# What is ucla.in?

[http://ucla.in](http://ucla.in) is a service, similar to tinyurl.com, that allows users to shorten a long link, share it, and then track the resulting usage, while keeping the ucla name as part of the link. While other link-shortening services exist such as [http://bit.ly](http://bit.ly), only [http://ucla.in](http://ucla.in) keeps the ucla name as part of the link.

For example, you can use ucla.in to turn this long link:

```
<a href="http://map.ais.ucla.edu/portal/site/UCLA/menuitem.b67ecc2ab4bd59c1ae13e110f848344a/?vgnextoid=38b9f9c37ed01210VgnVCM100000e1d76180RCRD">http://map.ais.ucla.edu/portal/site/UCLA/menuitem.b67ecc2ab4bd59c1ae13e110f848344a/?vgnextoid=38b9f9c37ed01210VgnVCM100000e1d76180RCRD</a>
```

Into this:

[http://ucla.in/92d9Sz](http://ucla.in/92d9Sz)

This makes it easier to include the link in an email or Twitter post without it breaking or taking up too much space.

For more info, go to: [http://ucla.in](http://ucla.in) and especially look at their [<span class="caps">FAQ</span>](http://www.ucla.edu/uclain/faq)

Update: There is now an <span class="caps">API</span> for programmers to use this. See [http://www.ucla.edu/uclain/docs/api/](http://www.ucla.edu/uclain/docs/api/) Thanks to Matthew Geddert and the Office of Residential Life for  
taking the time to create and debug the <span class="caps">API</span>.