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Traffic and channels

Direct linking

Also called direct link, direct linking affiliate, direct-to-merchant linking, direkte linkning.

Short answer

Direct linking is when an affiliate sends paid traffic straight from the ad to the store’s page through the affiliate link, with no page of their own in between. It saves a step – and removes the surface the affiliate could measure and optimise on.

Definition of Direct linking.

Direct linking is almost always used about paid traffic. The ad on a search network, a social network or a native platform points directly to the affiliate link, the user is sent on to the store, and there is no intermediate page the affiliate has written. The alternative is to route the traffic through your own landing page, article or comparison first.

The advantage is speed and simplicity: fewer steps from ad to checkout and no page that has to be built and maintained. The price is that the affiliate can neither explain, qualify nor warm up the traffic along the way. The only things that can be optimised are the ad and the targeting.

The ad platforms set the limits. Several platforms require the ad’s display domain to match the domain the user lands on, and reject pages whose only function is to forward visitors. The rules change continually and differ from platform to platform – look up the current policies with the platform itself before you build a campaign on them.

Direct linking and the store’s own campaigns

Paid traffic sent directly to the store’s pages easily competes with the store’s own ads. If both store and affiliate bid on the same keywords, the price rises for both, and the store pays commission on a customer it was already in the process of winning. That is why the program terms state whether paid search traffic is allowed and which keywords are off limits.

Read the terms before the campaign is set up. A sale that breaches the terms can be rejected – after the ad money has been spent.

Direct linking vs. bridge page

AspectDirect linkingBridge page
What the user meetsthe store’s own page straight awaythe affiliate’s intermediate page first
Affiliate’s controlthe ad onlythe ad and the intermediate page
Steps before the purchaseonetwo
Typical problemthe platform’s display URL requirementsthe intermediate page is rejected as thin content

Direct linking fits when the ad has already sold the idea; an intermediate page makes sense when the purchase needs an explanation that cannot fit in the ad.

How it goes wrong

  • 01

    The terms are read after the campaign

    Channel restrictions and rules on paid search traffic are in the program terms, not in the ad tool. Sales generated in breach of the terms can be rejected, and that only happens once the money for the ads has been spent.

  • 02

    No surface of your own to measure on

    Without an intermediate page, there is no data between the click and the store. If the campaign converts poorly, you cannot see whether it is the ad, the targeting or the store’s landing page that is losing the traffic.

  • 03

    The ad promises more than the store’s page delivers

    With direct linking, the ad is the only thing the user has read. If it mentions a price that the store’s page does not confirm immediately, the traffic drops off in the first second.

At Affilyflow

Direct linking in practice

Whether paid traffic may be sent directly to the store is an agreement – not a technical setting. In Affilyflow, the channel and campaign rules are in the program terms, which the affiliate can read before building anything. The paid search rule is stored on the program, and every click is checked for ad click IDs (Google Ads, Microsoft Ads) – but the keyword cannot be seen, so a ban on the brand name alone is assessed by Affilyflow. Enforcement also happens through the store having the program’s approval period (30–90 days) to reject a sale with a reason the affiliate can read.

Frequently asked questions

What does direct linking mean?

Direct linking means that an ad points straight to the affiliate link, so the user is sent on to the store’s page without passing through a page the affiliate has made. It is mostly used in paid traffic, where the ad has to do all the selling on its own.

Is direct linking allowed in Google Ads?

Ad platforms typically require the ad’s display domain to match the domain the user lands on, and reject pages without independent content. The rules change continually, so look up the current policies with the platform itself – and read the store’s program terms.

What is the difference between direct linking and a bridge page?

With direct linking, the user lands on the store’s page straight away. A bridge page is an intermediate page the affiliate has built, which the user meets first. The intermediate page gives control and data, but adds an extra step before the purchase.

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