A URL-shortening service offered by the Ministry of Digital Affairs (moda) is now available for a test run; it allows government agencies to transform long, hard-to-remember web addresses into concise URLs that aid the distribution of public information. Short URLs also help the public to identify government websites, and they reduce the risk of linking to scam or phishing sites.

According to moda, when government agencies try to promote public information, excessively long URLs often impede public access. Although private URL-shortening services are already available, they take different forms and use different names, which makes it difficult for the public to identify whether short URLs link to government websites.

Additionally, individuals with ulterior motives may take advantage of private URL-shortening services to hide illegal websites and scams, or obtain citizens’ personal information by pretending to be governmental websites.

Chief Engineer Chen Chen-Yu (of the Soil and Water Conservation Bureau, Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan) suggested on social media that moda should develop a URL-shortening service for government use only. He wrote that when he saw short URLs generated by private services on official paperwork or messages, he found it “weird” and risky. The moda Minister Audrey Tang thought this was a great suggestion, and instructed the moda staff members to immediately begin developing such a service.

The official URL-shortening service developed by the Department of Digital Service uses open-source code and free software. After shortening, all URLs begin with https://gov.tw/, which makes it easier for the public to identify and remember government agency websites.

The official URL-shortening service is now being tested by moda and a few other government departments, and has received positive feedback. In particular, the Central Epidemic Command Center has been using short URLs for important anti-pandemic information, sending them to the public via the Centers for Disease Control app. During a single week between October 14 and 20, approximately 100 URLs were registered, and the shortening function was used approximately 170,000 times.

The moda will gradually make the official URL-shortening service available to more government agencies, and will continue to make adjustments according to user feedback. Agencies that need the service may contact moda to obtain the source code of the short URL system, and can use it in fields including education and state-owned enterprises, to enhance service efficiency.

When using the official-use-only URL-shortening service developed by moda, government staff members should enter the government website’s original URL and, after verifying their official email address, the URL will be shortened to one with three letters. The service also allows for reverse searching: after entering the last three letters of the short URL, the user can access the original URL’s information.

The official URL-shortening service is a simple way for the public to identify government websites. Any URL beginning with https://gov.tw/ is a government-use-only short URL, equivalent to URLs ending in gov.tw; this also indicates that the websites are governmental and are safe for the public to access.