Identify what the URL represents

Individual listing
Should identify a particular item. Save the identifier and variant separately because an option selected on screen may not be preserved in the URL.
Seller or shop page
Identifies a collection of listings. Find and save the exact item page before comparing a price or measurement.
Album page
May show a style or sample without identifying the purchasable variant. Ask how the album connects to the listing.
Category or search page
Provides a changing set of results. It is a discovery source rather than a stable reference for one item.

Check the destination after a redirect

Read the final domain in the address bar and confirm that the title, identifier and selected variant still match your record. A familiar logo or a product picture does not establish who operates the page.

If the destination requests a login before showing the item, record that limitation. Do not enter credentials into a page merely because another guide linked to it. Navigate to the service you intend to use and check the route there.

Keep identifiers when sharing a source

Tracking tags may describe how a visitor reached a page. Other URL fields may identify the item, seller or selected variant. Do not remove all query fields from an external product URL: that can change the destination.

Keep the complete original link privately, then use a clear shareable item link only when you have checked that it opens the same public listing. Exclude account, order or session details from anything you share publicly.

Record link state precisely

  • Item visible: the expected identifier and variant were present at the time checked.
  • Redirected: the final address differs; note whether the item still matches.
  • Unavailable: the expected item is absent or the page reports it cannot be found.
  • Could not verify: a login, challenge, network error or missing detail prevented a conclusion.

A successful page load is not proof of stock, authenticity or a reliable seller. Avoid turning “could not verify” into “sold out.”

Source scope

This guide describes how to inspect a link. It has not verified individual Taobao, Weidian or 1688 items. The site's existing catalog reference is FindsIndex (external); the catalog URL responded to a link check on September 5, 2026. Current item availability is unverified.

For album pictures, continue with connecting an album to a listing. For recording dates and variants, use the shortlist record.