U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Government Website

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Safely connect using HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

About go.DHS.gov Short URLs

go.DHS.gov is a URL shortener for DHS employees and contractors. It takes a long URL, like https://www.dhs.gov/employee-resources/transportation-benefits, and turns it into a short URL like https://go.dhs.gov/ZZN.

go.DHS.gov only shortens government URLs- that is: .gov, .mil, .fed.us, .si.edu, and state.xx.us URLs.

The service is open to badged DHS employees and contractors with access to the DHS network.  If you are a badged DHS employee or contractor, you should be automatically logged into the system if you’re connected through the DHS network.  If you are unable to login, please contact us.

Help

Please email us at wcmaas@hq.dhs.gov.

About go.DHS.gov Short URLs

go.DHS.gov Short URLs Never Expire

Short links created by go.DHS.gov will always redirect to their assigned URL.

go.DHS.gov Short URLs Can’t Be Deleted

go.DHS.gov links are permanent by design. They cannot be modified or deleted. This is to ensure they always redirect to their assigned URL.

If you create a go.DHS.gov link you no longer need or want, just ignore it. You can also use the notes feature to add a note so you remember which links are not in use or needed.

Character Limit for Long URLs Shortened By go.DHS.gov

Currently, URLs must be 1,024 characters or less to shorten correctly.

Using Short URLs in Print Publications

We strongly recommend only using shortened URLs in situations when the URL is clickable. Experience has shown us that people have trouble when they see a shortened URL in a print publication and then try to type the URL in the address bar of their browser. They may only type "go.DHS.gov" or make a typographical error that will send them to the go.DHS.gov home page and make them (understandably) frustrated and confused because they can’t find what they came for.

Short URL Analytics

Frequency of Analytics

The "Recently Shortened Links" analytics found on the home page are updated within minutes of shortening a URL. The analytics on the URLs you’ve shortened are updated constantly.

Download Your Analytics

You can download a CSV file of the click counts for all of your shortened URLs by logging in to your account. Look for the link to export to CSV under "Your Links."

Custom Short URLs

Creating Custom go.DHS.gov Short URLs

You cannot create custom go.DHS.gov URLs, such as go.DHS.gov/wildfires.

Domain and Exceptions

Domain Exceptions

go.DHS.gov automatically shortens .gov, .mil, .si.edu, .fed.us, and .state.xx.us URLs. We will make exceptions for domains that provide official information from the government and meet these criteria:

  • .org and .com - must be operated by federal, state, or local governments, such as sfgov.org and www.oakgov.com.
  • .edu - must be operated by the federal government (or by federal statute for quasi-government institutions), such as nps.edu or si.edu.

We will NOT make exceptions for

  • Domains that are not wholly owned by federal, state, or local governments, such as youtube.com/dhsgov.
  • Domains and subdomains that may not contain entirely government information, such as state university websites.
  • Domains that serve a commercial purpose, such as tourism sites.

Please contact us if you would like go.DHS.gov to shorten a URL that meets these requirements.

Policies

What You Can Expect

go.DHS.gov is available "as is." We strive to keep the service stable and reliable, but can’t guarantee 100% availability. If you shorten a URL using go.DHS.gov and the original URL changes, go.DHS.gov can’t guarantee that our link will redirect to the correct location. However, we definitely want to know if you encounter a problem or issue with go.DHS.gov. Please contact us if you experience problems or have suggestions for improving go.DHS.gov.

Disclaimer of Endorsement

The shortened URL in the go.DHS.gov database website includes hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public organizations. DHS.gov provides these links and pointers solely for our citizen information and convenience. When clicking on a shortened URL, users are selecting a link to a non DHS.gov website; they are leaving the DHS.gov site and are subject to the privacy and security policies of that government website.

  • The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), DHS.gov, and go.DHS.gov do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of information contained on a linked website.
  • DHS, DHS.gov, and go.DHS.gov do not endorse the organizations sponsoring linked websites and we do not endorse the views they express or the products/services they offer.
  • DHS, DHS.gov, and go.DHS.gov are not responsible for transmissions users receive from linked government websites.
  • DHS, DHS.gov, and go.DHS.gov do not guarantee that other government websites comply with Section 508 (accessibility requirements) of the Rehabilitation Act.

Other Policies

go.DHS.gov follows the other overarching policies of DHS.gov, including policies for accessibility, Freedom of Information Act, information quality, intellectual property, internet security., and privacy.  Additional information can be found on the DHS.gov Terms of Use page.