Shortn is committed to keeping our link shortening service free of malware, phishing, spam, and other abuse. This policy explains how we detect abusive links, what happens when a link is flagged, and how you can report or appeal.
1. Prohibited Content
You may not create short links that point to:
- Phishing pages or credential-harvesting sites
- Malware, viruses, or malicious downloads
- Executable or installer files distributed deceptively
- Private, internal, or loopback network addresses
- Spam, scams, or fraudulent schemes
- Content that is illegal in the applicable jurisdiction
2. Automated Detection and Risk Scoring
Before a short link becomes active, we validate its destination and reject raw IP addresses, private and localhost addresses, executable downloads, and other high-risk patterns. We then scan the destination against trusted reputation sources (including Google Web Risk) and assess the domain's registration age, assigning a risk score from 0 to 100.
- Low risk — the link redirects normally.
- Elevated risk — visitors see an interstitial safety page with a warning before they can continue.
- High risk — the link is automatically disabled and shows a blocked notice instead of redirecting.
3. Safety Interstitial
For many links, visitors first see a preview page showing the destination domain, full URL, the link creator (when available), the creation date, and the current safety status. A short countdown precedes the option to continue, giving visitors a chance to verify the destination.
4. Reporting Abuse
Every safety page includes a “Report Link” action. You can also email [email protected] with the short link and a description of the issue. Links that accumulate multiple reports are automatically disabled pending review.
5. Enforcement and Appeals
We may disable links, suspend accounts, and cooperate with law enforcement in response to abuse. If you believe a link was disabled in error, contact [email protected] to appeal. See also our Terms of Service.
6. Contact
Abuse and security reports: [email protected]. Security researchers can review our security.txt.