utm_source
Source (e.g., newsletter, linkedin, mastodon)
Remove UTM Parameters
UTM is useful for measurement — but when forwarding a link, it’s often unnecessary baggage. Here’s a calm, practical way to handle it.
Local-first: SafeShare cleans links directly in your browser — no uploads.
Contents
What are UTM parameters?
UTM parameters are extra parts in a URL that marketing and analytics tools use for attribution.
They appear after a ? (the query string).
?utm_source=…&utm_medium=…&utm_campaign=…
When you share links with people, this extra context is often unnecessary — and it makes links longer, messier, and sometimes more “salesy” than they need to be.
The most common UTM keys
utm_medium
Channel (e.g., email, social, cpc)
utm_campaign
Campaign (e.g., launch_q1)
utm_term
Keyword (often ads)
utm_content
Variant (e.g., A/B text, button version)
utm_id
Campaign ID (tool-dependent)
Why remove them?
Cleaner links
Shorter, more readable, and more trustworthy in chat, email, and docs.
Share with less overhead
Less extra context is transmitted (source/campaign, etc.).
Less copy/paste friction
Long query strings break less often in ugly ways.
A calm workflow
Copy → Clean → Share as a consistent hygiene step before sending.
Before / After
Before
https://example.com/guide?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=launch
After
https://example.com/guide
When UTMs are useful
UTMs aren’t “evil” — they’re a measurement tool. They make sense when you intentionally analyze campaigns, e.g., newsletters, ads, or A/B tests.
Keep (typical)
- Your own newsletter → you measure clicks in your tool
- Paid campaigns → you need clean attribution
- A/B tests → compare variants via
utm_content
Remove (typical)
- Forwarding to friends/colleagues
- Links in documents, chats, forums, profiles
- When you don’t need — or don’t want — measurement
Practical rule: If the link is primarily for people (help, recommendation, forwarding), “clean” is often the better default.
Don’t delete everything blindly
Not every parameter is tracking. Some keys are functional (e.g., language, search, filters, product/video IDs). And there are deliberately set affiliate/ref parameters.
SafeShare App removes common tracking conservatively (e.g., utm_*). For fine control and reproducible rules, SafeShare Pro is designed
(allowlist/rules/audit).
Honest scope
- Yes: SafeShare reduces tracking parameters in URLs before sharing.
- No: no protection against IP logs, fingerprinting, or post-login tracking.
- In short: a concrete hygiene step — not an invisibility promise.