Become an affiliateStart your program

Technology and tracking

afid parameter

Also called afid, afid=, click parameter, click reference parameter.

Short answer

The afid parameter is the URL parameter Affilyflow appends to the store's address after an affiliate click. Its value is a reference to the recorded click, which the store's tracking script reads and sends along when the order is completed.

Definition of afid parameter.

afid is the name of the parameter that hands the click over from the network to the store. The landing page is not store.com/product but store.com/product?afid=… where the value points to the click the network has just recorded. The parameter is added by the redirect, not by the affiliate, so it should not be written into the link in advance. The affiliate shares their ordinary affiliate link, and afid only appears in the address bar after the redirect.

The store's tracking script reads afid when the page loads and stores the value locally on the store's own domain. If the visitor later completes an order, the value is sent back to the network together with the order ID and amount. That is the step that connects a purchase to a specific affiliate.

Because the value sits in the URL and not in a third-party cookie, it survives the browser settings that block cross-domain tracking. On the other hand, it is just as fragile as the URL itself: if the parameter is removed along the way, there is no longer a sender to credit.

When afid disappears

Three things typically strip the parameter: a redirect on the store's own domain that does not carry the query string, a canonical rewrite in a CMS, and a cookie banner that reloads the page without the original parameters. All three can be tested by clicking your own link and checking whether afid is still in the address bar once the page has finished loading.

afid is not the same as a UTM parameter. UTMs are used for reporting in analytics tools and have no bearing on commission. afid is the only one of the parameters that decides who gets paid for the sale.

How it goes wrong

  • 01

    The parameter gets indexed

    If search engines land on URLs with afid, they may be indexed as separate pages. Set a canonical without the parameter – but make sure the page still gets to run the tracking script.

  • 02

    Test clicks without an order

    A click with afid is recorded whether or not anything is bought. If you see many clicks without sales right after a technical test, it is often your own test clicks and not a conversion problem.

At Affilyflow

afid parameter in practice

Our redirect sets afid once the click has been recorded. Expiry of the window is then decided on the server from the click's recorded time, not from anything the browser reports. Every tracking event is logged – including those that never became a sale – so you can verify whether afid made it through.

Frequently asked questions

What does afid mean in a URL?

afid is a tracking parameter that tells the store's system which affiliate click the visitor came from. The value is a reference to the click, not to the person. It is used solely to credit the right affiliate if something is bought.

Is it unsafe to click a link with afid in it?

No. The parameter contains no personal data and gives no access to anything. It is a reference to a click record at the affiliate network, and the price of the product is the same whether or not the parameter is there.

Can afid be removed from the address?

Yes, but only after the store's tracking script has run. If the parameter is removed straight away, the store loses the only information about who sent the customer, and the affiliate gets no commission for a later purchase.

Read on