Link cleaner
Paste a link to strip its tracking, unwrap redirect links and see what each part tracks. Or build clean UTM links for your own campaigns. It runs in your browser: the link is never opened or sent anywhere.
What a link can track
Links often carry extra parameters after the ?. Some are needed, such as a video ID or a search term. Many only exist to track you: which ad you clicked, which email you opened, or who shared the link with you. These are the ones the cleaner removes, with what each one is for:
| Who | Parameters | What it tracks |
|---|---|---|
| Campaign tags (UTM) | utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_term, utm_content, utm_id and any other utm_ | Which site, ad or email sent you. Read by Google Analytics and most analytics tools. |
| Google Ads | gclid, gclsrc, gbraid, wbraid, gad_source, gad_campaignid, dclid | Ties your visit to the Google ad you clicked. |
srsltid, _gl | Ties your visit to a Google Shopping result, or carries your Google Analytics ID from one site to another. | |
| Meta | fbclid, igshid, igsh | Ties your visit to a Facebook click, or identifies who shared an Instagram link. |
| Microsoft Ads | msclkid | Ties your visit to the Bing or Microsoft ad you clicked. |
| TikTok, X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat | ttclid, twclid, li_fat_id, epik, ScCid | Ties your visit to an ad you clicked on that platform. |
| Email tools | mc_cid, mc_eid (Mailchimp), _hsenc, _hsmi, __hstc, __hssc, __hsfp (HubSpot), _kx (Klaviyo), mkt_tok (Marketo), ck_subscriber_id (Kit), vero_id (Vero), oly_anon_id, oly_enc_id (Omeda) | Identifies the email and you, the subscriber. |
| Other ad and affiliate tools | yclid (Yandex), s_cid (Adobe), irclickid (Impact), _branch_match_id (Branch), xtor (AT Internet) | Ties your visit to an ad, affiliate or campaign. |
| Share IDs | si, feature, pp on YouTube and Spotify, ref_src on X, trk, trackingId, rcm, lipi, refId, trkEmail, midToken, midSig on LinkedIn | Identifies who shared the link, and where. |
| Amazon | ref, pf_rd_*, pd_rd_*, tag, linkCode and others | Where you came from and which affiliate gets paid. Product links are shortened to amazon.com/dp/ID. |
Redirect links, unwrapped
Many links send you through another site first, so it can record the click: Google results, Facebook and Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube descriptions, Bing, DuckDuckGo, and email security filters such as Outlook Safe Links and Proofpoint. When the real address is inside the link, the cleaner takes it out, so you can go straight there.
Links that hide where they go
Short links (bit.ly, lnkd.in, t.co) and email click links (Klaviyo, Mailchimp, SendGrid, HubSpot, MailerLite) do not contain their destination. Only the company that made the link knows it, and the only way to find out is to open it, which records a click and, for some email links, can confirm it was you. The cleaner tells you when a link is like this, and does not open it for you.
UTM links done right
If you share links for your own work, tag them so your analytics can tell what worked. Three things keep UTM data clean in GA4:
- Always set
utm_source,utm_mediumandutm_campaign. - Use a medium GA4 knows, such as
cpc,email,social,display,affiliateorreferral. Anything else lands in "Unassigned". - Keep values lowercase with hyphens. GA4 counts
LinkedInandlinkedinas two different sources.
The builder above does all three and tells you when a value will not sort into a channel. Need help setting up tracking that holds up? Get in touch.
Questions
How do I remove tracking from a link?
Paste the link into the Link Cleaner. It removes tracking parameters such as utm_source, fbclid and gclid, unwraps redirect links from Google, Facebook, LinkedIn and email security filters, and gives you a clean link to copy or open.
Is the link I paste sent anywhere?
No. The cleaning runs in your browser. The tool never opens or sends the link, so the site that made it cannot see that you checked it.
Why can't it clean bit.ly, lnkd.in or email click links?
Short links and email click links do not contain their destination; only the company that made them knows it, and finding out means opening the link, which records a click. The tool tells you when a link is like this instead of opening it for you.
Will cleaning break the link?
It only removes parameters known to be used for tracking and keeps everything else, such as a YouTube video ID or a search term. Unknown parameters are listed so you can remove them yourself. If a cleaned link does not work, use the original.
What are UTM parameters?
UTM parameters (utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_term, utm_content and utm_id) are tags added to a link so analytics tools such as Google Analytics can tell which site, ad or email sent a visitor. The UTM builder on this page creates them in a format GA4 sorts into the right channel.