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Technology and tracking

Affiliate link

Also called tracking link, referral link, partner link, affiliate URL.

Short answer

An affiliate link is a URL with a unique code that identifies which affiliate sent the visitor. The click is recorded on the network's server before the user is redirected to the store, so a later purchase can be credited to the right sender.

Definition of Affiliate link.

An affiliate link has two parts: an address at the affiliate network and a code that points to exactly one affiliate and one program. When someone clicks, the traffic hits the network's server first. The server records the click, stores who sent it, and then redirects the visitor to the store's page. The journey takes one extra hop and is normally not noticed by the visitor.

Recording the click is what makes the link more than a referral. The click gets its own ID, and that ID travels on in the URL to the store. If the visitor buys something, the store's system sends the ID back, and the sale can be tied to the right affiliate. Without the ID, the store only sees a visitor with no sender.

An affiliate link is not an ordinary recommendation. It is a commercial referral, and under Danish marketing law the advertising must be clearly labelled before the reader clicks. Technically, the link should also be marked with rel=sponsored or rel=nofollow so search engines do not treat the referral as an editorial recommendation.

The parts of an affiliate link

The code itself identifies the affiliate and the program. If the code is invalid or deleted, there is nobody to credit, and the click is not recorded. The code is therefore the only mandatory element – the rest is optional detail.

Two optional parts are used in practice: a destination that sends the visitor to a specific product page instead of the home page, and a sub-ID the affiliate sets themselves to see which article, video or ad the click came from. The sub-ID is the affiliate's own bookkeeping and does not affect the commission.

What can get lost along the way

The link only works if the ID makes it all the way to the order. If the visitor is sent through a redirect that strips URL parameters, or the store opens in an entirely new app context, the trail can break. The safest option is to link directly to the page the buyer should land on.

Browsers restrict third-party cookies, but an affiliate link does not depend on them when the ID is in the URL and stored by the store's own domain. Tracking that relies solely on a third-party cookie, on the other hand, falls apart in Safari and in private windows.

Affiliate link vs. deep link

AspectAffiliate linkDeep link
What it isAny tracked referral from affiliate to storeAn affiliate link with a specific landing page built in
Lands onThe store's home page, unless something else is specifiedThe exact product or category page
Used forBanners, profile links, general mentionsProduct reviews, comparisons, price lists
Effect on conversionThe visitor has to find the product themselvesFewer steps from mention to basket

A deep link is a variant of the affiliate link – use it every time you mention a specific product.

How it goes wrong

  • 01

    The link is shared as plain text

    If an affiliate link is pasted in as plain text, some platforms shorten or rewrite the address so the code does not come along. Share the link as a clickable element, and check afterwards that the code is still in the address.

  • 02

    Missing ad disclosure

    An affiliate link is a paid referral. The disclosure must come before the link and be understandable without clicking. An abbreviation hidden in a cloud of hashtags does not meet the requirement.

  • 03

    Clicking your own link

    Test clicks from your own device look like real traffic in the log, and a subsequent purchase may be rejected as a self-referral. Arrange a test order with the store instead.

At Affilyflow

Affiliate link in practice

On Affilyflow, the click hits our server before the visitor reaches the store. At that moment, the commission rate and commission type are copied onto the click row itself, and the length of the attribution window is locked in the same place. If the store changes the rate the next day, the rate that applied at the click still counts.

Expiry of the window is decided on the server from the click's recorded time, not from anything the browser reports. Known bots get neither click recording nor attribution, so their visits cannot end up as a credited sale.

Frequently asked questions

What does an affiliate link look like?

An affiliate link is an ordinary URL in which a unique code identifies the affiliate. The link typically points to the network's domain and sends the visitor on to the store with a click ID in the address. The visitor only experiences the page opening.

Can you tell that a link is an affiliate link?

Yes. The domain differs from the store's, and after the redirect there is an extra parameter in the address bar. Under Danish marketing law, the text must also make it clear that it is advertising before anyone clicks.

Do you earn money every time someone clicks an affiliate link?

No, not in a commission-based program. Payment is only triggered when the click leads to the agreed result – typically a purchase or a lead. Clicks alone are only paid in CPC agreements, which are rare in affiliate marketing.

How long does an affiliate link work after the click?

For as long as the program's attribution window runs. The window is counted from the click, and a purchase that falls after expiry is outside the program's attribution. The length is set by each program – in Affilyflow's program settings the store can choose 14, 30, 45, 60 or 90 days. Older programs may have other values. Always check the specific program's terms.

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