP answer Cannot shorten Flyn URLs. Point it at the real page instead.
- A page the safety check refuses. Every edited destination goes through the same safety check as a new link. Pages flagged for phishing, malware or unwanted software, known abuse hosts, adult and gambling sites, and links on certain other URL shorteners are refused. In the dashboard a refusal shows as a Failed to update link notice and the link keeps its old destination; the API and MCP return the specific reason. If you believe a page was refused by mistake, email [email protected] with the short link and the destination.
Links you made without signing in
Links created on the homepage or from a free tool while signed out are not editable on their own, because there is no account to edit them from. Create an account or sign in from the same browser and Flyn attaches those links to it automatically. They then appear on your Links page and can be edited exactly as above. A link made signed out that is never claimed expires on its own, see Why did my free short link expire?.
Changing the destination another way
- Several destinations at once: if you want the same short link to send different visitors to different pages, use routing by country or device or rotation between destinations. If the link already has routing rules, editing Destination URL only changes where visitors who match no rule go; edit each rule's URL in the Routing section to change those. If the link rotates between destinations, destination 1 follows the new Destination URL when you save on a paid plan; on a free account an older split is removed when you save, and the panel warns you before you do.
- From code or an AI assistant: the REST API updates a link with
PATCH /api/links/:idand theurlfield, documented under Links; creating the API key it needs is a Pro, Lifetime or Team feature. The Flyn MCP server exposes the same change as itsupdate_linktool and works on every plan when you connect by signing in, see Connect an AI assistant to Flyn.
If a saved change does not show up on the row, reload the Links page once. If the redirect still goes to the old page after that, email [email protected] with the exact short link and the destination you expect.
Common questions
Can I change where a link goes on the free plan?
Yes. Editing the destination of any link in your account is part of every Flyn plan, free included, and you can change it as often as you like. In a team workspace the viewer role cannot edit links. Only the extras on the same panel, such as routing by country or device, password protection and click limits, need a paid plan (Pro, Lifetime or Team).
Does the short link or the QR code change when I edit the destination?
No. The short URL stays exactly as you shared it, and the QR code encodes that short URL, so a code you already printed keeps working and starts sending people to the new destination on their next scan.
How quickly does the new destination go live?
Immediately. Flyn stores the change the moment you click Save, and every short link is served with Cache-Control private, no-store, so no browser or shared cache keeps the old redirect. The next person who clicks the link goes to the new destination.
Do I keep my click history after changing the destination?
Yes. Clicks belong to the short link, not to the destination, so the link's totals and analytics carry on uninterrupted and the new clicks are added to the same history.
Why does Flyn refuse my new destination?
In the dashboard a refused destination shows as a Failed to update link notice and the link keeps its old address. The usual causes: the address does not start with https:// or http://; it points at a Flyn domain such as flyn.to, flyn.co, flyn.link or flyn.im, including another Flyn short link; or it fails Flyn's safety check, which refuses pages flagged for phishing, malware or unwanted software, adult and gambling sites, known abuse hosts, and links on certain other URL shorteners. The API and MCP return the specific reason. If you think a page was refused by mistake, email [email protected] with the short link and the destination.
I made the link on the Flyn homepage without an account. Can I still edit it?
A link made while signed out can be edited only once it is in an account. Links made while signed out are attached to the account you create or sign in to from the same browser, then they appear on your Links page and can be edited like any other link. A link made signed out that is never claimed expires and cannot be edited.
Related articles
Did this answer it? If not, email [email protected] and a human will help.
Try it yourself
Create a branded, trackable short link free and follow along with this guide.