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What is Gstatic? A quick guide

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  • 3 min read

Being redirected to an unknown URL when accessing a website can be a bit scary, considering how easy it is to get spoofed or phished these days. However, not all redirects are malicious, and sometimes the site you’re trying to visit might just be redirecting you to a cache or CDN.

In this article, we’re talking about Gstatic, what it is, what it does and why you’re being redirected to another domain when trying to access a Google service.

Also read: What is DiagMonAgent? Everything you need to know


What is Gstatic?

Gstatic is a Google-owned domain that fetches content from their Content Delivery Network, otherwise called a CDN. CDNs are online resources used by websites to load content which can be fetched later from any domain having access to that particular CDN.

In the case of Gstatic, the domain is used to fetch CDN data, including images, fonts, as well as static data like JavaScript libraries, CSS stylesheets, external scripts and anything else the domain you’re trying to connect to requires. 

There are multiple subdomains under Gstatic, which are used for different functionalities like

  • connectivity.gstatic.com: Used to test a device’s internet connection.
  • fonts.gstatic.com: This subdomain is used every time a website needs to query the Google Fonts API to fetch a particular font.
  • maps.gstatic.com: Lets developers embed Google Maps on their webpages without requiring external JavaScript or dynamic page loading.
  • csi.gstatic.com: Primarily used to improve the performance of other related domains. 

The primary objective of using a CDN to fetch website data is to improve loading speeds, as instead of downloading all the content from the server and loading it into the browser, you can use the CDN links to fetch and display data. 

Also read: What is Mobile Installer? Is it safe?


Is Gstatic safe?

Since it’s a Google-owned domain and uses their CDN, the domain is safe, and you don’t have to worry about it popping up in your browser’s URL bar. However, there are cases of threat actors using similar domains to phish users or trick them into visiting malicious web pages. 

Here’s how you can run a full scan on your PC using Windows Security.

Step 1: Press the Windows key and search for Windows Security. Click the corresponding search result. 

What is Gstatic? A quick guide

Step 2: Click Virus & threat protection. 

What is Gstatic? A quick guide

Step 3: Click Scan options. 

What is Gstatic? A quick guide

Step 4: Select Full scan and click Scan now to start scanning your PC for malware. 

What is Gstatic? A quick guide

Also read: What does XHCI hand off mean?

Yadullah Abidi

Yadullah Abidi

Yadullah is a Computer Science graduate who writes/edits/shoots/codes all things cybersecurity, gaming, and tech hardware. When he's not, he streams himself racing virtual cars. He's been writing and reporting on tech and cybersecurity with websites like Candid.Technology and MakeUseOf since 2018. You can contact him here: yadullahabidi@pm.me.

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