What Is anon.to? Anonymous URL Shortening and Redirects

Updated

anon.to is an anonymous URL shortener and redirect service. It creates short links or performs direct redirects while hiding your referrer, avoiding click tracking, and keeping the destination site from seeing where the visit came from. It's described as free and open, with all redirects served over HTTPS. If you want to share a link without exposing the page you came from or generating trackable click data, anon.to is built for that purpose.

How anon.to works

The service offers two distinct modes, and the difference matters depending on whether you want a reusable link or a one-off redirect.

Short link mode

You submit a URL and anon.to generates a shortened link that points to it. The link can be shared and reused. According to the site, the referrer is hidden and nothing is tracked when someone follows the link.

Direct redirect mode

The site's "Direct Redirect" option redirects any URL anonymously without creating a short link and without storing anything. This is the mode to use when you don't need a persistent short URL — you just want the redirect to happen without leaving a record.

Feature Short link Direct redirect
Creates a reusable short URL Yes No
Stores anything Not stated as stored Explicitly nothing stored
Hides referrer Yes Yes
Tracks clicks No No

What privacy protections it claims

The site lists three specific protections:

  • SSL secured — all redirects happen over encrypted HTTPS connections.
  • No tracking — it states it does not track clicks, visitors, or any personal data.
  • Referrer hiding — destination sites never see where you came from.

These are the service's own claims. They describe what anon.to says it does, not an independent audit, so treat them as the provider's stated behavior rather than a verified guarantee.

When to use it

anon.to fits situations where the source of a click is sensitive or where you don't want a destination site to know which page, app, or platform sent the visitor. For example, if you're sharing a link in a context where you'd rather not reveal the referring page, the referrer-hiding behavior is the relevant feature. If you also want to avoid generating click analytics on the destination side, the no-tracking claim covers that.

Direct redirect is the better choice when you only need the redirect to happen once and don't want a short link persisted. Short link mode is better when the link needs to be shared or reused.

Practical considerations

  • HTTPS is required for the redirect itself, so the transport is encrypted, but that says nothing about what the destination site does with the visit once it arrives.
  • "Free and open" is how the site describes itself, and it links to a GitHub presence. The page evidence does not include pricing details or payment options, so no paid tier is documented here.
  • No account is described as required for the core shortening or redirect functions, though the page shows Login and Register links, which suggests optional accounts may exist for other features.
  • The service cannot control the destination. Hiding the referrer and skipping tracking are things anon.to does on its side; the site you redirect to still handles the visit according to its own policies.

Bottom line

anon.to is a privacy-oriented link tool with two modes: a reusable short link and a no-storage direct redirect. Both claim to hide the referrer and avoid tracking, and both run over HTTPS. Choose direct redirect for one-off anonymous forwarding, and short link mode when you need a shareable link. Verify the current behavior and any account requirements on the site itself, since the privacy claims come from the provider.