Direct links explained
What are direct links?
Direct links are affiliate links that do not include the referral token ( ?aff=token) in the URL; for example, http://www.partnero.com/gediminas.
These links can be assigned to specific partners and are ideal for branded campaigns with a dedicated landing page. If the website does not have a page for such a link, Partnero provides an option to redirect visitors to any specified URL on the website.
Direct links are great for:
- Branded campaigns: Use clean URLs in emails, social media posts, and printed materials without query strings to maintain a professional look.
- Custom landing pages: Send leads directly to specific URLs on your site while attributing conversions to the correct affiliate.
- Simplified sharing: Partners can easily remember, type, or share their link without copying long URLs with tracking parameters.
- Cross-platform consistency: Direct links work on platforms that may strip query parameters, such as some mobile apps or social media platforms.
By using direct links, you can combine accurate tracking with clean, user-friendly URLs, improving both the affiliate experience and marketing effectiveness.
How to create a direct link
As a program owner, you can create a direct link for any affiliate partner on your program. To do that:
- In your affiliate program, navigate to Partners and find the partner you want to create the link for:
- Open their profile and click Create direct URL next to Partner Links:
- In the modal, enter the direct URL you want to track.
NOTE: If you do not have a page with this URL on your website, you can toggle Redirect to URL and enter a URL where this link should redirect (for example, a specific product or campaign page). - The last step is to implement the direct link tracking. To do that, copy the provided script and insert it into the <head> section of the page where tracking is required.
- Click Create.
NOTE: If you do not have a page with this URL on your website, you can toggle Redirect to URL and enter a URL where this link should redirect (for example, a specific product or campaign page).Important: for direct link tracking to work, the page should also have the Partnero Universal script (or PartneroJS) added. If you've not completed this step, make sure to insert the script into the the <head> section of the page.
That's it! You have now created a direct link for a specific partner and implemented tracking. We recommend testing if the link tracking works - simply open the link in a new incognito tab and see if the clicks are registered on Partnero.