diff --git a/app/helpers/portal_helper.rb b/app/helpers/portal_helper.rb
index e98f0a72d..15de0fbd7 100644
--- a/app/helpers/portal_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/portal_helper.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 module PortalHelper
+  include UrlHelper
   def set_og_image_url(portal_name, title)
     cdn_url = GlobalConfig.get('OG_IMAGE_CDN_URL')['OG_IMAGE_CDN_URL']
     return if cdn_url.blank?
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ module PortalHelper
     query_params = Rack::Utils.parse_query(url.query)
     query_params['utm_medium'] = 'helpcenter'
     query_params['utm_campaign'] = 'branding'
-    query_params['utm_source'] = URI.parse(referer).host if referer.present? && referer.match?(URI::DEFAULT_PARSER.make_regexp)
+    query_params['utm_source'] = URI.parse(referer).host if url_valid?(referer)
 
     url.query = query_params.to_query
     url.to_s
diff --git a/app/jobs/avatar/avatar_from_url_job.rb b/app/jobs/avatar/avatar_from_url_job.rb
index 9996cf3eb..0ab7ebea8 100644
--- a/app/jobs/avatar/avatar_from_url_job.rb
+++ b/app/jobs/avatar/avatar_from_url_job.rb
@@ -1,27 +1,83 @@
+# Downloads and attaches avatar images from a URL.
+# Notes:
+# - For contact objects, we use `additional_attributes` to rate limit the
+#   job and track state.
+# - We save the hash of the synced URL to retrigger downloads only when
+#   there is a change in the underlying asset.
+# - A 1 minute rate limit window is enforced via `last_avatar_sync_at`.
 class Avatar::AvatarFromUrlJob < ApplicationJob
+  include UrlHelper
   queue_as :purgable
 
+  MAX_DOWNLOAD_SIZE = 15 * 1024 * 1024
+  RATE_LIMIT_WINDOW = 1.minute
+
   def perform(avatarable, avatar_url)
     return unless avatarable.respond_to?(:avatar)
+    return unless url_valid?(avatar_url)
 
-    avatar_file = Down.download(
-      avatar_url,
-      max_size: 15 * 1024 * 1024
+    return unless should_sync_avatar?(avatarable, avatar_url)
+
+    avatar_file = Down.download(avatar_url, max_size: MAX_DOWNLOAD_SIZE)
+    raise Down::Error, 'Invalid file' unless valid_file?(avatar_file)
+
+    avatarable.avatar.attach(
+      io: avatar_file,
+      filename: avatar_file.original_filename,
+      content_type: avatar_file.content_type
     )
-    if valid_image?(avatar_file)
-      avatarable.avatar.attach(io: avatar_file, filename: avatar_file.original_filename,
-                               content_type: avatar_file.content_type)
-    end
+
   rescue Down::NotFound, Down::Error => e
-    Rails.logger.error "Exception: invalid avatar url #{avatar_url} : #{e.message}"
+    Rails.logger.error "AvatarFromUrlJob error for #{avatar_url}: #{e.class} - #{e.message}"
+  ensure
+    update_avatar_sync_attributes(avatarable, avatar_url)
   end
 
   private
 
-  def valid_image?(file)
-    return false if file.original_filename.blank?
+  def should_sync_avatar?(avatarable, avatar_url)
+    # Only Contacts are rate-limited and hash-gated.
+    return true unless avatarable.is_a?(Contact)
 
-    # TODO: check if the file is an actual image
+    attrs = avatarable.additional_attributes || {}
+
+    return false if within_rate_limit?(attrs)
+    return false if duplicate_url?(attrs, avatar_url)
+
+    true
+  end
+
+  def within_rate_limit?(attrs)
+    ts = attrs['last_avatar_sync_at']
+    return false if ts.blank?
+
+    Time.zone.parse(ts) > RATE_LIMIT_WINDOW.ago
+  end
+
+  def duplicate_url?(attrs, avatar_url)
+    stored_hash = attrs['avatar_url_hash']
+    stored_hash.present? && stored_hash == generate_url_hash(avatar_url)
+  end
+
+  def generate_url_hash(url)
+    Digest::SHA256.hexdigest(url)
+  end
+
+  def update_avatar_sync_attributes(avatarable, avatar_url)
+    # Only Contacts have sync attributes persisted
+    return unless avatarable.is_a?(Contact)
+    return if avatar_url.blank?
+
+    additional_attributes = avatarable.additional_attributes || {}
+    additional_attributes['last_avatar_sync_at'] = Time.current.iso8601
+    additional_attributes['avatar_url_hash'] = generate_url_hash(avatar_url)
+
+    # Persist without triggering validations that may fail due to avatar file checks
+    avatarable.update_columns(additional_attributes: additional_attributes) # rubocop:disable Rails/SkipsModelValidations
+  end
+
+  def valid_file?(file)
+    return false if file.original_filename.blank?
 
     true
   end
diff --git a/spec/jobs/avatar/avatar_from_url_job_spec.rb b/spec/jobs/avatar/avatar_from_url_job_spec.rb
index 2e6d89804..8db3769ad 100644
--- a/spec/jobs/avatar/avatar_from_url_job_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/jobs/avatar/avatar_from_url_job_spec.rb
@@ -1,36 +1,119 @@
 require 'rails_helper'
 
 RSpec.describe Avatar::AvatarFromUrlJob do
-  let(:avatarable) { create(:contact) }
-  let(:avatar_url) { 'https://example.com/avatar.png' }
+  let(:file) { fixture_file_upload(Rails.root.join('spec/assets/avatar.png'), 'image/png') }
+  let(:valid_url) { 'https://example.com/avatar.png' }
 
   it 'enqueues the job' do
-    expect { described_class.perform_later(avatarable, avatar_url) }.to have_enqueued_job(described_class)
-      .on_queue('purgable')
+    contact = create(:contact)
+    expect { described_class.perform_later(contact, 'https://example.com/avatar.png') }
+      .to have_enqueued_job(described_class).on_queue('purgable')
   end
 
-  it 'will attach avatar from url' do
-    expect(avatarable.avatar).not_to be_attached
-    expect(Down).to receive(:download).with(avatar_url,
-                                            max_size: 15 * 1024 * 1024).and_return(fixture_file_upload(Rails.root.join('spec/assets/avatar.png'),
-                                                                                                       'image/png'))
-    described_class.perform_now(avatarable, avatar_url)
-    expect(avatarable.avatar).to be_attached
+  context 'with rate-limited avatarable (Contact)' do
+    let(:avatarable) { create(:contact) }
+
+    it 'attaches and updates sync attributes' do
+      expect(Down).to receive(:download).with(valid_url, max_size: Avatar::AvatarFromUrlJob::MAX_DOWNLOAD_SIZE).and_return(file)
+      described_class.perform_now(avatarable, valid_url)
+      avatarable.reload
+      expect(avatarable.avatar).to be_attached
+      expect(avatarable.additional_attributes['avatar_url_hash']).to eq(Digest::SHA256.hexdigest(valid_url))
+      expect(avatarable.additional_attributes['last_avatar_sync_at']).to be_present
+    end
+
+    it 'returns early when rate limited' do
+      ts = 30.seconds.ago.iso8601
+      avatarable.update(additional_attributes: { 'last_avatar_sync_at' => ts })
+      expect(Down).not_to receive(:download)
+      described_class.perform_now(avatarable, valid_url)
+      avatarable.reload
+      expect(avatarable.avatar).not_to be_attached
+      expect(avatarable.additional_attributes['last_avatar_sync_at']).to be_present
+      expect(Time.zone.parse(avatarable.additional_attributes['last_avatar_sync_at']))
+        .to be > Time.zone.parse(ts)
+      expect(avatarable.additional_attributes['avatar_url_hash']).to eq(Digest::SHA256.hexdigest(valid_url))
+    end
+
+    it 'returns early when hash unchanged' do
+      avatarable.update(additional_attributes: { 'avatar_url_hash' => Digest::SHA256.hexdigest(valid_url) })
+      expect(Down).not_to receive(:download)
+      described_class.perform_now(avatarable, valid_url)
+      expect(avatarable.avatar).not_to be_attached
+      avatarable.reload
+      expect(avatarable.additional_attributes['last_avatar_sync_at']).to be_present
+      expect(avatarable.additional_attributes['avatar_url_hash']).to eq(Digest::SHA256.hexdigest(valid_url))
+    end
+
+    it 'updates sync attributes even when URL is invalid' do
+      invalid_url = 'invalid_url'
+      expect(Down).not_to receive(:download)
+      described_class.perform_now(avatarable, invalid_url)
+      avatarable.reload
+      expect(avatarable.avatar).not_to be_attached
+      expect(avatarable.additional_attributes['last_avatar_sync_at']).to be_present
+      expect(avatarable.additional_attributes['avatar_url_hash']).to eq(Digest::SHA256.hexdigest(invalid_url))
+    end
+
+    it 'updates sync attributes when file download is valid but content type is unsupported' do
+      temp_file = Tempfile.new(['invalid', '.xml'])
+      temp_file.write('<invalid>content</invalid>')
+      temp_file.rewind
+
+      uploaded = ActionDispatch::Http::UploadedFile.new(
+        tempfile: temp_file,
+        filename: 'invalid.xml',
+        type: 'application/xml'
+      )
+
+      expect(Down).to receive(:download).with(valid_url, max_size: Avatar::AvatarFromUrlJob::MAX_DOWNLOAD_SIZE).and_return(uploaded)
+
+      described_class.perform_now(avatarable, valid_url)
+      avatarable.reload
+
+      expect(avatarable.avatar).not_to be_attached
+      expect(avatarable.additional_attributes['last_avatar_sync_at']).to be_present
+      expect(avatarable.additional_attributes['avatar_url_hash']).to eq(Digest::SHA256.hexdigest(valid_url))
+
+      temp_file.close
+      temp_file.unlink
+    end
+  end
+
+  context 'with regular avatarable' do
+    let(:avatarable) { create(:agent_bot) }
+
+    it 'downloads and attaches avatar' do
+      expect(Down).to receive(:download).with(valid_url, max_size: Avatar::AvatarFromUrlJob::MAX_DOWNLOAD_SIZE).and_return(file)
+      described_class.perform_now(avatarable, valid_url)
+      expect(avatarable.avatar).to be_attached
+    end
   end
 
   # ref: https://github.com/chatwoot/chatwoot/issues/10449
-  it 'will not throw error if the avatar url is not valid and the file does not have a filename' do
-    # Create a temporary file with no filename and content type application/xml
+  it 'does not raise error when downloaded file has no filename (invalid content)' do
+    contact = create(:contact)
     temp_file = Tempfile.new(['invalid', '.xml'])
     temp_file.write('<invalid>content</invalid>')
     temp_file.rewind
 
-    expect(Down).to receive(:download).with(avatar_url, max_size: 15 * 1024 * 1024)
+    expect(Down).to receive(:download).with(valid_url, max_size: Avatar::AvatarFromUrlJob::MAX_DOWNLOAD_SIZE)
                                       .and_return(ActionDispatch::Http::UploadedFile.new(tempfile: temp_file, type: 'application/xml'))
 
-    expect { described_class.perform_now(avatarable, avatar_url) }.not_to raise_error
+    expect { described_class.perform_now(contact, valid_url) }.not_to raise_error
 
     temp_file.close
-    temp_file.unlink # deletes the temp file
+    temp_file.unlink
+  end
+
+  it 'skips sync attribute updates when URL is nil' do
+    contact = create(:contact)
+    expect(Down).not_to receive(:download)
+
+    expect { described_class.perform_now(contact, nil) }.not_to raise_error
+
+    contact.reload
+    expect(contact.additional_attributes['last_avatar_sync_at']).to be_nil
+    expect(contact.additional_attributes['avatar_url_hash']).to be_nil
   end
 end