Key takeaways
- Link Tracking Protection removes click identifiers from URLs on the client side, before the destination site can collect them.
- Since Safari 26 in September 2025, LTP applies to all Safari browsing, not just private browsing, Mail and Messages.
- Parameters such as gclid, fbclid, msclkid, at_click and at_id are removed, while standard UTM parameters are kept.
- Losing click IDs leads to incomplete attribution, harder deduplication and wider gaps between platform data and site data.
- Rigorous UTM parameters, first-party redirects, server-side tracking and Safari-specific QA testing keep measurement reliable.
In short
Link Tracking Protection is a Safari feature that strips click identifiers such as gclid, fbclid and msclkid from URLs, and since Safari 26 it applies to all browsing. This makes it harder to link sessions to ad clicks, but UTM parameters survive. Advertisers can adapt by structuring UTMs carefully and relying on first-party and server-side tracking.
1. Introduction to Apple’s Link Tracking Protection (LTP)
For several years, Apple has been pursuing a clear strategy aimed at reducing the ability of advertising players to track individuals in a persistent and cross-site manner. After introducing Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) on Safari, followed by App Tracking Transparency (ATT) on iOS, the company launched a new measure called Link Tracking Protection (LTP).
Unlike ITP, which targets cookies, LTP acts directly on URLs by automatically removing certain parameters considered to be trackers - particularly click identifiers - before the destination site even has access to them. This evolution has a concrete impact on advertising measurement and requires new best practices to continue measuring effectively.
2. Context reminder: Safari, privacy, and tracking
To fully understand LTP, it’s important to revisit Apple’s trajectory and its three technological pillars:
ITP (Intelligent Tracking Prevention): Introduced in 2017 to drastically limit third-party cookies.
ATT (App Tracking Transparency): Enforced since iOS 14.5, it requires explicit consent for cross-app tracking.
LTP (Link Tracking Protection): The new layer targeting identifiers embedded directly in links.
These measures reflect a consistent commitment to privacy by design. To explore these technical aspects further, you can refer to the official WebKit (Apple) documentation.
3. Major evolution: Safari 26 (September 2025)
In September 2025, Apple took a further step with the rollout of Safari 26 on iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe. From now on, Link Tracking Protection (LTP) is enabled for all browsing in Safari, no longer limited to private browsing or apps like Mail and Messages.
This means that advertising click parameters are removed in a wider range of cases, including during standard browsing sessions. As click identifiers become less available, it is now essential to rely on first-party mechanisms and server-side approaches.
4. What is Link Tracking Protection (LTP)?
LTP is a native Safari feature that “cleans” URLs upstream. When a user clicks on a link, the browser identifies parameters considered to be trackers and removes them on the client side.
The destination page is then loaded without this data, preventing the receiving site from collecting it. This protection is applied by default on both mobile and desktop Safari, as well as in Apple applications that use WebKit.
5. Which parameters are affected?
Apple primarily targets parameters used for cross-site advertising attribution that contain a unique identifier (UID).
Removed parameters: gclid (Google Ads), fbclid (Meta), msclkid (Microsoft Ads), as well as at_click and at_id (Piano Analytics).
Retained parameters: Standard UTM parameters such as utm_source, utm_medium, or utm_campaign are still allowed, as they provide marketing context information without identifying an individual user.
6. What are the real impacts of LTP on marketing and data?
Teams will observe the disappearance of certain parameters as soon as the user lands on the site, making it impossible to link a session to a specific click in the CRM.
This leads to incomplete advertising attribution, more complex deduplication, and growing discrepancies between platform data and the site’s actual data. This structural shift makes it necessary to rethink data reliability by leveraging server-side tracking solutions.
7. Focus: at_ parameters (Piano Analytics)
Piano Analytics-specific parameters, such as at_click or at_id, are particularly exposed because their standard naming is easily detected by Apple’s algorithms. Since they often contain a unique identifier, they are stripped on arrival in Safari and can no longer be stored. To work around this issue, it is strongly recommended to use traditional UTM parameters, which Piano Analytics can handle to ensure the tracking of your campaigns.
8. Best practices to continue measuring effectively
LTP does not mark the end of measurement, but it does require adapting data collection methods. It is recommended to structure your UTM parameters rigorously and add non-identifying parameters to preserve context.
Another approach is to move the identifier to the server side via a first-party redirect, enabling the generation of a backend ID stored in a first-party cookie. Finally, it is crucial to specifically include Safari in your QA testing to anticipate performance gaps compared to other browsers.
9. What LTP helps preserve
Contrary to common misconceptions, LTP is not a complete block on measurement. This feature:
Still allows conversion validation on your site.
Preserves all your UTM parameters for marketing analysis.
Maintains the effectiveness of well-designed first-party tracking.
Ensures fair treatment across all advertising platforms.
10. Impact on TrackAd
Using TrackAd helps offset the limitations imposed by LTP by centralizing data collection through a hybrid architecture based on UTM parameters. By reconciling data from conversion APIs (CAPI) with signals collected on the site, TrackAd restores a reliable view of attribution. This reduces measurement discrepancies caused by Safari and maintains precise ad budget optimization, despite the disappearance of click identifiers in URLs.
In addition, TrackAd’s flexibility ensures full continuity of your tracking: even if your URL parameters change or evolve, the tool guarantees consistent tracking of traffic sources via UTMs, without any loss of history or impact on your overall analyses.
11. Conclusion
Link Tracking Protection (LTP) is a natural extension of Apple’s strategy to eliminate exposed identifiers. With Safari 26, this measure becomes widespread and must now be systematically integrated into any tracking strategy.
While it marks the end of clearly visible identifiers in URLs, brands that prioritize first-party and server-side mechanisms, combined with well-structured UTM parameters, will remain resilient in the face of these technological changes.
Safari Link Tracking Protection in 6 questions
What is Link Tracking Protection in Safari?
Link Tracking Protection (LTP) is a native Safari feature that cleans URLs when a user clicks a link, removing parameters considered to be trackers. The destination page loads without this data, so the receiving site cannot collect it. It applies by default on mobile and desktop Safari and in Apple apps that use WebKit.
How is LTP different from ITP and ATT?
ITP, introduced in 2017, limits third-party cookies in Safari, and ATT, enforced since iOS 14.5, requires explicit consent for cross-app tracking. LTP adds a new layer that targets identifiers embedded directly in links rather than cookies. Together they reflect Apple's privacy-by-design strategy.
What changed with Safari 26?
With Safari 26, rolled out in September 2025 on iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe, LTP is enabled for all browsing in Safari. It is no longer limited to private browsing or apps like Mail and Messages. Advertising click parameters are therefore removed in standard browsing sessions too.
Does Safari remove UTM parameters?
No, standard UTM parameters such as utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign are still allowed. They provide marketing context without identifying an individual user. Only parameters containing a unique identifier used for cross-site attribution are targeted.
How should Piano Analytics users handle at_ parameters?
Piano Analytics parameters such as at_click and at_id are easily detected by Apple and often contain a unique identifier, so they disappear on arrival in Safari. The recommended workaround is to use traditional UTM parameters, which Piano Analytics can handle to track campaigns.
How does TrackAd deal with Link Tracking Protection?
TrackAd centralizes data collection through a hybrid architecture based on UTM parameters and reconciles conversion API data with signals collected on the site. This restores a reliable view of attribution despite missing click identifiers. It also keeps traffic source tracking consistent via UTMs, without loss of history, even if URL parameters change.
