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Short answer: Turn on Hide referrer in the URL’s Advanced Options → Privacy. This applies a strict referrer policy so the destination site does not receive the original source/URL when visitors arrive.
  1. Open Links and select the link you want to protect.
  2. Click Edit.
  3. Expand Advanced Options → Privacy.
  4. Toggle Hide referrer to On.
  5. Click Save.
That’s it. Clicks to this link will arrive at the destination without passing a referrer.

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What changes after you hide the referrer?

  • Destination sees no referrer Analytics on the target page will classify traffic as Direct/None (or similar).
  • ShortPen Analytics stay intact You still get clicks, countries, devices, and top sources in your reports.
  • Redirect type compatibility Works with common redirect codes. Choose the right one for your scenario.
  • Social previews are unaffected Your share card (title/description/image) is unchanged.

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Important considerations

  • UTMs are still visible on the destination URL Hiding the referrer does not remove query parameters from the destination URL. If you want to limit what the destination can read, reduce or omit UTMs.
  • Link Cloaking vs. Hide Referrer Cloaking masks the destination behind your domain. Hiding the referrer stops sending the source page to the destination. You can use both if needed.
  • Downstream attribution shifts Since the destination won’t receive referrers, their analytics may attribute traffic as Direct. Rely on ShortPen for upstream source breakdowns.

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FAQ

No. Click measurement is unaffected, and you can still segment by device, country, and more.