The first change is adding a View button to the OTL page. Many email systems - Microsoft 365 included - now check links for malicious payloads, and we found that without the View button, our links were automatically deleted!

Not great.

So now, when you add an OTL, the resulting screen will show the View button:

The link remains until you click the View button - and then it’s automatically deleted.

The other feature isn’t specifically related to OTLs, but it’s very cool nonetheless: page templates for Link Landing Pages:

This feature allows you to create a special template that will provide the “chrome” around your message. Here’s what the Link Landing Page looks like when I format it with the Default One-Time Link template:

Page templates are just HTML pages that can be as simple or as complex as you need - and this is just one example of how they can be used with LinkRedirector! The secret that’s revealed when I click the View button is surrounded by a header and a footer so I can really tailor my page to my audience!

If you’re interested in LinkRedirector, please reach out - you can also request a trial (and a demo).

Happy (secure) linking!

The steps are simple:

1. Sign into your Microsoft 365 admin portal with global admin credentials

2. Navigate to Security groups under Active teams & groups

3. Create a new Security group

4. View the group

5. Copy group ID from the browser address bar

Once you have the group ID, simply email it to try@linkredirector.io.

Link Redirector is a powerful tool that can help your company handle changes in your online destinations. Whether you are migrating to a new platform, switching to a different service provider, or updating your app, Link Redirector can make the process easier and smoother for you and your users.

With Link Redirector, you can create short links that point to any URL you want. You can change the destination of the link at any time, without affecting the users who click on it. This way, you can control where your users go and when they go there.

For example, if you are migrating to a new app, you can create a short link and share it with your users. You can initially point the link to a staging area where you can test the app and get feedback. When the app is ready for launch, you can simply update the link to point to the production URL. Your users will not notice any difference, except for the improved app experience.

Another example is if you are switching to a new service provider for healthcare, HR, or anything else. You can use a short link and distribute it across your organization. If the provider changes, you only need to update one link, instead of searching for and replacing multiple links that may be outdated or broken.

Moreover, Link Redirector allows you to create landing pages that provide additional information about the change. For instance, you can let your users know that you have switched providers and they will be redirected to a new registration page. This way, you can avoid confusion and frustration for your users and increase their trust and satisfaction.

If you think Link Redirector can help you manage changes in your company, please schedule a meeting with me and I will show you how easy it is to use Link Redirector!

It’s odd how that never occurred to me until I stopped thinking about it for a couple of days and was able to see the word with new eyes. The power of perspective isn’t to be underestimated.

UPDATE: The name officially changed to Link Redirector. Boring, but to the point.

This is related to an old favorite concept of mine, parsing patterns. “Parsing patterns” refers to how we recognize the world around us, how we “parse” it. The image below is famous optical illusion, and depending on your parsing pattern, you will see a vase, or two faces, and if someone tells you ahead of time ('primes’ you) one way or the other, you’ll be predisposed to seeing it that way.

When we’re immersed on the soup in which we stew, it’s easy to start seeing the rest of the world through the broth of the soup, so to speak, and only see bits of carrot and cubed potatoes.

In any case, I’m not fully committed to Perwatl either, but at least it won’t be mistaken for a wattage related app. Plus, now it makes me think more of axolotls than waddling penguins, so there’s a vector for a new logo…

Link Redirector allows you to create redirect links that force the user to indicate that they are performing the action with full knowledge of what they’re doing - I’m calling these “acknowledgement” redirect links. In the “acknowledgment” scenario, the redirect page does not automatically send the user to their destination, but instead requires them to click a link.

For example, you may want your user to indicate that by clicking the Download link they acknowledge to abide by the company’s terms and conditions.

Or, if the link takes them outside of your company’s Intranet, the confirmation page will tell them that they’re leaving the safety of internal communications.

The capabilities of the message you can add include rich text formatting, so the acknowledgement page can include other links, formatted text, and images - so you can create detailed confirmation or acknowledgement pages.

Here’s a quick walkthrough of how to use the acknowledgment feature:

Do you have any other scenarios where this might be useful? Would you use this on the public interwebs or on your intranet?

Let us know at linkredirector@atin.works!

Thanks!

~ Ilya L

Sometimes you need to share some sensitive info with a colleague or a client. What’s the typical solution? Send an email – and that’s definitely not a good practice.

Email is an easy target for attackers, and mailboxes get compromised all the time. Any information you have in your mailbox may become subject to datamining by malicious parties, so that password you shared with a coworker can then be used to attack your organization and lead to data exposure, blackmailing, ransomware, and more.

Link Redirector addresses this issue by allowing you to create a link that is instantly deleted the moment it is accessed, so after you share your sensitive info, you can be sure that the link will no longer work and even if your mailbox – or that of your co-worker – is compromised, the attacker cannot access sensitive information.

Here’s how you can use Link Redirector to share sensitive information securely:

Link Redirector is a utility for creating and managing short URLs. It runs in your environment and helps you take control of how you share important links and sensitive information. With Link Redirector, you also have the ability to add a custom message for your users before they are sent to their destination (more on that killer feature later).

By using Link Redirector, your organization can improve branding, gain control of commonly used URLs with easy to remember links, and reduce security exposure associated with sharing sensitive information by email.

A URL shortener at its core

As the foundational feature, Link Redirector manages redirect links, making it easy for authorized individuals to create short, company-branded links. Plus, the links can be marked as “one-time links” which are removed immediately after use - a fantastic feature for sharing sensitive information.

You can use Link Redirector on your website or on the Intranet to shorten long URLs and to present an intermediary landing page where you can display a message.

You can even further simplify some links with subdomain names – for example, privacy.yourco.com can redirect to https://yourco.sharepoint.com/sites/intranet-hr/shared%20documents/policies/privacy-policy.aspx.

You’re in Control

All your link details are stored in your Microsoft Azure environment – not in some unknown repository – and therefore subject to your security procedures and controls. This is especially important if your company is subject to any cybersecurity controls such as NIST800-171.

Secure

Integration with your Microsoft Azure tenant means that authentication and role management is driven by your existing security infrastructure. No separate user logins to maintain, and all of your security controls apply to the application.

One-Time Links

Any sensitive info that you don’t want to fall into the wrong hands shared via branded, trusted URLs which can be set for automatic deletion once the recipient opens your link. The link itself is branded with your domain, improving trust and elevating your brand.

Killer feature: landing page for redirects!

I saved the best for last. Link Redirector also gives you a customizable landing page for your redirect. This is fantastic feature that gives you the ability to add a custom message before the end-user is taken to the final location. For example, you may require that your user clicks the “I acknowledge” link to get to their destination.

Or it simply gives you an opportunity to promote your services and products when you share links for upsell or cross-sell. You may include a quick help text or additional link for support – the possibilities are wide-ranging.

Interested in a deeper dive? Give us a shout, we’d love to talk more!

We’ll be sharing some tips on using Link Redirector, and while this is the first release of the product, we’re already working on some additional exciting features, so stay tuned!

Ilya Lehrman

inWorks LLC, Founder