A URL scanner is a cybersecurity tool that analyzes specific internet addresses (URLs) to ensure they’re free from malicious or harmful content. Often found within anti-virus software, these tools can scan files on a computer and prevent malware from accessing a system, or help users avoid phishing scams and other types of malicious links that appear deceivingly legitimate.

URL scanning is a critical component of an organization’s cybersecurity posture. By proactively blocking malicious URLs before they reach the user, a URL scanner can greatly mitigate the threat and protect the organization’s systems and data.

URL Scanner Essentials: Safeguarding Your Online Environment

The Cloudflare dashboard has a new and improved URL scanner, which can be accessed directly from the Investigate Portal or via the API. This feature allows you to map your attack surface and identify potential threats with a single click. You can also view historical scans and their results to further refine your risk assessment.

Using our advanced machine learning and proprietary IPQS threat intelligence, we detect malicious links and check the integrity of URLs with more accuracy than similar website safety checker services. Our scanning technology combines blacklists with deep learning, allowing for more accurate malware detection, phishing inspection, and parked domain detection. It can even be used to identify trackers embedded on websites and iframes in emails.