FAQs

Your short links don’t expire — there’s no time limit and no link cap. This is a tiny, inexpensive service to run, and Baobab Tech is committed to keeping it online for at least the next 5–10 years. If we ever had to wind it down, we’d give plenty of notice and a way to export your links first — they won’t just disappear.

No. The links you create — and the pages they point to — are never used to train any AI model. The only exception is when you explicitly tick “Contribute towards WASH AI’s knowledge”; in that case the resource you share is added to WASH AI’s curated, openly-attributed knowledge base, which you confirm you have the right to share. Leave the box unchecked to simply get a short link. See WASH AI’s privacy policy and terms.

Any link can be contributed — there are broadly two kinds. The first points to actual content we can read, like a web page or a PDF, which we extract and make searchable in WASH AI. The second is more of a reference or pointer — say a training session, an event, or an opportunity — where the link itself is the useful thing rather than a document to ingest. Both are welcome. We do, however, reserve the right not to include any given resource in WASH AI’s knowledge base. See how contributing works.

On servers located in the European Union 🇪🇺. We never sell your data and never share it with third parties.

Yes. You can sign out with one click, and signed-in users can remove any link they created from their dashboard. For links made while signed out, or to request a takedown, email support@washai.org.

No. The shortener is free and ad-free — there are no trackers selling your attention and no fees. It exists to make WASH resources easier to find and share, not to monetize you.

No — you can shorten links without signing in. Creating a free account lets you track clicks, create custom (vanity) links (e.g. wsh.link/2025-report), and manage everything from your dashboard. To keep things fair, anonymous use is limited to 10 links per minute per IP address; signed-in users get up to 1,000 links per day.

Yes, if your AI assistant supports MCP, as Claude does. wsh.link has an MCP server, so your AI can shorten links, list your links and their clicks, expand short links, and contribute resources to WASH AI. You need a free wsh.link account.To connect Claude:

1. In Claude, go to Customize → Connectors.
2. Click + Add, then Add custom connector.
3. Name it wsh.link and paste https://wsh.link/api/mcp as the URL. Keep the default settings and click Add.
4. Sign in to wsh.link and click Allow.
5. In a chat, click +, choose Connectors, and turn wsh.link on.

Free Claude plans allow one custom connector. On Team and Enterprise plans, an Owner adds it under Organization settings → Connectors, then each member clicks Connect. Claude’s connector guide has the details.Your AI can’t send files through the connector. It gives you a one-time page where you drop the file in your browser. It contributes to WASH AI only when you ask and confirm you have the right to share the resource.Other MCP clients that support OAuth use the same URL. In Claude Code, run claude mcp add --transport http wsh-link https://wsh.link/api/mcp, then /mcp to sign in.

If you use Chrome’s Enhanced protection, Chrome shows this message for any extension that isn’t yet on its trusted list. Google says it generally takes new developers a few months to reach that status. We’re new to the Chrome Web Store, so you may see it until then. The message doesn’t describe a problem found in this extension.The extension can read the address of the tab you’re on when you open it, and it can reach wsh.link. It sends that address only when you click Shorten. To continue, choose Continue to install. If you’d rather not, close the dialog and use wsh.link in your browser, which does the same job. Please keep Enhanced protection on.

You can shorten any link, but shortening it doesn’t make it yours. If a signed-in user claims a short link to a domain, resource, or document they don’t own, we may transfer that short link to the verified owner of the domain, resource, or document on request. Owners can also ask us to remove a link entirely — email support@washai.org.

Any link works, though it’s built for WASH references, reports, datasets, and resources. You can also drop in a file (PDF, DOCX, HTML…) and we’ll host it for free and hand you a short link.

WASH AI is an initiative building an open, well-cited knowledge base for the water, sanitation & hygiene (WASH) sector. This link shortener is one of its free tools, made by the WASH AI team — a quick way to share reports, datasets, and resources. Beyond shortening links, it can optionally feed the resources you choose to contribute into WASH AI’s knowledge base — so a link you share can also help others discover the same resource through WASH AI. That contribution is always opt-in. Learn more at washai.org.