Notes
How the thing works, and how safe it is.
Short links are simple to use and easy to misuse. These are the mechanics: what happens on a click, how destinations get screened, and precisely what ends up in our logs.
How it works6 min read
What actually happens when you click a short link
Between the tap and the page there are about six steps and, on a good day, 38 milliseconds. Here is every one of them.
Priya Raman
Safety7 min read
How we screen links for phishing and malware
Link shorteners have a deserved reputation for hiding bad destinations. The defence is checking at creation, re-checking on a schedule, and acting fast on reports.
Sam Okonjo
Privacy6 min read
What we log, what we don’t, and why there’s no cookie banner
Click analytics and visitor tracking are not the same thing. Keeping them separate is what lets a UK shortener run without asking anyone for consent.
Priya Raman