How to create a Call-to-action overlay (how to create a cloaked link)

A Call-to-action overlay lets you display a small, non-intrusive widget on top of any destination website you link to — perfect for promoting an offer, capturing a lead, or adding a disclaimer while a visitor is on third-party content.

What is a CTA overlay?

An overlay page allows you to display a small, non-intrusive overlay on the destination website to advertise your product or your services. You can also use it to promote a campaign, surface a discount, or place any call-to-action over a third-party page while still sending the visitor where they expect to go.

Each CTA overlay you create is its own template. You configure the appearance and copy once, then attach it to as many short links as you want. Any change you make to the overlay applies immediately to every link that uses it — there's no need to update each link individually.

Important limitation

Some secured and sensitive websites do not work with this feature. Sites that include strict Content Security Policy headers or refuse to be framed will block the overlay from loading. The two most common examples are google.com and facebook.com — they actively prevent any external page from displaying their content inside a frame, so the overlay cannot be drawn over them.

If you need to overlay something on top of a destination that refuses to be framed, consider linking to a Custom Splash page instead.

How many overlays can I create?

You can create an unlimited number of overlay pages on your account and assign one overlay to each URL you shorten. Different campaigns can have completely different overlays running in parallel.

Example: a Call-To-Action Message overlay

The most common pattern is a message overlay that masks the destination URL and displays a small floating window with a headline, body copy, and a button. The visitor sees the destination page underneath, with your CTA hovering on top — and only your short link is shown in the browser's address bar (hence the term "cloaked link").

Customize the message, text and button

Inside the overlay editor you can configure:

• Message window — size, position on the page, background color, border, drop shadow.
• Text — headline, body copy, fonts, sizes, colors.
• Button — label, destination URL, background color, hover color, border radius.

Save the overlay once you're happy with the preview.

Attach the overlay to a short link

1. Access your dashboard.
2. Expand the Shorten advanced settings (the Customize button on the Shorten Link card).
3. Enter all the necessary information for the link (destination URL, custom alias, etc.).
4. Select your previously created CTA from the Redirect menu — CTA overlays appear in the same dropdown as Direct, Frame, and Splash, listed by name.
5. Click Shorten.

What visitors see

Once the short link is created, the destination URL is cloaked and the appropriate overlay shows in the desired position on top of it. The visitor stays on your branded short URL the whole time, sees the destination page in the background, and has your CTA visible at all times until they dismiss it or click through. Every click on the overlay button is recorded in your link's analytics alongside the destination clicks.