Unshorten any URL & check for threats
Paste a shortened link to reveal its real destination. Every URL is scanned for malware, phishing, and unsafe redirects via Google Web Risk.
SCANNING URL
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a URL unshortener and how does it work?
A URL unshortener expands shortened links like bit.ly or t.co to reveal the full destination URL. Unshortened.com follows every redirect hop, displays the full chain, and scans the final destination against Google Web Risk for malware, phishing, and unwanted software.
Is unshortened.com free to use?
Yes. Unshortened.com is completely free and requires no signup, no account, and no API key. Paste any shortened URL and instantly see the full redirect chain and safety status. No hidden limits or paid tiers.
What link shorteners are supported?
All major URL shorteners are supported including bit.ly, tinyurl, t.co (X/Twitter), ow.ly, rebrandly, short.link, and any custom short domain. If a link redirects, we follow it — up to 5 redirect hops to reach the final destination.
How does the threat detection work?
Every scanned URL is checked against Google Web Risk — Google's threat intelligence database that identifies malware distribution sites, phishing pages, and unwanted software hosts. Results are cached for 24 hours so repeat lookups are instant.
Does unshortened.com store my URLs or history?
Scan results are cached temporarily to improve performance and reduce API calls. We do not store personal browsing history, track individual users, or share data with third parties. Your privacy is respected.
What types of threats can be detected?
Google Web Risk detects three threat types: MALWARE — sites hosting malicious code; SOCIAL_ENGINEERING — phishing pages that steal credentials; and UNWANTED_SOFTWARE — sites that distribute potentially unwanted programs.
Can I use this for bulk URL checking?
Yes. Developers can use the JSON API for automated URL scanning. The API supports single URL lookups, batch scanning with parallel processing, and queue-based scanning with retry logic and dead-letter handling. See the API documentation for integration details.
How accurate is the threat detection?
Google Web Risk is the same technology used by Google Chrome's Safe Browsing feature, protecting billions of users daily. It provides enterprise-grade threat intelligence with near-real-time updates. Combined with our 24-hour cache, known-safe domains return results instantly.
Who benefits from URL unshortening
Marketers & Affiliates
Verify affiliate links before sharing. Check that shortened campaign URLs redirect to the correct landing pages and aren't compromised. Ensure tracking links are safe for your audience.
Security Teams
Investigate suspicious links reported in emails, tickets, or chat messages. Quickly determine the real destination and assess whether a shortened URL leads to a known phishing or malware site.
Developers
Integrate URL scanning into your applications via the JSON API. Validate redirects in integration tests, scan user-submitted links, and automate threat detection with batch and queue processing.
Everyday Users
Check links in SMS messages, WhatsApp, social media DMs, or emails before clicking. If someone sends you a shortened link you don't trust, paste it here first and see exactly where it leads.
Why Unshortened
Powered by Google Web Risk
Industry-standard threat intelligence used by Google Chrome, Gmail, and YouTube. Every scan checks against Google's real-time malware, phishing, and unwanted software databases.
Free & No Signup
No account, no email, no credit card. Just paste a URL and click unshorten. No rate limits for casual use and no tracking of individual users.
Privacy First
We cache scan results to improve performance, but we don't log browsing history, track users, or share data. Your URLs are not stored permanently.
Instant Results
Known-safe domains return in milliseconds. Cached results serve instantly. For new URLs, the full scan — redirect following, DNS resolution, and Web Risk check — completes in seconds.
How it works
Reveal the real URL
Paste any shortened link — bit.ly, tinyurl, t.co — and see every redirect hop to the final destination.
Threat detection
Every URL is checked against Google Web Risk for malware, phishing, and unwanted software before you click.
Fast results
Known-safe domains return instantly. Unknown URLs are scanned with intelligent caching for speed.