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Redirect Trace includes special handling for long URLs (500+ characters) to ensure reliable tracing without input field limitations.

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Why clipboard detection for long URLs?

URLs with 500 or more characters can cause issues when pasted directly into search fields:
  • Input field limitations - Some UI frameworks truncate long inputs
  • Performance issues - Real-time tracing on input change can be slower with very long URLs
  • Display problems - Extremely long URLs are difficult to verify in a search bar
  • Clipboard reliability - Reading from clipboard is more reliable than form inputs for large strings
The 500-character threshold was chosen to balance convenience (most URLs work in the search bar) with reliability (very long URLs use clipboard detection).

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How clipboard detection works

1

Automatic detection

When you open Redirect Trace, the extension automatically checks your clipboard for long URLs.
  • Extension reads clipboard content on launch
  • Checks if content is a URL (starts with http:// or https://)
  • Checks if URL length exceeds 500 characters
  • Displays detection notification if conditions are met
The notification shows the URL length in kilobytes (e.g., “0.8k characters”) to help you gauge the URL size.
2

Clipboard URL section

When a long URL is detected, a dedicated section appears at the top of the list.The clipboard section displays:
  • Character count - Total number of characters
  • URL preview - First 100 characters of the URL
  • Size indicator - Character count in kilobytes
  • Trace action - Button to start tracing
Example display:
📋 Paste Long URL From Clipboard
800 characters - https://example.com/very-long-url...
0.8k chars
3

Manual clipboard check

If automatic detection doesn’t trigger, you can manually check your clipboard.
  1. Copy your long URL
  2. Open Redirect Trace
  3. Navigate to “For Very Long URLs” item in the “How to Use” section
  4. Press ⌘V or select “Check Clipboard for Long URLs”
Manual checking is useful if you copied the URL after opening the extension, or if automatic detection failed.
4

Trace the URL

Once detected, trace the long URL with a single action.
  1. Press Enter on “Trace This URL” item
  2. Or press ⌘V to check clipboard and trace automatically
  3. Wait for tracing to complete (may take a few seconds for very long URLs)
  4. View results in the summary and redirect chain sections
Long URLs may take slightly longer to process. You’ll see an animated toast notification showing progress.

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Working with very long URLs

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Character count thresholds

Redirect Trace displays character counts differently based on URL length:
LengthDisplay FormatExample
< 100 charsExact count87 chars
100-999 charsExact count650 chars
1000+ charsKilobytes1.2k chars

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Performance considerations

When tracing very long URLs:
  • Processing time - URLs over 500 characters show a “Processing Long URL” toast
  • Network timeouts - Longer URLs may trigger timeout settings faster
  • Memory usage - Very long redirect chains with long URLs consume more memory
You can adjust timeout settings in Raycast preferences if long URLs consistently time out.

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Common scenarios for long URLs

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Marketing campaign URLs

Email marketing tools often generate extremely long URLs with extensive tracking parameters: 
https://example.com/landing?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=summer_2024&utm_content=cta_button_1&subscriber_id=abc123def456&email_id=campaign_789&tracking_token=veryLongRandomString123456789...
Solution: Use clipboard detection to trace these URLs and copy the clean URL without tracking parameters.

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Encoded redirect URLs

Some services encode entire URLs as parameters, creating very long redirect chains: 
https://redirect.example.com?url=https%3A%2F%2Fanother-site.com%2Fpath%3Fparam1%3Dvalue1%26param2%3Dvalue2%26param3%3Dvalue3...
Solution: Clipboard detection handles these URLs reliably, showing you the decoded chain at each step.

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Social media share URLs

Social media platforms add tracking and metadata to shared links: 
https://facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Foriginal-site.com%2Farticle&h=AT0a1b2c3d4e5f...&s=1&enc=...&additional_params...
Solution: Copy the social media URL and use clipboard detection to trace to the original destination.

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Keyboard shortcuts for clipboard URLs

When working with clipboard-detected URLs:
ShortcutAction
⌘VCheck clipboard manually
⌘CCopy full clipboard URL
⌘XClear clipboard detection
EnterTrace the detected URL
After tracing a long URL, use ⌘⇧L to copy the clean version without tracking parameters, which is often much shorter.

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Troubleshooting clipboard detection

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Clipboard not detected automatically

Possible causes:
  • URL is under 500 characters (use search bar instead)
  • Clipboard doesn’t contain a valid HTTP/HTTPS URL
  • Extension opened before URL was copied
Solution: Use manual clipboard check with ⌘V after copying the URL.

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Clipboard cleared unexpectedly

Possible causes:
  • Another app modified clipboard
  • System clipboard history interfered
Solution: Copy the URL again and use manual clipboard check.

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URL too long error

Possible causes:
  • URL exceeds system clipboard limits (very rare)
  • URL contains invalid characters causing parsing issues
Solution: Try shortening the URL by removing obvious tracking parameters manually first, then trace the cleaner version.

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Best practices

Copy before opening

Copy your long URL to clipboard before opening Redirect Trace for automatic detection

Verify preview

Check the URL preview in the clipboard section to ensure you’re tracing the right URL

Save clean URLs

After tracing, copy the clean URL to replace the long original in your notes or bookmarks

Manual check available

Remember ⌘V for manual clipboard check if automatic detection doesn’t trigger

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