Introduction
In this article, we will explore different techniques to hide URLs in an HTML document without using JavaScript. As a web developer, you may want to hide the URLs in your HTML document for various reasons, and Perhaps you're building a website with sensitive information, or you're trying to prevent users from accidentally clicking on a link. Whatever the reason, there are ways to hide URLs without resorting to JavaScript. people ask a lot of questions about hiding URLs in search engines. It could be to protect the links from being easily copied, to improve the aesthetics of your website, or for other reasons.
Understanding URL structure
Before we dive into the methods of hiding URLs, it is essential to understand the structure of URLs. URLs have different parts, including the protocol, domain name, path, and query parameters. For example, in the URL https://www.example.com/path?param=value, the protocol is HTTPS, the domain name is www.example.com, the path is /path, and the query parameter is param=value.
For example: How does the URL look like
https://www.example.com/download?id=123
Using CSS to Hide URLs
There are several ways to hide URLs by using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and I just show you two examples, CSS allows you to apply styles to HTML elements, including links. You can use the text-decoration property to remove the underline from the link and set the color of the link to the same color as the background. This will make the link invisible from the website, but it will still be clickable.
And you can use the text-indent property. This property allows you to move the text of an element offscreen without affecting its functionality. To use it, simply add the text-indent property to your link's style attribute and set its value to a negative number, such as -9999px. Here's an example:
Another way to hide a URL is by using the visibility property. This property allows you to hide an element while still reserving its space in the layout. To use it, simply add the visibility property to your link's style attribute and set its value to hidden. Here's an example:
a {
text-decoration: none;
color: #ffffff;
}
And you can use the text-indent property. This property allows you to move the text of an element offscreen without affecting its functionality. To use it, simply add the text-indent property to your link's style attribute and set its value to a negative number, such as -9999px. Here's an example:
<a href="https://example.com" style="text-indent: -9999px;" >Example</a>
Using the display property with a value of none:
<a href="https://example.com" style="display: none;">Example</a>
Using the visibility property with a value of hidden:
<a href="https://example.com" style="visibility: hidden;">Example</a>
Using some other Cases:
In some other cases you also use but it is not in HTML property, it has work on the server side Apache and URL shorteners.
Using URL rewriting
URL rewriting method helps of hiding URLs. URL rewriting involves changing the URL that the user sees in their browser's address bar without changing the content of the page. You can achieve this by using Apache's mod_rewrite module or a similar module in other web servers.
For example, suppose you have a URL https://www.example.com/page.php?id=123. You can rewrite the URL to https://www.example.com/123 using the following rule in Apache:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^([0-9]+)/?$ /page.php?id=$1 [L]
This will redirect any requests for https://www.example.com/123 to https://www.example.com/page.php?id=123, but the user will see the former URL in their browser's address bar.
Using URL shorteners
URL shorteners are services that can shorten long URLs to shorter, more manageable ones. You can use URL shorteners to hide the original URL from the user. When the user clicks on the shortened URL, they will be redirected to the original URL.
There are many URL shortener services available, including Bitly, TinyURL, and Rebrandly. You can choose a service that suits your needs and integrate it into your website.
There are many URL shortener services available, including Bitly, TinyURL, and Rebrandly. You can choose a service that suits your needs and integrate it into your website.
Conclusion
In this article, we explored different techniques to hide URLs in an HTML document without using JavaScript. We discussed using CSS to make links invisible, URL rewriting to change the URL that the user sees in their browser's address bar, and URL shorteners to hide the original URL from the user. Each of these techniques has its pros and cons, and you should choose the one that suits your specific needs.
Remember that while hiding URLs can be useful in some cases, they can also have negative consequences. Hiding the URL can make it harder for users to identify the destination of a link, which can lead to distrust and confusion. It can also make it harder for search engines to crawl and index your website, which can affect your website's SEO.
In summary, consider carefully before deciding to hide URLs in your HTML document. If you do need to hide URLs, use the techniques described in this article responsibly and appropriately.
Remember that while hiding URLs can be useful in some cases, they can also have negative consequences. Hiding the URL can make it harder for users to identify the destination of a link, which can lead to distrust and confusion. It can also make it harder for search engines to crawl and index your website, which can affect your website's SEO.
In summary, consider carefully before deciding to hide URLs in your HTML document. If you do need to hide URLs, use the techniques described in this article responsibly and appropriately.