YouTube is the most popular online video-sharing and social media platform, launched in 2005. This Google-owned company is the second most visited website after Google search.
Its official domain name is “YouTube.com,” but you may have seen “YouTu.be” while sharing a video or somewhere else, and you might doubt if the link is suspicious or safe.
So, what is Youtu.be? And what’s the difference between YouTube and YouTu.be URLs? We’ll find out that in this article.
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What is Youtu.be?
Youtu.be is nothing but a shortened URL from YouTube itself. It’ll take you to that particular YouTube video using the link.
When you share any video from the app, the link automatically turns to “youtu.be” and does the same thing that “.com” would.
This is a Belgium-country-based domain that YouTube acquired in 2009, and that’s an appreciable move by the company.
Benefits of Youtu.be URL
There should be some benefits as YouTube takes this domain, and knowing about them will help you get a clear idea about it.
The first benefit of taking this country domain is that it is pronounced the same way as “YouTube,” so users can easily remember it.
If YouTube didn’t take this domain, other people might have bought it and could manipulate other users from visiting the official site.
When YouTube registered this country-level domain, the wave of link shorteners went on, and the companies like Facebook also registered their own “fb.me.” At the same time, “bit.ly” was also launched in 2018. So, YouTube might have thought about getting its link shortener, so they acquired this one.
Other social media platforms like Twitter have a character limit, so reducing the URL also helped them reduce 15 characters. So, people could share any YouTube video link on those platforms without restrictions.
Difference Between YouTube.com and YouTu.be URLs
Both domains YouTube.com and YouTu.be takes you to the same page, and there are a few differences between them. But, a few things make these two differ from each other.
“YouTube.com” is a top-level domain, whereas “YouTu.be” is a country-based domain. The latter specifies that the domain is the top-level domain of Belgium.
“YouTube.com” was registered in 2005, and back then, it used to show the same domain name while sharing a video. Later in 2006, Google bought YouTube, and when the link shortener wave came in 2009, it also registered the “YouTu.be” domain.
More significantly, “YouTube.com” is a platform where users worldwide share videos, and “YouTu.be” is just the shortened URL that takes you to the same landing page.
Although the “.be” is a ccTLD, Google bought it for global commercial purposes and also not to keep any loophole to let the users confuse the domain.
If we talk more precisely, the link you see on the YouTube search bar is like this- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBjE4moVhmk, and when you share with others, it automatically changes to https://youtu.be/lBjE4moVhmk. The “lBjE4moVhmk” part in the link is the video ID, and in both cases, you land on the same page. In the same way, you can add “watch?v=” before the video ID to share the link with the “YouTube.com” domain. But the shareable link is shorter than the regular one and helps you share on every place easily.
You may have noticed that some TV-related websites have a “.tv” extension, but that doesn’t really mean television. It’s a ccTLD of Tuvalu, and as it indicates TV, companies like to use it. Similarly, in “YouTu.be,” “.be” doesn’t specify YouTube and originates from Belgium.
Are Youtu.be links safe?
Many people don’t know about youtu.be considered a scam, but it’s an officially registered domain.
This URL is shortened and also pronounced as YouTube. So, it has done great work by shortening and making it look brand. You can also visit the webpage quickly.
Indeed the youtu.be links are safe, and you shouldn’t worry about that. Also, check out What is Gelbooru? Everything You Need to Know About
FAQs
Do youtube URLs expire?
No, youtube URLs never expire. If the video owner deletes it, the link will take you to the video and say it’s deleted.
How to get youtu.be links?
Youtube automatically generates the URL once you click the share button of a video and send it to others. Also, check out Free YouTube Premium Accounts 2023: Email & Passwords
What to do if you receive youtu.be virus text message?
Youtu.be is an official domain of the company, but in case you receive it through a text message, then any company might be promoting their content, and you shouldn’t worry about that.
Conclusion
So, Youtu.be the shortened URL of Youtube.com. Hopefully, you got to know What is Youtu.be and how it is different from YouTube. If you still have any queries, feel free to drop in the comments below.
