<![CDATA[The actual ‘video ID’ is the random string after:]]>The actual ‘video ID’ is the random string after:

youtube.com/watch?v=

If there is a “&” or “?” with another random string that is the tracker

You can delete everything after the after the first random string starting with the “&”

Or don’t use !

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/topic/dc47400c-83d3-487f-be2e-dbd7aefb43e9/the-actual-video-id-is-the-random-string-afterRSS for NodeSun, 11 Oct 2026 21:49:20 GMTMon, 05 Oct 2026 21:58:06 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to The actual ‘video ID’ is the random string after: on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 14:15:23 GMT]]>@Illudium_Q36 @stux

awesome, thank you!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.opportunis.me/users/Grandasse_/statuses/117394382769749485https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.opportunis.me/users/Grandasse_/statuses/117394382769749485Tue, 06 Oct 2026 14:15:23 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The actual ‘video ID’ is the random string after: on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 13:55:01 GMT]]>@stux I wonder if that's part of the issue. A shortened link that's that long doesn't look shortened, just different. So people are even more unsure about what can be safely cut out.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/timtfj/statuses/117394302656412073https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/timtfj/statuses/117394302656412073Tue, 06 Oct 2026 13:55:01 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The actual ‘video ID’ is the random string after: on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 13:49:22 GMT]]>@timtfj That’s true!

The shortened url is really crappy from YT, maybe I’ll should add an extra explainer

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.social/users/stux/statuses/117394280470619763https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.social/users/stux/statuses/117394280470619763Tue, 06 Oct 2026 13:49:22 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The actual ‘video ID’ is the random string after: on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 13:03:04 GMT]]>@Kierkegaanks @stux Not everyone can remember detail, or even see it, or absorb explanations that aren't tailored to how they learn. I don't believe most are refusing.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/timtfj/statuses/117394098388216980https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/timtfj/statuses/117394098388216980Tue, 06 Oct 2026 13:03:04 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The actual ‘video ID’ is the random string after: on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:53:38 GMT]]>@stux Just noting that your example link isn't one that uses "?v=", which could conceivably confuse someone. (Hopefully it won't, but there are a surprising number of ways in which people can be confused.)

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/timtfj/statuses/117394061303502972https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/timtfj/statuses/117394061303502972Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:53:38 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The actual ‘video ID’ is the random string after: on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:12:42 GMT]]>@liquidlamp @Tekchip @stux Is there any way to cut it on the firewall formula on main router? (Mikrotik or other?)

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.com.pl/ap/users/116451774652598637/statuses/117393900353342611https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.com.pl/ap/users/116451774652598637/statuses/117393900353342611Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:12:42 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The actual ‘video ID’ is the random string after: on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:11:55 GMT]]>@stux > XcQ

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://masto.ai/users/noodlejetski/statuses/117393897244402067https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://masto.ai/users/noodlejetski/statuses/117393897244402067Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:11:55 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The actual ‘video ID’ is the random string after: on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:07:45 GMT]]>@stux Generally, I find all that source gunk is added when the video is in a list, but copying the link from a video being played doesn't add it (thereby avoiding having to remove it when pasting it somewhere).

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/davep/statuses/117393880850151055https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/davep/statuses/117393880850151055Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:07:45 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The actual ‘video ID’ is the random string after: on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 08:00:42 GMT]]>@stux what is that compression? blurry red over black... not ideal to be read

also we need more usless back margin on top

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.opportunis.me/users/Grandasse_/statuses/117392909437601703https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.opportunis.me/users/Grandasse_/statuses/117392909437601703Tue, 06 Oct 2026 08:00:42 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The actual ‘video ID’ is the random string after: on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 07:45:46 GMT]]>@stux Creators have to go nowhere (especially if they want to earn money):
- PeerTube has zero monetization whatsoever, except for the Donate button;
- Rumble is far-right;
- Odysse had a crypto controversy in the past;
- VK Video/Rutube not only russian, but also barely pay you and promote you (as a creator), preffering to promote whoever paid them;
- Vimeo/Daily motion and every other platform have zero monetization, or even require you to pay to upload.
And most importantly, no other platform is as big as YouTube to compete against. So even creators present on PeerTube have to mirror their content to YouTube, unless it violates YouTube's ToS.]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://isn.tapaf.onl/notes/arzxuu8cpw1xz5e9https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://isn.tapaf.onl/notes/arzxuu8cpw1xz5e9Tue, 06 Oct 2026 07:45:46 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The actual ‘video ID’ is the random string after: on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 07:38:08 GMT]]>@stux
Weirdly, when I copy a Youtube link from my browser it doesn't have those. Do they only get added if you click some "share" button?

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://c.im/ap/users/116216635389955538/statuses/117392820674675107https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://c.im/ap/users/116216635389955538/statuses/117392820674675107Tue, 06 Oct 2026 07:38:08 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The actual ‘video ID’ is the random string after: on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 07:03:35 GMT]]>@stux hidden rickroll spotted👀

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/edgeofeurope/statuses/117392684867234417https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/edgeofeurope/statuses/117392684867234417Tue, 06 Oct 2026 07:03:35 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The actual ‘video ID’ is the random string after: on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 05:22:55 GMT]]>@stux Or you can use https://invidious.nerdvpn.de/watch?v=42iVcEg5SOM

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://okla.social/users/gam3/statuses/117392288979464920https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://okla.social/users/gam3/statuses/117392288979464920Tue, 06 Oct 2026 05:22:55 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The actual ‘video ID’ is the random string after: on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 05:11:16 GMT]]>@Tekchip @stux you can install the above in the mobile version of Firefox/waterfox.

To ensure its used for YouTube on mobile, you need to disable the YouTube app on android. They dont allow you to uninstall it without root, but it will stay disabled. Any YouTube links will then open in your browser instead.

This has the added benefit of letting you use extensions like ublock origin and unhook to de-enshitify YouTube on mobile too boot.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/liquidlamp/statuses/117392243196536896https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/liquidlamp/statuses/117392243196536896Tue, 06 Oct 2026 05:11:16 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The actual ‘video ID’ is the random string after: on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 04:32:34 GMT]]>@stux People dont listen Stux I told them a bazillion times I also shared 4 to 5 cross platform & cross browser, ways to tell them and yet still I see them sharing the tracking URLs.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mas.to/users/nemo/statuses/117392091024071916https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mas.to/users/nemo/statuses/117392091024071916Tue, 06 Oct 2026 04:32:34 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The actual ‘video ID’ is the random string after: on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 04:14:20 GMT]]>@stux I routinely remove it too and it's funny, I didn't know it was a tracker, I just thought it was messy unnecessary junk and I didn't trust it. Which, I mean, yeah

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mas.to/users/independentpen/statuses/117392019312560643https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mas.to/users/independentpen/statuses/117392019312560643Tue, 06 Oct 2026 04:14:20 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The actual ‘video ID’ is the random string after: on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 04:11:17 GMT]]>@stux I do the same.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://beige.party/users/ned/statuses/117392007314346551https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://beige.party/users/ned/statuses/117392007314346551Tue, 06 Oct 2026 04:11:17 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The actual ‘video ID’ is the random string after: on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 03:58:38 GMT]]>@ecoscore @stux

Same here. I used to use the share button and then manually prune off the tracking tag. But then YouTube has been screwing around with the inner of its Web interface, so I just go back to the address bar and copy off the relevant part

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://masto.ai/users/GhostOnTheHalfShell/statuses/117391957611671384https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://masto.ai/users/GhostOnTheHalfShell/statuses/117391957611671384Tue, 06 Oct 2026 03:58:38 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The actual ‘video ID’ is the random string after: on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 03:56:31 GMT]]>@stux

I have been absolutely religious stripping off any tracking tags on YouTube links.

I stripped those sorts of things off of regular Web URL because they come loaded with them as well.

To hell with it all

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://masto.ai/users/GhostOnTheHalfShell/statuses/117391949259531386https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://masto.ai/users/GhostOnTheHalfShell/statuses/117391949259531386Tue, 06 Oct 2026 03:56:31 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The actual ‘video ID’ is the random string after: on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 03:54:14 GMT]]>@stux And here is an iphone shortcut I made that strips these URL queries from a string in your clipboard and adds the clean URL to your clipboard.

I keep the shortcut on my home screen and click it before sending links. Lots of sites include user ID for shareable links.

https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/ae4f884d93a44906ad14c078cbf97542

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hachyderm.io/ap/users/116807765212092172/statuses/117391940317008082https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hachyderm.io/ap/users/116807765212092172/statuses/117391940317008082Tue, 06 Oct 2026 03:54:14 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The actual ‘video ID’ is the random string after: on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 03:50:35 GMT]]>@stux I prefer this version.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/116316072903296778/statuses/117391925955716536https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/116316072903296778/statuses/117391925955716536Tue, 06 Oct 2026 03:50:35 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The actual ‘video ID’ is the random string after: on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:56:26 GMT]]>@stux@mstdn.social

Yeah I don't use it. It keeps demanding I sign in to watch anything.
Sooo I don't share links.
Vivaldi can usually cut the tracking stuff for other sites, but I try to be careful.
Funny how copying original links to Fediposts doesn't come with this problem; by design.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mk.absturztau.be/notes/arzj8fw8q9xm00bdhttps://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mk.absturztau.be/notes/arzj8fw8q9xm00bdTue, 06 Oct 2026 00:56:26 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The actual ‘video ID’ is the random string after: on Mon, 05 Oct 2026 23:52:45 GMT]]>@stux but every single content creator is on youtube? /s, ig

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://c.im/ap/users/116352254831008129/statuses/117390990708836371https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://c.im/ap/users/116352254831008129/statuses/117390990708836371Mon, 05 Oct 2026 23:52:45 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to The actual ‘video ID’ is the random string after: on Mon, 05 Oct 2026 23:15:34 GMT]]>@stux Also applies to Amazon links for anything after "/dp/[random string]"

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://todon.eu/ap/users/115601049471092408/statuses/117390844527640654https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://todon.eu/ap/users/115601049471092408/statuses/117390844527640654Mon, 05 Oct 2026 23:15:34 GMT