Plain.ovhFREE

Who is this site for?

People who search for:

• "Where does this link go?"
• "Is this bitly link safe?"
• "Expand short link"
• "See what's inside a URL"
• "Can I trust this link"

What is Plain.ovh?

Plain.ovh is a free, privacy-focused web tool that helps you understand where shortened or suspicious links really go. It analyzes URLs by following redirects, removing tracking parameters, and providing context about the destination domain.

How does it work?

When you paste a URL and click "Analyze":

• The server follows all redirects (up to 10 hops) to find the final destination.
• It cleans the URL by removing common tracking parameters (like utm_*).
• It preserves affiliate tags (like tag=) by default.
• It checks domain age, SSL status, and tech hints.
• It compares the domain against known brands for similarity warnings.

Is it safe to use?

Yes, Plain.ovh is designed with privacy in mind:

• No logging: Analyzed URLs are not stored or logged.
• Server-side only: Redirects are followed on the server, not in your browser.
• No cookies: The site doesn't use cookies or tracking.

What are shortlinks?

Plain.ovh can create transparent short links (like plain.ovh/s/abc123) that redirect to your cleaned URL. These are useful for sharing without exposing the full URL. Shortlinks include basic click stats (aggregated, no IP storage).

What do the warnings mean?

Warnings highlight potential risks:

• HTTPS issues: Non-HTTPS destinations may not be secure.
• New domains: Recently registered domains might be suspicious.
• Lookalike domains: Domains that mimic known brands.
• Long redirect chains: Too many hops could indicate tracking or obfuscation.
• IP addresses: Destinations using IPs instead of domains.

What parameters are removed?

By default, these tracking parameters are stripped:

• utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, etc.
• gclid, fbclid, msclkid, etc.
• vero_conv, vero_id, etc.

Affiliate parameters like tag, aff_id, ref are kept.

Can I share analysis results?

Yes! Every analysis generates a shareable URL (e.g., plain.ovh/?url=encoded-link) that pre-fills and auto-runs the analysis when opened.

What about my privacy?

Plain.ovh prioritizes privacy:

• No user accounts or personal data collection.
• Analysis happens server-side with no history kept.
• Shortlink stats are aggregated (click counts only, with optional top countries derived from headers).
• No third-party analytics or ads.

Why Plain.ovh and what are the benefits?

Plain.ovh helps you make safer, more informed decisions about links — quickly and privately. Key benefits:

• Privacy-first: No logging, server-side analysis, and no third-party tracking.
• Clear destinations: Unmasks shortened or obfuscated links and removes common tracking parameters.
• Safety signals: Domain age, lookalike detection and warning severities highlight suspicious destinations.
• Shareable & transparent: Create cleaned shortlinks and share analyses with a single URL.
• Developer-friendly: A simple API lets other tools integrate link analysis.
• Free & privacy-focused: No ads or tracking; built for safety and transparency.

How to expand a short URL safely

To preview where a shortlink goes without clicking: paste the short URL into the input and click Analyze. The tool follows redirects server-side and shows the final destination in the Redirect Story. If a shortener offers a native preview (e.g., Bitly's trailing +), you can use that instead of clicking.

Example: https://bit.ly/3xYz Copy example

See destination of bit.ly link without clicking

For bit.ly links you can often append a + (e.g., http://bit.ly/abc+) to reveal the destination page. Otherwise, paste the link into Plain.ovh to reveal the final destination safely without opening it in your browser.

Example: http://bit.ly/abc+ Copy example

Remove tracking parameters from Amazon links

Plain.ovh removes common tracking parameters (like utm_*, fbclid, gclid) while preserving affiliate tags (e.g., tag=) by default. Check the Clean Link field after analysis to get a privacy-friendly Amazon URL.

Example: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XYZ?tag=affiliate&utm_source=newsletter Copy example

How to get short Amazon link without tracking

If a user searches "How to get short amazon link without tracking", the page titled "Instant Amazon Link Cleaner - 100% Private" describes the same flow we provide: paste an Amazon URL, click Analyze (or Create Safe Shortlink), and receive a cleaned URL and optional shortlink. No signup, no tracking — paste, click, leave happy.

Is this website a scam? How to check domain age

Check the Domain Age and warning signals in the analysis: newly registered domains (for example, 0–30 days) are higher risk. Also review the domain similarity, HTTPS status, and tech hints; search the web for reviews and use multiple signals before deciding.

Example: check a fresh domain like https://newdomain.example Copy example

Is there an API?

Yes, for developers:

• GET /api/analyze?url=encoded-url - Analyze a URL.
• POST /api/shorten - Create a shortlink.
• GET /api/stats?slug=slug - Get shortlink stats.

See the documentation for details.

Can we use plain.ovh as a link shortener?

Yes — Plain.ovh can create privacy-focused shortlinks via the Create Safe Shortlink action. Shortlinks are transparent redirects to your cleaned URL, preserve affiliate/support tags by default, and offer aggregated click stats (no IP storage). They are intended for safe sharing rather than cloaking or tracking; misuse or abusive behavior is not permitted.

If you prefer programmatic creation, use the POST /api/shorten endpoint. Shortlink creation is subject to site limits and may be disabled by the site operator for abuse prevention.

Copy for Reddit — why Reddit in particular?

Reddit hosts many active communities (for example, r/phishing, r/cybersecurity, r/scams) where people routinely ask whether a link is safe. The "Copy for Reddit" button generates a Markdown-formatted table that pastes cleanly into comments and posts, so the analysis renders well. Sharing a formatted analysis (domain, age, warnings, etc.) provides evidence rather than opinion and helps crowdsourced verification.

Troubleshooting: 504 Gateway Timeout and diagnostics

A 504 Gateway Timeout indicates our server timed out while fetching the destination (default timeout: 10s). Possible causes include slow upstream servers, DNS resolution issues, or sites that block automated requests.

If you see a timeout, you can:

• Retry the analysis using the Retry button.
• Use our diagnostic endpoint to get more detail: /api/diagnose?url=... (dev info: returns fetch diagnostics).
• If you manage the site, check DNS and server responsiveness or adjust ANALYZE_TIMEOUT_MS in your deployment if appropriate.