Clean Links
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Amazon Link Cleaner

Amazon URLs pick up `tag=`, `ascsubtag`, `pd_rd_*`, and `ref=` as you browse — the affiliate and recommendation IDs that credit whoever sent you and log which widget, search, or sponsored slot you came from. `a.co` and `amzn.to` short links hide the full trail until you click. Clean the Amazon link before you share.

Examples of Trackers and Redirects Clean Links Handles

  • tag
  • ascsubtag
  • pd_rd_w
  • pf_rd_r

Why Amazon Tracks Links

Amazon adds affiliate and recommendation IDs so it can pay the referrer, measure which shelf or search produced the click, and rebuild your browsing path. Every `tag=`, `ref=`, and `pd_rd_*` pair gives Amazon and the affiliate one more hook on the URL before the page loads.

Why You Should Clean Amazon Links

  • Strip `tag=` so no one you didn't choose earns affiliate credit from your clicks
  • Remove `ref`, `pd_rd_*`, `pf_rd_*`, and `ascsubtag` attribution IDs
  • Expand `a.co` and `amzn.to` so you see the full product URL first
  • Share a clean `amazon.com/dp/ASIN` link that still opens the exact product

Examples of Amazon Trackers and Redirects Clean Links Removes

`tag` - Amazon Associates affiliate tag credited on the next purchase`linkCode`, `ascsubtag` - Associates link type and sub-ID tracking`ref`, `ref_` - referrer and in-site navigation trackers`pd_rd_w`, `pd_rd_i`, `pd_rd_p`, `pd_rd_r` - product detail recommendation IDs`pf_rd_r`, `pf_rd_p`, `pf_rd_m` - promotional feature and slot tracking`a.co/d/...` and `amzn.to/...` - Amazon short link wrappers`qid`, `sr`, `keywords` - search session and rank tracking

Why not just clean Amazon links manually?

Amazon keeps adding IDs as you navigate, and short links like `a.co` hide the full trail until you open them. Manual trimming misses new parameters and can drop the ASIN by accident. Clean Links follows the short link, preserves the ASIN, and cleans the final URL safely.

FAQ: Amazon Link Cleaner

Does cleaning change the product the link opens?

No. Clean Links keeps the ASIN in the path so the same product page loads. It only removes the IDs Amazon uses to pay affiliates and track the session.

What is the `tag` parameter in an Amazon URL?

It is the Amazon Associates affiliate tag. When someone opens a link with `tag=abc-20` and buys within the cookie window, the account behind `abc-20` gets the commission. Cleaning the tag removes that routing.

Is it legal to strip `tag=` from an Amazon affiliate link?

Yes. The tag is metadata Amazon uses to credit an affiliate — it is not part of the product URL. Cleaning a link someone else created is the same as typing the plain `amazon.com/dp/ASIN` yourself.

Will cleaning break an Amazon affiliate link I'm sharing on purpose?

Yes. If you are sharing your own Associates link, cleaning strips `tag`, `linkCode`, and `ascsubtag`. Only clean your own Amazon affiliate link when you want to share a neutral product URL.

What about `a.co` and `amzn.to` short links?

Clean Links expands both to the full Amazon URL, keeps the ASIN, and drops the tracking. You see the real product before you tap.

Will the variation selector still work?

Yes. Clean Links preserves functional parameters like `th=1` when they select a specific size, color, or subscription option. Only tracking IDs are removed.

Does Clean Links send data to servers?

The Apple app cleans Amazon links on-device. The web cleaner currently sends the link to the Clean Links API because the full rule engine is too large to ship to every browser right now. We do not log, store, or tie those requests to an account, and shortlinks are still resolved in an isolated, cookie-free context with a randomized user agent.

How does the web cleaner differ from the iPhone, iPad, and Mac app?

The cleaning rules are the same, but the Apple app has more system hooks: Share Sheet cleaning, Safari extension support, QR scanning, Shortcuts, Siri, and Mac clipboard tools. The web cleaner focuses on paste-and-clean in your browser today, and a browser-native WASM version is in progress.

Get Clean Links for iPhone, iPad, and Mac

One-tap cleaning from the iOS share sheet on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Works offline, no account, no logs.