Masking Affiliate URLs

Hello all,

I have been using an iFrame Script to mask my affiliate links, so it goes from page1.html to page2.html, with page2.html showing the affiliate link. I have also used a two page Meta Refresh. The referring URL is usually affiliatesite.com/page1.html and this is fine. However recently a site i used was released into the affiliate referring URL, which i should not have been using.

Can anyone please help me with some almost foolproof ways of masking your referring URLs from affiliate programs. Whether this is a sophisticated redirect that definitely flushes out the referring link or anything else. Hope someone can help me out, i am really saddened that my redirects are no longer working.

Tony

 

You can try this one. Create a page in your root directory (call it links.php or whatever). Insert this code into it:

<?php

$path = array(
'affiliatelink1' =>  'http://youraffiliatelink1.com',
'affiliatelink2' =>  'http://youraffiliatelink2.com',
'affiliatelink3' =>  'http://youraffiliatelink3.com',

);

if (array_key_exists($_GET['id'], $path))
header('Location: ' .$path[$_GET['id']]);
?>

Code (markup):

Then you will have to add this into your .htaccess file:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^go/([/_0-9a-zA-Z-]+)$ link.php?id=$1

Code (markup):

Then you can call your aff. links using this link format:

http://yourdomain.com/go/affiliatelink1
http://yourdomain.com/go/affiliatelink2
http://yourdomain.com/go/affiliatelink3

Code (markup):

Note: the "go" isn't a folder. And if you don't like the "go" change it to whatever you like in both RewriteRule and your domain link.

PS The idea isn't mine. It should work, though. If it doesn't work just do some Google search to find out more on this or similar solutions.

 

You can use affiliate link cloaking software or services. For example, if you are using WordPress then use prettylink plugin to mask your affiliate urls.
Just search around, there are many options.

 

Some correction there. Call it link.php not links.php

Ultimately, you can call it whatever you want. Just make sure it's the same file name in your .htaccess file.

 

I can't find any good plugins that help you with affiliate links cloaking for Wordpress. Do you have an experience with any?

 

Thanks for your comments everyone.

I am wanting a redirect script that i can install on my hosting. For instance maybe a 3 page redirect or something a little better at not leaking any referral page data. If anyone can share anything that i can install on my hosting such as a good redirect, please could you share this?