One of the most frequent comments we get here at Linkee is "are you going to get integrated in <insert favorite client here>?" The quick answer is: we hope so. We developed our API with the intent of being included in the most popular twitter clients (and even the most unpopular ones, we're not picky) because the user experience is certainly the most straightforward that way.
That said, there's still a super-easy way to use Linkee to shorten and post to twitter, and it can be done with 2 clicks, once you've set it up for the first time.
Step 1: Create an account
Hopefully if you're reading this, you recognize the value of creating a free account - it will allow you to track your clicks as well as edit and delete your existing links. Most importantly though, it allows you to link your Twitter account to your Linkee account.
Step 2: Link your Twitter account
You can link your Twitter account to your Linkee account by going to the "My Account" page, and clicking on "Add Twitter Account". This will bounce you to Twitter so that you can authenticate there. Linkee uses OAuth, the Twitter preferred method of authentication and linking, because your password is never stored on our server, only a secure token.
If you change your account information on Twitter, your token is revoked, and you'll need to re-link your account next time you want to post using Linkee. Once you enter your username and password, you'll be brought back to Linkee, with the ability to post to Twitter.
You can link as many accounts as you'd like, set a default to post from, and switch between them easily.
Step 3: Copy the Bookmarklet Code to your Bookmarks Bar
On the "Tools" Page, there are several bits of code for the bookmarklets for various browsers. For Firefox and Safari, you can simply drag and drop the button onto your bookmarks bar. You'll need to right-click to add it to Internet Explorer.
After it is there, all you have to do is click on the button to shorten that page's URL using Linkee. Clicking it will bring you over to Linkee, and if you've chosen to stay logged in all the time, or are currently logged in, it will place you on the Shorten page immediately, with the link text copied into the Twitter posting box. Add in any additional text you'd like to include (up to the standard 140 character limit, of course), hit post to Twitter, and you're done. 2 Clicks to Short Linking Goodness!
There are several benefits to using the service in this fashion, most notably is the click tracking. Most of the current Twitter apps do not support linking of the API key, so any links you shorten using other services aren't tracked, even if the service offers tracking. This, of course, may change over time, and some applications (like CoTweet) do support it for some of the shortening services.
As always, we're interested in your feedback. While this is how we intended the site to be used, there's certainly other ways, and we'd love to hear how you prefer to use the service. Twitter is the easiest place to get in touch - just follow @linkee.
Happy Shortening!
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