Affiliate links explained
An affiliate link is a unique URL assigned to each publisher. It includes your publisher ID and the advertiser’s ID, ensuring that you receive credit for traffic sent to the advertiser's website. When a visitor clicks your link and completes a commissionable action, like making a purchase, you earn a commission.
For more information, see How are transactions tracked and correctly allocated to Publishers?
Understanding affiliate links
Affiliate links look similar to standard URLs but include additional parameters at the end for tracking purposes. These parameters identify the advertiser and publisher involved, as well as optional details like creative assets or destination pages.
Here’s an example of a default affiliate link with the mid and id parameters explained:
https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=1234&id=9999
mid: Advertiser’s unique IDid: Your publisher ID
Affiliate links may vary depending on the promotional method. Below are examples of link formats for different types of promotions:
|
Promotion Type
| Example Link Format |
| Text link | http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?gid=XXXX&mid=1234&awinaffid=9999&linkid=57466 |
| Deep link | http://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=1234&awinaffid=9999&ued=[destinationURL] |
| Banner | https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?s=574669&v=1234&q=281365&r=9999 |
| Product datafeed | http://www.awin1.com/pclick.php?p=3455893129&a=45628&m=6767 |
| Postview tracking | http://www.awin1.com/cshow.php?s=574669&v=6767&q=281&r=45628 |
Key parameters explained:
mid, awinmid, m, v: Advertiser IDid, awinaffid, a, r: Publisher IDlinkid, s: Creative ID (optional)gid, q: Creative group ID (used with linkid)ued: Destination URL (for deep links to specific advertiser pages)
Creating affiliate links with Awin’s tools
The Awin platform makes creating affiliate links straightforward. Use the built-in tools to generate links without needing technical expertise. For instructions, see How can I create an affiliate link?
Creating affiliate links manually
You can manually create affiliate links by following the format outlined above. If you do this, ensure the following:
- Use a ‘clean’ destination URL directly from the advertiser's website (not a redirected link). For example:
https://www.nike.com/t/react-infinity-run-flyknit-2-premium-womens-road-running-shoes-rfh6Z8/CT2423-500 - Ensure the deep link URL is encoded correctly to maintain compatibility with other platforms (e.g. Instagram, Facebook, X).
For the best results, we recommend creating affiliate links using Awin's platform tools whenever possible.
