The “Ignored Parameters” feature allows you to specify URL parameters that NitroPack can ignore when optimizing your website. You can enable it from Cache Settings >> Cache >> Ignored parameters.

To ignore a parameter, simply write down its name in the field.

Only the parameter name should be included here. For example, question marks (?), equals signs (=), separators (&) and parameter values should not be included.

If you have parameters with a similar name and a common root (like utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, etc.), you can use wildcards to exclude them, like this:

(NitroPack ignores UTM parameters by default. You don't need to add this rule manually - we're just using it as an example.)

Remember to save your settings after writing down the ignored parameters.

For a deeper dive on why ignoring parameters is necessary, read on. We'll start with the two most popular types of additional parameters.

Urchin Tracking Module (UTM) parameters are tags that help you learn more about the user behavior on your website.

For example, check out the URL below:

The underscored strings are three different UTM parameters. There are also other types of UTM parameters, but these three are used most often.

Regardless of the specific tags, NitroPack recognizes and ignores all UTM parameters by default.

Gclid or Google Click Identifier is another popular tracking parameter.

Its job is to transfer information between your Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts. You can find this parameter in the URL if you click on an ad in Google, for instance:

NitroPack also recognizes and ignores the gclid parameter by default.

Now, let’s talk about why ignoring parameters is awesome.

Let’s go back to our first example.

The UTM "source" parameter clearly states that Facebook led the visitor to this page.

Now, let’s say another visitor found this page through LinkedIn.

Both the Facebook and the LinkedIn visitor will see the same content on the page. However, they will have different URLs because of the UTM “source” parameter.

In such a case, caching solutions that don't ignore UTM parameters serve content from separate cache files. This is redundant because both users see the same content on the page.

So, by ignoring these parameters, NitroPack doesn’t create unnecessary cache files and keeps your website cache as lean as possible.

In the example above, NitroPack would see the URL as:

Keep in mind that the UTM and gclid parameters aren’t the only additional URL parameters out there. Other Parameters that don’t modify content on the page can also be specified and ignored with NitroPack’s “Ignored Parameters” option.

A good rule of thumb is that if you’re using a JavaScript library to track parameters, it should be safe to let NitroPack ignore them, provided they don’t modify content on the page.

On the other hand, if you’re using server-side software to track GET parameters, it’s better to use NitroPack’s “Excluded URLs” feature.

If you’re not sure how GET parameters are tracked, you should consult a tech expert before ignoring parameters or excluding URLs.

When the "Include the default ignored parameters" option is enabled, the following parameters will be ignored in addition to any parameters that you have configured already: