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Is it possible to cloak / or redirect an http:// link to a tel: link? (7)

09-29-2016 08:16 PM #1 sdblaze (Member)
Is it possible to cloak / or redirect an http:// link to a tel: link?

I would like to be able to take a link like this http://randomdomain.com/somethinggoeshere and have it redirect to a phone link like this: tel:8675309.

I know I can add the <a href="tel:8675309"> to a page I control and do this myself - but in certain ad systems they require an http:// link in order for it to be valid.

That way, I could have an ad that appears to be linked to the URL http://randomdomain.com/somethinggoeshere, but instead it redirects and opens the user's phone dialer and has 867-5309 pull up and ready for the user to hit send an initiate a call.

Is something like this possible?

09-30-2016 07:57 AM #2 johner911 (Member)

It is possible via meta refresh, but you should be carefull with this so you dont get banned

09-30-2016 04:31 PM #3 sdblaze (Member)

Thanks. Yeah, I don't know if it's worth messing with. I think there are probably some legit use cases if it's clear to the user that they are clicking to call - but in general I think it would be frowned upon.

09-30-2016 05:27 PM #4 wiifmdude ()

Quote Originally Posted by sdblaze View Post
Thanks. Yeah, I don't know if it's worth messing with. I think there are probably some legit use cases if it's clear to the user that they are clicking to call - but in general I think it would be frowned upon.
I would guess that some display traffic sources wouldn't have anything against it if the banner says "Click to call us now"...

What kind of traffic source did you want to try this with ?

09-30-2016 06:30 PM #5 sdblaze (Member)

Retargeted display ads are what I was initially thinking.

10-01-2016 09:16 AM #6 wiifmdude ()

Ask your source... Maybe it's OK if the CTA says "click to call". I wouldn't expect the major sources to be really happy with that but maybe more obscure ones will be ok.

10-01-2016 06:14 PM #7 sdblaze (Member)

For shits and giggles I made a little tool that allows you to create a URL that launches the phone dialer. This is a scrappy little prototype at best - but it does the job.

http://link2dial.com/

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