# Social media policies & risks
Reminder: Social platforms enforce their own rules independently of OnLynk. Our tools reduce friction and risk — they cannot guarantee approval.
## Overview When you share an `onlynk.me` link on social media, **that platform's** terms of service, community guidelines, and automated enforcement apply. A violation can lead to **content removal**, **reduced reach**, or **account suspension** — independent of anything OnLynk does. You are responsible for: - The **destination** behind your links - The **accuracy and legality** of what you promote - Staying current with each platform's **policies** (they change frequently) OnLynk **cannot** be held responsible for enforcement actions taken by third-party platforms. ## How OnLynk reduces (but doesn't eliminate) risk | OnLynk feature | How it helps | |---|---| | **Landing page** | Automated scrapers see your branded `onlynk.me` page, not the destination directly | | **Link cloaking** | Hides the destination URL from the visible link, reducing automated classification | | **AI Shield** | Serves bot-appropriate content to platform crawlers, human content to real visitors | | **Geo-restrictions** | Restricts visibility by region if your content is only compliant in certain markets | None of these are guarantees — they are risk-reduction tools. --- ## Platform-by-platform policies ### Instagram Instagram's **Community Guidelines** and **Terms of Use** restrict categories including: adult content, misleading promotions, counterfeit goods, gambling, regulated substances, and financial scams. - Automated link-scanning bans sensitive domains - DM link sharing is monitored for spam patterns - Stories and bio links are scanned independently → [Instagram Community Guidelines](https://help.instagram.com/477434105621119/) → [Instagram Terms of Use](https://help.instagram.com/581066165581870) ### TikTok TikTok restricts links in bios to approved categories and blocks many affiliate and adult-adjacent networks entirely. - Bio links are reviewed more strictly than content links - TikTok's in-app browser scans link destinations - Shortened or cloaked URLs do not always bypass their detection → [TikTok Community Guidelines](https://www.tiktok.com/community-guidelines) → [TikTok Terms of Service](https://www.tiktok.com/legal/terms-of-service) ### X (Twitter) X enforces policies on spam, sensitive content, and misleading promotions. Links may be flagged or blocked at the platform level, making them unclickable even if your account isn't suspended. - Automated "link blacklisting" happens at the platform level - High-velocity link sharing (same URL, many posts) increases risk - Protected links (behind a redirect) are not immune to classification → [The X Rules](https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/twitter-rules) → [X Terms of Service](https://twitter.com/en/tos) ### Facebook / Meta Facebook applies its most aggressive link scanning of all major platforms. Links to affiliate products, health supplements, financial services, and similar categories are frequently restricted. - Facebook's "Link Quality" system assigns trust scores to domains - New or low-traffic domains are treated with more suspicion - Posting the same link in multiple groups or pages in a short time triggers spam detection → [Facebook Community Standards](https://transparency.fb.com/policies/community-standards/) → [Facebook Terms of Service](https://www.facebook.com/terms.php) ### Threads Threads (by Meta) shares its enforcement infrastructure with Instagram. The same destination restrictions apply, and enforcement may be more aggressive on newer accounts. → [Threads Supplemental Privacy Policy](https://help.instagram.com/515230437301944) ### LinkedIn LinkedIn restricts promotional and affiliate links especially in messages and comments. B2B and professional services are generally fine; consumer affiliate and adult content are not. - InMail link sharing is monitored for spam - Posts with high-engagement links in unusual patterns may be downranked → [LinkedIn User Agreement](https://www.linkedin.com/legal/user-agreement) → [LinkedIn Professional Community Policies](https://www.linkedin.com/legal/professional-community-policies) ### YouTube YouTube descriptions and community posts allow external links, but links to certain categories (adult, gambling, regulated substances) are restricted. - Links in video descriptions are generally permissive for safe destinations - Community post links are reviewed more carefully - YouTube's in-app browser is used when links are opened from the app on mobile → [YouTube Community Guidelines](https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks/policies/community-guidelines/) → [YouTube Terms of Service](https://www.youtube.com/t/terms) --- ## Best practices to reduce risk 1. **Use a landing page for sensitive destinations** — never direct-link to affiliate, adult, or regulated destinations 2. **Avoid link velocity spikes** — posting the same OnLynk URL across 50 groups in one hour is a spam signal 3. **Use link cloaking** — hides the destination from automated pre-fetch 4. **Keep your domain reputation clean** — if your custom domain gets flagged on one platform, it affects all platforms 5. **Monitor your reach** — a sudden drop in post visibility (without reduced content quality) often signals a link restriction 6. **Diversify destinations** — don't put all traffic through a single direct-link URL across all platforms simultaneously 7. **Check compliance before posting** — verify your destination is allowed under [OnLynk's acceptable use policy](https://docs.onlynk.me/legal/) **and** each platform's policy --- ## Related - **[Compliance & acceptable use](https://docs.onlynk.me/legal/)** — Categories of destinations prohibited on OnLynk itself - **[Direct link](https://docs.onlynk.me/features/direct-link/)** — When to use a landing page vs a direct redirect - **[AI Shield](https://docs.onlynk.me/features/ai-shield/)** — Bot and crawler handling - **[Link cloaking](https://docs.onlynk.me/glossary/)** — How cloaking works