How to remove tracking parameters from URLs (utm_, fbclid, gclid)
Everything after ? that starts with utm_, plus fbclid, gclid, igsh, si and friends, exists to track the click — the page loads identically without it. Delete it by hand, or let a tool like tdy strip it from every link you copy.
What those parameters actually are
When a link looks like this:
the part being struck through doesn't select content — it tells the site's analytics where you came from and, often, who you are. Some are campaign labels (utm_), some are personal click IDs (fbclid, gclid) that can tie the visit back to your ad profile. When you share the link, whoever clicks it inherits that label.
The common offenders
| Parameter | Who adds it | Safe to delete? |
|---|---|---|
utm_source / utm_* | Marketing (Google Analytics) | Always |
fbclid | Facebook / Meta click ID | Always |
gclid / gbraid / wbraid | Google Ads click ID | Always |
?s=20&t=… | X / Twitter share tokens | Always |
igsh / igshid | Instagram share ID | Always |
si | YouTube / Spotify share ID | Always |
ttclid, is_from_webapp… | TikTok | Always |
mc_cid / mc_eid | Mailchimp email tracking | Yes — but keep params on unsubscribe links |
v=, q=, id=, t= (YouTube timestamp) | The site itself | No — these select content |
That last row is why "delete everything after the ?" is bad advice: on YouTube, v= is the video. Good cleaners work from a curated list instead of nuking the whole query string.
Ways to strip them automatically
Browser extensions
ClearURLs-style extensions clean links inside the browser as pages load. Solid for browsing privacy — but they don't touch links you copy and share from apps, and each browser needs its own.
Apple Shortcuts
A "Clean URL" shortcut works on-demand via the share sheet. Free, but you have to remember to run it, per link.
At the clipboard (set-and-forget)
tdy is a tiny Mac menu-bar app that strips tracking parameters from every link the moment you copy it — utm_, fbclid, gclid, share tokens, plus per-site rules for Amazon, YouTube and Spotify, using an allowlist so functional parameters survive. As a bonus, it also fixes broken social embeds in the same pass.
Never paste a tracking link again.
tdy cleans every URL you copy — automatically, on your Mac. Native, one-time purchase, no subscription.
Get tdy for MacWhy bother?
- Privacy — click IDs tie the people you share with back to ad profiles.
- Cleaner links — a 60-character URL beats a 300-character one in any chat.
- No skewed data — forwarding a
utm_campaignlink mislabels every future click as that campaign.