# si — YouTube and Spotify's share-identifier

- Canonical: https://linkclean.app/trackers/si/
- Updated: 2026-07-22
- Author: Ken Tominaga (https://ken0nek.com)
- Get the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/linkclean/id6758604043

Parameter: `si` · Category: Referral & source · Vendor: YouTube + Spotify

> si is a share-identifier token both YouTube and Spotify add to links copied from their apps. It ties the click back to the sharing session. LinkClean strips it host-scoped to youtube.com / youtu.be / spotify.com so a parameter called si on an unrelated site is left alone.

## 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).

## Example

Looks like this in a URL: `https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ&t=43&si=AbCdEf12345`

After LinkClean: `https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ&t=43`

## 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.


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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.