What is link masking: Best practices for your website 

Key takeaways: 

• Link masking hides long URLs with shorter and more memorable links. 

• There are several ways to mask a link that’s best for certain situations. 

• However, link masking may also have some drawbacks, especially on SEO. So, you need to evaluate your plans carefully. 

Imagine you’re running an online affiliate marketing campaign and you’re promoting a range of products from various sellers. Each product link you share is long, complex, and not particularly appealing to potential buyers. You want to shorten those links to keep them appealing and simple for potential buyers.  

This is where link masking comes into play.  

Understanding link masking can be an asset in your toolkit both as a website beginner or a seasoned developer. Let’s dive deeper into link masking, its mechanics, benefits, drawbacks, practical applications, and considerations for effective implementation.  

What is link masking?  

Link masking, also called URL masking, URL cloaking or domain masking, is a method to hide the actual web address (URL) of a webpage and replace it with another, more user-friendly URL. For example, instead of displaying a lengthy and complex URL, you can present a shorter, more memorable one.  

Let’s take this URL as an example: https://yourwebsite.com/products/super-widget?ref=abc123&utm_source=partner  

It’s lengthy, complex, and may not be user-friendly.  

With link masking applied, you’ll get this:  

https://yourwebsite.com/recommend/super-widget

This masked version hides all the tracking codes and makes it look simpler, more professional, and trustworthy. 

Though the links look different, these links lead to the same content. This process is called redirecting. You can still access the content from the actual URL behind the scenes, but users see the masked URL, which is more concise and easier to remember. This can be especially useful for branding purposes and improving the overall aesthetics of web links.  

Types of URL redirects  

To know how URL redirects really work, you need to understand how several URL redirect techniques work. Each has its own purpose and method. Here’s a closer look at the most used methods:  

Server-side redirect 

When a user clicks a masked URL, the server responds with a redirect status code. The browser then loads the destination URL, but depending on the redirect type, the masked URL may only be visible briefly. There are two common types: 

• 301 redirect. This is used for permanent redirects. If you plan to use a masked URL long-term, a 301 redirect tells search engines the page has moved. It also helps keep your SEO rankings by passing most of the value from the original link. 

• 302 redirect. This is for temporary redirects. If you’re using a masked URL for a short-term campaign, a 302 redirect tells search engines the link might change later. It usually doesn’t pass SEO value, so it’s not great for rankings. 

URL frame / masked redirect  

This method combines framesets to display the content of one URL while keeping the original masked URL in the address bar. It provides users a seamless experience by making it appear as though they haven’t left the original page—even though they have.  

Common uses:  

• Branded affiliate links  

• Content syndication  

• Displaying third-party pages under your own domain  

Note: While this may look sleek on the surface, it can lead to indexing issues with search engines and may be blocked by some websites for security reasons.  

Proxy servers  

Proxy servers act as go-betweens, forwarding requests to the actual destination while hiding the original URL and, in some cases, the user’s IP address. This adds a layer of privacy and can help users access content that’s restricted in their region.  

How it works: A user sends a request to the proxy, which then fetches the requested page and delivers it back, masking the true origin or destination in the process.  

Common uses:  

• Anonymous browsing  

• Bypassing geographic restrictions  

• Hiding sensitive endpoints for security  

Keep in mind: Proxies can offer powerful masking but aren’t always necessary for everyday link masking or redirects. They’re more common for privacy tools or advanced content delivery systems.   

JavaScript redirection  

JavaScript-based redirects use browser scripts to send users to another page. These redirects often happen without changing the URL right away, making the transition appear smooth and dynamic. However, they’re not always reliable for SEO, since some search engines may not fully follow or index them.  

How it works: A script like window.location.href = “https://yourdestination.com” is triggered when a page loads or after a specific user action.  

Common uses:  

• Redirecting users based on their location, device, or language  

• Showing personalized content and redirecting accordingly  

• Setting up time-delayed or action-based redirects  

Note: Use this method when SEO isn’t a top priority and you need flexibility for user experience or tracking.  

Meta refresh  

A meta refresh uses an HTML <meta> tag to redirect users after a set amount of time. It’s a client-side method, meaning the browser handles the redirect rather than the server. This makes it easy to implement, but less efficient for SEO.  

How it works: The HTML tag looks like this: 

html  

CopyEdit  

<meta http-equiv=”refresh” content=”5;url=https://yourdestination.com”>  

This tells the browser to redirect the user after 5 seconds.  

Common uses:  

• Countdown pages  

• Redirecting users after displaying a message  

• Short-term or low-priority redirects  

Note: Search engines don’t always treat meta refreshes favorably. If SEO is important, stick with a 301 redirect instead.  

Domain forwarding with masking  

This method forwards a domain to another URL but keeps the original (custom) domain visible in the address bar. It’s especially useful when you want to maintain consistent branding or create memorable URLs for marketing campaigns.  

How it works: A user enters your custom domain, which is masked over the destination URL using a frame or DNS setting.  

Common uses:  

• Hiding long affiliate or referral links  

• Redirecting multiple branded domains to a single site  

• Creating clean, shareable URLs for promotions  

Best for: Branding and simplifying URLs when SEO is not the primary concern.  

Benefits and drawbacks of link masking  

Just like most available technology, link masking has certain pros and cons.   

Advantages  

Enhances user experience  

Link masking makes your links look better and easier to use. Instead of long and confusing web addresses, it shows a simpler and more user-friendly version. This makes it easier for people to understand and remember the link.  

Boosts brand visibility  

Link masking helps strengthen your brand’s presence by letting you use your own domain name. This means people visit a masked link, they see your brand’s name, which reinforces your brand identity and recognition.  

When users encounter a masked link that prominently displays your brand name, they are more likely to click on it because it appears familiar and trustworthy. This attention to detail can leave a positive impression on visitors and potential customers, making them more likely to explore your website.  

Strengthens security  

When link masking, the original web address is concealed from users. This helps when you don’t want to expose sensitive information, such as database parameters or login credentials embedded in the URL. Without masking, anyone who sees the original URL could potentially manipulate it or share it, leading to unauthorized access or misuse. Link masking maintains control over who can access your content.  

Drawbacks  

Impacts your SEO  

If you hide web addresses using masking in the wrong way, search engines and site visitors might find it harder to access your website. It can also create duplicate content, which causes SEO issues. Having the same content under different URLs may confuse search engines.  

Requires technical setup  

Putting link masking into action may require some technical know-how. It’s not always as simple as just clicking a button. You’ll need to understand how web addresses work and how to set up certain things on your website.  

If you’re not familiar with these technical aspects, it could be challenging to do link masking. That’s why it’s often a good idea to get help from professionals who know their way around these details to ensure it’s done right.  

Doesn’t always display correctly 

Not all web browsers can work smoothly with masked URLs. When people use outdated web browsers to visit a website with masked links, they might not see things the way they should.  

This can lead to a less-than-ideal user experience. To make sure your website works well for everyone, it’s good practice to test how it displays across different web browsers and consider its potential limitations, especially with older ones.  

3 practical scenarios for link masking  

You might be thinking, this is all cool and informative, but how can I actually use this in real life? To answer that, let’s explore when and where link masking can be particularly useful.  

Sending survey URLs  

Imagine you’re conducting a customer satisfaction survey for your business, and the survey tool generates a long and confusing URL like this: https://www.surveytool.com/survey?id=12345&user=9876&session=54321  

Sharing this link with your customers can be overwhelming and may discourage participation. With link masking, you can transform this unwieldy URL into something much more user-friendly, like yourbusiness.com/survey. 

This masked link appears cleaner and more straightforward, making it easier for customers to trust, access, and complete the survey.  

Promoting an event  

Suppose you’re organizing a charity event, and you want to promote it on social or print media. The event ticketing platform provides you with a lengthy and generic URL: https://www.ticketingplatform.com/event?id=67890&eventname=charitygala2023  

The original URL can be visually unappealing and challenging to remember. URL masking allows you to create a more attractive and branded link for your event like this: charitygala2023.com  

Affiliate marketing  

If you’re an affiliate marketer, you often promote products or services through affiliate links. These links can be quite long and contain complex tracking information, such as https://www.affiliateplatform.com/track?id=12345&product=54321&referrer=user123  

Sharing such a link directly can deter potential customers. Masking affiliate links allow you to create a cleaner and more enticing link like this: .com/bestproduct  

This masked link not only conceals the technical details but also presents a trustworthy appearance, increasing the likelihood of clicks and conversions.  

Implementing link masking in 6 easy steps  

Now that you know all about the basics of URL masking, you’re ready to get started. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to set up URL masking:  

Step 1. Choose a reliable hosting provider  

As you start your online journey, one of the first things you’ll need to do is to choose a hosting provider. Think of it as your website’s home on the internet.  

You may still be using free web hosting for your website. However, free web hosting URLs look like: www.yourname.freehostprovider.com. On the other hand, paid web hosting allows better URL customization.  

It’s a great idea to team up with a hosting provider you can trust. These reliable providers even offer the technical know-how and support you’ll need. Web.com’s hosting services offer user-friendly tools and professional services you need to get online.  

Step 2. Access your hosting control panel  

The control panel is the command center for your website, where you’ll manage everything.  It’s where you’ll find all the tools and settings you need to customize and run your website smoothly. To get started with URL masking, simply login to your hosting control panel.  

Step 3. Locate the URL masking option  

When looking for the URL masking option, navigate to the section that deals with link masking or forwarding. For example, in Bluehost, you can find this in your cPanel’s file manager. Then, you need to locate the index.html file so you can edit its code.  

Step 4. Enter original and masked URLs  

The next step is filling in the blanks. You’ll need to provide both the original URL, which is the web address you want to hide, and the new URL, which is the one you’d like people to see. This step helps the system know where to take site visitors when they click on your masked link.  

Step 5. Select redirect type  

Be sure to pick which you think is best suited for your links. You have a few options here:   

Method	When to use it	SEO impact	Best for
301 redirect	For permanent URL changes	Preserves SEO value	Long-term redirects, content migration, affiliate links
302 / 307 redirect	For short-term promotions or tests	Usually doesn’t pass SEO value	A/B testing, temporary landing pages
Frame masking	Only when necessary	Can harm SEO and visibility	Branded links, affiliate marketing (use sparingly)
Cloaking	Don’t use	Violates search engine guidelines	Not recommended—risks penalties
JavaScript redirection	For dynamic or user-specific redirects	May not be followed by search engines	Personalization, geo-redirects, device-specific routing
Meta refresh	For simple timed redirects	Limited SEO value	Countdown pages, temporary messages
Domain forwarding with masking	For clean, branded links	Minimal or no SEO value	Affiliate marketing, easy-to-remember links
Proxy servers	For privacy or restricted access	Not typically SEO-related	Anonymous browsing, bypassing geo-restrictions

Tip: To ensure smooth and reliable link masking, consider partnering with a reputable hosting provider like Web.com, which can help you manage redirects, domain forwarding, and other backend settings to keep your online presence running smoothly. 

Step 6. Save your settings  

Once you’ve entered your original and masked URLs and picked the redirect type that fits your needs, confirm those settings and save them. Take a moment to review your choices, and when you’re satisfied, hit that “save” button. This step ensures your URL masking setup is good to go and will work as intended.  

Link masking vs. link forwarding 

You might have heard the term “link forwarding” and confused it with link masking since both involve URL redirection. However, they work differently and serve different purposes. Knowing the difference helps you choose the right method for SEO, branding, and user experience. 

Feature	Link masking	Link forwarding
Definition	A method of hiding the original URL by displaying a different URL in the browser’s address bar.	A method of redirecting a user from one URL to another. The original URL is visible in the address bar.
Visibility of original URL	The original URL is hidden.	The original URL is visible.
User experience	Users see the masked URL, but the destination page is the one behind the mask.	Users are redirected to the target URL, and they see the new URL in their browser.
SEO impact	May affect SEO negatively due to hidden URL, as it can be seen as deceptive.	Generally better for SEO since the redirection is clear to both users and search engines.
Use case	Often used in affiliate marketing, short links, or when wanting to conceal the destination for branding.	Used for clean redirects, such as when you move or rename a page, and for better user clarity.
Redirection type	Not actually a redirection; it just displays a different URL.	A real HTTP redirect (301 or 302).
Link management	Harder to manage since the original link is masked.	Easier to manage as it shows the actual target URL.
Click tracking	Can be used for tracking purposes, especially in affiliate marketing.	Also used for tracking purposes but more transparent.
Browser behavior	The browser does not change the URL in the address bar.	The browser shows the redirected URL in the address bar.
User trust	May decrease trust as it can be seen as misleading.	Generally builds trust, as users see where they are being directed.

Link masking and SEO:  Why some URL masking methods hurt your SEO  

 Link masking can be useful for branding, tracking, and simplifying URLs. But as we previously mentioned, not all methods are search engine friendly.  

Important: If misused, certain masking techniques can harm your SEO or even lead to penalties from search engines like Google.  

One of the biggest red flags for search engines is cloaking. This technique shows one version of a page to users and a different version to search engine crawlers. It’s often used to manipulate rankings or hide content, which violates search engine guidelines. 

How search engines detect cloaking 

• Search engines use bots that crawl your site just like a user would. 

• If the bot sees one version of the content and the user sees another, that discrepancy can be flagged as cloaking. 

• Tools like Google Search Console and third-party crawlers can spot these mismatches and trigger a manual review. 

What happens if you’re caught cloaking 

• Your page rankings may drop—or your site could be removed from search results entirely. 

• Rebuilding trust with search engines after a penalty takes time and effort. 

• Your audience will also lose trust in your website and rebuilding your reputation may be difficult. 

How to mitigate link masking’s SEO penalties 

• Use 301 redirects properly. When URL masking for permanent changes, use the appropriate type of redirect. A 301 redirect tells search engines that the original URL has permanently moved to the masked one. Doing so helps maintain the SEO authority and rankings of the original URL. It lets search engines recognize the masked URL as the new location for the content.  

• Avoid excessive masking. While URL masking enhances user experience and branding, excessive masking can confuse search engines. If you mask too many URLs or use masking inappropriately, you may face indexing and ranking issues.   

• Avoid deceptive redirects. Only use redirects when the destination is relevant and expected. Don’t send users to unrelated pages or mask links to hide something shady. 

• Stay away from cloaking. If you’re tempted to serve different content to bots and users—don’t. Always keep the experience consistent for both. 

• Be transparent in affiliate marketing. Link masking is common in affiliate marketing, but it should still be clear where the link goes. Use disclosures and avoid misleading URLs. 

• Check your content quality and relevance. SEO isn’t just about URLs but also about the quality and relevance of your website content. Regardless of whether you use URL masking or not, focus on creating high-quality, informative, and relevant content that meets the needs of your target audience. Strong content is a cornerstone of good SEO. 

• Monitor your site performance. After implementing link masking, keep a close eye on your website’s performance and SEO rankings. Regularly monitor your website’s analytics, including traffic, click-through rates, and user behavior. Additionally, track your SEO rankings for relevant keywords. You can use link-tracking software to easily identify any potential issues or changes in SEO performance caused by URL masking.  

Alternatives to link masking  

Masking a URL has its benefits, but you’ve got plenty of options in case you don’t want it. Website owners can check out these alternatives that achieve the same results as URL masking techniques.  

1. URL shortening services. URL shortening services like Bitly, TinyURL, and Ow.ly provide a straightforward alternative. They take long and complex URLs and create shorter, more manageable versions. These shortened URLs are easier to share on social media, emails, or printed materials. While they don’t involve masking, they simplify link sharing and often come with click tracking and analytics features.  

2. Custom domain names. Instead of masking, consider registering a custom domain name that’s easy to remember and reflects your brand. Use this custom domain for sharing links and improving your website’s professionalism and branding.  

3. Anchor text links. Instead of using masked URLs or shorteners, you can create anchor text links within your website’s content. This means linking specific keywords or phrases within your text to the destination URL. It makes your content more reader-friendly and improves SEO by providing context.  

4. QR codes. For printed materials or promotional items, you can use QR codes as an alternative to long URLs. Users can simply scan them using a smartphone and be directed to a specific webpage. QR code generators are also convenient as they’re widely available online.  

5. Deep linking. If you have a mobile app, consider using deep linking. Deep links take users to a specific location within a mobile app, enhancing the user experience and making it easier to promote app content.  

6. URL rewriting. Some content management systems (CMS) and web servers allow for URL rewriting. This means you can create user-friendly and descriptive URLs without masking.  

7. Descriptive folder and file names. When structuring your website, use descriptive folders and file names for your URLs. This practice not only makes URLs more user-friendly but also benefits SEO by providing clear information about the page’s content.  

8. Branded short domains. Consider using a branded short domain (e.g. yourbrand.link) to create user-friendly links. This approach combines the simplicity of URL shortening with branding, allowing you to maintain a consistent web presence.  

9. Redirect pages. This creates simple redirect pages on your website using clear and descriptive URLs. These pages can serve as shortcuts to specific sections or resources on your site.  

Send cleaner and shorter links today  

Link masking is a valuable tool for improving user experience and brand visibility online. However, it comes with its set of advantages and drawbacks.  

Before implementing URL masking, carefully weigh its pros and cons, and ensure you follow best practices to maintain a positive impact on your SEO. Add URL masking into your online marketing strategy. With the right approach and Web.com’s reliable web hosting services, it can be a powerful ally in your digital journey.  

Link masking FAQs