ClearURLs

Remove tracking elements from URLs.

ClearURLs: Automatically Remove Tracking Elements in URLs

'ClearURLs' is an Edge add-on designed to enhance your online privacy by automatically stripping tracking elements from the URLs you visit. With more extensive ruleset than similar tools, it effectively cleans the URLs and reduces your exposure to tracking. This tool also offers functionalities such as blocking common ad domains and preventing tracking injection via history API. ClearURLs operates transparently with its open-source nature allowing everyone to examine its source code or contribute to the project. Notably, no user data is collected ensuring maximum user privacy.

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View on Edge Add-on Store

Add-on stats

By: kroeb

Users: 37,019

-388

Rating: 4.20

(41)

Version: 1.26.0 (Last updated: 2022-11-18)

Creation date: 2021-12-28

Risk impact: High risk impact

Risk likelihood:

Low risk likelihood

Manifest version: 2

Permissions:

<all_urls>
webRequest
webRequestBlocking
storage
unlimitedStorage
contextMenus
webNavigation
tabs
downloads

Size: 856.40K

URLs: Website ,Privacy policy

Ranking

# 767 ▲ 3

Other rankings

#26 in tracking keyword 37 ▲ 1

#48 in remove keyword 29

#59 in destination keyword 3

#64 in sale keyword 33

#71 in wiki keyword 15 ▲ 2

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Other platforms

ClearURLs (v1.26.0)

3.68

(205) 100,000

Not available on Android

ClearURLs (v1.26.1)

4.36

(908) 466,382

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Add-on summary

Analyze keywords

This extension will automatically remove tracking elements from URLs to help protect your privacy when browsing through the Internet.

Many websites use tracking elements in the URL (e.g. https://example.com?utm_source=newsletter1&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=sale) to mark your online activity. All that tracking code is not necessary for a website to be displayed or work correctly and can therefore be removed—that is exactly what ClearURLs does.

Another common example are Amazon URLs. If you search for a product on Amazon you will see a very long URL, such as https://www.amazon.com/dp/exampleProduct/ref=sxin_0_pb?__mk_de_DE=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&keywords=tea&pd_rd_i=exampleProduct&pd_rd_r=8d39e4cd-1e4f-43db-b6e7-72e969a84aa5&pd_rd_w=1pcKM&pd_rd_wg=hYrNl&pf_rd_p=50bbfd25-5ef7-41a2-68d6-74d854b30e30&pf_rd_r=0GMWD0YYKA7XFGX55ADP&qid=1517757263&rnid=2914120011

Indeed most of the above URL is tracking code. Once ClearURLs has cleaned the address, it will look like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/exampleProduct

Why use this extension as opposed to similar ones? Most other “link cleaners” employ about a dozen rules when looking for tracking parameters to remove. ClearURLs utilizes over 250 rules, so its capabilities are more comprehensive. And ClearURLs is open source, so everyone can join the project and/or can check the source code to error or malicious code.

All functions in a nutshell

Removes tracking from URLs automatically in the background

User reviews

These summaries are automatically generated weekly using AI based on recent user reviews. Edge Add-on Store does not verify user reviews, so some user reviews may be inaccurate, spammy, or outdated.

Pros

Cleans tracking URLs and preserves the real URL, enhancing privacy.
Works effectively to remove tracking URLs.
Users appreciate its functionality in improving daily tasks.

Cons

Breaks certain features on popular websites (e.g., Google Sheets, eBay, Google Play Books).
Lacks a whitelisting feature, making it inconvenient to manage which sites should be exempt from cleaning.
Requires users to frequently disable and enable the extension for specific sites.

Most mentioned

Breaks functionality on some websites.
No whitelisting capability.
Cleans tracking URLs effectively.

User reviews

Would be a good extension, but it breaks some things in Google Sheets; namely: 1) Find and Replace doesn't work (the dialog just won't appear) and 2) some charts are missing. After I disable this extension, everything works again

by Ben, 2024-12-10

ClearURLs is a very useful and important addon to have it as it cleans tracking URLs and garbage elements from URL while preserving the real URL, thus privacy. But I request Dev to update it for 2025 as this isn't updated since 2022. This isn't chrome but MS edge store, so please.

by Varniit, 2024-11-17

This extension breaks the functionality of some websites. For example, when the extension is active, I cannot add an item on eBay to the watchlist. And when I deactivate extension - everything works as it should.

by Michael, 2024-10-15

View all user reviews