How to mask affiliate links?

[universal4]

You can use url shorteners, but then you are sending your traffic to an external site (which YOU do not control) and they redirect it for you. Are you 100% sure they are sending 100% or your traffic to the correct place? Why risk it?

There are a number of ways to mask or cloak affiliate links with and without wordpress plugins adding to the overhead.

One of the simplest ways is to create a single redirect page for each link in html or php. Out all the pages in the same folder such as /go /visit and then disallow that folder with your htaccess file.

If a program ever changes links, or you want to redirect specific links or properties somewhere different for whatever reason, you just change the link inside any given redirect page and you don't have to change dozens or hundreds of links on your site.

I have tried to show the code here a number of different ways, but the redirect keeps kicking in and then I spend 10 minutes trying to unapprove and then edit or delete the post in the moderation panel so the thread shows again. Even when I change the urls to fake urls with no extension it continues to hose the thread.

I would be happy to send the code to use to anyone in email.

Rick
Universal4

[Gamer]

Thank you. Rick. Have searched for simply java script but your idea is more simply.
"One of the simplest ways is to create a single redirect page for each link in html or php. Out all the pages in the same folder such as /go /visit and then disallow that folder with your htaccess file."
I do not need a code (perhaps other users yes). I am good in html/css. You just create empty page, restrict search engines from crawling, and add meta http-equiv etc. to re-direct traffic to external URL (mean affiliate link). This is really very good solution for bigger sites.

It seems that Google URL shortener is a good option for some readers. The only problem is when such service is down of any reason

[universal4]

Good points, but for me speed of the redirect is also very important.

If you use an url shortener that is on an external site, the click must pull a page, (as well as a database call on that server) from a different server which could easily take seconds longer than pulling one from the server the page they are reading is on. Even if the second server is very fast etc, it is still an additional dns lookup and web server call, instead of a page call from a cached dns lookup.

I used to use a little program called fastcklick for all my links. Although I do still have that up on some sites, I am migrating away from it for a number of reasons. #1 php and mysql updates as well as browser changes have made it difficult to manage, and #2 even though I had a dedicated mysql server to handle it all across a gigabit private backbone, a php or html redirect page on the same server was twice as fast.

Rick
Universal4

[xecutable]

Well my Wordpress addon simply writes stuff in the .htaccess, my guess would be one can mask links from there, so you don't even need to be on wordpress? Also your cPanel has a Redirects button which can be used as well.

[universal4]

Yes, a number of affiliates do their redirects in htaccess, and never have any issues.

Personally, if I have say 150 affiliate links, do I really want 150 extra lines in my htaccess? (what if I have 500)

Keep in mind, every single page call must parse the htaccess, not just following links.

Rick
Universal4

[PROFRBcom]

Yea adblock plus definitely blocks unibet, betfair, and I think it blocks partypoker and 888 as well.

[Gamer]

... and 888 as well.

Have strange situation with 888Ladies Bingo.
Jonathan from 888Ladies Bingo wrote to me several times to remove all links pointing to their site, Otherwise Google get action against them. I told him that all my affilaite links (to any site) are "nofollow".
He asked to remove even links that are "nofollow" ones. So, I asked how can I drive customers as affiliate????
They are killing affiliate e business
It seems that the only way is now to mask the URL's or use of any re-directing method.
It's madness now, they all are afraid....
This is an e-mail from Jonathan to me:

Hi Dariusz
This is the link

best-games-directory.com/888ladies-bingo.html

Please remove it even if its a nofollow link.
We got a mail from google that we might get penalised if it wont be removed.
Thanks,
Jonathan

These are all no-follow links as I never use any live affiliate links.
My Goodness

[-Shay-]

Is "Jonathan" your actual affiliate manager? If not, I'd ask your AM to verify the validity of that email. I know a while ago, there were a bunch of emails going around asking people to remove links and they were fake --- or at least were not coming from the "requesting brand".

Have strange situation with 888Ladies Bingo.
Jonathan from 888Ladies Bingo wrote to me several times to remove all links pointing to their site, Otherwise Google get action against them. I told him that all my affilaite links (to any site) are "nofollow".
He asked to remove even links that are "nofollow" ones. So, I asked how can I drive customers as affiliate????
They are killing affiliate e business
It seems that the only way is now to mask the URL's or use of any re-directing method.
It's madness now, they all are afraid....
This is an e-mail from Jonathan to me:

Hi Dariusz
This is the link

best-games-directory.com/888ladies-bingo.html

Please remove it even if its a nofollow link.
We got a mail from google that we might get penalised if it wont be removed.
Thanks,
Jonathan

These are all no-follow links as I never use any live affiliate links.
My Goodness

[Gamer]

Good point. Never heard about Jonathan. He sent e-mail from address: jonathan.milford at 888mediaweb.com
One could understand that such address is legitimate one. ...and this site looks legitimate mediaweb at com
However, have sent e-mail to my affiliate manager.

[PROFRBcom]

Please let us know if there is a backstabbing impersonator running loose!

[Gamer]

It was legitimate. 888 Ladies Bingo is really afraid of any link pointing to them, even "nofollow" ones. Ohhh Jesus!

HAVE BIG QUESTION TO OLD AFFILIATES!
When you re-direct visitors with affiliate link, you use to target them to new tab/window?
... or you use to open it in the same tab?
How important it is for visitor/potential cisutomer?
Is there any thread about it on this forum?

[-Shay-]

Guess they don't want business then...

It was legitimate. 888 Ladies Bingo is really afraid of any link pointing to them, even "nofollow" ones. Ohhh Jesus!

HAVE BIG QUESTION TO OLD AFFILIATES!
When you re-direct visitors with affiliate link, you use to target them to new tab/window?
... or you use to open it in the same tab?
How important it is for visitor/potential cisutomer?
Is there any thread about it on this forum?

[universal4]

In most cases, as a standard procedure for me I open any and all external links in a new tab/window and all internal links in the same window.

I will rarely ever stay at a site that opens all links in a new window as that is just annoying to me.

I think we have discussed this many times here but not in a while.

Rick
Universal4

[PROFRBcom]

For us, the links at the top of an article we tend to open in new windows and the links in the bottom of the article (where we tend to do our selling) we open in the same window, assuming that the reader is finished with the content of the page they were on.

[Gamer]

In most cases, as a standard procedure for me I open any and all external links in a new tab/window and all internal links in the same window.

I will rarely ever stay at a site that opens all links in a new window as that is just annoying to me.

I think we have discussed this many times here but not in a while.

Rick
Universal4

This is the point. For example, if you use target="_blank" etc and visitor use Internet Explorer browser, the URL will open in the new window that could irritate visitors.
Of course, all internal links HAVE TO open in the same window and the same tab. It's a standard.
However, problem is with external links.
I think the same tab is not bad and fair action; vistor always can use "back" button !!??

[casinoplanet]

I use php to redirect all outgoing affiliate links. They are standard no-follow. Never have blocking issues. On pc they are always set to open in a new window and on mobile to the same window. This is because older mobile devices (still millions out there) have problems with a new window.

[Stevenbmt]

Which masking plugin is the best for wordpress?

[DaftDog]

Which masking plugin is the best for wordpress?

Try "Simple URLs". It's as the name says and it's free.

[royalcas]

Hi,

I wouldn't recommend to use an url shortener... just because it's something free that you don't control. YT can close your account at anytime is somone report a video as inappropriate and same thing goes here. If some report your bit.ly or goo.gl links as spam you will lose them forever.

You can edit easily your ht.access as mentioned by others before. Not to add that if you need to change some links, you only have to change one line of your ht.access. you avoid having to go through all your content! (account closed on an affiliate platform or changing affiliate tracking for some reason... )

And for those who use WordPress there are plenty of plugins that can achieve that.

Plus imo the url make more sense: yoursite.com/go/casinoname

[Roulette Zeitung]

"I wouldn't recommend to use an url shortener... just because it's something free that you don't control."
Exactly!

"And for those who use WordPress there are plenty of plugins that can achieve that."
And if you have a premium template, then in most times you have a 301 build in option.

Or create these simple PHP script and upload it to your server with a "good" filename, but always matching the content!:

===> https://gist.github.com/anonymous/fc7f55870283b2bcb79b

Put a "rel=nofollow" tag into your a href tag.

I have had never in the last century any problems with these kind of masking. As it was said. You (and from my view of the things especially small webmaster) must have control over it at any time within 60 seconds. Think over it, why.

Leopold