How to Create Affiliate Links: Examples and Steps for Brands

Affiliate links are the heart of how your affiliate program works. Each link contains a unique tracking ID that ties clicks and sales back to the affiliate who drove them, so you know exactly what you’re paying for. This guide walks through how to set up affiliate links step by step, from choosing software to distributing links to your affiliates.

What is an affiliate link?

An affiliate link is a URL that directs to a brand’s website, and that contains a unique tracking ID. 

Each content creator will have their own unique identifier, or affiliate tracking ID, within their link. Usually, the ID is a set of numbers, but sometimes, the ID is customized with the affiliate’s name or username. This ID lets a business accurately attribute sales to the right affiliate, and track the sales each affiliate drives in real time.

When someone clicks on an affiliate link and makes a purchase, the creator who “owns” the link automatically earns an affiliate commission. And even if they don’t purchase, the link still attributes the click to the affiliate so the brand knows who drove the traffic.

Here are some examples of affiliate links (notice the affiliate tracking IDs after the question marks in the links):

To recap:

• Whenever someone clicks on the affiliate link and makes a purchase, the tracking ID in the link attributes the purchase to the affiliate.
• This lets your business view the amount of traffic or clicks the affiliate is bringing in, even if traffic does not result in a purchase.
• When a purchase is made through an affiliate link, the affiliate automatically receives a cash commission, as a reward for driving the sale.

How to set up affiliate links in 5 steps

Creating affiliate links is a fairly simple process that can be done for any affiliate program. This is true whether you choose to give each affiliate their own custom link, or use auto-generated links. Here’s how to create affiliate links, step by step.

Step 1: Choose affiliate software

Before you begin, you’ll need an affiliate marketing tool to help you set up links and track affiliate sales. This will either be affiliate software or an existing affiliate network.

Affiliate software (also called an affiliate platform) is the easiest way to create affiliate links, track affiliates’ sales, optimize your results, and maintain full control over your affiliate program and its data. 

To choose the right software, make sure it offers: 

• Flexible affiliate link generation: Does the software let you customize the link how you wish, and attach discounts for the people who click on it? Can your affiliate links register impressions, qualified leads, and sales?
• Commission tracking and payment processing: Can you track affiliate sales and commissions owed to each affiliate, as well as process commission payments? Can you customize commission structures to account for tiered rewards, recurring rewards, or limited-time bonuses if you choose? Do you have a range of options for cash payouts?
• Performance tracking and reporting: Does the software give you an in-depth view of how the program performs, with advanced metrics, customizable performance reports, and easy data analysis? 
• Easy integrations: Can you integrate the software with your CRM (and other software in your existing tech stack), so any data collected through affiliate links can pass seamlessly to other programs?
• Complete customization: Can you fully customize your affiliate program, including your commission structure, branding, portal, and how you communicate with affiliates? Affiliate networks (and marketplace platforms that operate like affiliate networks) don’t allow for this.

With affiliate software, you’ll be able to change up the program as needed, whether you want a standalone affiliate site or a widget. The right affiliate software will allow you to create affiliate links and run an entire affiliate program from start to finish.

It all starts with the software. Once you have that figured out, you can hunker down and truly get started creating affiliate links. 

Step 2: Set commission rules and cookie length

Coming up with the URL parameters is one thing. Deciding what that link does is another. Your link not only needs to be able to tie an affiliate to it, but it also needs to accommodate the different variables you choose. 

You’ll need to set rules for all the affiliate links before you create and distribute them to affiliates. This is where software comes in. Software will apply them automatically to all links once a rule is set.

Some things to consider:

• What should be tracked? What counts as the conversion(s) you want the link to track? Usually, this is a purchase, but for B2Bs, it could be both a lead qualification and a purchase.
  • The conversion is the action registered by the link that triggers the commission payout to affiliates.
• When will a commission get paid? What commissions will an affiliate earn when the link registers a conversion?
  • Set these with your software – along with any criteria or days that an affiliate has to wait before the commission is paid.
• How long should the cookie length be? In other words, how long after an affiliate link click will a purchase be attributable to an affiliate?
  • You can easily set these parameters with affiliate software.
  • You can also set whether the first affiliate link click or last link click gives the affiliate credit, if someone clicks two or more different affiliate links when the tracking cookie is active.
  • Cookie length and rules should be the same for all affiliates in your program.

By adding these rules to your affiliate links, it will keep affiliates on track and help them stay within the rules of the affiliate program.

Step 3: Create the affiliate links

Now that you’ve decided on the right software and have your commission rules and cookie length figured out… you’re ready to actually start creating affiliate links. Let’s go through the process of how an affiliate link is created. 

In most cases, affiliate links are only created once you form a partnership with an affiliate. It’s unlikely that you’ll have an existing list of links waiting to be assigned as new affiliates come in. 

Here’s how to create affiliate links:

• Find an affiliate. First, approve affiliates for your program and register them with the software. Then, the software will create a unique affiliate link for them upon registering them in your program.
• Decide on the link destination. Before you can create a link, you need to decide on the destination (the webpage where the affiliate link points to).
  • Will it lead to a custom landing page? To a given product page? Or simply to your store page?
  • Once you’ve set the destination, the software can automatically create multiple links – for different affiliates – to the same destination (if you want all affiliates to promote the same page).
• Come up with a link formula. Often, affiliates will want a custom affiliate link, with part of their name, affiliate website, or other identifying information inside.
  • Usually, affiliate software will add that identifying information automatically. For example, you can have the software pull the affiliate’s first name or social media handle to use as the custom link when affiliates first sign up.
  • If you wish, you can use affiliate software to add a shortcode as a further custom identifier.
  • If you have to change the code, you can always edit individual codes at any time. For example, if a blogger was originally assigned a code using their blog name, but changes the title of their blog, you can edit this specific code to reflect the new blog name if needed.

Step 4: Attach coupons to affiliate links

Not all affiliate links will double as coupons. But, to encourage conversions, you may want to offer affiliates’ audiences a discount towards their purchase on your site. 

One of the top affiliate best practices is to have affiliates give out coupons to their audience, which will activate when someone clicks the affiliate link. 

This will encourage more sales for you – and in turn, generate more commissions for the affiliate. Your affiliate will want to share or post their affiliate link in more places, and their audience may be more enticed to click the link.

Remember these tips when coupling affiliate links and coupons: 

• Make the process simple. Referral Rock affiliate software lets you set a discount to activate whenever the affiliate link is clicked. This will automatically apply if the person who clicked the link makes a purchase (and automatically tie the sale to the affiliate). 
• Simple means convenient. By including the coupon code in with the affiliate link, both affiliates and leads will appreciate the convenience. No need to remember the code.

If you want to generate your own unique coupon codes, look no further than our coupon code generator>

Step 5: Distribute the links

Once you accept an affiliate, you’ll need to provide them with all of your program information. When you give affiliates access to their unique link, this is also an important time to brief them about the program as a whole and set them up for success.

When distributing links, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Use an onboarding email. This email will provide all relevant information about the program. A link to the affiliate portal and their unique affiliate link are two items that should be included.
• Materials about the program. Along with the affiliate link and portal access, provide marketing assets, templates, and program materials (as attachments or through the portal). This is a great moment to brief the affiliate on how they can and can’t promote their affiliate link. 
• Explain tracking. When you distribute affiliate links, it’s best to show affiliates how they can track the purchases made via their link – and use their portal as a whole.
• Explain payments. How will affiliates be paid when their affiliate link clicks result in purchases (via PayPal? Through direct deposit?) And how often will they receive commission payouts?
• Give marketing tips to help them promote the affiliate links, whether that’s through the portal, in the email, through a webinar link, or elsewhere.

Why affiliate software beats a network

Why is software so important for generating affiliate links? An existing affiliate network may seem like an easier option for starting an affiliate marketing program. But networks bring far more drawbacks than benefits.

With a network, you’re subject to their rules and regulations. You can’t fully customize your affiliate links or program. Networks control affiliate data and don’t give you access to the crucial pieces, making it difficult to track your program’s success. And networks charge fees (such as transaction fees) on top of taking a percentage of your sales, which means you may need to pay smaller commissions to your affiliates.

Software flips all of that. You get full control over affiliate links and affiliate data, so you always know your ROI. You control which affiliates you let into your program. You can recruit your own customers and fans without being forced to give them to the network. You customize your links, commission structures, branding, and portal however you wish. And without a middleman taking a cut of your sales, you enjoy higher profits and more leeway to offer competitive commissions that keep affiliates motivated.

Clearly, affiliate software can give you more control, customization, and happier affiliates, so it’s the better choice to create affiliate links. 

Set up affiliate links with Referral Rock

With Referral Rock affiliate software, you’ll get the most out of your affiliate links (and the rest of your affiliate program):

• Customize your links and tracking codes however you wish, and automatically distribute them to affiliates.
• Reward affiliates with any commission, including tiered, recurring, multi-step, and limited-time commissions.
• Set up PayPal payouts, Wise transfers, or custom bank transfers.
• Automatically pay out commissions when affiliate links register conversions.
• Create a custom portal for affiliates to access their links and track their own sales.
• Add coupon codes for affiliates’ audiences right into affiliate links.
• Get full visibility into your program’s KPIs thanks to robust affiliate link tracking.
• Integrate with 50+ tools, so information from affiliate links seamlessly passes to your CRM, ecommerce platform, and other software you already use.
• Work with a dedicated onboarding specialist to set up your program based on your needs.

Learn how Referral Rock can help you set up an affiliate program in days >

Affiliate link FAQ 

What are different types of affiliate links?

You can set up an affiliate link in a few different ways. However, there’s sometimes a bit of overlap between these. Here are the basic types of affiliate links:

• The standard affiliate link: The URL seen when the link is moused over/clicked on is the exact, long URL with all tracking parameters. Sometimes, with all of the tracking parameters displayed, the link can get quite long. But since the whole link is typically hyperlinked over a specific word or phrase, this usually isn’t an issue.

An example of a standard affiliate link from Amazon Associates, the Amazon affiliate program.

• The shortened affiliate link: The URL seen when the link is moused over/clicked on is a shortened version of the link, but still holds the tracking ID. If you’re not a fan of the standard (long) affiliate link, you may turn to this option as it looks tidy and neat.
  
  • With Referral Rock’s Zapier integration, you can easily shorten affiliate link URLs.

Here’s what the above affiliate link might look like shortened. Notice the numbers that show the tracking ID.

• The discount affiliate link: When someone clicks on this link, a discount for the business’ website is activated in addition to the tracking parameters. A discount can be applied to both the standard or shortened type of link. The affiliate’s audience can take advantage of this discount when purchasing your product or service, without having to enter a coupon code manually.

This link looks similar to the shortened affiliate link, but it will activate a discount once someone clicks.

What destinations can affiliate links direct to?

Affiliate links can have different destination types, or webpages where you direct the affiliate’s audience to. Set your destinations based on your program goals – are you trying to generate purchases, or create warm leads first? And do you want affiliates to promote specific products, or your brand in general?

The most common affiliate link destinations are:

• A product page (“affiliate product links”)
• Your main store page
• Your homepage
• A custom landing page 

With Referral Rock, the same affiliate can promote multiple different affiliate links with different destinations, depending on the offers they think would best resonate with their audience. All the offers automatically have the affiliate’s tracking parameters attached, for easy tracking and commission payouts.

Do affiliate links help your SEO?

Generally, affiliate links to your website don’t help search engine optimization directly, but don’t hurt it either. Affiliate links are meant to drive traffic to your site and generate warm leads and sales, not boost SEO.

If affiliate partners integrate the links into content in a natural, relevant way, though, they might help your SEO, as search engines will see the links as valuable. Of course, if affiliate links are tagged as nofollow, they can’t pass authority to your site by default. 

Affiliate links vs. referral links

Affiliate links and referral links operate the same way: both contain tracking codes that attribute sales back to the person who shared the link. The differences are in who shares them and why.

An affiliate link is shared by a content creator (affiliate) promoting a brand’s products to their audience. The affiliate earns a commission on resulting sales. Usually, the people who click the link are people the affiliate doesn’t know personally.

A referral link is shared by an existing customer referring a friend directly. The referrer may receive an incentive when their friend becomes a customer. The relationship is personal, not promotional.

Here’s a deeper dive into the differences between referral and affiliate links:

Who (shares them & sees them)?
Affiliate links are shared by content creators (like bloggers and social media creators).Affiliate links are meant for an audience that the affiliate doesn’t know personally.	Referral links are shared by your customers (and sometimes even your employees).Referral links are directly shared with friends and family – people customers know personally.

Where (are they shared)?
Affiliate links are shared in publicly available content, like blogs, social media posts, YouTube videos, email list newslettters, and TikTok videos.	Referral links are shared in direct emails, on social media platforms, or in personal messages/texts to customers’ friends and family.

How (are they created)?
Affiliate links are created with affiliate program software.	Referral links are created with referral marketing software – although the right software (like Referral Rock) can run both types of programs and create both types of links.

Wrap-up

Once your software is set up and your commission rules are in place, creating affiliate links is straightforward. The real work is everything around the link: choosing the right software, setting clear rules, and giving affiliates what they need to promote effectively. If you’re looking to run an affiliate program with full control over your links and data, learn more about building an affiliate program using Referral Rock.