Before you open any onion link, you should understand how to verify its authenticity, whether it is an official address or a mirror, and how to minimise the risk of phishing and malware.
Onion links are not human-readable, which makes it easy for attackers to create fake addresses that look almost identical to the real ones. This is why you should never blindly trust random links shared on forums, social networks or screenshots. Always cross-check a link using multiple, independent and reputable sources.
A common best practice is to compare a link against a cryptographically signed reference, such as a PGP-signed announcement from an official project. If you cannot verify the signature or the source looks suspicious, treat the link as unsafe and avoid clicking on it.
A primary access link should come from an official source, ideally backed by a digital signature. Do not rely solely on screenshots or unverified lists posted by strangers.
Example “Link”Mirrors are alternative addresses used when the main resource is unavailable. Treat them with extra caution and always confirm that they are officially announced.
Example “Mirror”When a project publishes an “official” address list, it should clearly indicate how you can verify that list. Prefer signed announcements over plain text posts or copy-pasted URLs.
Example “Official link”Regardless of which onion website you want to visit, these three principles dramatically reduce your risk: use the Tor browser correctly, verify every link, and keep your operational security strong.
Treat every onion link as untrusted until you confirm that it is authentic. Compare it with official documentation, signed statements and multiple independent sources.
Do not mix your real-world accounts with privacy-oriented browsing sessions. Use distinct email addresses, usernames and passwords that you never reuse outside of a Tor context.
Keep your operating system up to date, enable disk encryption and disable unnecessary software that could leak data about your activity, such as auto-sync services and invasive antivirus suites.