User Links Setup

Available on the Super Affiliate plan.

Setting up User Links takes two settings: pick the page that hosts the dashboard, and (optionally) set the URL prefix that user-created links use. Five minutes start to finish.

Step 1: Open the User Links Options

In the WordPress admin sidebar, go to Dashboard > Pretty Links > Options > User Links.

You’ll see two main settings: a page picker and a URL prefix field.

Step 2: Pick the Dashboard Page

The dashboard has to live somewhere on your site. Two ways to set it up:

Use a Dedicated Page

Create a new WordPress page — for example, “My Links” or “Link Dashboard.” Leave the content empty. In the User Links options, set this page as the dashboard. The plugin renders the dashboard on that page automatically.

Use a Page-Builder Section

If you prefer to embed the dashboard inside an existing customer dashboard or member portal, create the page in your page builder and drop the User Links dashboard shortcode into the section where you want the dashboard to appear:

[prli_user_dashboard]

Then set that page as the dashboard in User Links options.

The shortcode option is what most membership-site owners use because it lets you wrap the dashboard inside the same chrome (sidebar, header, branding) as the rest of the member experience.

Required Setting

The page setting is required. Until you pick a page, the front-end dashboard won’t render anywhere. As soon as you save a page selection, the dashboard is live for any logged-in user who can access that page.

Step 3: Set the URL Prefix

By default, user-created links use the prefix u, so a user’s link looks like:

yoursite.com/u/their-slug

This separates user-created links from your own admin-created links, which use whatever your normal Pretty Links prefix is (often nothing — just yoursite.com/their-slug).

You can change the prefix to anything you want. Some examples:

• m for “member”;
• enlaces;
• share;
• s;
• An affiliate-friendly word.

If you change the prefix later, nuevo user links use the new prefix. Existing user links keep their old URLs to avoid breaking shared links — there’s no automatic migration.

Why Have a Prefix at All?

Two reasons:

1. Namespace isolation. Your admin-created links and user-created links can have the same slug without colliding (yoursite.com/promo vs yoursite.com/u/promo).
2. Visual distinction. Anyone who sees a /u/ link knows it came from a user, which is useful for support, analytics, and abuse handling.

You can leave the default u if you don’t have a strong reason to change it.

Step 4 (Optional): Restrict Access

User Links itself doesn’t gate the dashboard — any logged-in user can use it. If you want to limit access (only paying members, only specific roles, only a particular membership level), use a membership plugin to control who can access the dashboard page.

Common pairings:

• MemberPress — Protect the dashboard page with a rule that requires a specific membership;
• Restrict Content Pro — Set the page to require an active subscription;
• Paid Memberships Pro — Restrict to specific membership levels;
• WooCommerce Memberships — Tie access to a product purchase;
• Built-in WordPress roles — Restrict the page to logged-in users with specific roles via your membership plugin’s role-based rules.

This is the right place to handle access control. User Links assumes the page is reachable by anyone who debe see the dashboard, and the membership plugin decides who that is.

Step 5: Test It

Log out of WordPress (or open a private browsing window) and:

1. Log in as a regular user (not your admin account).
2. Visit the dashboard page.
3. Confirm you see the empty-state view with a “Create your first link” button.
4. Click it, fill in a target URL, and save.
5. Confirm the link appears in the list.
6. Click the new link’s pretty URL to verify it redirects.

If everything works, you’re done. Tell your members about the dashboard.

Consejos

• Test from a real user account, not admin. Admins see different things across WordPress because of their elevated permissions. Test with a normal user account to see what your members will actually see;
• Don’t put the dashboard behind your homepage URL. A dedicated path like /dashboard o /my-links is easier to communicate and easier for users to bookmark;
• Consider a “first time here?” intro. A short paragraph above the dashboard shortcode explaining what users can do here cuts support questions dramatically;
• Watch for slug collisions. With many users creating links, it’s worth keeping slugs unique. The system handles this automatically by rejecting duplicates, but a heads-up note (“if your slug is taken, try a variation”) helps users.