diff --git a/src/parser/parser.test.ts b/src/parser/parser.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..44b3314
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/parser/parser.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+import {
+  parseLink,
+  parsePermalink,
+  parseArgs,
+  verifiers,
+  discriminate,
+  toURI,
+} from "./parser";
+import { LinkDiscriminator } from "./types";
+
+const curriedDiscriminate = (id: string) =>
+  discriminate(id, verifiers, LinkDiscriminator.ParseFailed);
+
+it("types identifiers correctly", () => {
+  expect(curriedDiscriminate("@user:matrix.org")).toEqual(
+    LinkDiscriminator.UserId
+  );
+  expect(curriedDiscriminate("!room:matrix.org")).toEqual(
+    LinkDiscriminator.RoomId
+  );
+  expect(
+    curriedDiscriminate("!somewhere:example.org/$event:example.org")
+  ).toEqual(LinkDiscriminator.Permalink);
+  expect(curriedDiscriminate("+group:matrix.org")).toEqual(
+    LinkDiscriminator.GroupId
+  );
+  expect(curriedDiscriminate("#alias:matrix.org")).toEqual(
+    LinkDiscriminator.Alias
+  );
+});
+
+it("types garbadge as such", () => {
+  expect(curriedDiscriminate("sdfa;fdlkja")).toEqual(
+    LinkDiscriminator.ParseFailed
+  );
+  expect(curriedDiscriminate("$event$matrix.org")).toEqual(
+    LinkDiscriminator.ParseFailed
+  );
+  expect(curriedDiscriminate("/user:matrix.org")).toEqual(
+    LinkDiscriminator.ParseFailed
+  );
+});
+
+it("parses vias", () => {
+  expect(
+    parseArgs("via=example.org&via=alt.example.org")
+  ).toHaveProperty("vias", ["example.org", "alt.example.org"]);
+});
+
+it("parses sharer", () => {
+  expect(parseArgs("sharer=blah")).toHaveProperty("sharer", "blah");
+});
+
+it("parses random args", () => {
+  expect(parseArgs("via=qreqrqwer&banter=2342")).toHaveProperty(
+    "extras.banter",
+    ["2342"]
+  );
+});
+
+it("parses permalinks", () => {
+  expect(parsePermalink("!somewhere:example.org/$event:example.org")).toEqual({
+    roomKind: LinkDiscriminator.RoomId,
+    roomLink: "!somewhere:example.org",
+    eventId: "$event:example.org",
+  });
+});
+
+it("formats links correctly", () => {
+  const bigLink =
+    "!somewhere:example.org/$event:example.org?via=dfasdf&via=jfjafjaf&uselesstag=useless";
+  const host = "matrix.org";
+  const prefix = host + "/#/";
+  const parse = parseLink(bigLink);
+
+  switch (parse.kind) {
+    case LinkDiscriminator.ParseFailed:
+      fail("Parse failed");
+    default:
+      expect(toURI(host, parse)).toEqual(prefix + bigLink);
+  }
+});
diff --git a/src/parser/parser.ts b/src/parser/parser.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d00fb58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/parser/parser.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,175 @@
+import _ from "lodash";
+
+import {
+  LinkDiscriminator,
+  SafeLink,
+  Link,
+  LinkContent,
+  Arguments,
+} from "./types";
+
+/*
+ * Verifiers are regexes which will match valid
+ * identifiers to their type
+ */
+type Verifier<A> = [RegExp, A];
+export const roomVerifiers: Verifier<
+  LinkDiscriminator.Alias | LinkDiscriminator.RoomId
+>[] = [
+  [/^#([^\/:]+?):(.+)$/, LinkDiscriminator.Alias],
+  [/^!([^\/:]+?):(.+)$/, LinkDiscriminator.RoomId],
+];
+export const verifiers: Verifier<LinkDiscriminator>[] = [
+  [/^[\!#]([^\/:]+?):(.+?)\/\$([^\/:]+?):(.+?)$/, LinkDiscriminator.Permalink],
+  [/^@([^\/:]+?):(.+)$/, LinkDiscriminator.UserId],
+  [/^\+([^\/:]+?):(.+)$/, LinkDiscriminator.GroupId],
+  ...roomVerifiers,
+];
+
+/*
+ * parseLink takes a striped hash link (without the '#/' prefix)
+ * and parses into a Link. If the parse failed the result will
+ * be ParseFailed
+ */
+export function parseLink(link: string): Link {
+  const [identifier, args] = link.split("?");
+
+  const kind = discriminate(
+    identifier,
+    verifiers,
+    LinkDiscriminator.ParseFailed
+  );
+  const { vias, sharer, extras } = parseArgs(args);
+
+  let parsedLink: LinkContent = {
+    identifier,
+    arguments: {
+      vias,
+      sharer,
+      extras,
+    },
+    originalLink: link,
+  };
+
+  if (kind === LinkDiscriminator.Permalink) {
+    const { roomKind, roomLink, eventId } = parsePermalink(identifier);
+
+    return {
+      kind,
+      ...parsedLink,
+      roomKind,
+      roomLink,
+      eventId,
+    };
+  }
+
+  return {
+    kind,
+    ...parsedLink,
+  };
+}
+
+/*
+ * Parses a permalink.
+ * Assumes the permalink is correct.
+ */
+export function parsePermalink(identifier: string) {
+  const [roomLink, eventId] = identifier.split("/");
+  const roomKind = discriminate(
+    roomLink,
+    roomVerifiers,
+    // This is hacky but we're assuming identifier is a valid permalink
+    LinkDiscriminator.Alias
+  );
+
+  return {
+    roomKind,
+    roomLink,
+    eventId,
+  };
+}
+
+/*
+ * descriminate applies the verifiers to the identifier and
+ * returns it's type
+ */
+export function discriminate<T, F>(
+  identifier: string,
+  verifiers: Verifier<T>[],
+  fail: F
+): T | F {
+  if (identifier !== encodeURI(identifier)) {
+    return fail;
+  }
+
+  return verifiers.reduce<T | F>((discriminator, verifier) => {
+    if (discriminator !== fail) {
+      return discriminator;
+    }
+
+    if (identifier.match(verifier[0])) {
+      return verifier[1];
+    }
+
+    return discriminator;
+  }, fail);
+}
+
+/*
+ * parseArgs parses the <extra args> part of matrix.to links
+ */
+export function parseArgs(args: string): Arguments {
+  const parsedArgTuples = _.groupBy(
+    args
+      .split("&")
+      .map((x) => x.split("="))
+      .filter((x) => x.length == 2),
+    (arg) => {
+      return arg[0];
+    }
+  );
+
+  const parsedArgs = _.mapValues(parsedArgTuples, (arg) =>
+    arg.map((x) => x[1])
+  );
+
+  const { via, sharer, ...extras } = parsedArgs;
+
+  return {
+    vias: via,
+    sharer: (parsedArgs.sharer || [undefined])[0],
+    extras,
+  };
+}
+
+/*
+ * toURI converts a parsed link to uri. Typically it's recommended
+ * to show the original link if it existed but this is handy in the
+ * case where this was constructed.
+ */
+export function toURI(hostname: string, link: SafeLink): string {
+  const cleanHostname = hostname.trim().replace(/\/+$/, "");
+  switch (link.kind) {
+    case LinkDiscriminator.GroupId:
+    case LinkDiscriminator.UserId:
+    case LinkDiscriminator.RoomId:
+    case LinkDiscriminator.Alias:
+    case LinkDiscriminator.Permalink:
+      const uri = encodeURI(cleanHostname + "/#/" + link.identifier);
+      const vias = link.arguments.vias.map((s) => "via=" + s).join("&");
+      const sharer = link.arguments.sharer
+        ? "sharer=" + link.arguments.sharer
+        : "";
+      const extras = _.map(link.arguments.extras, (vals, key) =>
+        vals.map((v) => key + "=" + v).join("&")
+      ).join("&");
+
+      const args = [vias, sharer, extras].filter(Boolean).join("&");
+
+      if (args) {
+        return uri + "?" + args;
+      }
+
+      return uri;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/parser/types.ts b/src/parser/types.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d765a55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/parser/types.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+import _ from "lodash";
+
+export interface Arguments {
+  vias: string[];
+  // Either one of the enums or a custom link
+  sharer: string;
+  extras: { [key: string]: string[] };
+}
+
+export interface LinkContent {
+  identifier: string;
+  arguments: Arguments;
+  originalLink: string;
+}
+
+export enum LinkDiscriminator {
+  Alias = "ALIAS",
+  RoomId = "ROOM_ID",
+  UserId = "USER_ID",
+  Permalink = "PERMALINK",
+  GroupId = "GROUP_ID",
+  ParseFailed = "PARSE_FAILED",
+}
+
+export interface Alias extends LinkContent {
+  kind: LinkDiscriminator.Alias;
+}
+
+export interface RoomId extends LinkContent {
+  kind: LinkDiscriminator.RoomId;
+}
+
+export interface UserId extends LinkContent {
+  kind: LinkDiscriminator.UserId;
+}
+
+export interface GroupId extends LinkContent {
+  kind: LinkDiscriminator.GroupId;
+}
+
+export interface Permalink extends LinkContent {
+  kind: LinkDiscriminator.Permalink;
+  roomKind: LinkDiscriminator.RoomId | LinkDiscriminator.Alias;
+  roomLink: string;
+  eventId: string;
+}
+
+export interface ParseFailed {
+  kind: LinkDiscriminator.ParseFailed;
+  originalLink: string;
+}
+
+export type SafeLink = Alias | RoomId | UserId | Permalink | GroupId;
+
+export type Link = SafeLink | ParseFailed;