ClearURLs
ClearURLs: Protect Your Online Privacy
ClearURLs is a powerful Chrome extension designed to enhance your privacy by automatically removing tracking elements from URLs. As you browse the internet, many websites embed tracking parameters in the URLs to monitor your online activity. ClearURLs eliminates these elements, ensuring your browsing remains private and clean.
For example, an Amazon product link packed with tracking information becomes simplified with ClearURLs until it only shows the essential part of the link. This extension also supports the blocking of common ad domains, prevents hyperlink auditing, and stops Google and Yandex from rewriting search results with tracking elements. Features include context menu integration for easy copying of clean links, support for logging, settings export/import, and a donation button to support continued development. Protect your data and surf smarter with ClearURLs!
- <all_urls>
- webRequest
- webRequestBlocking
- storage
- unlimitedStorage
- contextMenus
- webNavigation
- tabs
- downloads
Ranking
User reviews
- Cleans URLs effectively
- Lightens browsing experience according to some users
- Has a good idea and concept behind it
- Provides privacy benefits by removing tracking parameters
- Works as intended for most of the time
- Breaks functionality on many websites (e.g. Google Sheets, Google Docs, eBay, Amazon)
- No option to whitelist or blacklist URLs, leading to frequent need to disable the extension
- Not updated since 2022 and worries about future support due to Chrome's upcoming changes (Manifest V2 deprecation)
- Introduces issues with login processes and third-party app permissions
- Inconsistent performance; sometimes fails to clean URLs as expected
- Breaks various Google services (Docs, Sheets, Play Books)
- Lacks whitelist or blacklist options for specific URLs
- Effective at clearing URLs when it works but problematic on many sites
User reviews
Matthew K, 2025-03-12 
o, 2025-02-06 
Alexei Zakharov, 2025-01-17Extension safety
Risk impact
ClearURLs requires some sensitive permissions that could impact your browser and data security. Exercise caution before installing.
Risk impact analysis details
- Critical Allows access to all websites, posing a significant security risk as it can monitor and modify data from any visited site.
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Risk likelihood
ClearURLs has earned a fairly good reputation and likely can be trusted.
Risk likelihood analysis details
- High This extension support email may not be valid.
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