Is Video Downloader for reddit - Redditsave safe?
Video Downloader for reddit - Redditsave routes download actions through rapidsave.com with an affiliate referral tag appended to each URL.
When a user clicks the extension's action button or uses the context menu to download a Reddit video, the extension constructs a rapidsave.com URL from the Reddit post path and appends the query parameter ?ref=ch before opening it in a new tab. This parameter identifies the extension as the traffic source for affiliate-tracking purposes. The Reddit post path, including subreddit name and post ID, is included in the redirected URL.
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Findings
Reddit Post URLs Forwarded to rapidsave.com With an Affiliate Referral Tag
Clicking RedditSave's toolbar icon on a Reddit post, or its right-click 'Download Reddit Video' option, opens a tab to rapidsave.com built from the subreddit and post ID plus a '?ref=ch' tag, confirmed live by an echoing ad beacon.
You click the RedditSave toolbar icon while viewing a Reddit post, or right-click a post link and choose "Download Reddit Video - RedditSave."
The extension opens a new tab to rapidsave.com with the Reddit post's URL appended and a "?ref=ch" referral tag added to the end.
The same tag is added by both the toolbar-icon handler and the right-click context-menu handler.
background.js, both trigger paths append the same referral tag
chrome.contextMenus.onClicked.addListener((info, tab) => {
const link = info.linkUrl;
const redditPostUrlRegex = /https?:\/\/((www\.)|(pay\.)|(i\.)|(old\.)|(np\.)|(new\.))?reddit\.com\/((r)|(user)|(u))\/(\w+)\/comments\/([a-z0-9]{2,10})(\/?$|\/\w*)/im;
if (redditPostUrlRegex.test(link)) {
chrome.tabs.create({
url: "https://rapidsave.com/r/" + link.split("/r/")[1] + "?ref=ch"
});
} else {
chrome.scripting.executeScript({
target: { tabId: tab.id },
func: () => alert("This is not a valid reddit post")
});
}
});chrome.action.onClicked.addListener((tab) => {
const host = "https://rapidsave.com";
chrome.tabs.query({ active: true, lastFocusedWindow: true }, (tabs) => {
const url = tabs[0].url;
const redditPostUrlRegex = /https?:\/\/((www\.)|(pay\.)|(i\.)|(old\.)|(np\.)|(new\.))?reddit\.com\/((r)|(user)|(u))\/(\w+)\/comments\/([a-z0-9]{2,10})(\/?$|\/\w*)/im;
if (redditPostUrlRegex.test(url)) {
const newPage = host + "/r/" + url.split("/r/")[1] + "?ref=ch";
chrome.tabs.create({ url: newPage });
} else {
chrome.scripting.executeScript({
target: { tabId: tabs[0].id },
func: () => alert("This is not a valid reddit post")
});
}
});
});| Field | Value | Why it matters | |
|---|---|---|---|
Reddit post URL | https://rapidsave.com/r/croptopgirls/comments/1cqz9wr/do_i_look_cute_in_orange_3/ | The subreddit and specific post you're downloading from, carried as the path of the URL sent to rapidsave.com. | |
Referral tag | ?ref=ch | A "?ref=ch" parameter appended to every outbound link, identifying this extension as the referral source for attribution. |
- rapidsave.com
Receives the Reddit post's subreddit and post ID via the tab URL, along with the ?ref=ch referral parameter that attributes the visit to this extension.
- aniview.com
Ad-network beacon loaded on the rapidsave.com results page; independently echoed the full tagged URL, including ?ref=ch, in its own beacon parameters.
The Chrome Web Store listing describes the extension as "powered by rapidsave.com," which discloses the destination site itself. It does not mention the "?ref=ch" referral parameter that is added to every outbound link to that site.