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8 QUICK SITES THAT LET YOU CHECK IF A LINK IS SAFE

By Christian Cawley
Updated Feb 17, 2023


Before clicking any suspicious link, use one of these link checkers to check
that it doesn't lead to malware or other security threats.


Readers like you help support MUO. When you make a purchase using links on our
site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read More.

Is the link in that email legitimate? Whether sent by a friend or a stranger,
it's unwise to click links without knowing where they take you.

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One of the quickest-growing security issues these days is ransomware, which is
often spread by people unwittingly clicking dangerous links in emails, social
networks, messengers, and other collaboration tools. Malware and phishing sites
are also major risks.



While you should be vigilant about all your online activities, it doesn't hurt
to have a little help. Here are several tools to check if a link is safe.


WHAT A LINK CHECKER SHOULD DO

There are two types of URL:

 1. A standard-length URL, starting www, followed by the website name, and
    ending with .com or some other top-level domain.
 2. A shortened URL, such as goo.gl/V4jVrx (This is an example of a shortened
    link that leads to our website.)

It doesn't matter whether the link you received is a standard-length URL or
shortened. If it is dangerous in any way, a link checking tool should alert you
to this.

FREE EMAIL COURSE: Learn to Secure Your Inbox With Our FREE Course

If the links are going to take you to a compromised website, the link checker
will highlight this immediately. Similarly, direct links to malware, ransomware
and other risks should be reported by these tools.

The following safe link checker sites will help you uncover the truth about
those dodgy links. Check more than one at any given time to give you the best
results.





1. HOW TO CHECK LINK SAFETY WITH NORTON SAFE WEB



Another way to check a link for viruses or malware is to rely on this from
online security giant Norton.

To scan a URL for malware, simply paste the URL into the checking field and
click the Search icon. Norton Safe Web will then display a rating and provide
community reviews about the website. If you want to add your own voice, you can
create an account and join the community of link checkers.

As well as its browser-based link checker. Norton Safe Web offers two further
tools:

 * Norton Safe Search Extension is a Chrome address bar enhancement that adds
   quick safe search functionality to your browser
 * Norton Home Page Extension brings safe search into all your search engine
   results

Both options will test links for safety before you click them and are ideal for
safely browsing the web.





2. IS THIS LINK SAFE? CHECK WITH SCANURL



Another link checking tool to consider, ScanURL is an independent website that
takes your link query submissions seriously via a secure HTTPS connection.
Although the spam link checker is ad-supported, the results are good. You can
also provide an explanation of where you saw the URL to help other users avoid
it.

ScanURL polls Google Safe Browsing Diagnostic, PhishTank, and Web of Trust and
provides information about the queried site's Whois record. The returned results
will instantly indicate whether you should visit the site and are accompanied by
a ScanURL recommendation.

Avoid the site if the results list it as dangerous.

Several sites (including some in this list) and tools are checked by ScanURL as
it collates the results. Once the ScanURL result page has loaded, a permanent
URL is applied. You can copy and paste this to share with friends, family, or
the otherwise concerned for them to refer to. Handy!



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taking out loans in your name, and all the other terrible things bad actors do
with personal data - it's a service that scrubs your personal information from
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Pros
 * Finds personal data on people search sites
 * Sends official removal requests to data brokers in your name
 * Tracks responses from brokers
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Cons
 * None at this price

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3. PHISHTANK – THE PHISHING LINK CHECKER



Instead of focusing on malware, PhishTank instead lets you know if a link is
safe or if it will send you to a phishing site.

Once you enter a URL that you suspect of harboring a phishing operation,
PhishTank will check it out. If the link is already "in the tank" then you'll
get instant results. Otherwise, the site will provide a tracking number. Sadly,
it's not as simple to check a phishing link as it is to automatically check some
malware links…

Concerned about sites that might con you into divulging personal data? If you
have any knowledge of identity theft, then you'll know this often occurs due to
various types of phishing attacks. The infamous Geek Squad scam is one of them.
PhishTank is always worth a visit when checking if a link is safe.



PhishTank is operated by OpenDNS. Anyone can contribute to the site and verify
links that have been submitted by other users.




4. HOW TO CHECK IF A LINK IS SAFE WITH GOOGLE TRANSPARENCY REPORT



Google also offers a useful link checking service. The Transparency Report
service offers a standard field into which you can enter the URL you're
concerned about. A few seconds later, the results—captured by Google's web
crawlers—will tell you if the site can be trusted.

Along with malware, Google Transparency Report will alert you to phishing risks.
Concerned about accidentally giving your personal information away? Phishing is
potentially a greater concern than malware, so it makes sense to be sure that
the site you're planning on visiting isn't about to steal your identity.




5. USE VIRUSTOTAL URL CHECKER




VirusTotal is a site created by security company, Hispasec Sistemas, and is now
currently owned by Google. Offering a browser-based multi-function scanning
tool, VirusTotal analyzes "suspicious files and URLs to detect types of
malware."

The results of the scans are then shared with the online security community.
Simply visit the site, click the URL tab, then paste the link in and search. A
simple tool that will give you instant results, VirusTotal can also check link
safety in its Android and Windows apps.

For developers, VirusTotal offers public and private APIs. While limited to
non-commercial projects, these can be used to create your own file and link
scanning tool on your website.




6. PSAFE DFNDR LAB SUSPICIOUS LINK CHECKER



Psafe is a company specializing in security and privacy. Easy to use, the dfndr
lab tool from PSafe helps you test a link for safety with a single click.



Just copy the URL you're querying from an email, web page, instant message, etc.
into the search tool. Click Check URL to see the result.

If the website is found in the dfndr lab database, the site will display whether
or not you can trust it. If not, or if the site is not found, you'll be
encouraged to exercise caution: "If you are not 100% confident in the URL or
website, you should not click on it."

Unlike the other link checkers listed here, dfndr lab relies on machine learning
to detect "potentially unsafe URLs." In addition, links are cross-referenced
with suspect URLs from other resources, while in-house analysis is carried out
if the other tests prove inconclusive.




7. HOW TO KNOW IF A LINK IS SAFE WITH URLVOID



Finally, there's URLVoid, a tool to help you "detect potentially malicious
websites." URLVoid is a free service offered by NoVirusThanks, an IT company
based in Italy.



As with the other tools, simply input the suspect URL and wait for the site to
check it. You'll find information about the URL and its history, any black ticks
against it, and where the site is based if that information has been made
public.

A list of services that URLVoid uses to generate its results is also displayed,
with famous names including Avira, BitDefender, and PhishTank among them.

If you need to scan an IP address, URLVoid offers a companion service, IPVoid.
For developers, URLVoice also provides APIvoid so you can create your own link
safety checker.




8. VERIFY A LINK WITH SITECHECK



Owned by domain registrar GoDaddy, Sucuri is a company that specializes in
security services for websites. SiteCheck is a free tool offered by Sucuri to
help you verify whether a link is safe. SiteCheck will scan websites for
security issues, including malware, viruses, and malicious code.



Simply copy the site's web address and paste it into SiteCheck's URL field.
Click Submit for SiteCheck to generate the results. Minimal or Low Security Risk
means that the link is safe. SiteCheck also scans for the domain's blacklisting
status by drawing information from trusted places like Google Safe Browsing,
McAfee, and ESET.




WHICH LINK CHECKERS DO YOU USE?

We've collated the best URL checkers around, testing them to ensure they're
perfect for keeping you secure when you're browsing online. These link checkers
are safe to use and should deliver the confirmation you need when checking
sketchy links:

 1. Norton Safe Web
 2. ScanURL
 3. PhishTank
 4. Google Transparency Report
 5. VirusTotal
 6. PSafe dfndr lab
 7. URLVoid
 8. SiteCheck

These sites will protect you from all manner of link-based security threats,
from malware and ransomware to spoof emails and websites attempting to phish
your details.


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Related Topics
 * Internet
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 * Scanner
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About The Author
Christian Cawley • Deputy Editor (1735 Articles Published)


Deputy Editor for Security, Linux, DIY, Programming, and Tech Explained,
Christian has extensive experience in desktop and software support, and has been
published in Computer Weekly, Linux Format, Tech Radar, ComputerActive, and
other titles.

Christian also produces MakeUseOf's weekly show, the Really Useful Podcast.

His current passions are his cigar box guitar, his retro gaming site
(www.gamingretro.co.uk) and his family.


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