# s_cid — the Adobe Analytics campaign code

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

Parameter: `s_cid` · Category: Analytics IDs · Vendor: Adobe Analytics

> s_cid is **a campaign tracking code that sites using Adobe Analytics put on their marketing links**. It does the job `utm_campaign` does for Google Analytics: it tells the site which campaign, email or ad a visit came from. The page loads the same without it, and LinkClean strips it on every site.

## Where s_cid comes from

Adobe Analytics has a campaign variable, and a site chooses which query parameter fills it. `s_cid` is one of the most common choices, with `cid` close behind; the `s_` prefix is the one Adobe's own code uses throughout.

So the name is a convention and not a fixed part of the product. The value is whatever the marketing team wrote: often a compact code such as `em_2026q3_newsletter_hero`.

## What it leaks

It is a source label. Anyone you forward the link to carries the same code, so their visit is counted as a response to a campaign they never saw. It also tells the recipient which email or ad you clicked.

## How LinkClean removes it

Default-on and global. The bare `cid` is a different matter: on Google Maps it is a place id, so it ships off by default and you can turn it on. ClearURLs, AdGuard's filter and Firefox strip `s_cid` as well.

## Example

Looks like this in a URL: `https://www.example.com/products/widget?s_cid=em_2026q3_newsletter_hero&color=blue`

After LinkClean: `https://www.example.com/products/widget?color=blue`

## Frequently asked

**Is s_cid the same as a utm tag?**

It does the same job for a different analytics product. utm tags feed Google Analytics; s_cid feeds Adobe Analytics.

**Is s_cid safe to remove?**

Yes. It is read by the site's analytics and does not change the page.

**Why does LinkClean leave cid alone?**

Because cid is functional on some sites, including Google Maps. It is in the catalog but off until you enable it.


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LinkClean removes tracking parameters from links on-device — free to clean, one-time Pro. https://linkclean.app/ · Cite freely with attribution.