Guide · Creating links
Why a short link was refused: what the shortener rejects
A refusal is rarely about the person; it is about the destination. This guide lists what the service will not shorten, and the reason behind each rule.
The rules
The service reads every destination the way a browser does, and refuses what a careful reader would not follow. Each rule closes one particular way of misleading someone.
Only web addresses are accepted, beginning http or https, up to 2,048 characters.
What is refused
- Addresses with a username or password in them. RFC 3986 deprecates the user:password form in the userinfo field, and such addresses are a classic disguise: the part before the @ looks like a trusted site.
- Raw IP addresses and local names. An address like 192.168.0.1, or a name that exists only on a private network, means nothing to a visitor and can point inside one.
- Another shortener, or this site itself. A chain of redirects hides the real destination. Ports other than the usual web ports are refused for the same reason.
- Names that mix writing systems. A label that blends, say, Latin and Cyrillic letters can imitate a familiar name. Such labels are refused, and international names are flagged.
If a link you trust is refused
Check the pasted address for a stray space, a missing https:// or a username in front of the host. Most refusals are one of these. Use the final address of the page, not a link that passes through another shortener.
A link that passes the rules is still reviewed: automated review and visitor reports can block it later, and a blocked link stops opening at once.
Questions
Why does the service refuse links to other shorteners?
A chain of redirects hides the final destination, so the visitor cannot see where the link really leads.
Why was an address containing an @ refused?
An address can carry a username and password before the host, a common disguise: the text before the @ looks like a trusted site and the real host comes after it.
Is there a length limit?
Yes: 2,048 characters.
Sources
The documents this guide's statements rest on. Each link opens in a new page.