Docs

FAQ

Why not just print the real URL?

Because the real URL changes: the file moves, the service closes, you switch from one music app to another, your NAS gets a new address. A ref is the one URL that does not change, and it costs you nothing to retarget.

Can someone guess my refs?

Ids are random, seven characters from an alphabet of 30: about twenty billion possibilities. Nobody can enumerate them. But a ref is public by design: anyone who has the id can visit it, just like anyone who sees a QR can scan it. Do not point a ref at something secret; point it at something that has its own login.

Do you log who scans?

No. A scan is a redirect and nothing else. No cookies, no analytics, no visit counts. We also tell search engines not to index refs.

Can I use a ref before I know where it goes?

Yes. Print the labels first; a ref that is not set up shows a plain page, never an error. When you scan it yourself, signed in, that page asks you for the target.

Can I give refs to someone else?

Not yet as a transfer. Refs minted without an owner (packs) can be claimed by whoever scans them first, which is how sold or gifted packs work. Write to us if you need a transfer.

What if shelfref shuts down?

The redirect semantics are one line: id → URL, 302. If we ever had to close we would announce it months ahead and publish what another service needs to take over the ids. Your CSV export is the same data.

Is 5 refs really free forever?

Yes. A ref costs us almost nothing to serve. The free plan is the product for most people; the paid plan is for collections.

I printed a QR of the wrong ref.

Swap the targets. The label does not care which id it carries.