Fair Use Policy
Last updated: March 2026
Purpose
QCK provides URL shortening, link management, and analytics services. This Fair Use Policy ensures a safe, reliable, and high-quality experience for all users. It supplements our Terms of Service and outlines specific behaviors that are prohibited or restricted on our platform.
Prohibited Uses
The following activities are strictly prohibited on QCK. Links, accounts, or domains found in violation will be subject to enforcement actions described below.
Malware and Harmful Content
You may not use QCK to distribute malware, viruses, ransomware, trojans, or any other harmful software. We integrate with threat intelligence databases including URLhaus to detect and block known malicious URLs in real time.
Phishing and Impersonation
Creating links that impersonate legitimate websites, brands, or individuals is prohibited. This includes:
- Links to fake login pages designed to steal credentials
- URLs that mimic known brands through typosquatting (e.g., "g00gle.com")
- Domains using homograph attacks with mixed Unicode scripts
- Brand impersonation patterns (e.g., "paypal-login.example.com")
Adult and Explicit Content
QCK does not permit links to pornographic, sexually explicit, or adult content. We maintain a blocklist of known adult content domains that is enforced on link creation.
Gambling and Betting
QCK does not permit links to online casinos, sports betting platforms, poker rooms, lottery services, or any form of gambling or betting content. We maintain a blocklist of known gambling domains and detect gambling-related keywords in URLs.
Alcohol and Liquor
Links to alcohol retailers, online liquor stores, brewery commerce, and alcohol brand promotion are not permitted on QCK.
Drugs and Controlled Substances
Links to drug marketplaces, cannabis dispensaries, drug paraphernalia shops, or any content promoting the sale or use of controlled substances are prohibited.
Spam and Abuse
Mass creation of links for spam campaigns, unsolicited communications, or any form of service abuse is prohibited. All accounts are subject to rate limits based on their subscription tier.
URL Shortener Chaining
Creating QCK links that redirect through other URL shortening services (such as bit.ly, tinyurl, or similar) is not allowed. This practice is commonly used to obscure the true destination of a link and bypass security measures.
Dark Web and Restricted Content
Links to .onion domains, dark web marketplaces, or content hosted on restricted top-level domains are blocked. Additionally, links to dangerous file extensions (.exe, .zip as TLDs) and high-risk TLDs associated with abuse are restricted.
Private Network Targeting
Creating links that target private or internal network addresses (localhost, 10.x.x.x, 192.168.x.x, 172.16-31.x.x) is prohibited to prevent server-side request forgery (SSRF) attacks.
Rate Limits by Subscription Tier
Each subscription tier includes specific usage limits. These limits ensure fair resource allocation across all users. Consistently exceeding your tier's limits may result in throttling or a request to upgrade.
| Feature | Free | Basic ($19/mo) | Growth ($49/mo) | Pro ($99/mo) | Business ($249/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Links/mo | 25 | 500 | 2.5K | 10K | 50K |
| Tracked Clicks/mo | 5K | 150K | 1M | 2M | 10M |
| Custom Domains | 1 | 5 | 25 | 100 | 500 |
| API Rate (per hour) | 50 | 500 | 5K | 25K | 100K |
| Bulk Import | 25 | 100 | 500 | 2.5K | 10K |
| Team Seats | 1 | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
All tiers have fixed limits with no per-user pricing. See our pricing page for full details.
Link Creation Quota
Each tier includes a monthly limit on new link creation. This limit resets at the start of each calendar month. All links you create remain active and functional — the limit only controls how many new links you can create per month.
10-minute undo window: If you delete a link within 10 minutes of creating it, it does not count toward your monthly quota. This gives you a grace period to fix typos or mistakes. Links that exist for more than 10 minutes count toward your monthly limit even if you later delete them.
Automated Enforcement
QCK employs a multi-layered security system that automatically enforces this policy. All URLs are analyzed using a threat scoring system (0-100) that considers multiple risk factors:
- Safe (0-20): No threats detected. Link is created normally.
- Low (21-40): Minor indicators detected. Link is created with monitoring.
- Medium (41-60): Moderate risk. Link is created but flagged for review.
- High (61-80): Significant threat indicators. Link creation is blocked.
- Critical (81-100): Confirmed threat. Link creation is blocked immediately.
Enforcement Actions
When violations are detected, we may take one or more of the following actions:
- Automatic Blocking: Links with a threat score above 60 are automatically blocked at creation time. You will receive an error message explaining why.
- Link Deactivation: Links found to violate this policy after creation may be deactivated. Deactivated links will return a 404 error to visitors.
- Domain Suspension: Custom domains used to distribute harmful content may be suspended. Domains that fail DNS health checks 5 consecutive times are also automatically suspended.
- Account Suspension: Accounts with repeated or severe violations may be suspended or terminated. We reserve the right to report illegal activity to the appropriate authorities.
Appeals Process
If you believe your link, domain, or account was incorrectly flagged or blocked, you may appeal the decision:
- Contact our support team at [email protected]
- Include the affected link URL, domain, or account email
- Provide context about the intended use of the flagged content
- We will review your appeal within 2 business days
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Fair Use Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our security measures or platform capabilities. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact
For questions about this Fair Use Policy, contact us at: