cat.moe Terms of Service

Effective: September 6, 2026 · Version: 2026-09-06

한국어 · Privacy Policy

1. Purpose and operator

These terms describe the conditions for using cat.moe's URL shortening and link management service and the rights and responsibilities of its operator and users.

2. Definitions

1. A “user” is a person using the service, with or without an account.
2. A “member” is a user who registers with an email address and completes the required verification.
3. A “short link” is an address in the form https://cat.moe/slug that points to a destination supplied by a user.
4. A “destination URL” is the address of an external webpage or resource associated with a short link.
5. A “link owner” is the member account recognized by the service as authorized to manage that link. Knowing a public short link does not grant management rights.

3. Access to these terms and changes

1. We publish these terms so you can read and save them, and explain material conditions before you enter into an agreement with us.
2. Changes will state what is changing, why and when. We provide at least seven days' notice, or at least 30 days for changes that disadvantage users or materially affect their rights or obligations. For material changes, we also notify members through an available individual channel, such as their registered email. More demanding legal requirements take precedence.
3. You may ask about, decline or terminate your use in response to a change. Silence alone is not treated as acceptance of every change. We obtain separate agreement where required.
4. Changes will not retroactively disadvantage rights that have already arisen. Separately agreed terms apply only to the extent permitted by mandatory law.

4. Agreement and registration

1. An agreement forms when you apply to use the service on the presented terms and we accept your application. Before submitting registration or link creation, you can read the notice beside the button and the linked terms. That notice explains that submitting indicates agreement. We do not deem previous use to be retroactive acceptance.
2. Registration requires an accessible email address, a display name and a password. Your display name may be a nickname. You must be authorized to use the email address and complete verification.
3. We may reject or request clarification of applications that misuse another person's information, attack registration or evade a justified restriction. If a service problem prevents processing, we may postpone the application and explain the reason.
4. Registration and anonymous link creation are available only to people aged 14 or older. You must confirm that you meet this requirement when applying. We do not routinely collect dates of birth or identity documents. Any legally required representative's consent and cancellation rights for minors remain applicable, including for minors aged 14 or older.
5. We do not offer registration or link creation for children under 14 through a parental consent procedure. This age restriction does not remove our obligations concerning children who visit short links.

5. Service and limits

1. The service offers URL shortening, redirects, member link management and click analytics. Authentication currently uses email and password. Social login is not available.
2. You can create links without an account. Links created in the same browser session can be listed temporarily; this does not provide an account dashboard or persistent account analytics.
3. Members can list and search their links, change supported settings, disable or re-enable links, and delete links. Users cannot re-enable links blocked by the operator.
4. Custom aliases, expiration dates, password protection and other additional features require the relevant account permissions. Unlimited link creation permissions do not remove security rate limits.
5. We explain limits and feature conditions in the interface or help material. Material changes to normal use receive advance notice consistent with section 3. During an ongoing attack or similar urgent event, we may take necessary action first and give notice afterward.
6. The service currently has no payment functionality and does not charge fees. If paid features are introduced, we will explain pricing, payment, cancellation and refunds beforehand and will not charge you without a separate application.

6. How short links work

1. Anyone who knows an unprotected short link can open it. A random slug does not guarantee secrecy or access control. Do not shorten URLs containing confidential authentication tokens, passwords or personal identifiers.
2. Link password protection restricts access through that feature. It does not change the destination website's access permissions or prevent direct access by someone who already knows the destination.
3. Multiple independent links can point to the same destination. A recent-duplicate recommendation lets you decide whether to create another link.
4. An alias availability indication does not reserve the alias. Allocation depends on final registration. Reserved and already allocated aliases cannot be claimed. An alias does not confer trademark rights or other exclusive rights to that text.
5. Deleted links stop working, and their short addresses are currently not reissued to other users. Link deletion and erasure of personal information are distinct; the Privacy Policy and applicable law govern erasure.
6. Analytics can be affected by processing delays, automated visits and browser settings. Unique visitor counts are estimates, not exact identities or a guarantee that every visit is counted.

7. Acceptable use

Respect applicable law and other people's rights. You must not:

1. Use the service for phishing, malware, fraud, unlawful spam or distribution of unlawful material.
2. Disclose personal or authentication information without authority, or infringe copyright, trademarks, reputation, privacy or other rights.
3. Attempt to manage accounts or links without authorization, or exploit vulnerabilities to obtain, alter or destroy data.
4. Misuse accounts, addresses or automation to evade quotas, rate limits or blocks.
5. Place excessive load on the service or interfere with other users' normal use.
6. Impersonate the operator or another person, or repeatedly submit false reports to harm others.
7. Use click analytics to identify visitors, combine them with other data to track people, or retain or redistribute personal visit details beyond the service's 90-day window without a separate lawful basis.

Report security problems to admin@cat.moe. Do not unnecessarily access, collect or disclose other people's personal information while reporting.

8. Account security and privacy

1. Keep your password and authentication methods secure. If you suspect account misuse, change your password and contact us. We do not automatically attribute every action on your account to your fault; responsibility depends on the facts and applicable law.
2. We process personal information to provide the service. The separate Privacy Policy explains purposes, categories, retention and your rights.
3. Agreeing to these terms is not blanket consent to all collection, use, disclosure or overseas transfer of personal information. Where the law requires separate consent, it must be obtained separately.

9. Reports, restrictions and appeals

1. Report harmful links or infringements through the report page or admin@cat.moe. Include only necessary information and redact unrelated personal details.
2. Based on concrete violations, credible reports, lawful official requests or verified security risks, we may disable or block links, restrict creation, suspend accounts or terminate agreements. Scope and duration depend on the violation, repetition, harm and urgency.
3. Blocking a destination URL or domain may also block existing links pointing to it. Removing the destination rule does not automatically restore links previously blocked.
4. We ordinarily explain the reason and appeal process through an available contact channel and provide an opportunity to respond. We may act first where needed to prevent further harm, comply with notification restrictions or address an urgent security risk.
5. To request review, email your short address, account email and reasons to admin@cat.moe. We review the request, explain the outcome and correct mistaken restrictions. Do not send passwords or authentication tokens.

10. Changes, interruptions and closure

1. We make reasonable efforts to maintain reliable redirects and service security. We announce planned maintenance and significant feature changes with their expected timing and impact.
2. If an outage, disaster, network problem or security incident interrupts service, we work toward recovery and communicate the information available. An interruption does not automatically release us from liability.
3. If we close the service, we ordinarily give at least 30 days' notice explaining the date, effects on links, how users can retain their destination information and how personal information will be handled. If advance notice is unavoidably impracticable, we explain the reason and follow-up measures without delay.
4. We do not separately promise perpetual links or a particular uptime percentage. This does not exclude our legal obligations.

11. Ending use and deleting your account

1. You may stop using the service at any time. Members can delete their account at My links → Account by confirming their current password and intention. If you cannot use this function, contact admin@cat.moe; we use the minimum information needed to verify the request. The last active administrator must appoint another active administrator before withdrawing to avoid leaving the service unmanaged.
2. Account withdrawal terminates every short link owned by the account and revokes sessions and management access. Previously shared short addresses stop redirecting. Save any destination information you still need before withdrawing. Terminated addresses are not reissued. Personal information is erased or retained separately where there is a lawful reason, as described in the Privacy Policy.
3. People without accounts may also request access, correction or erasure of information about them. A public short address alone does not authorize management of someone else's link; we examine available verification and applicable rights.
4. Withdrawal or service closure does not extinguish rights arising from our breach or fault.

12. Intellectual property and external websites

1. Rights in the service's code, design, characters and other material belong to the operator or their respective rightsholders. Rights in destination websites and user-supplied material stay with their owners and are not transferred merely by using the service.
2. We process URLs and settings as necessary for requested link creation, redirects, management, security response and the disclosed analytics.
3. Destination websites are controlled by their own operators and may apply their own terms and privacy practices. Issuing a short link does not certify the destination's legality, safety or accuracy.
4. We review specific reports of infringement or harmful destinations and take action under applicable law.

13. Liability and disputes

1. If either the operator or a user causes damage through their fault, liability is determined by applicable law.
2. We do not exclude liability for intentional wrongdoing or gross negligence, unreasonably restrict compensation, or unfairly shift our risks to users. Providing the service without charge does not remove all liability.
3. These terms are interpreted under the laws of the Republic of Korea, without excluding mandatory protections applicable to international users.
4. You can discuss a dispute with us at admin@cat.moe. Discussion or mediation is not a prerequisite to legal proceedings or exercising statutory rights. Jurisdiction follows applicable procedural law; we do not require exclusive proceedings at the operator's local court.
5. If a provision is invalid, the remaining provisions apply as permitted by law. Matters not addressed here follow applicable law and good faith.

Effective date and languages

These terms apply from September 6, 2026. The Korean and English versions describe the same policy. Differences are interpreted consistently with Korean law and applicable mandatory user protections; translation differences do not reduce statutory rights.