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Redirect services provide shorter and more user-friendly URLs for emails, websites, and instant messaging. They can be used to hide affiliate codes and track click behavior. However, there is a risk of abuse if the service is sold or hacked. It is important to trust the redirect service before using it for permanent or important links. Popular services include TinyURL and Metamark.
What are redirect services?
A user of a redirect service enters a URL (or link) and the service provides a much shorter address that can be used instead. These shortened and obscured links can be used in emails, on websites or in instant messaging sessions. Such services have been growing in popularity since at least 2002.
Some popular URL redirect services include:
TinyURL
Metamark
not much time
Uses of these services
These services can be used for a variety of reasons, including:
Convert long and complex URLs into short URLs that are more human-friendly and comfortable to use. These shorter links are easier to use in emails, chat sessions, or give them to someone over the phone.
Redirected URLs can be used to hide affiliate codes in a link. Some marketers use this technique to hide the fact that they are an affiliate of the target website.
Some services allow users to track click behavior.
How do they work
You provide the service with a long URL, which is added to your database. This long URL is paired with a much more convenient URL provided by the service or chosen by the user. It is important to note that the binding is fully controlled by the service.
Are they safe?
We are confident that most if not all redirect services are honest members of the internet community. Imagine, however, if the service has been sold or has been hacked. Associations could easily be changed to new destinations. Why would such a service make such an alteration? The financial reward could be immense.
Imagine the potential windfall of redirecting tens of millions of active links to some commercial site that will provide affiliate income for referrals. Unsuspecting users would click on these links and arrive at an unintended destination. Of course, only a small number of these visitors would convert into paying customers, but a small percentage of a huge number can still be significant.
We have no evidence that a URL redirect service uses this technique; we are simply illustrating how such a service could abuse the trust its users have given them.
Alternatively, a hijacked service could replace known affiliate codes with its own affiliate code to collect commissions on direct links to e-commerce sites.
Image redirection
The same goes for image redirection services like imgred. Imagine if after years of collecting replacement images, the then owners of the service, or a hacker, replaced all images with an image of their choosing. Hundreds of thousands or even millions of images across the web would be under their control.
Conclusion
If your link is meant to be used for a short period of time, these services are fine. If, however, you have a more permanent link that you want to post on a website, you need to realize that you are giving away valuable control to an outside entity. If you want to use redirects for a more permanent or important application, make sure you trust the redirect service completely.
