On: Gmail is opening and caching URLs within emails wi...

[rrjanbiah]

Here's a quick PoC:

  <link rel="prefetch" href="/actual_validate/email/1d00a5c2648c211befd33f5a8a7cbfab?prefetch=1">

  <script>
   location.href = "/actual_validate/email/1d00a5c2648c211befd33f5a8a7cbfab?js=1";
  </script>
  <noscript>
   <a href="/actual_validate/email/1d00a5c2648c211befd33f5a8a7cbfab?js=0" rel="nofollow" class="btn btn-primary" role="button">Click to confirm your account</a>
  </noscript>

[obuda → rrjanbiah]

Why the prefetch though? Reason being bots don't open them? If so, this is a really good idea!

[eyelidlessness → obuda]

It’s likely faster for the noscript case.

[obuda → eyelidlessness]

Yeah, I don't know about that. Wouldn't it be that the query strings differentiate the two links?

I assume so, because of an old trick where query strings are used for ad-hoc cache control as in /style.css?1629472765

[eyelidlessness → obuda]

You’re right, I wasn’t paying close enough attention. That’s what I get for reading HN mostly on my phone!

[rrjanbiah → obuda]

Query string is to differentiate the links (to understand which case is getting triggered)

[obuda → rrjanbiah]

OK, but then the prefetch link as it stands is useless, no?