Links are the connective tissue of knowledge work. But most of the links we copy and share today are… a mess. They’re bloated with tracking parameters, session tokens, referral junk, and opaque identifiers—what we might simply call URL cruft. This cruft makes links:
- harder to read
- less trustworthy
- less stable
- and frankly, less pleasant to share
Hookmark fixes this with a deceptively simple feature: Clean My Links™.
Copy Clean Links—Automatically
You don’t need a paid Hookmark license to clean links. Here’s how it works:
Invoke Hookmark on any web page (in any browser), then press
Copy Link (⌘C) or Copy As Markdown Link (⌘M) (latter is a Pro feature).
That’s it.
Hookmark copies a clean, canonical version of the current page URL—stripping out tracking parameters and preserving only what actually identifies the resource.
No extensions. No configuration. No fuss.
It’s free!
You don’t even need to pay for a Hookmark license to use Clean My Links™. It comes with the free Hookmark Basic app.
Why This Matters
Cleaning links isn’t just cosmetic. It’s about:
- Clarity — You (and others) can see what the link actually points to
- Stability — Fewer brittle, session-dependent URLs
- Privacy — No leaking tracking tokens
- Cognitive ease — Less noise, better flow
This aligns with a broader principle: A good link should include only what’s needed to point to the page—nothing extra. Everything else just gets in the way.
Examples of Clean My Links™ in Action
Below are real examples of messy URLs transformed into clean, shareable links.
Amazon
Before (with tracking cruft):
https://www.amazon.ca/Enshittification-Everything-Suddenly-Worse-About/dp/0374619328/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9._SjOlLplb7Z0Rvscl1ZihXsKv3j5PVjTYExbZMJmZuDtJLCIavbyJiKbtQJUy3Xn0bNemqglamuZWtNQzFB2_Q.x7nWZNgrA7o7I-w9roq4O53Ys4E1Wx9KWxrJHyQb-aY&dib_tag=se&gad_source=1&hvadid=788657704505&hvdev=c&hvexpln=0&hvlocphy=9001509&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=17902577840324087743–&hvqmt=b&hvrand=17902577840324087743&hvtargid=kwd-2078990547242&hydadcr=22430_13682881&keywords=enshittification&mcid=82e56b35149932d7aa07352f600aa68d&qid=1768014783&sr=8-1
After (cleaned by Clean My Links™):
https://www.amazon.ca/Enshittification-Everything-Suddenly-Worse-About/dp/0374619328
Before:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/manifesto-ubiquitous-linking-luc-p-beaudoin/?trackingId=5%2FsgqsR%2FTs24OpaGFSnIXQ%3D%3D
After:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/manifesto-ubiquitous-linking-luc-p-beaudoin/
Facebook (Profile)
Before:
https://www.facebook.com/JohnDoe12345/?mibextid=ZbWKwL&ref=share
After:
https://www.facebook.com/JohnDoe12345/
Facebook (Group Post)
Before:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/123456789012345/posts/987654321098765/?multi_permalinks=987654321098765&ref=share&mibextid=S66gvF
After:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/123456789012345/posts/987654321098765/
X (Twitter)
Before:
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1234567890123456789?s=20&t=AbCdEfGhIjKlMnOpQrStUv
After:
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1234567890123456789
Goodreads
Before:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61153739-outlive?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=q6Kx8eIGI7&rank=5
After:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61153739-outlive
A Small Feature with Big Impact
Clean My Links™ may seem like a small convenience. But over time, it changes how you work:
- Your notes become cleaner
- Your links become more durable
- Your communication becomes more intentional
And perhaps most importantly:
You stop propagating junk.
No Extensions. Works Everywhere.
Unlike many alternatives, Hookmark:
- requires no browser extension
- works across all link-friendly browsers
- integrates seamlessly into your existing workflow,
- and is free.
You just invoke Hookmark and copy.
Conclusion
Clean My Links™ embodies a simple but powerful idea:
Links should point clearly, and only, to what matters.
By stripping away the noise, Hookmark helps you build a cleaner, more reliable web of knowledge—one link at a time.
In a follow-up post, I’ll compare Hookmark’s Clean My Links™ feature with other approaches. But one advantage is already clear: Hookmark works everywhere—quietly, automatically, without getting in your way, is free, and loaded with other linking features.
Read more about Clean My Links here.
Check out the Manifesto for Ubiquitous Linking for more information on our mission. And download Hookmark now.