Privacy field guide · 2-minute workflow

Clean the link without breaking the destination.

Most marketing identifiers can be removed before you share a URL. Some parameters select the actual content, preserve access, or credit a creator. This checklist separates the two—and makes “test the cleaned copy” the final rule.

Usually removable

Twenty-four common attribution parameters.

These identifiers usually tell an analytics or advertising system how a visit arrived. Removing them normally leaves the destination unchanged, but implementations vary.

Campaign labelsutm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_term, utm_content, utm_idAnalytics attribution
Google Adsgclid, dclid, gbraid, wbraidAd-click attribution
Social adsfbclid, msclkid, ttclid, twclid, li_fat_idPlatform click attribution
Email automationmc_cid, mc_eid, _hsenc, _hsmiCampaign and recipient attribution
Other campaign IDsvero_id, oly_anon_id, oly_enc_id, scid, cmpidVendor-specific attribution
Do not remove blindly

Six families that may carry meaning.

Content identityid, v, pOften selects the page, video, or record itself.
Navigation and statepage, sort, viewMay preserve the exact screen or position you meant to share.
Localelang, localeCan choose the reader's language or regional version.
Signed accesstoken, sig, signature, expiresMay be required—but can also expose private access. Do not share until you understand it.
Search and filtersq, query, category, filterOften encodes the result set rather than tracking a person.
Affiliate creditref, tag, aff, affiliateRemoving it may remove creator credit or compensation; decide deliberately.
Safe workflow

Work on a copy, then verify.

  1. Copy the URL. Never experiment on the only copy of a signed or invitation link.
  2. Remove obvious campaign and click IDs from the copied URL.
  3. Keep content, language, search, and access parameters until you know their role.
  4. Open the cleaned copy in a private window and confirm the intended destination still loads.
  5. If a token grants private access, do not post either version publicly—ask the sender for a share-safe link.
Local-first helper

Inspect without uploading the pasted URL.

The browser-only URL privacy checker flags the common identifiers above and prepares a cleaned copy locally. Pasted URLs stay in the browser. The site uses no advertising cookies; its public experiment counter stores only HMAC-hashed external visitor identifiers and never stores raw IP addresses.

Important limit

A parameter name is evidence, not proof.

Any site can assign any meaning to a query parameter. Treat this list as a high-confidence triage guide, not a universal parser. The private-window check is what catches unusual implementations.