Proxied Link Previews in Chat - See a Link Before You Click
Someone drops a link in chat and you have no idea where it goes. Previews unfolds any chat link into a preview - the page title, description and image - before you click. And the whole preview loads through Previews' own servers, so the link never sees your real IP or browser fingerprint. Even the images are proxied.
What are link previews in chat?
Chat moves fast, and half the links people paste are a mystery - a clip, a shortened URL, a "you have to see this." Normally the only way to find out where a link goes is to click it. Link Previews changes that: hover any link posted in chat and it unfolds into a preview card showing the page's title, description and thumbnail, so you know exactly what it is before you click.
Why "proxied" is the part that matters
Most link-preview tools fetch the page straight from your browser - which means the site (and whoever posted the link) sees your IP address the moment the preview loads. Previews doesn't. The entire preview, including the images, loads through Previews' own servers. The linked site only ever sees our server, never you.
- The site never sees your real IP address, rough location, or ISP.
- No browser fingerprint and no tracking cookies get dropped just because you checked a link.
- Even the preview images are proxied - a hidden image is a common way to log IPs, and that path is covered too.
- You find out what a link really is, so scams, phishing and shock / screamer links give themselves away before you click.
A stranger dropping a link in your chat is the classic setup for an IP grab - and an exposed IP is how a DDoS starts. Because you can check a link without ever opening it, and the check runs through our servers, a random chat link can't grab your IP in the first place.
Fast, and it works on the sites you actually paste
Link Previews is built to be instant, so a preview appears the moment you hover - it never gets in the way of reading chat. Most sites work automatically, and popular ones like YouTube, Twitch and X get richer, custom-built previews. New sites are added regularly.
How to turn it on
- Install Previews from the Chrome Web Store, Firefox Add-ons, or Edge Add-ons.
- Click the Previews icon in your browser's toolbar to open the settings.
- Enable Link Previews in Chat.
- Open any Twitch, YouTube, or Kick chat and hover a link. That's it.
More from Previews
- Live hover previews - preview a live stream by hovering its sidebar card.
- Directory previews - the same hover previews across the browse directory.
- Clip previews - preview clips inline without opening them.
- Multi-Stream & Multi-Chat - watch several streams and chats at once.
- Plus favorites, FlashBang Defender, auto-refresh, screenshots, recording and more.
Frequently asked questions
Can someone get my IP from a link in Twitch chat?
Yes - opening a link, or sometimes just loading a preview of it, can expose your IP address to the site behind it. That's how "IP grabber" links work. Previews loads link previews through its own servers instead, so you can check a link without the site ever seeing your IP.
What is an IP grabber, and how do streamers get DDoSed from a link?
An IP grabber is a link - often a shortened or disguised URL - that logs the IP address of anyone who opens it. Once someone has your IP, they can hit it with a DDoS attack to knock you offline, or use it to narrow down your location. Previewing links through Previews' servers means a chat link can't grab your IP just because you looked at it.
How do I see where a link goes without clicking it?
With Link Previews enabled, hover the link in chat. A preview card unfolds with the page's real title, description and image, so you can tell what it is before deciding whether to open it.
Does it work on YouTube and Kick, or just Twitch?
It works in Twitch, YouTube, and Kick chat. The proxied preview behaves the same way on all three.
Does Previews collect my data?
No. Previews does not collect or sell user data. The preview proxy exists to keep the linked site from seeing you - not the other way around. Previews has been Featured by the Chrome Web Store and recommended by Mozilla's add-on team.