How prunethe.link Works
Open shared links without being tracked.
What is link tracking?
Social media platforms append hidden parameters to shared links that identify who shared the content, what device they used, and how the link was opened. These parameters are invisible to most users but let platforms build detailed social graphs of who shares content with whom and how it spreads across the internet.
When you copy a link from TikTok, Instagram, or Twitter, the URL you get isn't just the address of the content — it's a fingerprint of your sharing activity. Even if the person you send the link to doesn't have an account, the platform can still track that interaction.
What are tracking parameters?
Tracking parameters are key-value pairs appended to URLs after a ? character. The most common are UTM parameters (utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign) used by marketers to measure campaign effectiveness. But each platform also adds its own proprietary tracking identifiers.
How PruneTheLink strips tracking
There are two ways to use PruneTheLink:
- Paste on the homepage: Paste any URL into the input field to preview the cleaned version and see which parameters were removed.
- Prepend the domain: Add
prunethe.link/before any link to get instantly redirected to the clean version. For example:prunethe.link/https://tiktok.com/@user/video/123?refer=abc
In addition to stripping parameters, PruneTheLink sets a Referrer-Policy: no-referrer header on all redirects. This tells your browser not to send the referring page's URL to the destination site, providing an extra layer of privacy protection.
Explore by platform
Each supported platform has its own page explaining which parameters it adds and what they reveal:
Explore further
Frequently asked questions
- What is link tracking?
- Social media platforms append hidden parameters to shared links that identify who shared the content, what device they used, and how the link was opened. These parameters are invisible to most users but let platforms build detailed social graphs of who shares content with whom and how it spreads across the internet.
- What are tracking parameters?
- Tracking parameters are key-value pairs appended to URLs after a ? character. The most common are UTM parameters (utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign) used by marketers to measure campaign effectiveness. Each platform also adds its own proprietary tracking identifiers.
- Can my friend see when I click a link they shared with me?
- Often, yes — at least indirectly. When a platform generates a share link it embeds an identifier (igshid on Instagram, si on YouTube, share_id on Reddit, and so on) tied to the sharer's session. When you click, the platform attributes the click back to the original share, which feeds into their analytics dashboards and friend-suggestion signals.
- Does PruneTheLink store my URLs?
- No. URLs are cleaned in-memory and discarded. Nothing is logged, no cookies are set, and no analytics are collected. The redirect happens server-side with a Referrer-Policy: no-referrer header so the destination site never learns you came from PruneTheLink.
- Does removing tracking parameters break the link?
- No. Tracking parameters are metadata layered on top of the underlying URL. Stripping them leaves the real page, post, or video untouched — the cleaned link resolves to exactly the same content.
- Which platforms does PruneTheLink support?
- TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter / X, YouTube, Reddit, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Pinterest, plus all UTM and common affiliate parameters on any domain.
Privacy by design
PruneTheLink is built with privacy as its core principle. No data is stored, no cookies are set, no analytics are collected, and no accounts are required. The redirect happens server-side and nothing is logged. The URL cleaning is performed entirely in-memory and the original URL is never persisted anywhere.
No data stored. No cookies. No tracking. Just clean links.