Free tool
URL safety checker
Paste any web address below to find out whether it is safe to open. We visit it in an isolated browser, follow every redirect and combine threat-intelligence lookups with our own checks into one clear verdict.
Public http/https only. Private networks blocked. Never enter passwords in the sandbox. How it works
Everything a single check covers
- Google Safe Browsing – Google's lists of known malware, phishing, unwanted software and harmful apps. A match is shown with the threat type.
- VirusTotal – the combined verdicts of 70+ antivirus and URL-security vendors for the site's domain, with a link to the full VirusTotal report.
- Redirect trace – every hop from the link you pasted to the page that finally loads.
- Domain and certificate – domain registration age from public RDAP data, and the TLS certificate issuer and expiry date.
- Lookalike and brand checks – spellings that imitate popular brands and phishing-style words in the domain.
- Fake login detection – forms that send passwords to another site, borrowed branding, obfuscated scripts and password fields without HTTPS.
- Screenshot – what the page looks like, captured in our sandbox so you do not have to open it.
Safety check, live view or unshorten
The form offers three modes. Safety check gives the verdict and report described above – it is the right choice most of the time. Live sandbox browser lets you interact with the page for 60 seconds inside our isolated headless browser, which is useful when a site needs a click to reveal where it goes; never type real passwords there. Just show where a short link goes quickly unshortens a link without rendering the page.
Only public http and https addresses can be checked. Private and internal network addresses are blocked. Results from Google Safe Browsing and VirusTotal are cached for a few hours so the service stays fast.
How much to trust the verdict
No URL checker can promise a site is safe. Blocklists are only as current as their latest update, and phishing pages are often online for just hours. That is why we combine several independent signals and show you the reasons, not just a colour. Treat green as “nothing suspicious found”, amber as “look closer” and red as “do not open”. confirmURL is independent and not affiliated with Google or VirusTotal. Read how it works for the details.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if a URL is safe?
Paste it into the form on this page and choose Safety check. You get a verdict, a risk score with reasons and a screenshot within a few seconds.
Is the URL safety checker free?
Yes, for personal use with fair-use limits. Developers can also use the free public API with a key.
Do you store the URLs I check?
Checked URLs are logged for 30 days with your IP address and approximate country for abuse prevention, visible only to the site operator. See the privacy policy for details.
Can it check files or downloads?
It checks the web address and the page it loads, not downloaded files. For files, use your antivirus or upload them to VirusTotal directly.