What is an Affiliate Link? How They Work & Why They Look Ugly

You've probably seen links like this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08N5WRWNW?tag=mysite-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1

Or this:

https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=123456&u=789012&m=54321&urllink=&afftrack=

These are affiliate links — special URLs that track when someone clicks through and makes a purchase, earning the link creator a commission. They're the backbone of a $17 billion industry, but they have one big problem: they look terrible.

Let's break down what affiliate links are, how they work, and how to make them actually clickable.

An affiliate link is a URL with a unique tracking ID that allows merchants to attribute sales to specific marketing partners. When someone clicks your affiliate link and completes a purchase (or other action), you earn a commission.

Simple breakdown:

Example anatomy: https://amazon.com/dp/B08N5WRWNW?tag=mysite-20&linkCode=ogi └─────────── base URL ───────────┘ └── your ID ──┘ └─ extra ─┘

When a visitor clicks this link, Amazon knows to credit your account if they purchase.

Affiliate tracking relies on three mechanisms:

The URL itself contains your affiliate ID. When someone arrives at the merchant's site through your link, their system logs which affiliate sent the traffic.

Most programs place a tracking cookie in the visitor's browser. This means if someone clicks your link today but purchases tomorrow, you still get credit.

Cookie windows vary:

• Amazon Associates: 24 hours (or 90 days if added to cart)
• ShareASale: Varies by merchant (often 30-60 days)
• ClickBank: 60 days typical
• CJ Affiliate: Set by individual merchants

Some programs use server-side tracking (via IP addresses or logged-in accounts) in addition to cookies, improving accuracy as browsers restrict third-party cookies.

Affiliate links are ugly by necessity — they need to carry tracking information. But this creates real problems:

Trust issues:

• Users see a wall of random characters and hesitate to click
• Long URLs look like spam or phishing attempts
• Unfamiliar domains trigger suspicion

Platform problems:

• Social media may flag or block suspicious-looking links
• Email spam filters may catch them
• Ugly links get fewer clicks (lower CTR)

Example of the problem:

The solution is link cloaking (also called link masking or link disguising) — replacing ugly affiliate URLs with clean, branded alternatives.

Benefits of cloaked affiliate links:

• Higher click-through rates — Branded links get up to 34% more clicks
• Improved trust — Readers recognize your domain
• Easier to share — mysite.com/go/tool is memorable and speakable
• Better tracking — You can track clicks before they reach the merchant
• Easier management — Update destinations without changing published links

Linkly makes affiliate link cloaking simple:

1. 1Add your custom domain — Use your own branded domain for all links
2. 2Create a cloaked link — Paste your affiliate URL, choose a clean slug
3. 3Enable link cloaking — Hide the destination URL from visitors
4. 4Track performance — See clicks, conversions, and geographic data

Learn more: How to Cloak Affiliate Links

The FTC requires disclosure when you earn commissions. Include clear language like:

"This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you."

Place disclosures at the top of posts, near affiliate links, and in your site's disclosure policy.

Your reputation is worth more than any commission. Recommend products you've actually used or thoroughly researched.

Make your cloaked URLs meaningful:

• Good: mysite.com/recommends/best-laptop
• Bad: mysite.com/go/link1

Structure your affiliate links logically:

• /recommends/ — Product recommendations
• /tools/ — Software and services
• /books/ — Book recommendations

Monitor which links get clicks and conversions. Linkly provides detailed analytics including:

• Click counts and unique visitors
• Geographic data
• Device and browser information
• Referrer sources

See: Click Tracking and Analytics

Mistake 1: Using raw affiliate links everywhere Ugly links reduce clicks and look unprofessional. Always cloak.

Mistake 2: Not disclosing affiliate relationships This violates FTC rules and damages reader trust. Always disclose.

Mistake 3: Broken links Affiliate programs change URLs, products go out of stock. Regularly audit your links.

Mistake 4: Ignoring mobile users Most traffic is mobile. Ensure your affiliate landing pages work on phones.

Mistake 5: Over-promoting Too many affiliate links feel spammy. Focus on genuine recommendations.

Different programs pay differently:

Getting started? Here are some beginner-friendly programs:

• Amazon Associates — Huge product selection, trusted brand, low commissions (1-10%)
• ShareASale — Thousands of merchants across niches
• CJ Affiliate — Large brands, professional interface
• Impact — Modern platform, many SaaS companies
• ClickBank — Digital products, higher commissions

Affiliate links are how content creators earn money from recommendations. They work by tracking clicks and purchases through unique IDs and cookies.

The problem: raw affiliate links look ugly and untrustworthy.

The solution: cloak your links with a tool like Linkly to create branded, memorable URLs that get more clicks while tracking performance.

Ready to clean up your affiliate links?

• How to Set Up Affiliate Links the Right Way — Step-by-step setup guide
• Link Cloaking Guide — Hide ugly affiliate URLs
• Get started with Linkly's free link shortener — Free plan includes 1,000 tracked clicks