Free Link Checker
Paste a link to see if it is safe before you click. ScamX opens it in a real browser, follows every redirect and shows you what it found. It is free and needs no sign-up.
Pasting a link does not open it on your device.
What a link checker does
A link checker looks at a web address and tells you whether it is safe to open. You can use it on a link in a text, an email, a chat message or a QR code, before you tap it. It is also called a link scanner, a URL scanner or a website scanner. The job is the same.
The reason to check first is that the address you see is not always the page you reach. Scam links hide behind short links, redirects and names that copy a real brand, and the damage is done on the first visit. A check puts a second pair of eyes on the link while it is still harmless.
How to check a link, step by step
- Copy the link, do not open it. On a phone, press and hold the link and choose Copy. On a computer, right-click and choose Copy link address.
- Paste it into the box above and press Check link. Add the whole address, including anything after the question mark.
- Read the result, not just the colour. The page lists what was found: where the link really ends up, who hosts it, how old the domain is and whether it copies a known brand.
- Decide with the context. A link you did not ask for that wants a password, a payment or a code is a bad sign even when the result is clean.
How the link scanner works
Each link goes through the same three steps, so two people who paste the same link get the same answer.
- It is opened in a real browser on our side, never on your device. This follows redirects and short links to the final page.
- It is compared against lists of known phishing, malware and scam addresses, and against the signals that give new scam sites away, such as a very young domain or a name that imitates a bank or courier.
- The page is read. Login forms, urgent wording and brand logos on an unrelated domain all count toward the verdict.
Want the detail on any step? Read how to check if a link is safe before clicking, or see how ScamX works.
What a link checker cannot tell you
No link scanner is perfect, and one that claims to be should not be trusted. These are the limits.
- New pages. A scam page that went live minutes ago may be on no list yet. This is why the checker also reads the page itself.
- Pages that change. Some scam sites show a harmless page to scanners and the real scam to visitors. We look for this, but we cannot always catch it.
- Links that need a login. A private link, such as a shared document, cannot be opened by a scanner, so it can only be judged on its address.
- The message around the link. The link may be fine while the request is not. To check the message itself, use Check anything.
Signs a link is not safe
You can catch many bad links with your own eyes before you paste anything.
- The name is nearly a real one, such as paypa1-support.com.
- The real name is hidden at the front of a long address, such as amazon.com.refund-help.net, where the owner is the last part before the first slash.
- It is a short link from a sender you do not know.
- It arrives with a deadline, a prize or a threat.
For a longer list, read how to spot a scam. If you already found a bad link, report it as phishing so its host can be asked to remove it.
Frequently asked questions
Is this link checker free?
Yes. Checking a link on ScamX is free and needs no account. Paste the link and you get the result on the next page.
Can I check a shortened link without opening it?
Yes. Paste the short link as it is. The checker follows each redirect on its own browser, so you never open it yourself, and the result shows the page the short link really leads to.
Is a link checker the same as a link scanner or a URL scanner?
In practice, yes. Link checker, link scanner, URL scanner and website scanner all mean the same job: look at an address and say whether it is safe to open. This page uses all of them for that reason.
Does a clean result mean the link is safe?
No. It means we found nothing wrong at the time of the check. A page created an hour ago may not yet appear on any list, and a site can change after we look. Treat a clean result as one input, and never enter a password or card number on a page you reached from an unexpected message.
Are the links I check stored or shown to others?
Yes. The result is stored, and the website name of a checked link can appear in the public list of recent checks. Do not paste a link that contains a private token, such as a password reset or a sign-in link, because it can sign someone in. See the privacy policy for how data is handled.
What should I do if the checker says a link is dangerous?
Do not open it and delete the message. If you already clicked and typed a password, change that password and anywhere you reused it. If you entered card details, call your bank. Then report the link so the host can be asked to take it down.
Looking for the full scan page, with phone numbers, emails and past reports? Go to the scanner.