A blocked link, or one being checked
Every destination you add (page link or short link) is visited by a robot a few minutes later. It blocks when it is certain the destination breaches the terms of use; when in doubt, it flags it to the team without blocking anything.
Steps
- You add a link: it is published right away, except for a recent or low-trust account, where it carries the Being checked badge until the robot passes (a few minutes).
- The robot visits the destination: blacklist, Google Safe Browsing, program download, pornographic, violent or hateful content, gambling, drugs or weapons, phishing.
- If the destination breaches the terms, the link carries the Blocked badge, disappears from the public page (or stops redirecting for a short link), and you receive a notification then an e-mail.
- You believe it is a mistake: open a ticket from Support, quoting the address. Every contestation is reviewed by a person; unblocking restores the link as it was.
What is checked
The real destination of the link, after its redirects: the domain name, the type of file served, the page title and content. Prohibited content is the one listed in the terms of use: pornography, violence and hate, phishing and malware, counterfeiting, gambling, unlawful content.
Editing a blocked link
Changing a link’s destination triggers a new check: if the new address complies, the link is republished at the robot’s next pass. Blocking applies to the destination, never to your whole page.