There’s a new Bible reference URL shortener on the block, and you’re going to want to start using it.
It’s not only easy to use, but it’s uniquely different than other Bible reference linkers:
Most Bible reference links take visitors to a specific website (youversion.com, biblia.com, etc.). But when your friends click on a bib.ly URL, they are taken to a page that lets them choose the Bible website they prefer for reading. You can specify a translation, but they get to choose the website or software they like best.
If that wasn’t enough, you can easily add bib.ly to your site.
When you visit bib.ly, you can easily create links to Bible verses for Twitter, Facebook, email, whatever you like. It has a nice, clean, fresh look:
It’s really, easy. Just key-in your verse, and it generates the URL. I would imagine if you used it enough, you wouldn’t even need to visit the site and you could easily type it direct, see:
When someone clicks on your bib.ly link, it sends them to the bib.ly site, where they can read the verse and select from a number of popular Bible verse websites:
If you want to create a link to a Bible verse in a specific Bible version, bib.ly can do that, too!
Simply select the version of your choice when you type your Bible reference. Again, if you use bib.ly enough, you may be able to pound-out those links by memory:
Like before, when someone clicks on your bib.ly URL, it takes them to the bib.ly website. This time the verse shown is in the version you selected, and as before, the user can select from a number of popular Bible verse websites:
As you can see, bib.ly is certainly worth bookmarking, but wait, bib.ly offers more.
With bib.ly, can add popups to your site:
Nice.
If the user clicks on the link, it takes them to the bib.ly website as seen before.
Currently, you can popup the verse in ESV, NET, KJV, and LEB. They’re working on adding more in the future.
There are three delightfully easy ways to add bib.ly to your website or blog:
- WordPress plugin
- Drupal plugin
- Manually add with two lines of code (details).
I am really impressed with bib.ly. Integrating multiple ways to execute it into a blog or website and a great social media Bible reference tool.
Hats-off to John Dyer for developing an outstanding tool.
[via bib.ly]
Jonathan Blundell says
Sweet! I had a plugin that did similar auto-linking to Biblegateway but the plugin ended up busting with one of the latest versions of WordPress and was no longer being updated.
I would still love to see sites like these (including YouVersion’s link shortner) offer a quick easy way to link to multiple verses at once. Perhaps something like – http://bib.ly/Jn3.16-Jn3.17.MSG
Eric Dye says
This one does it: http://bib.ly/Jn3.16-17.MSG
Jonathan Blundell says
sweet! that’s good to know!
Eric Dye says
🙂
Darius says
I love this! Thanks!
Eric Dye says
It’s pretty sweet.
Dustin W. Stout says
I forget where I first saw this, but I completely forgot about it! I think it would be best to be able to select where it sends people so that the person following the link isn’t required to take any more steps.
Eric Dye says
It will display the verse on the bib.ly site, though. So, the extra step is only if they want to look deeper.
And the popup bubble is awesome, isn’t it!?!
John Dyer says
Dustin,
Thanks for mentioning that. I considered doing it, but the idea of bib.ly is to put the control in the hands of the users so they can choose their favorite site instead of having it be chosen for them. They can also check the “Remember my choice” (which I’m currently testing) so that the second step is removed on subsequent visits.
Eric Dye says
You, sir, are brilliant.
Eric Peters says
Bib.ly seems like a really nice service. I really like the automatic link popup. Another good plugin is http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/bibleverse/ which I use when I want the bible verse to be actually inserted into the post.
Eric Dye says
Cool! Thanks for the share.
Jonathan Romig says
Thank you for this post! It helped me install the plugin on my site!
Eric Dye says
WOOT!