An address is several parts, not one word
When you check a source, split the address into its parts and read each one. A domain that looks right can still point somewhere you did not expect.
- Domain — the core registered name.
- Subdomain — the part before the domain, when present.
- Path — the part after the domain that names a specific page.
- Redirect target — where the link actually lands after any jump.
Spelling similarity is not a relationship
Two addresses that differ by one character, by a hyphen, by an abbreviation, or by an added word are not the same source because they look alike. A close spelling is a reason to read more carefully — not a reason to merge the two into one.
The address is read letter by letter. A near match is a near miss until the actual destination confirms it.
Read the redirect, not the shortcut
A link can pass through a shortener, a tracking page, or a redirect before it lands. The final destination is the page you end on. Record it separately from the link you started with, because the two can differ.
A worked reading
- Domain: read the registered name exactly.
- Subdomain and path: note what they add about where the page lives.
- Redirect: after following, record the address you actually landed on.
- Compare: if the start and the end differ, mark the relationship unknown rather than assuming.
Identity-reading example — not ownership proof, verification, or a saved lookup.
Continue your review
See how the four markers fit together in the identity check guide, and learn where to stop in the same-name boundary guide.