Altostrat uses a URL shortening service to turn long, signed links into simpler, user-friendly short links. These short links are primarily used in emails and notifications to preserve readability.

​
Introduction

All Altostrat-generated links contain a signature to ensure they haven’t been tampered with. Because these signatures can be lengthy, we employ a short-link domain to keep links concise.

The default structure for a short link looks like:

https://altostr.at/{short-code}
  • altostr.at is the dedicated short-link domain.
  • {short-code} uniquely maps back to the full, signed URL in Altostrat’s database.
1

Receive a Link

You’ll encounter short links in emails, notifications, or shared references from Altostrat. For example, https://altostr.at/abc123.

2

Click the Link

When clicked, Altostrat verifies the embedded signature to ensure the link remains valid.

3

Redirect

If valid, the short link redirects to the intended long URL. Otherwise, you’ll see an error if the link is expired or tampered with.

​
Rate Limits

Altostrat imposes 60 requests per minute per IP address for short-link requests to:

  • Prevent abuse (e.g., bots or DDoS attempts).
  • Maintain stability across the URL shortener service.

The target link itself may have separate rate limits, potentially blocking requests if abused.

​
Expiry

If no specific expiry is set, short links automatically expire after 90 days.

Once expired, the link produces an error if clicked. If you need a permanent link or want to re-share it, generate a fresh short link or direct users to the main portal reference.

​
Security

Because each short link references a signed long URL:

  • Tamper-Proof: The signature check prevents malicious rewrites.
  • No Plain-Text Secrets: Sensitive query parameters stay hidden in the signed link, not the short code.

Should you encounter expired or invalid links, contact Altostrat Support.

Was this page helpful?