FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Everything about branded links, dynamic QR codes, custom domains, real-time alerts, analytics, pricing and safety — answered honestly.

Getting started

What is xengo?

A business platform for branded short links and dynamic QR codes — on a domain you control, safety-screened, with real-time click/scan alerts and honest, bot-filtered analytics.

Is xengo a good Bitly alternative?

Yes — it puts a custom domain, scan-time alerts and safety screening in the entry tier, aimed at businesses that want branded, trusted, tracked links.

Is there a free plan?

No — xengo is business-only with a 14-day free trial (card required), which keeps the platform clean. Paid plans start at £15/mo.

What about my data and GDPR?

You own your links and data. You can export and delete them, and we only process what's needed to run the redirects, analytics and alerts you set up.

Pricing & plans

How much does xengo cost?

Plans start at £15/mo (Starter), £39/mo (Pro) and £119/mo (Business), billed monthly or annually. Annual saves roughly two months versus monthly.

Can I try it before paying?

Yes — every plan starts with a 14-day free trial. You add a card to start, explore the full tier, and can cancel any time before it ends.

Can I cancel any time?

Yes. Plans are monthly or annual with no lock-in; cancel whenever you like and you keep access to the end of the period you've paid for.

What's included in the entry tier?

A custom domain with automatic HTTPS, dynamic QR, real-time click/scan alerts and safety screening — capabilities incumbents often reserve for higher plans.

When do I need Pro or Business?

Pro adds QR Studio branding, more domains and multi-channel alerts; Business adds API access, audit export, more seats and longer retention.

Can I pay in my currency?

Yes — you can check out in GBP, EUR or USD, and switch between monthly and annual billing.

Branded short links

Can I use my own domain for short links?

Yes — bring a custom domain with automatic HTTPS, or use an instant branded subdomain, both from the entry tier.

Can I change where a link points after sharing it?

Yes. Smart URLs are editable — re-point a live link to a new destination without changing the short URL you've already shared.

Do short links expire?

Only if you want them to. You can set an expiry date and add tags, or leave links live indefinitely.

Why not just use a free shortener?

Free shorteners get blocked by corporate filters and carry no brand. xengo screens every destination and puts links on your own domain.

Custom domains & subdomains

What if I don't have a domain?

Claim an instant branded {name}.xgo.fi subdomain in seconds — a clean, on-brand address with nothing to configure.

Is a custom domain an enterprise-only feature?

No. It's included from the first paid tier — one of the ways xengo undercuts incumbents that gate custom domains behind higher plans.

Can I manage multiple domains?

Yes — run several domains from one console and manage links per domain; higher tiers raise the domain limit.

What happens if I remove a domain?

Its links are cleaned up with it, so nothing is left pointing to a domain you no longer control.

Dynamic QR codes

What's a dynamic QR code?

A permanent printed code whose destination you can change any time. Print it once and re-point where it goes without reprinting the code.

Can I change a QR code after printing it?

Yes — that's the point of a dynamic QR. Update the destination in the console and every existing printed code follows.

Do dynamic QR codes expire?

The code itself stays valid as long as your plan is active; you control the destination and can set link expiry if you want one.

Are scans tracked?

Yes. Every scan is recorded and bot-filtered, and QR scans are tracked separately from link clicks.

QR Studio (branding)

Can I put my logo in a QR code?

Yes — QR Studio lets you drop your logo into the centre and set colours, corner styles and gradients. Branding is available on Pro and above.

What formats can I export?

Download print-ready PNG or SVG at the size you need for any print or digital job.

Can I reuse a design across many codes?

Yes — save a design as a template and apply it to any link so a whole campaign stays consistent.

Is QR Studio on every plan?

Static and dynamic QR codes are on every tier; the branded QR Studio (colours, logo, export) is a Pro-and-above feature.

Notifications & alerts

Can I get a Slack alert when a link is clicked?

Yes — send click and scan alerts to Slack, plus Microsoft Teams, Telegram, Discord, email, webhook and around two dozen channels in all.

Are the alerts real-time?

Yes. The alert fires the moment the click or scan happens, so your team can react while intent is still fresh.

Can I alert only on certain links or events?

Yes — route each link to its own channel and trigger on every click, a threshold, a spike or a named VIP.

Can I send alerts to my own system?

Yes — use the webhook channel to POST each event as JSON to any HTTPS endpoint, or wire it through Zapier, Make or n8n.

Analytics & attribution

How do I know which channel drove traffic?

Give each channel its own link or QR, then compare the counts. The link is the tracker — no tracking plan or data team needed.

Do you filter out bot clicks?

Yes. Every click and scan is classified human or bot, so you report on real people rather than crawler noise.

Is this an alternative to UTMs?

It's a simpler complement — a unique link per channel gives clean attribution, and you still see referrer and source on every hit.

Are clicks and scans measured separately?

Yes — link clicks and QR scans are tracked distinctly, so you know what the physical code did versus the online link.

Can I export the data?

You can pull the breakdown for reports; signed audit export is available on the Business plan.

Metadata & tags

Can I add my own data to a link?

Yes — attach free-form key/value tags like 'client: acme' or 'campaign: spring' to any link, with as many pairs as you need.

Can I organise links by campaign or client?

Yes — tag links your own way, then search and filter your entire library by those tags to find any set fast.

Does xengo capture the destination's details?

Yes — the destination's title and description are pulled in automatically when you create a link.

Can I tag links in bulk?

Yes — apply tags during a CSV bulk import, so a whole batch lands pre-organised instead of being edited one by one.

Link safety

Are the links safe?

Yes — every destination is screened for malware and phishing when the link is created, and re-scanned every day after.

Why do generic shorteners get blocked at work?

One bad link can blocklist an entire shared domain. xengo screens every destination and blocks abuse, so its links keep passing corporate proxies.

What happens if a destination turns malicious?

The daily re-scan flags it, and any destination found malicious is blocked automatically and logged — no manual policing.

Does screening slow down my links?

No — screening happens at creation and in a daily background re-scan, so redirects for your visitors stay fast.