unfake.it stores URLs which have been provided by users and fakes them to new URLs. Fake-URLs are intended to be very short and not to hide the original web address, since they will be displayed in the browsers address field after clicking the fake-URL.

For example a long URL like...

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=40.689185,-74.044375&spn=0.003254,0.005794&t=h&z=18

... will be faked to...

http://unfake.it/luK

... which may be posted in e-mails, guestbooks, cell phone short messages or in any other way.

Redirects are done by a 301 HTTP status code, which tells the browser, the requested document will permanently be at another location.

You may enter and fake as many URLs as you wish, there's no limit in quantity or even lenght of the original web address.

Neither original web address nor fake URLs are published in any way, as long as you don't.

Previews are totally magic! You may get a preview of each faked URL by adding an * (an asterisk) at the end of your faked URL.

Just like: http://unfake.it/Qql*

As of August 2010, you may report short URLs, which have come to your computer in any way, as inappropriate. Reasons might be: Spam or illegal content on the original and shortened website. Simply click on "Report!" in the banner when showing the website for the first time.

If you run an application (no matter of what kind), you may want to use unfake.it to shorten/fake URLs directly within your software.

Our API makes it possible!
You just have to call unfake.it like this:

http://unfake.it/?a=api&url=<YOUR_URL>

You will receive no annoying text, you'll just get your desired fake URL as answer.

This is an example how to call the unfake.it-API with PHP:

$api_handle = fopen ("http://unfake.it/?a=api&url=<YOUR_URL>", "r");
$api_response = fread ($api_handle, 8192);
fclose ($api_handle);

echo $api_response;
			

URLs may be shortened right inside TweetDeck using unfake.it.

1. Open TweetDeck's preferences
2. Choose Services
3. Switch URL shortening service (usually bit.ly) to Other
4. Type http://unfake.it/?a=api&url=%@ in the field beside that pulldown menu
5. Hit Save Settings
6. Enjoy!

This tool is proud to be an official WordPress plugin and contained in the Plugin Directory of WordPress!

Imagine, you're using a blog based on WordPress and also a Twitter account.

Imagine furthermore, you use the famous WordPress plugin Twitter Tools by Alex King (http://alexking.org/), which notifies Twitter about your new WordPress posts.

Twitter Tools sends the URL of your new posting to Twitter, where it will be shortened using another URL shortener, because it's way too long.

The following plugin uses Twitter Tools and it's filter implementation to shorten URLs. URLs will be shortened/faked, using unfake.it's API before notifying Twitter. You need the Twitter Tools plugin version 1.6 (or above) to make this plugin work since it uses filter functions, which depend on Twitter Tools. Without Twitter Tools, nothing will happen.

This is, how it goes:

1. download the plugin here or from the official WordPress Plugin Directory
2. expand the archive into your wp-content/plugins/ directory.
3. create a folder named url-shortener-for-twitter-tools (should have happend automatically by unzipping the archive) in your wp-contents/plugins/ directory.
4. put the tt_unfake_it.php file into the wp-content/plugins/url-shortener-for-twitter-tools/ directory (should have happend automatically by unzipping the archive).
5. go to the Plugins page in your WordPress Administration area and click 'Activate' for 'unfake.it URL shortener for Twitter Tools'.
6. use WordPress as usual

Of course, you have to check "Notify Twitter about this post?" at the bottom of the editing page when writing a new post!

That's it!

unfake.it come with an awesome Facebook integration.

Immediately after shortening an URL, you will be able to add the shortened URL to your Facebook profile and even post it to your friends' new feed automatically.

Right after clicking the link, a popup takes you to Facebook were you'll get asked (only the very first time you access it) to trust the Facebook application. After that, the newly shortened URL will be added to the database and the thumbnailed screenshot with the TITLE tag of the destination site will be posted to your profile and your friends' news feeds after sharing the post.

Awesome!

You may also save the link "fake with unfake.it" as bookmark.

Just do a right-click, save it as a bookmark and you will be able to
fake every website you're currently viewing just by hitting this bookmark!

As some users reported, they would not like the dark style of the unfake.it website, you may now choose between a dark and a bright style.

Your preference will be set as a cookie, so you do have to allow cookies from unfake.it. As long as you did not set any preference, the dark style will be default.

Besides the possibility to choose between a dark and a bright style, you may also set the site's language. unfake.it is currently available in English and German.

Your preference will be set as a cookie, so you do have to allow cookies from unfake.it. As long as you did not set any preference, English will be the default language.

unfake.it may show commercials when or after clicking a faked URL. This action had to be taken August 2010 to refinance server and traffic costs. If you still plan to use unfake.it as your URL shortener and don't want to show commercials to those you share your short URL with, please get in touch with the author mentioned below.

All Flattr donations are highly appreciated: