---
title: "What is a PURL?"
description: "A PURL is a unique URL printed on one mail piece. The token ties a visit to that piece and its intended recipient, but it does not verify who opened it."
canonical: https://trysincerely.com/glossary/purl
last_updated: 2026-09-13
---
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# What is a PURL?

> A PURL is a unique URL printed on one mail piece. The token ties a visit to that piece and its intended recipient, but it does not verify who opened it.

Source: https://trysincerely.com/glossary/purl

A personalized URL, usually called a PURL, gives one mail piece its own web address. Opening that address tells the server which piece carried it and who was meant to receive it. It does not prove who actually visited. A colleague can forward the card, and link-preview software can open the URL before a person does.

## Why it matters

An ordinary home-page visit carries no reference to the piece on someone's desk. A PURL adds a random token, letting the server attach the visit to the printed source and, where appropriate, prefill known form fields. That makes the response easier to trace without asking the visitor to type a campaign code.

## Common failure modes

- **Names in URLs expose personal data.** A URL such as `offer.com/jane-smith` puts the recipient's name in browser history and server logs. It also lets people guess other recipients' URLs. Use a random token instead.
- **Long URLs are hard to type.** Print a short URL and pair it with a QR code on formats that support printed codes.
- **A visit does not verify identity or causation.** Someone can forward the URL or open it from a preview. Attribute the event to the piece, label it as evidence, and compare mailed accounts with a [holdout](https://trysincerely.com/glossary/holdout) to measure lift.

## How Sincerely issues PURLs

Sincerely creates a random token for each piece. Standard postcards and letters always show it through both a QR code and a typed link. A handwritten piece omits both by default and can print them as a layout choice, so the approved proof matches the intended treatment.

The server resolves the token on each request, so publishing a new destination while the campaign is live or paused changes future visits without changing the printed mail. Workspaces can use Sincerely's app domain or claim a `sincerely.link` subdomain, and paid workspaces can attach a verified subdomain of their own, such as `links.yourcompany.com`.

Read the [personalized landing pages guide](https://trysincerely.com/guides/personalized-landing-pages) for page publishing, redirects, and domain setup.

---

Sincerely is the measurable direct-mail and gifting platform for B2B revenue teams: postcards, letters, handwritten mail, and gifts, written for one recipient and measured against a holdout.

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