# 🔗 URL Unshortener (`taroyamada/url-shortener-resolver`) Actor Unshorten and resolve URLs from bit.ly, t.co, goo.gl, and any shortener. Trace full redirect chains, detect loops, HTTPS downgrades. Great for security research, ad analytics, link auditing. - **URL**: https://apify.com/taroyamada/url-shortener-resolver.md - **Developed by:** [åĪŠéƒŽ åąąį”°](https://apify.com/taroyamada) (community) - **Categories:** Developer tools, Automation - **Stats:** 1 total users, 0 monthly users, 0.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing Pay per event This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## 🔗 URL Unshortener Expand bit.ly, t.co, goo.gl, and any shortened URL. Trace full redirect chains, detect loops and HTTPS downgrades. ### Store Quickstart Start with the **Quickstart** template (3 demo shortened URLs). For bulk processing, use **Bulk Resolve** (1,000 URLs, concurrency 20). ### Key Features - 🔓 **Expand all shorteners** — Works with bit.ly, t.co, goo.gl, tinyurl, ow.ly, buff.ly, and more - 🔗 **Full redirect chain** — Every hop logged with URL + status code - 🔄 **Loop detection** — Identifies infinite redirect loops and cyclic redirects - 🔒 **HTTPS downgrade detection** — Flags URLs where https redirects to http - ⚡ **Bulk processing** — Up to 1,000 URLs per run with 1-20 concurrency - 📊 **Hop count stats** — Total hops per URL for ad network / tracker analysis ### Use Cases | Who | Why | |-----|-----| | **Ad fraud analysts** | Detect cloaking by tracing redirect chains in ad URLs | | **Security teams** | Resolve phishing links without clicking to identify payloads | | **Social media analysts** | Expand t.co links from X/Twitter datasets for attribution | | **SEO auditors** | Verify outbound shortened links resolve to intended destinations | | **Journalism/OSINT** | Investigate URL patterns in misinformation campaigns | ### Input | Field | Type | Default | Description | |-------|------|---------|-------------| | urls | string[] | (required) | Shortened URLs to resolve (max 1000) | | maxRedirects | integer | 10 | Max redirect hops (1-20) | | concurrency | integer | 10 | Parallel requests (1-20) | ### Input Example ```json { "urls": ["https://bit.ly/3abcdef", "https://t.co/xyz", "https://goo.gl/abc123"], "maxRedirects": 10, "concurrency": 10 } ```` ### Output Example ```json { "originalUrl": "https://bit.ly/3abcdef", "chain": [ {"url": "https://bit.ly/3abcdef", "statusCode": 301}, {"url": "https://example.com/landing", "statusCode": 200} ], "finalUrl": "https://example.com/landing", "totalHops": 2, "hasLoop": false, "isHttpsDowngrade": false } ``` ### FAQ **What if the short URL is dead?** The chain shows the final status code (e.g., 404). hasLoop will be false; finalUrl will be the last URL reached. **Can it handle JavaScript redirects?** No — this is HTTP-level only. JS-based redirects (meta refresh, window.location) require a browser. **Is bit.ly rate-limited?** bit.ly may rate-limit aggressive requests. Use concurrency â‰Ī 10 for safety on shortener-heavy batches. **Will this follow tracking parameters?** Yes. The full URL including UTM tags is preserved at each hop. ### Related Actors URL/Link Tools cluster — explore related Apify tools: - [🔗 URL Health Checker](https://apify.com/taroyamada/bulk-url-health-checker) — Bulk-check HTTP status codes, redirects, SSL validity, and response times for thousands of URLs. - [🔗 Broken Link Checker](https://apify.com/taroyamada/broken-link-checker) — Crawl websites to find broken links, 404 errors, and dead URLs. - [🏷ïļ Meta Tag Analyzer](https://apify.com/taroyamada/meta-tag-analyzer) — Analyze meta tags, Open Graph, Twitter Cards, JSON-LD, and hreflang for any URL. - [📚 Wayback Machine Checker](https://apify.com/taroyamada/wayback-machine-checker) — Check if URLs are archived on the Wayback Machine and find closest snapshots by date. ### Cost **Pay Per Event**: - `actor-start`: $0.01 (flat fee per run) - `dataset-item`: $0.002 per output item **Example**: 1,000 items = $0.01 + (1,000 × $0.002) = **$2.01** No subscription required — you only pay for what you use. # Actor input Schema ## `urls` (type: `array`): List of shortened URLs to resolve (max 1000). ## `maxRedirects` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of redirects to follow ## `concurrency` (type: `integer`): Number of parallel requests ## `timeoutMs` (type: `integer`): Request timeout in milliseconds ## `delivery` (type: `string`): Where to send results: dataset or webhook ## `webhookUrl` (type: `string`): Webhook URL to POST results to (if delivery=webhook) ## `dryRun` (type: `boolean`): Run without saving results (for testing) ## Actor input object example ```json { "urls": [ "https://bit.ly/3LHGnWZ", "https://tinyurl.com/2p9zf5xr" ], "maxRedirects": 10, "concurrency": 10, "timeoutMs": 10000, "delivery": "dataset", "dryRun": false } ``` # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "urls": [ "https://bit.ly/3LHGnWZ", "https://tinyurl.com/2p9zf5xr" ] }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("taroyamada/url-shortener-resolver").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`ðŸ’ū Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "urls": [ "https://bit.ly/3LHGnWZ", "https://tinyurl.com/2p9zf5xr", ] } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("taroyamada/url-shortener-resolver").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("ðŸ’ū Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "urls": [ "https://bit.ly/3LHGnWZ", "https://tinyurl.com/2p9zf5xr" ] }' | apify call taroyamada/url-shortener-resolver --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=taroyamada/url-shortener-resolver", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "🔗 URL Unshortener", "description": "Unshorten and resolve URLs from bit.ly, t.co, goo.gl, and any shortener. Trace full redirect chains, detect loops, HTTPS downgrades. Great for security research, ad analytics, link auditing.", "version": "0.1", "x-build-id": "WBT7qfh97gpN2uRct" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/taroyamada~url-shortener-resolver/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-taroyamada-url-shortener-resolver", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/taroyamada~url-shortener-resolver/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-taroyamada-url-shortener-resolver", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/taroyamada~url-shortener-resolver/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-taroyamada-url-shortener-resolver", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "required": [ "urls" ], "properties": { "urls": { "title": "Shortened URLs", "type": "array", "description": "List of shortened URLs to resolve (max 1000).", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "maxRedirects": { "title": "Max Redirects", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 20, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of redirects to follow", "default": 10 }, "concurrency": { "title": "Concurrency", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 20, "type": "integer", "description": "Number of parallel requests", "default": 10 }, "timeoutMs": { "title": "Timeout (ms)", "minimum": 1000, "maximum": 30000, "type": "integer", "description": "Request timeout in milliseconds", "default": 10000 }, "delivery": { "title": "Delivery Mode", "enum": [ "dataset", "webhook" ], "type": "string", "description": "Where to send results: dataset or webhook", "default": "dataset" }, "webhookUrl": { "title": "Webhook URL", "type": "string", "description": "Webhook URL to POST results to (if delivery=webhook)" }, "dryRun": { "title": "Dry Run", "type": "boolean", "description": "Run without saving results (for testing)", "default": false } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```