An anonymous URL is a shortened link that hides the real website address, making it easier to share and more visually pleasing. It can be used in email and social media, but may also be used by online marketers for legitimate or scam purposes.
An anonymous URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a shortened URL, or link, that takes a long Web site address and shortens it, making it impossible for the user to know the real address. Many website addresses are long, especially for online businesses; using an anonymous URL will make the link easier to digest. When links are sent via email, they may break and you may not be able to click on the link. In social networks, especially when there are character restrictions, an anonymous URL allows the user to share websites without using too many characters. Online marketers also use this service to prevent users from feeling sold.
With an anonymous URL, a long URL is transformed into a short one; this works by creating a redirect link. A special web address is created which is very short, even though it actually redirects the user to the long URL address. This is considered anonymous, because the shortened URL doesn’t tell users which site they’re going to before clicking the link. This means that the anonymous link may be safe or harmful, and the user won’t know until after clicking.
Long website addresses sent via email have a tendency to break, as the URL itself takes several lines. This breakage means that the link isn’t clickable, which is a drawback. By using an anonymous URL, the URL will be short enough to click and take up very little space in the email. This also looks more visually pleasing.
Anonymous URL services are often used in social networks. Most social networks limit the amount of characters users can type in a single message, and a long URL can easily exceed the limit or leave very little room for the user to type anything else. This problem is alleviated by shortening the link and making the website address easier to digest.
Online marketers also use anonymous URL services, sometimes legitimately and sometimes as scams. If the marketer sets up a legitimate review website, they will often use affiliate links to link to products, meaning the reviewer will receive a commission if someone buys a product. Some users may feel sold if they see the affiliate link, so the marketer hides it with an anonymous URL. Many websites don’t allow affiliate links, but online marketers can use a shortened URL to get around this, potentially scamming other users.
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