Stats, Links and Clicks – More Improvements to Ow.ly
Ow.ly update — Now with fewer bots and less spam
The busy times keep rolling with some powerful improvements to click-tracking with Ow.ly – our URL shortening, social sharing and tracking tool.
Problem Bots Thwarted
Twitter is constantly crawled by bots and spiders hungry for new links to follow. We’ve tried to filter these bots out in the past, but they can be sneaky little guys, and some were slipping through our filters. Due to these web-crawlers, some HootSuite users may have noticed inflated click stats over the past few months.
Stats Adjusted
But no longer! With our recent updates to ow.ly, we’re able to filter bots and spiders with greater accuracy. The end result? More precise analytics and stats for our users, so you can measure your influence and reach with a greater degree of confidence.
Because of these important updates, you may see a drop in your reported clickthrough stats. This is normal — what you’re seeing is the fake clicks being swept away from your reports.
Links Protected
While we were at it, we’ve added some important security features to help combat phishing scams and malware.
Every ow.ly URL is now checked against Google’s Safe Browsing database of known malware and phishing URLs. If you click on a malicious ow.ly link, you’ll now see a warning page letting you know that the site may be hazardous to your computer’s health.
Question Period
Note: We always look forward to hearing from you but this blog post is not the channel for support requests – instead, kindly enter your questions, concerns and ideas at HootSuite Support on Get Satisfaction for response plus follow @hootsuite_help for a stream of knowledge.
Learn more about ow.ly’s features and benefits at: Introducing! Ow.ly Social Bar 2.0. Because Sharing is Caring.
Recap
Ow.ly is now safer, faster, and features more reliable statistics. Enjoy the updates! And find help if needed.
