LinkCleanhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ&t=43&si=AbCdEf12345
After LinkCleanhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ&t=43
si
Referral & source · YouTube + Spotify · introduced ~2020 · Updated 2026-07-22
What is si in a YouTube or Spotify link?
Where you'll see it
YouTube: every share from the iOS or Android app adds ?si=AbCdEf12345. Spotify: same parameter name, same behavior — every Spotify share carries it. The two platforms happened to pick the same letter; the tokens themselves are completely separate (YouTube's is Google's; Spotify's is Spotify's).
Why it's host-scoped
si is a short, generic-looking parameter name. Some sites use it functionally (sort indicator, session indicator, store ID). LinkClean's catalog scopes the strip rule to youtube.com / youtu.be / open.spotify.com / spotify.link — so the same parameter on an unrelated site isn't touched.
What gets preserved
Critically, YouTube's t= (start-at-N-seconds timestamp) is functional and preserved on every host. The youtu.be cleaning rule strips si but leaves t, so a shared video starts at the moment you intended.
How LinkClean removes it
Host-scoped default in LinkClean's referral catalog. Mirrors the t / s X rule (host-scoped strip on x.com / twitter.com).
Frequently asked
Are YouTube's si and Spotify's si the same token?
No. Same parameter name, different tokens. They're separate attribution systems that happen to use the same letter.
Does removing si break the video or track?
No. The destination only reads the path and the v= / track ID. si is purely Google's / Spotify's bookkeeping.
What about si on Reddit or Twitch?
LinkClean's si rule is host-scoped to youtube.com / youtu.be / open.spotify.com / spotify.link. Reddit and Twitch use si= for different purposes — LinkClean leaves them alone.
Why is si different from t= on YouTube?
Both are added by YouTube, but t= is functional (the start timestamp). The catalog preserves t= and strips si= — exactly the distinction this site is built around.
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.
