URL cleaner in NordVPN’s next-gen antivirus

What is the URL cleaner feature?

NordVPN’s URL cleaner automatically removes tracking parameters from the links you open. These extra pieces of information let websites, apps, and advertisers see whether a click came from an email, ad, search result, or social media post. They can then connect the click to your activity — one of the ways apps track your data.

You’ve probably seen these long, messy links before. A simple website address can turn into a string of letters, numbers, question marks, and symbols after you copy it from a newsletter, online store, or social platform. If you copy or share the link as it is, those parameters remain attached and travel with the link when someone opens it. A URL cleaner can remove many of them without changing where the link leads.

NordVPN’s URL cleaner is part of NordVPN’s next-gen antivirus, so it removes recognized tracking parameters automatically instead of making you paste links into a separate tool.

A tracker blocker limits trackers loaded by websites, while a URL cleaner removes tracking data embedded in the link itself. NordVPN’s research on website trackers shows that web tracking remains widespread, so using both helps you address two different sources of tracking.

What are tracking parameters?

Tracking parameters are short labels added to the end of a URL. They usually appear after a question mark, with each label separated by an ampersand (&). These parameters help measure whether a click came from an email, paid ad, search result, or social media post.

Common examples include UTM tags, such as “utm_source” and “utm campaign” as well as click IDs, which are unique codes attached to ad clicks. Examples of click IDs include “fbclid,” “gclid,” and “msclkid.”

For example, a messy URL might look like this:

https://example.com/article?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=sale&fbclid=123xyz

After a URL cleaner removes the tracking parameters, the same link becomes:

https://example.com/article

In this example, both links lead to the same page, but the clean version does not carry the additional tracking parameters.

How does the URL cleaner work?

When you open a link, NordVPN’s URL cleaner checks it for recognized tracking parameters, such as UTM tags and ad click IDs. It removes them automatically, limiting the tracking information attached to the link without requiring you to inspect or edit the URL.

What NordVPN’s URL cleaner removes

NordVPN’s URL cleaner removes common analytics and ad-tracking parameters, including “utm_source,” “utm_campaign,” “fbclid,” “gclid,” and “msclkid.” It keeps the domain, page path, and other parts needed to open the intended page.

How to turn on the URL cleaner feature 

URL cleaner is part of NordVPN’s next-gen antivirus, which appears in the app as “Scam, phishing, and malware protection.” To enable it:

1. 1.Open the NordVPN app.
2. 2.Select the shield icon.
3. 3.Turn on “Scam, phishing, and malware protection” if it is not already active, and complete any on-screen setup.
4. 4.Open the protection preferences or advanced settings if required.
5. 5.Enable “URL cleaner” under the ad and tracker blocker settings.

Once both the overall protection feature and URL cleaner are enabled, URL cleaner automatically removes recognized tracking parameters from links as you browse.

Why clean your URLs?

When you open or share a link with tracking parameters, it can reveal whether the link came from an email, ad, search result, or social post. Removing those parameters gives websites less source information about the click and adds another layer to your VPN and online privacy setup.

Clean links are shorter and easier to read, copy, and share in messages, documents, or social posts. They also carry less source information, which helps limit the data available for ad tracking and fraud.

Cleaning a URL does not tell you whether its destination is safe. Before clicking, check the domain and watch for other signs of URL phishing.