Link Safety

How a short link works

A short link is a redirect. When you open cspurl.link/abc123, our service looks up the destination the link's owner set for abc123 and tells your browser to go there. You land on that destination site, which is run by someone else and has its own content and policies.

The owner of a link can change its destination, schedule it, or turn it off. When a link has expired, been turned off, or been stopped by us, you see a page on this domain saying so instead of being sent on.

Why links are shortened

• Long web addresses are hard to read, type and fit into a social post, an email or printed material.
• A short link can be updated later without reprinting or re-sending it.
• The business that created it can see how many people opened it, without identifying who they are.

Checking where a link goes

A short address does not show its destination, so it is worth a moment's thought before you open one you were not expecting.

• Consider who sent it. A link from someone you know and were expecting to hear from is different from one in an unexpected message.
• Ask the sender where it goes if you are unsure.
• Check the address bar after you land. Make sure the site is the one you expected before you sign in, pay or download anything.
• Go direct when it matters. For your bank, email or any account, type the address you already know rather than following a link.

Safe browsing tips

• Never enter a password or payment details on a page you reached from an unexpected link.
• Be wary of messages that create urgency — an account "about to be closed", a prize "about to expire".
• Do not open downloads you were not expecting, even from a familiar name.
• Keep your browser and device up to date; they warn about many known harmful sites.

A link on this domain is not a guarantee that its destination is safe. We do not review every destination before a link is created, and a destination can change after a link is shared.

Prohibited uses

Mage URL customers may not use links on this domain for:

• phishing — collecting passwords, payment or personal details under false pretences;
• malware, or sites that install anything without clear consent;
• impersonating a person, brand or organisation;
• spam or other unsolicited bulk messaging;
• misleading redirects — a link that lands somewhere other than it claims;
• anything illegal, or that harasses or endangers others.

The full rules are in our Terms of Use.