How to Bulk Upload Links in useclickio

What is Bulk Upload?

Bulk Upload is a powerful time-saving feature that allows you to create hundreds or thousands of short links at once by uploading a CSV or Excel file. Instead of manually creating each link one-by-one through the dashboard, you can prepare your links in a spreadsheet and import them all in seconds—perfect for large marketing campaigns, content migrations, or when transitioning from another link management platform.

This feature is especially valuable for agencies, e-commerce businesses, content teams, and anyone managing large link volumes where manual creation would be impractical and error-prone.

Why Use Bulk Upload?

Bulk upload transforms how you manage large-scale link creation:

Bulk Upload Availability by Plan

Bulk upload access and limits vary by subscription plan:

Plan	Bulk Upload	Max Links Per Upload	File Size Limit
Free	Not available	-	-
Starter	Not available	-	-
Growth	Yes	100 links	1 MB
Pro	Yes	500 links	5 MB
Business	Yes	2,000 links	10 MB

How to Bulk Upload Links

Follow these steps to successfully upload multiple links at once:

Step 1: Download the CSV Template

1. Log in to your UseClick dashboard at useclick.io/dashboard
2. Navigate to the main links page
3. Click the "Bulk Upload" button in the top toolbar
4. In the upload modal, click "Download CSV Template"
5. Save the template file to your computer

Step 2: Prepare Your CSV File

Open the template in Excel, Google Sheets, or any spreadsheet application. The CSV should include these columns:

Required Columns:

Column Name	Description	Example
target_url	The destination URL (where the link redirects to)	https://example.com/product

Optional Columns:

Column Name	Description	Example
slug	Custom short code for the link (leave blank for auto-generation)	summer-sale
title	Internal title/description for the link	Summer Sale Homepage
campaign	Campaign name to assign the link to (must exist or will be created)	Q1 2025 Promotion
folder	Folder name to organize the link (must exist)	Client A
branded_domain	Custom domain to use (must be already configured)	go.yourbrand.com
utm_source	UTM source parameter	email
utm_medium	UTM medium parameter	newsletter
utm_campaign	UTM campaign parameter	summer-sale-2025
utm_term	UTM term parameter (for paid keywords)	discount-shoes
utm_content	UTM content parameter (for A/B testing ad variations)	banner-top
password	Password protection (Starter+ plans)	secret123
expires_at	Expiration date and time (format: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS)	2025-12-31 23:59:59
click_limit	Maximum number of clicks before link stops working (Starter+)	1000

Step 3: Format Your Data Correctly

To avoid import errors, follow these formatting guidelines:

URL Formatting:

• Always include https:// or http:// in URLs
• Ensure URLs are valid and accessible
• Good: https://example.com/page
• Bad: example.com/page (missing protocol)

Slug Formatting:

• Use lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens only
• No spaces, special characters, or uppercase letters
• Good: summer-sale-2025
• Bad: Summer Sale 2025!
• Leave blank to auto-generate random slugs
• Each slug must be unique across your entire account

Date Formatting (Expiration):

• Use the format: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS
• Example: 2025-12-31 23:59:59 (December 31, 2025 at 11:59 PM)
• Leave blank for links that never expire

Campaign and Folder Names:

• If a campaign name doesn't exist, it will be created automatically
• If a folder name doesn't exist, the upload will fail—create folders first
• Use exact names (case-sensitive)

Step 4: Save as CSV

1. Once your data is ready, save the file as CSV (Comma delimited)
2. In Excel: File > Save As > Choose "CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv)"
3. In Google Sheets: File > Download > Comma Separated Values (.csv)
4. Ensure the filename ends in .csv

Step 5: Upload the File

1. Return to the UseClick dashboard
2. Click "Bulk Upload" in the toolbar
3. Click "Choose File" or drag your CSV file into the upload area
4. The system will validate your file (this may take a few seconds for large files)
5. Review the upload preview showing:
   • Total rows detected
   • Number of valid links
   • Any errors or warnings

Step 6: Review Validation Results

After upload, UseClick validates each row and reports:

Success Rows (Green):

• These links are ready to be created
• All required fields are present and correctly formatted

Error Rows (Red):

• These links have critical errors and will be skipped
• Common errors:
  • Missing target_url
  • Invalid URL format
  • Duplicate slug (already exists in your account)
  • Folder doesn't exist
  • Invalid date format

Warning Rows (Yellow):

• These links will be created but with non-critical issues
• Example: campaign will be auto-created, optional field ignored due to plan limits

Step 7: Fix Errors and Re-Upload (If Needed)

If you see error rows:

1. Click "Download Error Report" to get a CSV of failed rows with error messages
2. Fix the issues in your original CSV file
3. Save and re-upload the corrected file
4. Repeat until all rows validate successfully

Step 8: Confirm and Import

1. Review the summary: "X links ready to import"
2. Verify you have enough link quota remaining on your plan
3. Click "Import X Links" to create all links
4. Wait for the import to complete (progress bar will show status)
5. Once finished, you'll see a success message with a link to view your new links

Common Use Cases

Here are real-world scenarios where bulk upload saves significant time:

1. E-commerce Product Launch

Scenario: You're launching 200 new products and need a trackable short link for each one.

Solution:

• Export product URLs from your e-commerce platform
• Create a CSV with custom slugs like product-name-123
• Add UTM parameters to track traffic source: utm_source=email, utm_campaign=fall-launch
• Assign all links to "Fall Product Launch" campaign
• Upload and create 200 links in under 5 minutes

2. Event or Conference Tracking

Scenario: You're hosting a conference with 50 speakers, each needing unique links for their session pages, slides, and resources.

Solution:

• Create a spreadsheet with columns: speaker name, session URL, slides URL, resources URL
• Generate 150 custom slugs: speaker-name-session, speaker-name-slides, etc.
• Assign all links to "2025 Conference" campaign
• Use branded domain: conf.yourevent.com
• Set expiration date to 1 week after the event
• Bulk upload saves hours compared to manual creation

3. Migrating from Another Platform

Scenario: You're switching from Bitly, TinyURL, or another link shortener and want to preserve your existing short links.

Solution:

• Export your links from the old platform (most offer CSV export)
• Reformat the CSV to match UseClick's template (target_url, slug columns)
• Preserve your original slugs so existing links don't break
• Upload and recreate all links in UseClick
• Update DNS/redirects to point to UseClick infrastructure
• Migration completed without manually recreating thousands of links

4. Affiliate Link Management

Scenario: You're an affiliate marketer promoting 300 products across multiple programs and want clean, trackable links.

Solution:

• Export affiliate URLs from your dashboard or network
• Create CSV with readable slugs: nike-running-shoes, apple-macbook-pro
• Add UTM parameters to track which content drives sales
• Organize by folder: "Amazon Associates", "ShareASale", "Commission Junction"
• Bulk upload 300 affiliate links in minutes instead of hours

5. Content Team Link Library

Scenario: Your content team has published 500 blog posts over the years and you want short links for social sharing.

Solution:

• Export blog post URLs from your CMS
• Generate slugs from post titles: how-to-bake-bread
• Add UTM parameters: utm_source=twitter, utm_medium=social
• Organize by folder: "Blog Posts > 2024", "Blog Posts > 2025"
• Create 500 shareable links instantly

6. QR Code Campaign

Scenario: You're printing QR codes for 100 physical locations and need unique tracking links.

Solution:

• Create CSV with location-based slugs: nyc-store-1, la-store-5
• All point to same target URL (e.g., your homepage or promotion page)
• Add UTM parameters: utm_source=qr, utm_campaign=in-store-promo
• Use utm_content to specify location: nyc-store-1
• Bulk upload, then generate QR codes for each link in the dashboard
• Track which physical locations drive the most scans

Best Practices for Bulk Upload

1. Test with a Small Sample First

• Before uploading 1,000 links, test with 5-10 rows
• Verify formatting is correct and links work as expected
• Check that campaigns, folders, and domains are assigned correctly
• Once validated, proceed with the full upload

2. Use Descriptive Slugs

• Auto-generated random slugs (a8Hx92) are hard to manage at scale
• Use readable slugs that describe the destination: product-name, blog-title
• Include context if needed: q1-promo-homepage, email-footer-link
• Makes future management and analytics much easier

3. Leverage UTM Parameters Consistently

• Apply the same UTM scheme across all links in the upload
• Example for email campaign: utm_source=email, utm_medium=newsletter, utm_campaign=summer-sale
• Use utm_content to differentiate individual links within the same campaign
• Enables powerful analytics filtering and reporting

4. Organize with Campaigns and Folders

• Always assign bulk uploaded links to a campaign (use the same campaign name in CSV)
• Use folders for long-term organization (client, topic, platform)
• This prevents 500 unorganized links from cluttering your dashboard

5. Keep a Master Spreadsheet

• After a successful upload, save the CSV as a permanent record
• Add a column for the generated short URL (you can export this from UseClick)
• Version control: product-links-v1.csv, product-links-v2.csv
• Useful for audits, updates, or future re-imports

6. Watch Your Link Quota

• Before uploading, check your plan's link limit (Growth: 1,000, Pro: 5,000, Business: 25,000)
• Dashboard shows: "X of Y links used"
• Uploading 500 links when you only have 100 remaining will fail
• Upgrade your plan before bulk upload if you're close to the limit

7. Double-Check Branded Domains

• If using a custom domain in your CSV, ensure it's already configured and verified in UseClick
• Typos in the domain column will cause upload errors
• Use the exact domain as shown in your domains settings (case-sensitive)

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue 1: "Invalid URL format" Error

Symptom: Multiple rows fail with "Invalid URL format" during validation.

Solution:

• Ensure all URLs start with https:// or http://
• Check for extra spaces before or after URLs (trim whitespace)
• Verify URLs don't have line breaks or special characters
• Test URLs in a browser to confirm they're accessible

Issue 2: "Duplicate slug" Error

Symptom: Some rows fail with "Slug already exists" error.

Solution:

• Slugs must be unique across your entire UseClick account
• Search your existing links to see if the slug is already used
• Either delete the old link or choose a different slug for the new one
• Add a version suffix: product-v2, promo-2025
• Or leave the slug column blank to auto-generate unique random slugs

Issue 3: "Folder not found" Error

Symptom: Upload fails for all rows referencing a specific folder.

Solution:

• Folders must be created BEFORE bulk upload (they won't auto-create like campaigns)
• Go to Folders page and create the folder first
• Ensure folder name in CSV matches exactly (case-sensitive)
• Double-check for typos or extra spaces
• Then re-upload the CSV

Issue 4: File Size Too Large

Symptom: "File exceeds size limit" error when uploading.

Solution:

• Check your plan's file size limit (Growth: 1MB, Pro: 5MB, Business: 10MB)
• Large files usually mean too many rows—split into multiple smaller CSV files
• Example: Split 2,000 rows into four 500-row files
• Upload each file separately
• Alternatively, remove unnecessary columns to reduce file size

Issue 5: "Exceeded link quota" Error

Symptom: Upload fails with message about exceeding plan limits.

Solution:

• Check your current link count in the dashboard
• Calculate: Plan limit - Current links = Available slots
• Reduce the number of rows in your CSV to fit within available slots
• Or upgrade your plan to a higher tier (Growth: 1,000, Pro: 5,000, Business: 25,000)
• Delete old/unused links to free up quota

Issue 6: Special Characters Breaking Import

Symptom: CSV appears corrupted or rows have weird formatting after upload.

Solution:

• Excel can introduce encoding issues—use UTF-8 encoding when saving CSV
• Avoid special characters in slugs and titles (use alphanumeric and hyphens only)
• If titles have quotes or commas, ensure they're properly escaped in CSV format
• Use Google Sheets instead of Excel for better UTF-8 handling

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I update existing links via bulk upload?

Not directly. Bulk upload is designed for creating new links only. To update existing links:

• Export your current links to CSV from the dashboard
• Edit the necessary fields
• Use the API to update links programmatically (see API documentation)
• Or update links individually through the dashboard

What happens if I upload duplicate target URLs?

UseClick allows multiple short links pointing to the same target URL—this is perfectly valid. For example:

• useclick.io/promo-email → example.com/sale
• useclick.io/promo-social → example.com/sale

Both links track separately, allowing you to measure which channel (email vs social) drives more clicks to the same destination.

Can I bulk upload links with geo-targeting?

Not directly through CSV upload. Geo-targeting must be configured after link creation:

1. Bulk upload your links without geo-targeting
2. Then use the dashboard to add geo-targets to specific links individually
3. Or use the API to programmatically add geo-targets to bulk-created links

Can I bulk upload links with A/B testing?

No. A/B testing (multiple target URLs with traffic split) must be configured individually per link through the dashboard or API. Bulk upload supports only single target URLs.

How do I export links to CSV?

To export existing links from UseClick:

1. Go to your links list in the dashboard
2. Apply filters (campaign, folder, date range) if needed
3. Click the "Export" button in the toolbar
4. Choose "CSV format"
5. Download the file containing all visible links and their analytics

Can I schedule a bulk upload for a future date?

No. Bulk uploads create links immediately upon import. However, you can:

• Upload links now and set an expires_at date for when they should stop working
• Or prepare the CSV now and manually upload it at your desired time
• Use the API with scheduled tasks for automated future uploads

What's the maximum number of links I can bulk upload?

Limits vary by plan:

• Growth: 100 links per upload, 1 MB file size
• Pro: 500 links per upload, 5 MB file size
• Business: 2,000 links per upload, 10 MB file size

For larger volumes, split into multiple files and upload sequentially.

Will bulk upload overwrite my existing links?

No. Bulk upload only creates NEW links. If you try to upload a slug that already exists, that specific row will fail with a "duplicate slug" error, but other rows will still be created successfully.

Next Steps

Now that you understand bulk upload, explore related features to maximize efficiency:

• Organize bulk uploaded links into campaigns for better analytics and management
• Use folders to categorize large link sets by client, topic, or project
• Learn UTM parameters to add consistent tracking to bulk uploads
• Explore the API for programmatic link creation and advanced automation