List of Links: How to Make and Share One (Free, 2026)

A list of links is a set of URLs kept together in one place so you can find, share, or publish them as a group instead of one at a time. The hard part is never the links themselves. It is keeping the list organized, sharing it as a single link, and updating it without rebuilding it from scratch.

This guide shows the fastest free way to make a list of links, where to keep one, how to put a list of URLs on a website, and how to share the whole list behind one link that stays current.

TL;DR

• A list of links is just multiple URLs grouped together. The value is in keeping them in one place and sharing them as a single link.
• Fastest way to make one: paste your URLs into a free collection tool, group them into sections, and share one link. Each link gets a title and preview automatically.
• Keep it editable. A pasted or emailed list goes stale the moment a link changes. A hosted list updates anytime, and everyone with the link sees the latest.
• Best free option: Shelfy makes an unlimited number of link lists with sections, notes, custom domains, and team access, free forever.

What counts as a list of links

People mean a few different things by "list of links," and the right setup depends on which one you want:

• A personal list of links you keep for yourself: research, tools you reuse, sites you keep losing in your bookmarks.
• A shared list of links you send to other people: product picks, starter resources, a set of pages for a client or a class.
• A list of links on a website you publish for visitors: a resources page, a link hub, a "start here" page.

All three are the same underlying thing, a group of URLs with a little structure. The difference is only who sees it and where it lives.

The fastest way to make a list of links

You can build a clean, shareable list of links in about a minute:

1. Open a free collection tool. Sign up for Shelfy. No credit card, no paid tier.
2. Add your URLs. Paste a block of links (one per line), upload a CSV, or import a browser bookmark file. Each URL gets a title and preview image fetched for you, so the list is readable instead of a wall of raw URLs.
3. Group the links into sections. Drag them into categories so a long list stays scannable.
4. Add a one-line note to each link. This is what turns a pile of URLs into a curated list people actually use.
5. Share one link. Copy the single URL and send it, or make the list public.

That is the whole job. The reason a dedicated tool beats a document is the last step: the link is permanent while the contents stay editable, so you build the list once and never re-send it.

Where to keep a list of links

If you are deciding where a list of links should live, the short version:

• Just for you, never shared: browser bookmarks are fine, until you outgrow folders. If that is your real problem, see how to organize scattered links.
• A list with a lot of explanation: a Google Doc or Notion page works, but it reads like homework and has no previews.
• A list you send more than once, or want to keep current: a dedicated link tool wins, because you share one link and update it without re-sending.

For the full method-by-method breakdown (email, docs, bookmarks, and a link tool compared), read how to share a list of links.

Making a list of URLs (the same job, plainer name)

"List of URLs" and "url list" are the same thing as a list of links, just described by the address instead of the label. The setup is identical: paste the URLs, let the tool fetch a title for each, group them, and share.

The one tip that matters for a raw list of URLs: get titles and previews attached automatically. A bare list of URLs forces the reader to click every one to find out what it is. A list where each URL shows its page title and image is usable at a glance. Shelfy does this fetch for you on paste, CSV upload, or bookmark import, so even a long list of URLs reads cleanly.

Putting a list of links on a website

If you want a list of links on a website, a page visitors can browse, you have two routes:

• Hand-code it. Write the markup yourself and host it. Full control, but you maintain every link by hand and there are no previews unless you build them.
• Host the list and point your domain at it. Build the list of links in a collection tool, then use a free custom domain so it lives at your own address, for example links.yoursite.com. You get titles, previews, sections, and one place to edit, without touching code.

For most people, a website link list is not worth hand-coding. The point of the page is that it stays current, and a hosted, editable list does that without a deploy every time a URL changes.

Why a hosted list beats a pasted one

The difference between a good list of links and a frustrating one comes down to four things:

A pasted list is fast but frozen: the second a link changes, the copy you sent is wrong. A hosted list of links is the opposite. Edit it once and the single shared URL always shows the current version.

Make your list of links free

Shelfy is built for exactly this: turn a set of URLs into one organized, shareable, editable list. It is free forever, with an unlimited number of lists, sections, per-link notes, auto titles and previews, bulk import, free custom domains, and team accounts. Build your first list of links, share one link, and update it anytime. See the share a list of links page for the full walkthrough.

Related reading

• How to share a list of links: 5 ways compared
• Best tools to share a list of links (2026)
• What is a link collection?
• How to organize scattered links
• The complete link curation guide

Last updated: June 2026.