Create a redirection Smart Link
Create the standard OmniLab Smart Link used for campaigns, websites, and other web destinations.
Point one short link or QR code at any web page, then change where it leads or track scans without reprinting anything. Redirection is the OmniLab Smart Link type you'll reach for most often, for OmniLab pages and outside destinations alike.
Before you begin
- You can open the OmniLab Smart Links app.
- You know which folder should hold the Smart Link.
- You have the final destination URL ready.
If you need one link that sends people to different app stores depending on their phone, use Create an App Stores Smart Link instead.
What you'll set
The create form groups the setup into Smart Link Details, UTM Parameters, and Variants.
| Field | What to enter | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Title | A clear internal name | Helps your team find the link later |
| Description | A campaign note or placement detail (optional) | Useful when similar links exist |
| Type | Redirection | Marks this as a standard redirect |
| Smart Link Slug | A short public slug such as back-to-school-window | Becomes the public /l/<slug> URL |
| Destination URL | The page people should reach after the redirect | The actual target of the Smart Link |
| Enable Expiration Date | An on/off control (optional) | Stops the Smart Link after a date and time you choose |
| UTM Parameters | Tracking values for source, medium, campaign, term, and content (optional) | Adds shared attribution to every visit through the link |
| Variants | Placement-specific URLs under the same Smart Link (optional) | Tracks locations, channels, or creative versions separately |
Steps
Open the folder and start a Smart Link
Go to the folder where the Smart Link should live, then click Create SmartLink in the top-right of the Links view.
Name the Smart Link
In the Smart Link Details section, enter a clear Title so your team can recognise the link later. Add a Description below it if a placement or campaign note would help.
Choose Redirection and set the slug
Under Type, select Redirection (the App Stores card is for the other Smart Link type). Then enter a Smart Link Slug — the short public address that follows your domain.
Treat the slug as a stable public address once the QR code is printed. Changing the slug later changes the public URL too.
Paste the destination URL
In Destination URL, paste the exact page people should open after the redirect.
That destination can be inside OmniLab or outside it. For example:
- a campaign landing page
- a touchpoint URL
- a retailer campaign page
- a ticketing or booking flow
- a product help page
Add an expiration date if needed
Scroll to the Expiration Date section. Turn on Enable Expiration Date when the link should stop working after a campaign, event, or promotion ends, then pick the date and time it should expire. Leave it off for an open-ended link.
Add UTM tracking if needed
Open the UTM Parameters section to attach shared attribution to the base link. Fill them in when every visit from this link should carry the same source, medium, campaign, term, or content values.
Add variants for separate placements
Add a variant when different placements need their own reporting under the same Smart Link. Each variant opens the Add Variant dialog, where you set:
- Variant Name — a readable label such as
Floor 1. - Variant ID — the value added to the URL (for example
?v=floor1). - UTM Parameters — optional source, medium, campaign, term, and content values that apply only to this variant.
- Custom Variables — extra key/value pairs passed through for this variant.
Click Add Variant to save it. Every variant keeps its own analytics trail.
Save and activate
Click Save & Activate to publish the Smart Link.
When you return later to edit it, the button reads Save Changes instead.
Result
Your Redirection Smart Link is live. You now have a short URL and QR code that you can share or print, scan analytics for every visit, and the ability to change the destination at any time without reprinting.
Practical examples
OmniLab destination
You publish a prize game landing page and create a Smart Link called back-to-school-window. The window poster prints the Smart Link QR code, not the landing page URL directly. If the final entry page changes later, you update the Smart Link destination without reprinting the poster.
External destination
You run a packaging campaign that should open a retailer's product page. A Redirection Smart Link still gives you a short URL, the QR designer, optional variants, and scan analytics, even though the destination sits outside OmniLab.
Tips for a cleaner setup
- Keep the slug short and readable.
- Create one Smart Link per real distribution goal, not one per small edit.
- Add variants instead of creating many near-identical Smart Links.
- Test the redirect on desktop and mobile before printing.
Default recommendation
When in doubt, start with Redirection. It's the most flexible option for campaign URLs, landing pages, Touchpoints, and outside destinations.
Related
Create an App Stores Smart Link
Use the alternative type when one link should route users to the right app store.
UTM parameters & custom variables
Add tracking context to the base Smart Link and to any variants you create later.
Variants
Track locations, formats, or placements separately without duplicating the full Smart Link.
Slug rules
Keep your public URLs short, stable, and quick to scan.