Preserve the original destination when possible. After any conversion or redirect, confirm the domain, title, images, variant, and visible price context again. A working redirect does not prove that the destination still matches the row.
Five link types you may encounter
- Original or raw link
- The direct product or shop URL recorded by the spreadsheet author.
- Converted link
- A URL rewritten for another service or interface. It may improve access, but it can also remove or reinterpret parameters.
- Catalog link
- A category or collection page that contains several products rather than one exact item.
- Store link
- A merchant or shop homepage. More searching is required to locate the intended item.
- Redirect link
- A short or intermediate URL that forwards elsewhere. The final domain matters more than the short label.
Match the destination in four passes
- Domain: identify the final hostname after redirects. Stop if it is unfamiliar or unexpectedly asks for credentials, payment, or a download.
- Product identity: compare the visible title, key image, and category with the spreadsheet row.
- Exact option: check size, color, model, bundle, or specification. Do not assume the thumbnail represents every option.
- Current context: note whether the visible price is a range, a starting value, a selected-option value, or unclear.
What conversion tools cannot prove
A link converter can change the URL format or open a page in another interface. It cannot prove authenticity, inventory, seller reliability, product condition, final cost, or safe delivery. It may also lose a selected-option parameter, so always recheck the variant after conversion.
Handle broken or changed links deliberately
Do not replace a dead product link with the first visually similar result. Mark the row as broken, record the date checked, and search by a distinctive title phrase or image only if you are prepared to treat the new result as a separate lead. A new listing is not the same record.
Protect account and payment information
- Do not paste passwords, payment details, private order links, or session tokens into conversion tools.
- Check the final hostname before signing in.
- Avoid pages that require an unexpected app, extension, profile, or file download.
- Use the official support channel of the service you actually use for account-specific questions.
The UK National Cyber Security Centre's shopping guidance ↗ recommends checking whether a shop is legitimate and typing a known official address directly when a received link looks suspicious. HTTPS protects a connection, but it does not by itself prove that a site or listing is trustworthy.
Compare the link before and after a redirect
Before opening a converted link, save the public source URL or at least its hostname and product identifier. After the redirect, compare the final hostname, visible product title, lead image, and selected option. If a converter removes the option, lands on a store page, or changes the destination category, mark the result unclear and return to the original source. This simple before-and-after record helps distinguish a harmless format change from a material destination change, while avoiding any need to store private account or checkout URLs.
Keep a compact link trail
Spreadsheet row: [URL]
Original destination: [domain or URL]
Converted destination: [domain or none]
Title/image match: [yes / unclear / no]
Exact option match: [yes / unclear / no]
Visible price context: [range / selected / unclear]
Checked on: [date]
Status: [active / changed / broken]