https://www.google.com/search?q=ramen&gl=jp&hl=ja
LinkClean preserves this parameter — no change.
gl
What is gl?
What gl actually does
Where hl controls interface language (which language Google's UI is rendered in), gl controls result region (which country the results are localised to). They can be set independently — hl=ja&gl=us gives you Japanese UI but US-localised results.
gl values are ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country codes: us, gb, jp, de, fr, etc. They affect Search results' ranking (Google biases toward sources from that country), Maps' default region, and Shopping's currency / merchant pool.
Why it's not tracking
gl is a preference state, like hl. It doesn't carry identity, doesn't follow your click anywhere, and isn't tied to a cookie. Forwarding gl=jp tells the recipient's Google session to localise to Japan — that may or may not be what you intended, but it doesn't leak who you are.
How LinkClean handles it
Preserved on every host. Paired with hl in the language/region exemption set — both are documented in the glossary but never stripped.
Frequently asked
What's the difference between gl and hl?
gl is the country (which region's results to return); hl is the language (which language to render the UI in). They can be set independently.
What values does gl take?
ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country codes: us, gb, jp, de, fr, br, etc.
Does LinkClean strip gl?
No. gl is in the same explicit exemption set as hl, lang, setlang, and v (YouTube video ID).
Will the results change if I keep gl?
Yes — Google biases ranking and merchant pools toward the named country. That's the point of the parameter.
Clean tracking on iPhone, in one tap.
LinkClean strips 250+ vendor-specific tracking parameters from any link, from any app's share sheet — and preserves functional ones like hl, t (YouTube timestamp), and q (search). No account, on-device.
