Strip tracking parameters (utm_, fbclid…) and unwrap AMP links — the moment you copy on Mac, and as pages load in Safari on Mac, iPhone & iPad. 100% on-device: no accounts, no servers, no telemetry. One purchase covers every device.
Let me open with something most founders wouldn't: almost none of the cleaning logic in Unfurl is mine.
The rules that decide what counts as a tracker ClearURLs, Brave's lists, AdGuard's URL Tracking filter, the EasyList lineage. The $removeparam syntax I parse uBlock Origin's. The "pull the real link out of a redirect" idea Brave called it debouncing years ago. I didn't invent any of it. I read a lot and leaned hard into open standards, on purpose.
So when someone asks about the moat, the honest first answer is: it isn't the cleaning. Which raises the actual question, and the reason I'm starting this thread once the hard knowledge is already open source, what's left to build?
First, the terrain because the tradeoffs are the interesting part.
Easy one to kick us off. This is one Amazon product page a watch exactly as Amazon handed me the link:
https://www.amazon.com/Longines-...
The page it actually points to?
https://www.amazon.com/Longines-...
This is one of those products that solves a problem most people don't realize they have until they see it in action.
What impressed me most isn't just the URL cleaning itself, but the privacy-first approach behind it: everything runs locally, there's no telemetry, and the Safari extension doesn't need to inspect page content to do its job.
Thoughtful engineering, excellent UX, and a clear respect for users' privacy.
As a developer, I really appreciate the technical deep dive that led to the AMP unwrapping solution. Instead of accepting the limitations everyone repeated online, this product really does something different not only in UX, but also in the technical level.
This app is so good for privacy and so "clean" (design and ux) that will probably become a native feature for future iOS/MacOS. This non-intrusive approach makes everything smooth.
It should have a Windows/Linux version, with the same UX
I tested it, and it’s much nicer to share a short Amazon link with someone, where they can clearly see the real purpose of the link instead of a bunch of random stuff in the URL.
Thank you so much, Zhorn! Having you on this made a real difference — because of you, the app can now reach so many more people. I'd never have caught that it wasn't running on macOS versions below 26 on my own. Genuinely grateful to have you testing alongside me! 🙏
If you don't mind, share any of the scariest links you've stumbled upon recently — and the clean version (or I'll do it after) — in this thread to keep it rolling.
https://www.producthunt.com/p/unfurl-strip-the-junk-keep-the-link/what-s-the-gnarliest-url-you-ve-copied-this-week-paste-it
I've been using Unfurl for a couple weeks and I simply love it. The fact that everything runs locally with zero telemetry is a huge win. The menu bar integration makes link cleaning completely effortless, and the Safari extension approach is a clever solution to a problem most people don't realize exists. Thoughtful, privacy-first software done right.
Carlão! 🙏 This means the world — and the "effortless / done right" you're describing is honestly partly your doing. You were in there from the early beta, catching the rough edges most people would scroll right past — you even nudged me into cutting a permission I didn't really need, so the app is a little more private because of you. The guy who notices the tiny icon animation is exactly the guy whose feedback shapes a v2.0. Thank you, truly.
Honestly? This product isn't for me. I’m the developer’s partner, a veterinarian, and obviously, I don’t know much about tracking parameters. But I can say that Unfurl does exactly what it promises without getting in the way of my daily routine; after all, I always forget it’s even there - which, as I understand it, is the entire point. Proud of you. ❤️
@thalita_oliveira3, this one got me. "I forget it's even there" is the best thing anyone's said all launch — and hearing it from you means more than any tech review could. Thank you for the patience, the late nights, and for building a life with me while I build these things. I love you, always. ❤️
Loved this. I never realized how much extra stuff was attached to links until I started paying attention. This is definitely going to make my everyday browsing and sharing a lot cleaner and safer.
@guilherme_moura5, If you don't mind, paste a suspicious link you came across in the other thread, and I'll show you how it get cleaned. https://www.producthunt.com/p/unfurl-strip-the-junk-keep-the-link/what-s-the-gnarliest-url-you-ve-copied-this-week-paste-it
Even I would love to see that becoming a native feature from macOS and Safari! 🤭