When sharing a web link, you don’t always need everything that comes after the question mark. Basic tech lesson right there.

These extra characters, known as URL parameters, serve various purposes, from helping websites and apps track user sessions and traffic sources to remembering user preferences. However, they can also reveal how a link was generated, including the platform and the device used to share it.

This has become more apparent with X (formerly Twitter), where shared links have been found to carry identifiers that reveal the device used and even the method used to share the link.

For instance, try copying and sharing a link to a post, profile or any other page on X. You will notice some additional characters at the end, including s= followed by a number.

Interestingly, testing has proven that these numbers correspond to different devices and sharing methods, as listed below.

s=19 – copying a link on Android.
s=20 – copying a link on desktop web
s=21 – copying a link on iOS.
s=46 – copying a link on iPhone.
s=51 – copying a link on iPhone, share via Gmail.
s=33 – copying a link on Android, share via Discord.

These four characters reveal the device used to share a link from X.

Fix? Trim all link parameters after the question mark. You don’t need them; in fact, they compromise your privacy.

Take this X post link, for example. Both versions open the same post, but the first one carries extra information about the device and sharing method.

With URL parameters: https://x.com/nymynet/status/1795739746053816506?a=NvLMqtTfP0mzzbAVPZU&s=20

Without parameters: https://x.com/nymynet/status/1795739746053816506

Why share all those extra details when you don’t have to?