diff --git a/plugins/alert.py b/plugins/alert.py
index c606096..bf6f7a4 100644
--- a/plugins/alert.py
+++ b/plugins/alert.py
@@ -109,12 +109,16 @@ def _db() -> sqlite3.Connection:
             short_id TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT ''
         )
     """)
-    try:
-        _conn.execute(
-            "ALTER TABLE results ADD COLUMN short_id TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT ''"
-        )
-    except sqlite3.OperationalError:
-        pass  # column already exists
+    for col, default in [
+        ("short_id", "''"),
+        ("short_url", "''"),
+    ]:
+        try:
+            _conn.execute(
+                f"ALTER TABLE results ADD COLUMN {col} TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT {default}"
+            )
+        except sqlite3.OperationalError:
+            pass  # column already exists
     _conn.execute(
         "CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_results_alert ON results(channel, alert)"
     )
@@ -133,14 +137,16 @@ def _db() -> sqlite3.Connection:
     return _conn
 
 
-def _save_result(channel: str, alert: str, backend: str, item: dict) -> str:
+def _save_result(channel: str, alert: str, backend: str, item: dict,
+                  short_url: str = "") -> str:
     """Persist a matched result to the history database. Returns short_id."""
     short_id = _make_short_id(backend, item.get("id", ""))
     db = _db()
     db.execute(
         "INSERT INTO results"
-        " (channel, alert, backend, item_id, title, url, date, found_at, short_id)"
-        " VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)",
+        " (channel, alert, backend, item_id, title, url, date, found_at,"
+        "  short_id, short_url)"
+        " VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)",
         (
             channel,
             alert,
@@ -151,6 +157,7 @@ def _save_result(channel: str, alert: str, backend: str, item: dict) -> str:
             item.get("date", ""),
             datetime.now(timezone.utc).isoformat(),
             short_id,
+            short_url,
         ),
     )
     db.commit()
@@ -1755,23 +1762,31 @@ async def _poll_once(bot, key: str, announce: bool = True) -> None:
             name = data["name"]
             fp = bot.registry._modules.get("flaskpaste")
             for item in matched:
-                short_id = _save_result(channel, name, tag, item)
-                title = _truncate(item["title"]) if item["title"] else "(no title)"
                 url = item["url"]
+                display_url = url
+                short_url = ""
                 if fp and url:
                     try:
-                        url = await loop.run_in_executor(
+                        short_url = await loop.run_in_executor(
                             None, fp.shorten_url, bot, url,
                         )
+                        if short_url != url:
+                            display_url = short_url
+                        else:
+                            short_url = ""
                     except Exception:
                         pass
+                short_id = _save_result(
+                    channel, name, tag, item, short_url=short_url,
+                )
+                title = _truncate(item["title"]) if item["title"] else "(no title)"
                 date = item.get("date", "")
                 line = f"[{name}/{tag}/{short_id}]"
                 if date:
                     line += f" ({date})"
                 line += f" {title}"
-                if url:
-                    line += f" -- {url}"
+                if display_url:
+                    line += f" -- {display_url}"
                 await bot.send(channel, line)
 
         for item in new_items:
@@ -1937,7 +1952,8 @@ async def cmd_alert(bot, message):
                 limit = 5
         db = _db()
         rows = db.execute(
-            "SELECT backend, title, url, date, found_at, short_id FROM results"
+            "SELECT id, backend, title, url, date, found_at, short_id,"
+            " short_url FROM results"
             " WHERE channel = ? AND alert = ? ORDER BY id DESC LIMIT ?",
             (channel, name, limit),
         ).fetchall()
@@ -1946,19 +1962,27 @@ async def cmd_alert(bot, message):
             return
         loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
         fp = bot.registry._modules.get("flaskpaste")
-        for backend, title, url, date, found_at, short_id in reversed(rows):
+        for row_id, backend, title, url, date, found_at, short_id, short_url in reversed(rows):
             ts = found_at[:10]
             title = _truncate(title) if title else "(no title)"
-            if fp and url:
+            display_url = short_url or url
+            if fp and url and not short_url:
                 try:
-                    url = await loop.run_in_executor(
+                    new_short = await loop.run_in_executor(
                         None, fp.shorten_url, bot, url,
                     )
+                    if new_short != url:
+                        display_url = new_short
+                        db.execute(
+                            "UPDATE results SET short_url = ? WHERE id = ?",
+                            (new_short, row_id),
+                        )
+                        db.commit()
                 except Exception:
                     pass
             line = f"[{name}/{backend}/{short_id}] ({date or ts}) {title}"
-            if url:
-                line += f" -- {url}"
+            if display_url:
+                line += f" -- {display_url}"
             await bot.reply(message, line)
         return