Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about RedirMe's services.
General Questions
What is RedirMe?
RedirMe is a privacy-focused service that provides URL shortening and anonymous email forwarding. We help you protect your online identity by creating short, memorable links and temporary email aliases that forward to your real inbox.
Is RedirMe free to use?
Yes! RedirMe offers a completely free Guest tier that lets you create short URLs and email forwards without signing up. Our Explorer tier (coming soon) will also be free forever with additional features. The Supporter tier is for those who want premium features and want to help keep RedirMe running.
Do I need an account to use RedirMe?
No account is needed for basic features. As a Guest, you can create short URLs and email forwards completely free. Creating an account unlocks additional features like longer durations, custom aliases, and analytics.
URL Shortening
How long do shortened URLs last?
By default, all short URLs last forever and never expire. Explorer accounts can optionally set an expiration of up to 30 days. Supporters can set expiration up to 365 days, or set custom expiry conditions based on number of visits.
What is anonymous redirect mode?
When someone clicks your short link and arrives at the destination website, that website can normally see where the visitor came from. With a RedirMe short URL, they would see one of our domains (e.g. redirme.com) — not the original site where the link was posted. With anonymous mode, even this is hidden, so the destination website won't know the visitor clicked a RedirMe link at all.
How to use it: Simply add a tilde (~) before
the short code. For example, if your short URL is
redirme.com/abc123,
the anonymous version is
redirme.com/~abc123.
Technical note: This works by stripping the "Referer" HTTP header that browsers normally send when following links.
What is the public info page?
Every short URL has a public info page where you can preview the link before clicking it. This helps you verify where a link goes and check if it's safe.
How to access it: Add a plus sign (+) at the
end of any short URL. For example:
redirme.com/abc123+
The info page shows:
- The destination URL
- When the link was created
- Click statistics (last 30 days)
- Safety status (malware/phishing check)
- A preview of the destination site
Supporter feature: Customise or disable the public info page for your links.
Can I customize my short URL?
Custom identifiers are available for registered users. You can choose a memorable word or phrase instead of a random code. Explorer and Supporter accounts can also use multiple domains for their short URLs.
What are the different redirect types?
Supporters can choose from different HTTP redirect status codes:
- 301 (Permanent) - Indicates the URL has permanently moved. Search engines transfer link equity to the destination. Best for permanent links.
- 302 (Found) - Temporary redirect. The original URL may return. Search engines typically don't transfer link equity. Default for most short URLs.
- 307 (Temporary) - Similar to 302 but strictly preserves the HTTP method. Use when you need to ensure POST requests stay as POST.
- 308 (Permanent) - Similar to 301 but strictly preserves the HTTP method. Best for permanent redirects of API endpoints or forms.
What is URL cloaking?
URL cloaking displays your short URL in the browser's address bar while showing the destination page content. Instead of redirecting, the destination page is loaded inside a frame.
Benefits:
- Your branded short URL stays visible
- Hides long or complex destination URLs
- Maintains consistent branding
Note: Cloaking may not work with all destination sites. Available for Supporter accounts.
Email Forwarding
How does email forwarding work?
You create an email alias (like [email protected]) that forwards to your real email address. When someone sends an email to your alias, it's automatically forwarded to your inbox. Your real email remains hidden from senders.
How long do email forwards last?
Email aliases on Guest accounts last 24 hours. Explorer and Supporter accounts have aliases that never expire by default. You can optionally set an expiry from 1 hour to 30 days (Explorer) or up to 365 days (Supporter). This helps keep your inbox tidy and reduces spam once you've finished with a service.
Can I reply to emails from my alias?
Currently, RedirMe is a receive-only forwarding service. Replies sent from your real email will come from your actual address, not your alias. Two-way email aliasing may be added in future updates.
Billing & Account
Can I change plans later?
Yes! You can upgrade to Supporter at any time, your yearly subscription starts from that day. If you decide to cancel, you'll retain access to Supporter features for the remainder of your paid year, then revert to the Explorer plan.
What happens when I exceed my limits?
All users can create unlimited short URLs with unlimited clicks. For email forwarding, Guest accounts can create one alias per target email address. Explorer and Supporter accounts have unlimited aliases.
Do you offer refunds?
Yes, we offer a 14-day money-back guarantee on the Supporter tier. If you're not satisfied, contact us within 14 days of your payment for a full refund. No questions asked.
Privacy & Security
Is my data secure?
Absolutely. We use industry-standard encryption for all data in transit and at rest. We never sell your data and only collect what's necessary to provide the service. See our Privacy Policy for details.
Can I use custom domains?
Custom domains are planned for a future update. Currently, you can choose from our selection of available domains. Supporters will have access to premium domain options and priority access to custom domain features when available.
What data do you collect?
We collect minimal data: the URLs you shorten, email aliases you create, and basic analytics (click counts, timestamps). We don't track you across the web, sell your data, or share it with third parties. Email contents are processed in memory and immediately forwarded without storage.
Can I claim my links if when create an account later?
Yes! When you create short URLs as a guest, we store a random identifier in your browser (not a cookie - it's in localStorage). This identifier cannot identify you personally - it's just a random string. When you later sign up, you can claim all the links you created from that browser. Your anonymity is preserved until you choose to create an account.