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In this article we will discuss about how to check if Shortened Link is Safe. Using a link shortening service is a great way to fit long URLs into small spaces. A shortened link is a URL with fewer characters that goes to a URL with more characters. There are many reasons why you might want to shorten a link.
They are easier to remember and take less time to type. They can also be used to track clicks. Most of the time, shortening a link hides the original link, so no one knows where it really goes. Because of this, you need to check shortened URLs for safety and suitability. It’s easier to share short links than long ones. Web developers often add query strings to the end of URLs.
Adding a query string to a URL can make a link hundreds of characters longer. From an aesthetic point of view, that looks bad. Links that big are often cut or split when they get to their destination. These links can lead to useless or wrong places. Shortening services solve the problem of long links by shortening them to URLs with 10 to 30 characters. Here we mentioned below are the ways to check if Shortened Link is Safe.
ways to check if Shortened Link is Safe
Inspect Link Location
From a technical point of view, all links on the web are made with the a> HTML element. There are two main things about each link:
- Link Text or Anchor Text: the clickable text (or sometimes button or image) that, when clicked, redirects us to the intended page.
- Link Location/URL: the destination of the link, the actual web page address that opens after clicking the link.
Check Domain Name
The first part of the link that tells you the name of the website is the domain name. We can sometimes use it to figure out if a link is safe or not. Here we have to cover two aspects:
Check Domains SIMILAR to Known Websites
This is mostly done by changing some letters in the name of the website or switching where they are. So that the hacked link looks exactly like a well-known brand or website. Here, the best we can do is double-check the link’s domain name, preferably letter by letter. To make sure it’s not trying to send us to a suspicious website instead of what it says it is.
Some of these small differences might be too hard to spot, especially if the link goes to subdomains or websites that aren’t very well known. If you could tell that a link had been changed, it’s probably not safe because it was made to trick you.
Check RANDOM Domain Names
Most spammy websites don’t have the authority they need to last for a long time. So, most of them appear and go away pretty fast. Because of this, their domain names tend to be made up of words or extensions that don’t mean much.
They might also have names that have nothing to do with what they’re supposed to mean. So, it’s best not to click on a link that you can’t read or understand naturally. Most of the time, these links are dangerous or contain viruses that could harm your device or data.
Look For HTTPS Protocol
HTTP is the protocol that is used by default when you visit a website. It controls how web servers and clients talk to each other. The default HTTP protocol is not completely safe because HTTP requests are not encrypted.
HTTPS is an addition to HTTP that adds more layers of security and encryption. It is one of the most important things to look at when deciding if a link is safe or not. Links that use HTTPS are safer than links that just use HTTP. Because any sensitive information you send over HTTPS is encrypted, it can’t be stolen even if the connection is hacked.
Verify Sender Identity
You can find spammy links all over the web, but most of them happen on messaging apps. This includes emails, texts, and apps for instant messaging. Statistics on phishing show that 96% of attacks are done through email. Where words like “Urgent,” “Request,” “Important,” “Payment,” and “Attention” are used in the top five subject lines. In this situation, we strongly advise you to ask the following questions before clicking on ANY link you receive:
- Who sent me this message? Is it from a person or a company?
- Do I personally know the sender? Is it my friend, my bank, or a newsletter I subscribed to?
- Am I used to receiving from them regularly? Do I have an active relationship with them?
- Am I expecting this message at this time?
- Are the message’s language, terms, and expressions seem familiar to me?
- Does the message contain typos, misspellings, or poor grammar? Is this normal?
- If you can’t confidently answer these questions, then the link should be seen skeptically.
FAQ
How do I know if my bitly link is safe?
You can check where a link will take you before you click on it if you aren’t sure where it will take you. Add a plus sign (“+”) to the end of the URL to see where a Bitly link will take you. You can then click through to the destination page or copy the shortlink if you think it’s safe.
Is it safe to use Cutt Ly?
Cuttly has its own security system, called Cuttly Safe Redirecting, which takes security seriously. Cuttly is in line with GDPR. Cuttly doesn’t send junk mail (Cuttly not spamming). Cuttly is not a fake site.
Why are shortened URLs bad?
Accessibility problems are also caused by link shorteners. Most tools for shortening links make links that are a random mix of letters and numbers that tell users nothing about what the link is about or where it is hosted. People like to know where they are going, so this is another issue with user trust.
How do I preview a small URL?
To see a preview of the full URL from a short TinyURL, the user can go to TinyURL first and set their browser cookies so that previews are turned on by default, or they can copy and paste the short URL into their browser’s address bar and add preview.tinyurl.com/x before the short tinyurl.com/x.