Link safety: disabled links, warnings and appeals

Pointerly checks where every link sends people. A destination that breaks the Acceptable Use Policy is refused or disabled, and a sensitive one gets a warning page. This guide explains what happened to your link and what you can do.

When destinations are checked

• When you create or edit a link: the destination, A/B test variants, marketplace variants and per-country QR routes are checked when you save them. This applies everywhere a link can be created: the dashboard, the iOS app, the browser extension, bulk and storefront imports, automations, Poppy and Delegated.
• On clicks: a link that was never checked is checked on its first click, and stored verdicts are applied on every click.
• On a schedule: every six hours, links last checked more than a week ago (or never) are re-checked, oldest first, because a page can change after you link to it.
• Messages: every URL in a WhatsApp broadcast, a shop-assistant reply, a Telegram post or template, and a DM custom button is checked before it is sent.

Checks use security reputation services and automated classification of the page's public title and description. They can be wrong in both directions, which is why appeals exist. Official store domains (Amazon, eBay, Walmart and the other supported stores) and Pointerly's own domains are not screened.

The three outcomes

A destination in a prohibited category (malware, phishing, unwanted software, adult content, gambling, scams or fraud, illegal goods or services, hateful content) cannot be saved at all. You see: "This destination isn't allowed on Pointerly (…). See our Acceptable Use Policy."

A message cannot show a warning page first, so a WhatsApp or Telegram message (a broadcast, a template, a shop-assistant reply, a channel post, a scheduled or automated post) that contains a raw URL to a restricted destination is not sent. You see: "This message links straight to a destination that needs a warning page. Send it as a Pointerly link instead." Replace the URL with a Pointerly short link to the same page: it works, behind the warning. A message with a prohibited destination is refused either way.

Why was my link disabled?

A link is disabled when:

1. a re-check found that its destination (or the page it now redirects to) breaks the policy,
2. the domain was given a verdict by the Pointerly safety team, or
3. a person on the team reviewed an abuse report about it.

You get an in-app notification and an email when one of your links is flagged, by a re-check, a domain verdict or the safety team. Flagged links carry a Disabled or Warning badge in the links list, cards and the link page; open the link to see the banner with the reason. QR codes that point at the link show the same notice.

Appeal a decision

If you think the decision is wrong:

1. Open the flagged link in Links on the web, or in the iOS app.
2. In the banner, click Appeal. This is the fastest route: start here before writing to support.
3. Say what the destination is and why it follows the policy, for example "It's my own store; it sells clothing, not adult products."
4. Click Send appeal. The banner shows Appeal under review.

A person on the safety team reviews every appeal and tells you the outcome in the app and by email. If the link is restored, it works again right away, and future checks respect that decision until you change the destination. One appeal can be open per link. Appeal within six months of the decision.

For a decision that is not about a single link (a suspended workspace, a held broadcast), reply to the notice you received, or open a support ticket about link safety (topic Blocked link & appeals). See Appeals in the Acceptable Use Policy.

Report a link that breaks the rules

Anyone can report a Pointerly link, bio page, message or post without an account:

• use the report form, or
• click Report this link on a warning page, Report a link on a disabled-link page, or the report link in any bio page footer.

Include the full link and what is wrong with it. Reports are reviewed by the safety team. For copyright and trademark complaints, use the Copyright and Takedown process instead.

Workspace suspension

For serious or repeated violations, the safety team can suspend a workspace. While it is suspended:

• its short links, QR codes and bio page show the "Link disabled" page,
• DM automations, WhatsApp broadcasts and Telegram posts are held, not sent (nothing is metered for held messages),
• new links cannot be created.

Held messages show Held: this workspace is suspended for an Acceptable Use Policy review.

If your workspace was suspended, reply to the email you received or write to support@pointerly.io.

What Poppy can do

Poppy can explain why a link might be flagged and how appeals work, from this article. Poppy cannot restore a link, change a verdict or send an appeal for you: use the Appeal button.

For developers

The link response in the v1 API carries safetyStatus, safetyReason and safetyCategories. GET /api/v1/links/:id/appeal returns the open appeal, if any, and POST /api/v1/links/:id/appeal with { "message": "…" } sends one.