clean-links

Clean Links Browser Extension

A powerful, privacy-focused browser extension that automatically cleans URLs by removing tracking parameters and provides anti-phishing protection. Keep your links clean, safe, and private!

Demo Videos

How to Use Clean Links

See how Clean Links automatically removes tracking parameters when you copy URLs, keeping your links clean and private.

Anti-Phishing Protection in Action

Suspicious URL: https://pаypaI.com/login (using capital 'i')
Result: PHISHING WARNING displayed, URL not processed

Suspicious URL: https://pаypal.com/login (using Cyrillic 'а')
Result: PHISHING WARNING displayed, URL not processed

Suspicious URL: https://gооgle.com/search (using Cyrillic 'о')
Result: PHISHING WARNING displayed, URL not processed

See how Clean Links identifies and highlights similar-looking characters that help protect you from suspicious links and potential phishing attacks.

Features

URL Cleaning

• Automatic cleaning: URLs are cleaned when copied automatically
• Manual cleaning: Click extension popup or use keyboard shortcut
• Flexible modes: Remove all parameters, whitelist specific ones, or blacklist tracking parameters
• Fragment removal: Removes URL fragments (hash parameters) for complete cleaning

Anti-Phishing Protection

• Homoglyph detection: Warns about suspicious characters that mimic legitimate domains
• Visual warnings: Red alerts for potentially malicious URLs with detailed information
• Safe processing: Blocks cleaning of suspicious URLs to prevent accidental interaction

Multiple Access Methods

• Automatic: Copy any URL and it’s cleaned instantly (can be disabled)
• Popup interface: Click the extension icon for manual control
• Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+L (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+L (Mac)
• Context menu: Right-click on links or selected URLs and choose “Clean and copy”

Customization Options

• Automatic cleaning toggle: Enable or disable automatic URL cleaning when copying
• Remove All: Strip all query parameters (default)
• Whitelist: Keep only specified parameters (e.g., v, page, id)
• Blacklist: Remove only tracking parameters (e.g., utm_source, fbclid, gclid)
• Smart defaults: Pre-configured with common tracking parameters

Privacy & Security

• No data collection: Zero tracking, logging, or data transmission
• Local processing: All operations happen on your device
• Minimal permissions: Only essential clipboard and notification access
• Open source: Fully transparent and auditable code

How It Works

Automatic Mode

1. Copy any URL (e.g., https://example.com/page?utm_source=social&ref=banner&v=123)
2. Extension detects the URL and checks for phishing attempts
3. Parameters are cleaned based on your settings
4. Clean URL replaces clipboard content (https://example.com/page or https://example.com/page?v=123)
5. Brief notification confirms the action

Manual Mode

1. Copy a URL to your clipboard
2. Use any of these methods:
   • Click the extension icon and press “Clean URL”
   • Press Ctrl+Shift+L (or Cmd+Shift+L on Mac)
   • Right-click on a link or selected URL and choose “Clean and copy”
3. Configure your cleaning preferences in the popup if needed

Anti-Phishing Protection

• Scans domains for suspicious characters (Cyrillic letters, unusual Unicode)
• Displays warnings like: PHISHING WARNING: Suspicious characters in "pаypal.com": а
• Prevents processing of potentially malicious URLs

Installation

From Browser Extension Store

Chrome Web Store

Install Clean Links from Chrome Web Store

Other Browsers

Firefox Add-ons and Microsoft Edge Add-ons coming soon

Manual Installation (Developer Mode)

Chrome/Chromium/Edge

1. Download or clone this repository
2. Open browser and navigate to extensions page:
   • Chrome: chrome://extensions/
   • Edge: edge://extensions/
3. Enable “Developer mode” (toggle in top-right corner)
4. Click “Load unpacked” and select the extension folder
5. The Clean Links extension is now active!

Firefox

1. Download or clone this repository
2. Open Firefox and navigate to about:debugging
3. Click “This Firefox” → “Load Temporary Add-on”
4. Select the manifest.json file from the extension folder
5. The extension is now active!

Usage Examples

Basic URL Cleaning

Original: https://amazon.com/dp/B08N5WRWNW?ref=sr_1_3&keywords=laptop&sr=8-3&th=1
Cleaned:  https://amazon.com/dp/B08N5WRWNW

Whitelist Mode (keeping important parameters)

Settings: Whitelist = "v, page"
Original: https://youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ&list=PLrAXtmRdnEQy&index=1&t=42s
Cleaned:  https://youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

Blacklist Mode (removing specific tracking)

Settings: Blacklist = "utm_source, utm_campaign, fbclid"
Original: https://example.com/article?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=spring&page=2&v=1.0
Cleaned:  https://example.com/article?page=2&v=1.0

Phishing Detection

Suspicious URL: https://pаypal.com/login (using Cyrillic 'а')
Result: PHISHING WARNING displayed, URL not processed

Suspicious URL: https://gооgle.com/search (using Cyrillic 'о')
Result: PHISHING WARNING displayed, URL not processed

Testing

Open test/test.html in your browser to test the extension with various URL formats and edge cases.

Configuration

The extension provides flexible configuration options:

Automatic Cleaning

• Toggle: Enable or disable automatic URL cleaning when copying links
• Default: Enabled (can be turned off in popup settings)

Cleaning Modes

1. Remove All (Default): Strips all query parameters and fragments
2. Whitelist: Only keeps parameters you specify (comma-separated)
3. Blacklist: Only removes parameters you specify (comma-separated)

Manual Access Methods

• Extension popup: Click the extension icon for manual cleaning and settings
• Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+L (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+L (Mac)
• Context menu: Right-click on links or selected URLs for “Clean and copy” option

Common tracking parameters are pre-configured in blacklist mode:

• utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_content, utm_term
• ref, fbclid, gclid

Privacy & Security

What We Don’t Do

• No data collection or analytics
• No remote servers or API calls
• No user tracking or profiling
• No storage of URLs or clipboard content

What We Do

• Process URLs locally on your device
• Detect and warn about phishing attempts
• Store only your preference settings locally
• Provide complete transparency through open source code

Permissions Explained

• clipboardRead: Read URLs from clipboard for cleaning
• clipboardWrite: Replace clipboard with cleaned URLs
• activeTab: Access current tab for keyboard shortcut functionality
• storage: Save your cleaning preferences and automatic cleaning toggle
• notifications: Show desktop notifications for keyboard shortcut
• scripting: Execute clipboard operations via keyboard shortcut
• contextMenus: Add “Clean and copy” option to right-click menus

Known Limitations

Some websites restrict clipboard access due to security policies (Google Docs, WhatsApp Web, Outlook, etc.). On these sites:

• Automatic cleaning is disabled to respect browser security policies
• Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+L (or Cmd+Shift+L on Mac) for manual cleaning
• Use the extension popup by clicking the extension icon for manual cleaning
• This behavior is intentional to maintain security and browser extension store compliance

Technical Details

• Manifest Version: 3 (latest Chrome extension standard)
• File Size: ~15KB total
• Languages: JavaScript, HTML, CSS
• Browser Support:
  • Chrome 88+
  • Firefox 109+
  • Edge 88+
  • All Chromium-based browsers

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Here’s how you can help:

Bug Reports

• Use GitHub Issues to report bugs
• Include browser version, extension version, and steps to reproduce
• Provide example URLs that cause issues (remove sensitive data)

Feature Requests

• Open a GitHub Issue with the “enhancement” label
• Describe the use case and expected behavior
• Consider privacy implications of new features

Code Contributions

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Make your changes following existing code style
4. Test thoroughly with test/test.html
5. Commit changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
6. Push to branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
7. Open a Pull Request

Development Setup

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/clean-links.git
cd clean-links

# Load extension in browser (see Installation section above)
# Make changes and test with test/test.html

License

Apache License 2.0 - see LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Thanks to all users who prioritize privacy and clean web practices
• Inspired by the need for better URL hygiene in our digital communications
• Built with care for the privacy-conscious internet community

Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Discussions: GitHub Discussions
• Security: Report security issues privately via GitHub Security tab

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Made with care for a cleaner, safer web. Star this repository if Clean Links helps you!

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