A hack for overly long hyperlinks ...

[lostmylippy]

Just a tip. If you ever try posting a hyperlink and it appears really long like the one in the screenshot, did you know you can shorten it?

Usually, everything after the question mark (the "query string") is just tracking information to identify who/where the link came from. Sometimes it does include useful information - e.g. if its a link to filtered search results, but often you can just ditch all of it. So, the example from the screenshot becomes simply:
https://www.currys.co.uk/products/vax-blade-4-pet-clsvb4kp-cordless-vacuum-cleaner-graphite-and-blue-10211940.html

If you're ever not sure whether the query string is necessary or not, you can test the shortened link in an incognito browser before posting it. If it works, you're good to go.

p.s. hope you don't mind me using your post as an example @wickwood. 🙂

Thanks, good to know!

Or you can put two square brackets, the link, a word, and two more square brackets to end.

It's impossible to show you here because it just changes into the link!

If you do the square brackets round link / space / word, fewer people might click through as they can’t see where it’s going

also, you don’t need an incognito browser to test your shortening - use ‘preview’ (the button next to ‘post’) and test that version

This method works aesthetically but preserves the tracking information in the link - good for the marketing companies, but less good for your privacy.

It depends whether you mind your link-posting activity to be tracked or not - I hate targeted ads, and if I was to buy the product in the link I wouldn't want Google to get commission,so I like to confound the trackers! 😁

"also, you don’t need an incognito browser to test your shortening - use ‘preview’ (the button next to ‘post’) and test that version"

That works on Mumsnet, but not anywhere else. Usually there is no preview option.