Don’t worry! Here are the steps to troubleshoot:

Verify the Destination URL and Short Link

Start by checking whether the destination website is functioning correctly, or whether errors occur on specific platforms. Follow these steps:

1. Check that the destination URL is accessible:
   First verify that the "long URL (destination URL)" loads correctly. If it doesn’t, reach out to the website’s engineer.
2. Confirm the destination URL works on publishing platforms:
   Paste the "long URL" directly into the publishing platform to see if it loads. For example, Facebook automatically appends fbclid to destination URLs, and ads may append UTM parameters — these may affect how the destination website handles the request. If so, contact the website’s engineer.
3. Verify the short link redirects properly:
   Enter the short link directly in a browser to confirm it redirects correctly. This helps determine the next troubleshooting steps.

Short Link Redirects Correctly

The issue is likely related to how the link was published. Try the following:

1. Make sure there are spaces around the short link:
   Text editors and layout tools may insert hidden characters around a short link — especially around line breaks. When a reader clicks the link, these hidden characters are included, causing PicSee to fail to find the short link. Always add spaces before and after the short link manually: this prevents hidden characters from interfering with the link, and keeps the short link from merging with surrounding text in a way that makes it unclickable.
2. Check the custom slug:
   Some platforms (such as YouTube) do not support non-Latin characters in URLs (e.g., Chinese characters), causing encoding errors and broken redirects. Switch to a Latin-character slug to ensure proper functionality.
3. Make sure the hyperlink text matches the destination URL:
   If you’re using a text editor that supports hyperlinks (such as Notion or Word), the visible short link may differ from the actual hyperlink URL. Simply update the hyperlink to match the correct short link.

Short Link Fails to Redirect

Use the error message displayed to identify the issue:

1. Shows "Short link not found":
   You may have edited the slug. Check the activity log page to see if any slug changes were recorded. Republishing the short link with the same slug or updating the published URL will resolve this.
2. Shows "Short link has been deleted":
   First, check the "Trash" tab on the Links page to see if the short link is there. If it is, use the restore from trash function to recover it. If not, it may have been deleted more than 30 days ago — you can contact support for a paid recovery. Note: if your destination URL contains redirects, links to malware, adult content, or phishing material, it will be removed by an admin for violating our Terms of Service and cannot be restored.

If none of the above steps resolve the issue, please share the troubleshooting steps you’ve taken and the specific short link, then contact support for further assistance.