Remove tracking
Remove tracking from Instagram links
Instagram share links carry igshid (or igsh on newer links) — a unique identifier tied to the person who shared the post. Meta uses it to link the click back to the sharer's account across Instagram and Facebook. Removing it keeps the post URL fully functional.
Try it — paste a Instagram link
Or prepend prunethe.link/https://www.instagram.com/p/ABC123DEF/?igsh=abc123xyz&utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Before and after
What Instagram tracks in shared links
igshid / igsh is a signed identifier generated at share time. When anyone opens the link, Instagram logs the click against that identifier, attributing new followers, profile views, and content discovery back to the original sharer. fbclid is added when the link passes through Facebook or Messenger — it's Meta's cross-site click tracker.
Instagram tracking parameters explained
- igshid
- Legacy Instagram share ID — ties the click to the sharer.
- igsh
- Current Instagram share ID (replaced igshid on most surfaces).
- fbclid
- Facebook Click ID, added when the link transits Meta products.
- mibextid
- Messenger In-Browser External ID — tracks clicks from Messenger.
Frequently asked questions
- What exactly does igshid reveal about me?
- igshid doesn't directly reveal your identity to the recipient, but it does let Instagram tie the click back to your sharing session. Meta's internal analytics can correlate that with your account activity, which is why Instagram sometimes shows "shared by your friend" suggestions.
- Why does the link have igsh instead of igshid now?
- Meta gradually replaced igshid with igsh on most share surfaces. They carry the same attribution information — PruneTheLink strips both.
- Does stripping igshid hide me from the poster?
- The poster doesn't get a per-click list of viewers from igshid, but their aggregate engagement stats include that click. Stripping igshid removes your click from the share-attribution chain entirely.