Humorous Link Shortener CreepyLink: How to Teach Hacking Through a Joke

A Reddit user with the nickname eaglebirdman shared his creative project — a special-purpose link shortener. This service doesn’t just shorten URLs but also makes them look as phishing and scam links as possible. Instead of appearing safe, the shortened link looks like the most suspicious thing you’ve ever highlighted in your browser.

How the idea to create the most suspicious link shortener came about

Inspiration for CreepyLink came unexpectedly. The developer’s colleague kept mentioning the ShadyUrl service, which had a similar concept — making links as dubious as possible. However, over time, that project stopped working, and for several years, no one updated it. “This website hasn’t been active for a long time, so I decided to create an alternative,” eaglebirdman explained his motivation.

And thus, CreepyLink was born — a response to the need for a functional tool for those who want to joke around by scaring colleagues with their links or demonstrate what dangerous URLs really look like.

Functionality of the shortener: from a regular link to “phishing”

The principle is simple but effective. When a user enters a regular link into this URL shortener, the service transforms it into something that even an experienced user would be hesitant to click. The links take on a look similar to those that could lead to a malicious site.

For example, a normal link to dev.ua is transformed into something much more “terrifying.” Thus, the project not only serves an entertainment purpose — it also shows how easily one can fall for such links in real phishing attacks.

Context: why link shorteners remain important

Recently, link shorteners have become somewhat less relevant. In summer 2025, Google ceased active support for its Google URL Shortener service — short links in the goo.gl format. Since then, they return a 404 error, indicating the service has been discontinued. This was a logical conclusion to the gradual shutdown of the service.

However, the disappearance of traditional shorteners doesn’t mean they’ve lost their value. On the contrary, they are transforming into more specialized tools — like CreepyLink, which combines functionality with an educational mission.

When a link shortener becomes a tool for security awareness training

CreepyLink demonstrates that entertainment projects can have a serious educational function. Instead of reading about phishing vectors in parallel, users see what dangerous links really look like. This develops the skill to recognize potential threats and critical thinking.

The project also supports the spirit of security culture within the IT community. When developers play with hacking concepts through jokes, they simultaneously remind others of the importance of vigilance. This approach has always been more effective than dry warnings.

Thus, a simple link shortener from eaglebirdman becomes something bigger — an educational tool, a humorous joke, and a serious message about the importance of understanding online threats.