Overview#

The PeterDaveHello/url-shorteners repository maintains a curated collection of URL shortener domains for use as allowlists, blocklists, or domain trust signals. It is consumed by NextDNS, ControlD, RethinkDNS, dnslow.me, and various OSINT projects.

The repository exposes two plain-text domain files, one entry per line:

• list — domains currently functioning as active URL shorteners (1,400+ entries)
• inactive — domains previously reported as shorteners but now non-resolving, parked, or no longer used for shortening (1,100+ entries)

False positives are also moved to inactive rather than deleted, preserving the historical record.

Qualification Criteria#

A domain qualifies for list if it performs URL redirection — short URLs on the domain resolve to longer/full destination URLs. The domain's primary purpose is irrelevant; what matters is the functional redirection behavior 1.

A domain is moved to or stays in inactive if it falls into any of these categories 2:

• No longer resolves (NXDOMAIN or unreachable)
• Parked domain (no live content or forwarding)
• Previously used as a URL shortener but no longer functioning as one
• False positive (was never a URL shortener)

There is no explicit requirement for the domain to offer a public shortening service — proprietary brand shorteners (e.g., amzn.to, youtu.be, t.co) are included 3.

Pull Request Requirements#

All domain additions or removals go through a PR against master. The PR template enforces the following:

Domain Usage Proof — provide at least 2–3 live examples in the format 4:

1. http://short.example/abc -> https://www.actual-domain.com/page1
2. http://short.example/def -> https://www.actual-domain.com/page2

Checklist 5:

• Confirm the domain is active or inactive as indicated by the PR
• Verify each usage proof example is correct and up to date

Rationale — explain the reason: newly discovered shortener, domain gone inactive, false positive, etc. 6

Usage proof must be verifiable at the time of review. Stale or non-functional examples are insufficient.

Issue Reporting#

Use a GitHub issue to flag missing domains, incorrect classifications, or false positives without immediately submitting a PR. The issue template requires:

• Domain(s) Involved — list each domain to be added, removed, or investigated 7
• Verification Examples — short URL → destination URL mappings demonstrating the issue 8
• Evidence — links, logs, or other artifacts confirming the domain's status 9

For removal requests, the burden is on the reporter to provide evidence that the domain does not function as a URL shortener 1.

Active vs. Inactive Classification#

Domains do not get deleted when they become inactive — they migrate from list to inactive 10. This ensures downstream consumers that rely on the inactive list for OSINT or risk scoring retain historical coverage.

The list is not updated in real time; maintaining currency requires contributor effort 11. The raw files can be subscribed to directly:

• Active list 12
• Inactive list 13