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Affiliate Cookie Duration?

by Finaco
5 replies
Hello, I'm new on the forum and looking forward to learning a lot from fellow experienced knowledgeable Warriors here.

I'm also new to Internet Marketing. My first question is that when affiliate websites say that when a user clicks on your product, the cookie is for 60 days.


Now is the cookie enabled on the user's computer or is it kept on the merchant/marketplace's website?

For example, suppose a user clicks on a product on my website, which then takes him to amazon.com, is the cookie on the user's computer or will the amazon website remember that the user came from my website for 60 days?

Thanks
#affiliate #cookie #duration
  • Profile picture of the author ChrisBa
    Originally Posted by Finaco View Post

    Hello, I'm new on the forum and looking forward to learning a lot from fellow experienced knowledgeable Warriors here.

    I'm also new to Internet Marketing. My first question is that when affiliate websites say that when a user clicks on your product, the cookie is for 60 days.


    Now is the cookie enabled on the user's computer or is it kept on the merchant/marketplace's website?

    For example, suppose a user clicks on a product on my website, which then takes him to amazon.com, is the cookie on the user's computer or will the amazon website remember that the user came from my website for 60 days?

    Thanks
    Cookies are stored on the visitors computer (unless they clear them)
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    • Profile picture of the author Finaco
      Originally Posted by ChrisBa View Post

      Cookies are stored on the visitors computer (unless they clear them)
      Ok thanks for the quick response. So it depends on the user if they have their browser set to delete cookies.
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      • Profile picture of the author shellerik
        Let's use Amazon as an example since I have an Amazon affiliate site.

        When a user clicks on one of the affiliate links on my site their browser requests a page from Amazon. Amazon can see that my affiliate tag is part of the request (URL) and that the request came from my site (referrer) so their reply includes a 24-hour cookie to be stored on the user's machine. The user's browser will now include the cookie in future requests for Amazon pages. If they make a purchase while their browser is sending the cookie I will get a commission, even if they're not buying the item they clicked on from my site.

        Some limitations:
        • After 24 hours the cookie expires and the browser stops sending it - no commission
        • If the user has cookies disabled in their browser - no commission
        • If the user deletes their cookies before making a purchase - no commission
        • If the user switches to another browser or computer to make a purchase - no commission
        • If the user clicks on someone else's affiliate link after mine and before making a purchase - no commission (for me)

        I hope that helps.
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        • Profile picture of the author Finaco
          Originally Posted by shellerik View Post

          Let's use Amazon as an example since I have an Amazon affiliate site.

          When a user clicks on one of the affiliate links on my site their browser requests a page from Amazon. Amazon can see that my affiliate tag is part of the request (URL) and that the request came from my site (referrer) so their reply includes a 24-hour cookie to be stored on the user's machine. The user's browser will now include the cookie in future requests for Amazon pages. If they make a purchase while their browser is sending the cookie I will get a commission, even if they're not buying the item they clicked on from my site.

          Some limitations:
          • After 24 hours the cookie expires and the browser stops sending it - no commission
          • If the user has cookies disabled in their browser - no commission
          • If the user deletes their cookies before making a purchase - no commission
          • If the user switches to another browser or computer to make a purchase - no commission
          • If the user clicks on someone else's affiliate link after mine and before making a purchase - no commission (for me)

          I hope that helps.
          Thanks, I used to think that the amazon site remembers the information on their side but now you guys have confirmed that everything is on the user side. The downside is many of the advanced users clear their cookies from the browser. It is something we don't have control over anyways...part of the business.
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  • Profile picture of the author godinu
    Also, cookies may last for different amounts of time depending upon the affiliate program. Amazon may be for one day, whereas some places may have cookies that last for 30 (until the user clears them). Most affiliate programs explain this in detail somewhere in their FAQs
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