SUMMARY: Link custody records the context that makes a link useful before the link becomes just another route.
Links look clean because they are small. That makes them easy to mishandle. A link can point to a valuable source, a changing page, a dead route, a promotional surface, or a claim that needs corroboration. Without custody, the site may remember the URL but forget the reason it mattered.
Custody gives the link a short operational record.
Custody Fields
Origin: where the link entered the system.
Purpose: what claim, route, or member question the link supports.
Volatility: whether the target is stable, likely to change, or likely to disappear.
Disposition: whether the link belongs in a post, forum reply, archive reference, or private review note.
Where to Use It
Use link custody with source handoffs. Handoff moves the source. Custody keeps the link from losing context during that move.
Operator Rule
Do not let a bare URL carry more authority than its context can support.
Field assessment: custody turns links from loose routes into reviewable evidence.