This policy explains what happens to information when you use TrueURL (trueurl.com). In short: there are no accounts, we don't keep a record of the URLs you check, and the data that is processed is used to run the service, keep it secure and fund it through advertising.

Who we are

TrueURL is a free online service. In this policy, "TrueURL", "we" and "us" refer to the operators of trueurl.com. You can reach us at support@trueurl.com.

The URLs you check

When you run a check, your browser sends the URL and the settings you chose, such as the HTTP method, request body, User-Agent, custom headers and cookies, to our checker, which runs on Cloudflare Workers. The checker requests that URL, and every URL it redirects to, on your behalf and sends the result back to your browser.

  • We don't store check results, and we don't keep a database or history of the URLs you check.
  • The websites you check receive our requests, including any headers, cookies and body you entered, and may log them like any other visit. They see a request from Cloudflare's network, not from your device. TrueURL doesn't pass on your IP address or anything else from your own browser, such as its cookies or language settings: apart from what you enter, the checker sends its own standard, browser-like headers. Cloudflare adds a header that identifies the request as coming from a Cloudflare Worker.
  • Only enter cookies, tokens or other secrets that you are comfortable sending to the site you are checking. The cookie and header values you entered are redacted in the result.
  • A shareable result link contains the checked URL in its address (for example /?url=...), and the address bar can show it after a check. Anyone who opens such a link can see that URL, and the check runs again for them, without your Advanced Settings. Like any page address, it can also be seen by the analytics and advertising services described below.

Technical data processed by Cloudflare

TrueURL is hosted on Cloudflare. Like any web host, Cloudflare processes the technical data needed to deliver pages and API responses, such as your IP address, browser user agent, the requested address and the time of the request. This data is used to deliver the site, protect it against attacks and abuse, and apply rate limits, which count requests per IP address over a short period.

Our checker also keeps operational logs on Cloudflare. They record technical details of each request to our API, such as the time, the response status and request metadata, which may include your IP address and user agent, as well as error messages. An error message can occasionally contain the URL that was being checked. We use these logs only to find and fix problems and to investigate abuse, and they are deleted automatically after a short retention period. We don't use this data to identify you or to build profiles. Because Cloudflare operates a global network, this processing can take place outside your country. Cloudflare describes its own handling of this data in its privacy policy.

Analytics

We count visits with a privacy-friendly, cookie-less instance of Plausible Analytics. It doesn't use cookies, doesn't store personal data and doesn't track you across websites. It records aggregate statistics such as page views, referring websites, country, browser, operating system and device type. To count unique visitors, Plausible uses a hash of the IP address and user agent combined with a salt that changes every day; the IP address itself isn't stored. See Plausible's data policy for details.

Advertising (Google AdSense)

TrueURL is free because it shows ads served by Google AdSense. Google and its partners may use cookies or similar identifiers to show ads, limit how often you see the same ad, measure ad performance and prevent fraud.

  • Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your previous visits to this and other websites.
  • Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visits to TrueURL and/or other sites on the internet.
  • You can opt out of personalised advertising in Google's My Ad Center, and opt out of some third-party vendors' use of cookies for personalised advertising at aboutads.info.

Learn more in How Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services and How Google uses cookies in advertising.

If you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, cookies and personal data are used for personalised ads only with your consent, which a consent message asks you for. You can change that choice later through the privacy settings link that the consent message provides.

Data stored in your browser

Apart from the advertising cookies described above, and security cookies that Cloudflare may set to protect the site against bots, TrueURL doesn't use cookies. Your tool settings, such as Advanced Settings, and display preferences, such as the colour theme, are saved in your browser's localStorage so they are remembered next time. Cookie values, custom header values and request bodies are never saved. This data stays on your device and is only sent to our checker as part of a check you run. You can delete it at any time by clearing this site's data in your browser.

If you are in the EEA or the UK, we rely on the following legal bases:

  • Running the checks you request: providing the service you asked for.
  • Security, rate limiting, operational logs and aggregate analytics: our legitimate interest in operating a safe and reliable service.
  • Personalised advertising: your consent, where the law requires it.

Your rights

Because there are no accounts and we don't keep records linked to you, we generally hold no personal data that we could look up, correct or delete. Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct or delete personal data, to object to or restrict its processing, and to lodge a complaint with a data protection authority. To exercise these rights, contact us at support@trueurl.com. For advertising data, use Google's settings linked above.

Children

TrueURL is a technical tool for a general audience and isn't directed at children under 13, or under the higher minimum age that applies in some countries, such as up to 16 in the EEA. We don't knowingly collect personal data from children.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy when the service or the law changes. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last revised.

Contact

Questions about privacy? Email us at support@trueurl.com.