Why are Dub.sh links blacklisted by my browser?

Dub.sh links are occasionally blacklisted by web browsers. Learn more about why, and how to fix it.

Steven Tey

Written by Steven Tey

Occasionally, dub.sh short links are blacklisted by web browsers. This is what you might see when you try to visit a dub.sh link:

'Your connection is not private' warning
'Your connection is not private' warning

Why does this happen?

This is because dub.sh links are the default short link on Dub, and can sometimes be used by malicious actors to hide the true destination of a link – which can be a phishing site, or a site that downloads malware onto your computer.

As an unfortunate side effect, this means that sometimes, legitimate dub.sh links are also blacklisted by web browsers.

How to fix it

One way to fix it is by sending a petition to your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to unblock the link. Here's an example verbiage you can use:

Hi there,

I would like to petition for the dub.sh domain to be unblocked. Dub (https://dub.co) is a link management tool (similar to Bitly) that I use to share links with my friends and family. It is not a malicious site.

Occasionally, there might be malicious links that are created on Dub, but Dub has processes in place that actively monitors and removes these links. I have also personally reported malicious links to Dub, and they have been removed within 24 hours.

If you do discover any malicious links, you can report them here: https://dub.co/abuse

Thank you!

This is the most effective way to unblock the link, but it can take a long time.

Alternatively, you can also use Dub with your custom domain, instead of the default dub.sh domain. This will ensure that your links are never blacklisted by web browsers.

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