Content Security Policy (CSP) is an HTTP response header that instructs browsers which sources of content are permitted to load on a page. It mitigates cross-site scripting (XSS) and data injection attacks by restricting executable scripts, stylesheets, images, and other resources, and mitigates clickjacking through the frame-ancestors directive, which controls who may embed the page in a frame. CSP directives include script-src, style-src, img-src, and connect-src, each specifying allowed origins. Violations can be reported to a designated endpoint for monitoring. For URL shortening services, CSP implementation protects redirect landing pages and management dashboards from injection attacks. A policy applies to the document it is delivered with, so preview pages and interstitial warnings are governed by the shortener's own policy rather than the destination site's. The interaction to plan for runs the other way: if a preview page embeds the destination in a frame, that site's frame-ancestors directive can block it.
Content Security Policy
An HTTP header that restricts the origins from which a web page can load resources. A defense layer that mitigates XSS attacks and data injection.
Sep 6, 2026 · About 1 min read
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Related Terms
CSP
Content Security Policy - an HTTP header that controls which resources a browser is allowed to load for a given page.
XSS
Cross-Site Scripting - a vulnerability that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users.
Clickjacking
An attack that tricks users into clicking on hidden elements by overlaying transparent frames on top of legitimate web pages.
X-Frame-Options
An HTTP response header that controls whether a browser should allow a page to be displayed in an iframe.
CORS
Cross-Origin Resource Sharing - a browser security mechanism that controls which domains can access resources from another domain.
Lazy Loading
An optimization technique that defers loading of resources until they are actually needed, significantly improving initial page load speed.
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