LinkCleanhttps://x.com/handle/status/1234567890?t=AbCdEf-12345_xyz&s=20
After LinkCleanhttps://x.com/handle/status/1234567890
s
Referral & source · X (formerly Twitter) · introduced ~2018 · Updated 2026-07-20
What is s in an X / Twitter share link?
What s= encodes
A numeric code identifying *where* the share originated. Known values include s=20 (iOS app), s=19 (web client), s=46 (third-party / API context). X uses it to slice share volume by surface in their internal dashboards. It doesn't identify you directly, but it narrows the cohort.
s= vs t=
t= is the per-share session token — closer to a unique fingerprint of the share. s= is the categorical surface code. Together they say “this share, from this surface.” LinkClean strips both as a pair; one without the other still leaks attribution.
Why host-scoped
s is a very short, generic parameter name. A blog might use ?s= for search. LinkClean's catalog scopes the strip to x.com / twitter.com — s= elsewhere is preserved.
How LinkClean removes it
Default-on in the referral catalog, paired with the same host-scoped t rule. Same architecture as the YouTube si cleanup.
Frequently asked
Does removing s= break the tweet?
No. The path (/handle/status/<id>) is the only part X needs to resolve the tweet.
What's the difference between t= and s= on X?
t= is per-share (a session-bound token, ~20 characters). s= is per-surface (which app or surface initiated the share, a small integer). Strip both.
Why is this host-scoped?
Because s= is a common functional parameter name on other sites (search queries on many blogs). LinkClean limits the X strip rule to x.com / twitter.com only.
Does X use s= elsewhere on its site?
No — it only appears on outbound share URLs. Internal X navigation doesn't carry it.
Clean tracking on iPhone, in one tap.
LinkClean strips ~80 vendor-specific tracking parameters from any link, from any app's share sheet — and preserves functional ones like hl, t (YouTube timestamp), and q (search). No account, on-device.
