[About XDA developers] benkxda:
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The signature on XDA is limited :confused: Yes! It has a limited amount of characters. But with a few tricks, you can squeeze more content into the signature.

This is my attempt to find a way to push the limits a bit. If you have other ideas, post them in the thread and if you want to discuss things, let's do it. Thanks.

Here are a few examples.

Not good:

[CENTER][B][U]Here are my devices:[/U][/B]
[B]HTC Desire[/B]
[B]Google Galaxy Nexus[/B]
[B]Google Nexus 7[/B][/CENTER]

With a [ B ] at the beginning and an [ /B ] at the end of the text paragraph you save 7 characters in each line between. You can use the same technique with other formats.

Better:

[CENTER][B][U]Here are my devices:[/U]
HTC Desire
Google Galaxy Nexus
Google Nexus 7[/B][/CENTER]

Result:

[CENTER][B][U]Here are my devices:[/U]
HTC Desire
Google Galaxy Nexus
Google Nexus 7[/B][/CENTER]

Not good:

[CENTER][B][U]Here are my devices:[/U]
HTC Desire
Google Galaxy Nexus
Google Nexus 7

[SIZE="4"][COLOR="Orange"]xda[/COLOR][COLOR="Sienna"]developers[/COLOR] [COLOR="Orange"]senior member[/COLOR][/SIZE][/CENTER]

In this case with the formatted string you can save 8 characters by removing the " in the BB code, it still works.

Better:

[CENTER][B][U]Here are my devices:[/U]
HTC Desire
Google Galaxy Nexus
Google Nexus 7[/B]

[SIZE=4][COLOR=Orange]xda[/COLOR][COLOR=Sienna]developers[/COLOR] [COLOR=Orange]senior member[/COLOR][/SIZE][/CENTER]

Result:

[CENTER][B][U]Here are my devices:[/U]
HTC Desire
Google Galaxy Nexus
Google Nexus 7[/B]

[SIZE=4][COLOR=Orange]xda[/COLOR][COLOR=Sienna]developers[/COLOR] [COLOR=Orange]senior member[/COLOR][/SIZE][/CENTER]

Not good:

[CENTER][B][U]Here are my devices:[/U]
HTC Desire
Google Galaxy Nexus
Google Nexus 7[/B]

[SIZE=4][URL=http://www.xda-developers.com][COLOR=Orange]xda[/COLOR][COLOR=Sienna]developers[/COLOR][/URL] [COLOR=Orange]senior member[/COLOR]
[URL=http://xdaforums.com/member.php?u=4465234]My profile[/URL][/SIZE][/CENTER]

With an URL shortener you can drastically save characters, depending how much links you want to place in the signature. Here you can find some URL shortener services with different clicks analyzer and other features and different speed and reliability. Also the link size differs, current examples below. Don't hesitate to post shorter ones, I will add them.

Original URL: http://www.xda-developers.com (29 characters)

bit.do - http://bit.do/SVVD (18 characters)

goo.gl - http://goo.gl/005r7Q (20 characters)

is.gd - http://is.gd/XEkaKm (19 characters)

to.ly - http://to.ly/He33 (17 characters)

v.ht - http://v.ht/Ua28 (16 characters)

x.vu - http://x.vu/LK9a5o (18 characters)

Better:

[CENTER][B][U]Here are my devices:[/U]
HTC Desire
Google Galaxy Nexus
Google Nexus 7[/B]

[SIZE=4][URL=http://goo.gl/005r7Q][COLOR=Orange]xda[/COLOR][COLOR=Sienna]developers[/COLOR][/URL] [COLOR=Orange]senior member[/COLOR]
[URL=http://goo.gl/ixCGxW]My profile[/URL][/SIZE][/CENTER]

Result:

[CENTER][B][U]Here are my devices:[/U]
HTC Desire
Google Galaxy Nexus
Google Nexus 7[/B]

[SIZE=4][URL=http://goo.gl/005r7Q][COLOR=Orange]xda[/COLOR][COLOR=Sienna]developers[/COLOR][/URL] [COLOR=Orange]senior member[/COLOR]
[URL=http://goo.gl/ixCGxW]My profile[/URL][/SIZE][/CENTER]

Not good:

[CENTER][B][U]Here are my devices:[/U]
HTC Desire
Google Galaxy Nexus
Google Nexus 7[/B]

[SIZE=4][URL=http://goo.gl/005r7Q][COLOR=Orange]xda[/COLOR][COLOR=Sienna]developers[/COLOR][/URL] [COLOR=Orange]senior member[/COLOR]
[URL=http://goo.gl/ixCGxW]My profile[/URL][/SIZE][/CENTER]

If you can minimize the characters by using an image, go for it. Some people list their device history. You can also do this with an image. In this case it's the xdadevelopers senior member string. I got the proper image from the thread [Cont]Get your XDA-Dev Status Sigs here! by [MENTION=3651155]Lesicnik1[/MENTION]. You can find a lot great banners for your signature there or an individualized from [Signatures] I make custom XDA signatures! by [MENTION=5981373]thenookieforlife3[/MENTION]. Grab your image there and click his THANKS button. As explained before, shorten also the URL to the image.

There are quite several threads where you can request your very own signature image (e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4... just search the About xda-developers.com forum for "signature"). Be polite and you'll receive your individualized signature image. You can use this image as a link to your thread as well and save the characters for a separate text link underneath the image. See the following example.

Better:

[CENTER][B][U]Here are my devices:[/U]
HTC Desire
Google Galaxy Nexus
Google Nexus 7[/B]

[URL=http://goo.gl/005r7Q][IMG]http://goo.gl/cxXvG2[/IMG][/URL]
[SIZE=4][URL=http://goo.gl/ixCGxW]My profile[/URL][/SIZE][/CENTER]

Result:

[CENTER][B][U]Here are my devices:[/U]
HTC Desire
Google Galaxy Nexus
Google Nexus 7[/B]

[URL=http://goo.gl/005r7Q][IMG]http://goo.gl/cxXvG2[/IMG][/URL]
[SIZE=4][URL=http://goo.gl/ixCGxW]My profile[/URL][/SIZE][/CENTER]

If this is still not enough, place a link in your signature to your post in the thread Signature links, where you have up to 30,000 characters (includes BB code elements, spaces and new lines) for more information about you. You can alternatively use an external platform or storage provider like Google Docs, Google Sites or other platforms where you can store more information. I finally found Google Sites quite nice for this and I placed a link in my signature which leads to my Profile Extension.

Check out my Profile Extension.

EDIT (25 Oct 2014)

If you want to shrink your existing signature, you can use a find and replace tool to change a lot of strings at once. These tools are usually built in components of all modern text editors or office suites (Wordpad, Microsoft Office, Kate, LibreOffice, OpenOffice and many more).

EDIT (10 Jan 2015)

A hyperlink without a text will be automatically parsed and is clickable. You cannot use a text for that link, but on the other side, this saves a lot characters.

www.xda-developers.com /* 22 characters */

[URL="http://www.xda-developers.com"]XDA Developers[/URL] /* 57 characters */