A privacy friendly URL shortener
Kort shows no ads and sets no tracking cookies. It stores IP addresses only as a keyed hash, and a random link needs no account, no name and no email address.
This page lists what Kort keeps, who else sees something, and what a short link can't keep private. Make a link in the box to try it.
What does Kort store about you?
Kort keeps what it needs to run links and limit abuse. Here are the main things. The privacy policy lists the rest and has the legal detail.
| What | What Kort does |
|---|---|
| Ads | None. |
| Cookies | No tracking or advertising cookies. A login cookie, set only when you log in, and three short-lived cookies while you log in with Google. |
| Your IP address | Never stored as it is. Only a keyed hash: a scrambled value made with a secret key that only Kort holds. Without the key, nobody can work out your address from it. Kort uses it to limit how fast one address can make links and to spot abuse. |
| Your link | The long link, the short code, when it starts and ends, and a click count. |
| Who opens a link | Only a count. Kort does not record who opened a link, their IP address or their browser. |
| Who made a link | Your account, if you were logged in. If not, a hash of your IP address. |
| Your account | If you log in with Google: your name, your email address and the ID number Google gives your account. Kort never sees your Google password. |
| Old links | When a rented code goes to someone else, Kort keeps a record of its last link, how often it was opened and who made it. It uses the record to look into abuse. |
Kort keeps a link or an account for as long as it exists. It keeps old-link records and reports as long as it needs them to run Kort and look into abuse. It has not set fixed times for deleting them yet.
Who else sees something
Kort uses a few services to run. Each one sees part of your visit.
- Cloudflare hosts Kort and handles every request, so it sees IP addresses, as any web host does.
- Cloudflare Turnstile is the bot check on forms. It runs in your browser and loads from Cloudflare, so Cloudflare sees your IP address and details of your browser.
- Google sign-in, only if you log in. Your browser goes to Google, and Google tells Kort your name, email address and account ID.
- Google's unsafe-link check. Kort sends each new long link to Google from its own server, so Google gets the link, not your IP address or your account.
Kort shares information only with these services, or when the law says it must. It does not sell your data.
Use it without an account
A random link needs no sign-up and no payment. Paste your long link, pass the bot check and copy the 5-character link. Without a login, the limit is 20 new links a day. With a Google login, it is 100 a day.
A link made without logging in has no owner. It does not appear on a Your links page, and you can't see its click count. Log in first if you want to see clicks.
What privacy does not mean here
- A short link is not a secret. Anyone who has the link can open it.
- Kort has no password-protected links. Do not use a short link to hide a private file.
- Kort stores your long link and can read it. It checks each new link for safety and blocks abusive ones, so it is no place for anything you need to hide.
- The page a short link points to has its own privacy rules. Kort can't control what that website records when someone arrives.
How Kort checks links
- A Cloudflare Turnstile bot check on forms.
- Rate limits on how fast one address can make links.
- Google's unsafe-link check on new links, and blocking of abusive links.
- A report page, so anyone can flag a link that slips through.
- Reserved codes, so brand names and offensive words can't be claimed.
These checks are why Kort keeps hashed IP addresses and old-link records. They help catch abuse that could hurt the people who click.
Common questions
Does Kort use tracking cookies?
No. Kort sets no tracking or advertising cookies. The only cookies are a login cookie, set when you log in, and three short-lived cookies that carry the Google sign-in step.
Does Kort store my IP address?
Not as it is. Kort turns your IP address into a keyed hash, made with a secret key that only Kort holds, and stores that. Kort runs on Cloudflare, which sees IP addresses as any web host does.
What does Google sign-in share with Kort?
Your name, your email address and the ID number Google gives your account. Kort never sees your Google password. You do not need to log in to make a random 5-character link.
Does Kort show ads?
No. Kort shows no ads. A visitor who opens a working link goes straight to the address you gave.
Does Kort record who opens my link?
No. Kort counts opens. It does not record who opened a link, their IP address or their browser.
Can I make a link private or password-protected?
No. Kort has no password-protected links. Anyone who has a short link can open it, so don't rely on a short link to hide a file.