We do not store, log, or share the URLs you expand. We do not require an account. We do not sell data. We do not show personalised ads. We use minimal, anonymised analytics to understand usage patterns only.
1. Who We Are
URLExpander.org ("we", "us", or "our") is a free online URL expansion and analysis tool operated to help users safely preview shortened links before clicking. Our website is accessible at https://urlexpander.org.
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us.
2. Information We Do NOT Collect
We want to be explicit about what we do not collect, because we believe privacy-first design is important:
- URLs you submit: The URLs you paste into our tools are processed in real time and are never stored in any database, log file, or persistent storage. They exist in memory only for the duration of the request and are immediately discarded.
- Expanded results: The expanded URLs and redirect chains we return to you are not saved or logged.
- User accounts: We do not offer accounts and therefore collect no registration data, email addresses, passwords, or profile information.
- Payment information: Our service is entirely free. We collect no financial or payment information of any kind.
3. Information We Do Collect
3.1 Server Logs
Like all web servers, our hosting provider generates standard server access logs. These logs may contain your IP address, browser user agent, referring URL, timestamp, and HTTP status codes. These logs are used for security monitoring, debugging, and abuse prevention — not for identifying individual users. Logs are automatically deleted after 30 days.
3.2 Rate Limiting Data
To prevent abuse of our API, we temporarily store a cryptographic hash of your IP address alongside a request count. This data is stored only in server memory (not on disk), is not linked to any personal information, and expires automatically after 60 seconds.
3.3 Analytics
We use Google Analytics to understand aggregate, anonymised usage of our site — such as which tools are most used, approximate geographic distribution of visitors, and browser/device types. Google Analytics is configured with IP anonymisation enabled. We do not use analytics to identify or track individual users. You can opt out of Google Analytics using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
3.4 Local Browser Storage
Our single URL expander stores a brief, local history of the URLs you have expanded in your browser's localStorage. This data never leaves your device and is only used to display your recent lookups for convenience. You can clear this at any time by clearing your browser's local storage, or using the clear history option in the tool.
4. Cookies
We use only essential and analytics cookies:
- Essential cookies: Minimal functional cookies required to operate the website (e.g. session security).
- Analytics cookies: Google Analytics cookies (_ga, _gid, _gat) used for aggregate traffic analysis. These do not identify you personally.
We do not use advertising cookies, retargeting cookies, or social media tracking cookies. You can manage cookies through your browser settings.
5. Third-Party Services
When our server expands a URL on your behalf, it makes an HTTP request to the target server. That server may log our server's IP address (not yours). We act as a proxy — your IP address is not shared with the destination server.
We use the following third-party services:
- Google Analytics — anonymous usage analytics. Google Privacy Policy
- Cloudflare — CDN and DDoS protection. Cloudflare Privacy Policy
6. Data Security
We take data security seriously. All connections to URLExpander.org are encrypted using TLS/SSL. Our servers are configured with industry-standard security hardening. We perform regular security reviews. However, no internet transmission is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
7. Children's Privacy
URLExpander.org is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will take appropriate action.
8. Your Rights (GDPR / CCPA)
Because we collect minimal personal data, most traditional data subject rights have limited applicability to our service. However, you have the right to:
- Know what personal data we hold (we hold server logs with your IP address for up to 30 days)
- Request deletion of server logs — contact us and we will arrange prompt deletion
- Opt out of analytics as described in Section 3.3
- Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority
9. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by an updated "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of our service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
10. Contact Us
For any privacy-related questions, requests, or concerns, please contact us through our contact form. We aim to respond to all privacy enquiries within 48 hours.