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SafeShare Help Center

What are the parts of a URL?

A URL is built from fixed blocks: protocol, domain and path – plus an optional subdomain, a query string with parameters and a fragment.

Local-first: No upload, no cloud, no AI – the cleanup happens directly in your browser, on your device.
Clean a link now Before/After How-to Back to Help Center

The short answer

Every web address follows the same basic pattern: the protocol comes first, then the address of the server, then the way to the specific page – and optional extras at the end.

https://shop.example.com/products/shoes?color=blue&size=42#details

In this example, https is the protocol, shop.example.com the hostname, shop the subdomain, example.com the registrable domain, /products/shoes the path, ?color=blue&size=42 the query string with two parameters and #details the fragment.

For link cleaning, the query string is the interesting part: it holds useful settings as well as measuring extras.

Before / After

Before

https://shop.example.com/products/shoes?color=blue&utm_source=newsletter#details

After

https://shop.example.com/products/shoes?color=blue#details

Try it yourself: Copy this test link, paste it into SafeShare and compare original and result. The campaign extra is removed – color=blue and the fragment #details stay, because they control what the page shows.

https://shop.example.com/products/shoes?color=blue&utm_source=newsletter&fbclid=AbC123#details

Clean a link now What is a URL parameter?

The parts at a glance

Protocol

https:// – defines how browser and server talk. The s stands for an encrypted connection.

Subdomain

shop. – an optional prefix of the domain, often used for areas like shop, blog or help.

Registrable domain

example.com – the registrable part of the hostname. Together with shop, it forms the hostname shop.example.com.

Path

/products/shoes – the way to the specific page within the website.

Query string & parameters

?color=blue&size=42 – extras as name-value pairs. Settings live here, but so do measuring extras.

Fragment

#details – jumps to a spot on the page. It is functional and normally stays when cleaning.

What SafeShare removes – and what stays

Not every parameter is pure tracking. Some keys are functionally necessary, for example for language, search, filters, variants or IDs. That is why it is better to check links instead of simply deleting everything after the question mark.

Typically removable extras

  • utm_source
  • utm_medium
  • utm_campaign
  • gclid
  • fbclid

What stays

  • Domain and path – always
  • Functional parameters (e.g. color, size)
  • Fragments (e.g. #details)
  • Search terms
  • Language settings

SafeShare is not meant to break links. The app helps make recognizable link extras visible and use cleaned links deliberately.

How to clean the link

Three ways, depending on your device. The check runs local-first – the link does not have to be uploaded to a SafeShare server for this.

iPhone & iPad

  1. Copy the link or pass it on via the share menu.
  2. Run the SafeShare shortcut.
  3. Paste or share the cleaned link directly.
Free shortcuts

Android

  1. Copy the link from a browser, app or messenger.
  2. Open SafeShare in the browser and paste the link.
  3. Copy and use the cleaned URL.
Open SafeShare

Desktop

  1. Copy the URL from the address bar.
  2. Paste it into SafeShare or use a SafeShare bookmarklet.
  3. Check the result and copy the cleaned link.
Free bookmarklets

Honest scope

  • Yes: SafeShare reduces recognized tracking and click parameters in URLs before sharing.
  • No: SafeShare is not a VPN, not an ad blocker and not complete tracking protection.
  • In short: a concrete hygiene step – not a promise of invisibility.
Clean now Support the project

When a quick check becomes a workflow

For individual links, SafeShare Free is enough – permanently and free of charge.

If you regularly check, explain or document links before sending – for example in newsletters, editorial content, customer communication or team approvals – SafeShare Link Review is the next step: understand, check, document.

Your newsletter tool checks whether the link works.
SafeShare Link Review shows what is inside the link.
View SafeShare Link Review Keep using Free

FAQ

What are the parts of a URL?

Protocol, an optional subdomain, domain and path – plus an optional query string with parameters and a fragment.

What is the query string?

The part after the question mark. It contains parameters as name-value pairs, separated by ampersands.

What does the # sign at the end mean?

It marks the fragment and jumps to a spot on the page. It is functional and normally stays when cleaning.

Does SafeShare remove parts of the URL?

SafeShare reduces recognized tracking extras in the query string. Domain, path and functional parts stay.

Are links uploaded?

No. SafeShare is local-first. The cleanup happens in your browser. Links are not uploaded to SafeShare servers for this.