# Link’s href is cut off after 500 characters
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/link-s-href-is-cut-off-after-500-characters/44658
**Category:** Feature
**Created:** [May 23, 2016, 7:53am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/link-s-href-is-cut-off-after-500-characters/44658 "2016-05-23T07:53:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@jesus2099](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jesus2099)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2016, 7:53am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/link-s-href-is-cut-off-after-500-characters/44658/1 "2016-05-23T07:53:01Z")
I have [a big 1400 character long link here](https://musicbrainz.org/search/edits?negation=0&combinator=or&conditions.3.field=id&conditions.3.operator=%3D&conditions.3.args.0=38846344&conditions.4.field=id&conditions.4.operator=%3D&conditions.4.args.0=38846371&conditions.5.field=id&conditions.5.operator=%3D&conditions.5.args.0=38846374&conditions.6.field=id&conditions.6.operator=%3D&conditions.6.args.0=38846554&conditions.7.field=id&conditions.7.operator=%3D&conditions.7.args.0=38843739&conditions.8.field=id&conditions.8.operator=%3D&conditions.8.args.0=38846557&conditions.9.field=id&conditions.9.operator=%3D&conditions.9.args.0=38846753&conditions.10.field=id&conditions.10.operator=%3D&conditions.10.args.0=38846877&conditions.11.field=id&conditions.11.operator=%3D&conditions.11.args.0=38846956&conditions.12.field=id&conditions.12.operator=%3D&conditions.12.args.0=38847027&conditions.13.field=id&conditions.13.operator=%3D&conditions.13.args.0=38847058&conditions.14.field=id&conditions.14.operator=%3D&conditions.14.args.0=38847098&conditions.15.field=id&conditions.15.operator=%3D&conditions.15.args.0=38847118&conditions.16.field=id&conditions.16.operator=%3D&conditions.16.args.0=38847136&conditions.17.field=id&conditions.17.operator=%3D&conditions.17.args.0=38847141&conditions.18.field=id&conditions.18.operator=%3D&conditions.18.args.0=38847192&conditions.19.field=id&conditions.19.operator=%3D&conditions.19.args.0=38847259).
If I inspect the document, it’s saved OK in Discourse.
If I right click copy HREF then open new tab paste it and Enter it works OK too.
But if I click it, the HREF URL will get trimmed after 500 characters and I will see an error page…
It must has to do with the click tracker.
※ I’m on Windows, I have tested Opera 12, Firefox, Chromium, IE11.
---
### Author:  [@Mittineague](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Mittineague)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2016, 7:56am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/link-s-href-is-cut-off-after-500-characters/44658/2 "2016-05-23T07:56:54Z")
You could have picked a better time no?
> MB will remain in read-only mode for another 8-12 hours while the team gets some rest. Sorry!
> The server is temporarily in read-only mode for database maintenance.
---
### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2016, 8:00am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/link-s-href-is-cut-off-after-500-characters/44658/3 "2016-05-23T08:00:27Z")
I suggest using a link shortener like [http://goo.gl](http://goo.gl) if you need to post URLs that large.
---
### Author:  [@jesus2099](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jesus2099)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2016, 8:00am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/link-s-href-is-cut-off-after-500-characters/44658/4 "2016-05-23T08:00:40Z")
Sorry I didn“t have any other long URL handy than the one [where I spotted the bug on](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/david-bowie-s-1984-dodo/55373?u=jesus2099)…
1. Right click copy [the long link](https://musicbrainz.org/search/edits?negation=0&combinator=or&conditions.3.field=id&conditions.3.operator=%3D&conditions.3.args.0=38846344&conditions.4.field=id&conditions.4.operator=%3D&conditions.4.args.0=38846371&conditions.5.field=id&conditions.5.operator=%3D&conditions.5.args.0=38846374&conditions.6.field=id&conditions.6.operator=%3D&conditions.6.args.0=38846554&conditions.7.field=id&conditions.7.operator=%3D&conditions.7.args.0=38843739&conditions.8.field=id&conditions.8.operator=%3D&conditions.8.args.0=38846557&conditions.9.field=id&conditions.9.operator=%3D&conditions.9.args.0=38846753&conditions.10.field=id&conditions.10.operator=%3D&conditions.10.args.0=38846877&conditions.11.field=id&conditions.11.operator=%3D&conditions.11.args.0=38846956&conditions.12.field=id&conditions.12.operator=%3D&conditions.12.args.0=38847027&conditions.13.field=id&conditions.13.operator=%3D&conditions.13.args.0=38847058&conditions.14.field=id&conditions.14.operator=%3D&conditions.14.args.0=38847098&conditions.15.field=id&conditions.15.operator=%3D&conditions.15.args.0=38847118&conditions.16.field=id&conditions.16.operator=%3D&conditions.16.args.0=38847136&conditions.17.field=id&conditions.17.operator=%3D&conditions.17.args.0=38847141&conditions.18.field=id&conditions.18.operator=%3D&conditions.18.args.0=38847192&conditions.19.field=id&conditions.19.operator=%3D&conditions.19.args.0=38847259), paste in a notepad, check the length → 1400 characters.
2. Click the long link, then whatever the page display, copy the URL from the address bar and paste it in the same notepad and check its length → 500 characters.
---
### Author:  [@zogstrip](https://meta.discourse.org/u/zogstrip)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2016, 8:03am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/link-s-href-is-cut-off-after-500-characters/44658/5 "2016-05-23T08:03:22Z")
I think that says it all ⬇ 😉
>
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### Author:  [@Mittineague](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Mittineague)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2016, 8:05am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/link-s-href-is-cut-off-after-500-characters/44658/6 "2016-05-23T08:05:16Z")
Thanks
I see what you mean.
```plaintext
https://musicbrainz.org/search/edits?negation=0&combinator=or&conditions.3.field=id&conditions.3.operator=%3D&conditions.3.args.0=38846344&conditions.4.field=id&conditions.4.operator=%3D&conditions.4.args.0=38846371&conditions.5.field=id&conditions.5.operator=%3D&conditions.5.args.0=38846374&conditions.6.field=id&conditions.6.operator=%3D&conditions.6.args.0=38846554&conditions.7.field=id&conditions.7.operator=%3D&conditions.7.args.0=38843739&conditions.8.field=id&conditions.8.operator=%3D&conditions.8.args.0=38846557&conditions.9.field=id&conditions.9.operator=%3D&conditions.9.args.0=38846753&conditions.10.field=id&conditions.10.operator=%3D&conditions.10.args.0=38846877&conditions.11.field=id&conditions.11.operator=%3D&conditions.11.args.0=38846956&conditions.12.field=id&conditions.12.operator=%3D&conditions.12.args.0=38847027&conditions.13.field=id&conditions.13.operator=%3D&conditions.13.args.0=38847058&conditions.14.field=id&conditions.14.operator=%3D&conditions.14.args.0=38847098&conditions.15.field=id&conditions.15.operator=%3D&conditions.15.args.0=38847118&conditions.16.field=id&conditions.16.operator=%3D&conditions.16.args.0=38847136&conditions.17.field=id&conditions.17.operator=%3D&conditions.17.args.0=38847141&conditions.18.field=id&conditions.18.operator=%3D&conditions.18.args.0=38847192&conditions.19.field=id&conditions.19.operator=%3D&conditions.19.args.0=38847259
```
```plaintext
https://musicbrainz.org/search/edits?negation=0&combinator=or&conditions.3.field=id&conditions.3.operator=%3D&conditions.3.args.0=38846344&conditions.4.field=id&conditions.4.operator=%3D&conditions.4.args.0=38846371&conditions.5.field=id&conditions.5.operator=%3D&conditions.5.args.0=38846374&conditions.6.field=id&conditions.6.operator=%3D&conditions.6.args.0=38846554&conditions.7.field=id&conditions.7.operator=%3D&conditions.7.args.0=38843739&conditions.8.field=id&conditions.8.operator=%3D&condi
```
compared to
---
### Author:  [@jesus2099](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jesus2099)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2016, 8:05am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/link-s-href-is-cut-off-after-500-characters/44658/7 "2016-05-23T08:05:19Z")
Maybe there is no URL ID in the DB and the URL itself acts as the key, thus the size limit…
---
### Author:  [@zogstrip](https://meta.discourse.org/u/zogstrip)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2016, 8:06am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/link-s-href-is-cut-off-after-500-characters/44658/8 "2016-05-23T08:06:48Z")
We just don’t support long URLs.
If you want to use URLs with more than 500 characters, then use a URL shortener like @codinghorror suggested.
---
### Author:  [@zogstrip](https://meta.discourse.org/u/zogstrip)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2016, 8:06am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/link-s-href-is-cut-off-after-500-characters/44658/9 "2016-05-23T08:06:52Z")