SafeShare Help Center

What does cleaning a link mean?

Cleaning a link means removing unnecessary measuring extras from an address – so that the destination and function of the link stay intact.

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

Cleaning frees a link from extras that the destination does not need – typically campaign parameters and click IDs. What remains is a shorter address that opens the same page.

?utm_source=app&fbclid=AbC123

Checking is part of cleaning: functional parameters – such as search, filters or language – deliberately stay in place. Cleaning does not mean deleting everything after the question mark.

And it does not mean shortening: a short link service replaces the address with a new one at the service. Cleaning keeps the original address – just without unnecessary extras.

Before / After

Before

https://example.com/recipes/lasagna?utm_source=app&utm_medium=social&fbclid=AbC123

After

https://example.com/recipes/lasagna

Try it yourself: Copy this test link, paste it into SafeShare and compare original and result. Campaign parameters and click ID are unnecessary – servings=4 stays, because this value controls the displayed recipe amount.

https://example.com/recipes/lasagna?utm_source=app&fbclid=AbC123&servings=4

Clean a link now Rules of link cleaning

Cleaning is not shortening – and does not make you anonymous

Not the same as shortening

A short link service creates a new address that lives at the service and forwards from there. Cleaning keeps the original address visible – everyone can still see where the link leads.

Not an anonymity switch

Cleaning removes visible extras in the link. Server logs, cookies or other signals are not affected by it. It is a hygiene step, not a promise of invisibility.

Rule of thumb: Checking and deliberately keeping is as much a part of cleaning as removing.

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
fbclid
gclid

Handle with care

Search terms (e.g. q)
Filters (e.g. servings)
Language settings (e.g. lang)
Page numbers (e.g. page)
Video timestamps (e.g. t)

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

Copy the link or pass it on via the share menu.
Run the SafeShare shortcut.
Paste or share the cleaned link directly.

Free shortcuts

Android

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

Open SafeShare

Desktop

Copy the URL from the address bar.
Paste it into SafeShare or use a SafeShare bookmarklet.
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.