# CMP=share_btn_url — the Guardian's campaign code

- Canonical: https://linkclean.app/trackers/cmp/
- Updated: 2026-10-05
- Author: Ken Tominaga (https://ken0nek.com)
- Get the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/linkclean/id6758604043

Parameter: `CMP` · Category: Referral & source · Vendor: The Guardian

> CMP is **the campaign code the Guardian adds to its article links**. `CMP=share_btn_url` means the link was copied with the share button, and other values name the app or the newsletter it came from. The article loads the same without it, and LinkClean strips it on theguardian.com.

## What the value says

The value names the route the link took. `share_btn_url` is the copy-link share button. Values beginning `Share_iOSApp` or `Share_AndroidApp` come from the Guardian's apps, and social and newsletter links carry codes of their own.

It is a source label, not a personal identifier: everyone who uses the same button gets the same value. What it adds to a link you pass on is a note about how you came to have it.

## Why it is scoped to the Guardian

`CMP` is three letters, and elsewhere the same name can mean something else entirely. LinkClean removes it on `theguardian.com` only. The match ignores case, so `cmp=` is treated the same way there.

## How LinkClean removes it

Default-on, scoped to `theguardian.com`. Everything else in the address, including `page=` on paginated articles, is kept. ClearURLs and Brave strip it on the Guardian too.

## Example

Looks like this in a URL: `https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/01/example-story?CMP=share_btn_url`

After LinkClean: `https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/01/example-story`

## Frequently asked

**What does CMP stand for?**

Campaign. It is the Guardian's own campaign-code parameter, the house equivalent of a utm tag.

**Is CMP=share_btn_url tracking me personally?**

No. The value is the same for everyone who uses the share button. It labels the source of the visit.

**Does the article open without it?**

Yes. The article is addressed by the path.


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