How Do Y'all Cloak Your Affiliate Links?

I just purchased this 2 days ago and love it!

Non Affiliate Link: Affiliate Link Script - Hide and Track Your Affiliate URL Links with PHP Link Cloaker
Affiliate Link: PHP Link Cloaker

There's a demo on the site, just add in your URL, the text you want displayed and it's done. Shows you total clicks and total unique clicks as well. Real nice, simple, easy script.

Whoops. Just saw that it does not work with GoDaddy! What should I do?

Tinyurl works a treat for simple link cloaking. Not great for SEO though.

I use a free tool to cloak my affiliate links:

Free & Simple Affiliate Link Cloaker

sorta a noob question - what exactly do you cloak for? so the CPA networks can't track your traffic, say if you are doing some blackhat stuff? I've read that people can steal affiliate links, how? Or is cloaking just to make URL smaller like TinyURL.

sorry if this is too off topic for the thread

Kenster, you cloak your links so it isn't immediately obvious that you're sending your traffic to an affiliate page.

Jared, thanks for that useful website!

The real question I have is how to do this:

Instead of displaying your affiliate link, it shows something like

yoursitename.com/recommends/xyzproduct

Does anyone know how to do that?

Thanks again for all your responses!

This is how I cloak my link.

First I create a folder within my site then created and place a small php file. I prefer index.php but you put any name. then just place the following code in the file.

<?php
header("Location:http://www.youraffiliatelink.com/");
exit;
?>

just replace the "youraffiliatelink.com to your affiliate link. just point your link to that folder. so when your visitor click the link, the php file will redirect them to your affiliate page. very fast and quick redirect.

affgem, could you possibly recommend some of those scripts or provide some links? Thanks mate.

Best free cloak link service I used so far:
CloakedLink.com - Free Link Cloaking / Referrer Hiding Service

I can't really afford to get fancy link cloaking software, so I usually use either tinyurl or viralurl to cloak my affiliate links. For affiliate links I get through commission junction, they actually have a feature that cloaks your links for you when copying banner ad codes

Other services that allow to shorten your URL are:
SnipURL dot com

and

BudURL dot com

BudURL is one of the best URL shortening services on the web as it also gives you tracking stats (clickthroughs).

I would like to know the same thing. Is there a way to hide the fact that someone is clicking on an affiliate link without totally changing the link to something like tinyurl? For example, if someone clicks on an affiliate link to Clickbank, is there a way to hide your affiliate ID at the end?

Sorry if anyone answered this and I did not understand. Perhaps what I am asking is impossible??

hey folks - just read thru all the posts here and all the features you are looking for in a link cloaker have been built into Cloak'n'Rotate - plus heaps more.

I had trouble with sites like offto.net and tinyurl etc - you run the risk of all your links being blocked if someone does the wrong thing with their link - ie a trojan virus is hidden behind offto. net/thisismylink - then when they get caught, the whole domain is labeled as a virus - including your links.

Plus, they really don't look professional!

Check out cloak'n'rotate - http://www.warriorforum.com/warrior-...-summit-2.html

Gah! I'm trying to use one of the free cloaker tools but the html thing doesn't work with my "BLOG" and I have no idea how to make it work... I'm utterly confused

anybody got an idea of a free way to cloak my affiliate link on my BLOG ? I just can't understand this.

And it says upload to your site. This is a blog not a site. Help?

p.s. I have a MAC

Just want to update everyone, I tried Bujuk's first suggestion and it worked perfectly. Thanks Bujuk!

>> offto

- any other services that use generic domains

- is it better to frame the site like offto or just redirect/forward to the affiliate site

I find the php redirect is pretty good. It looks like they stay on your site but it;s actually the vendor's/merchants site. I always wondered how they did that and then came across the script somewhere.

Here it is:

<?php
if ($m == "") {$link = "http://www.UglyLinkHere.com/blah";} // Default Blank

header("Location: $link"); // Jump to the hidden affiliate URL above
exit();
?>

Remember to save it as a php file: *.php (after pasting it into notepad).

EDIT: oh yeah. almost forgot...

Paste in your aff. link where it says to and then upload this .php file into a sub-directory aptly name for whatever your promoting. And then in your email/blog post/review/etc reference that sub-directory (as a URL - http:///blah.com/sub-directory-with-php-file/).

It's a Cakewalk.

I have started using domain forwarding for all my affiliate links. I just don't feel cloaking links with bit.ly or tiny-url quite does the trick. After all, a .com domain is only about 10 bucks per year. If you get your name right, you can even reuse it for a new affiliate program within the same niche, if the current campaign does not make you happy.

I've been using NameStick link cloaking/web forwarding service. So far it's worked very well for me. Not free though. Costs $39/year. Go to NameStick.com.

Rich

I like to use offto.net for my cloaking. They let me cloak, add like a sub domain, and a window title. They have been good to me.

I worked on GTT..its looks good.

the best tool i found so far is called kblinker - which you can find at kblinker.c0m

there is a fully functional trial and it is simple to use and install.

OK so to reiterate - Bujuk's advice is sound if you just want to cloak. However - everyone promoting CPA products should be tracking their conversions. And it just so happens if you use Tracking202 (which is free), you get a PHP code for cloaking your affiliate link included. It's really a no-brainer. Best of luck to all!

Godaddy is the best place for this. Simply buy a domain name, (you can get .info ones for like $2), and redirect it to your affiliate page. Then select the masking option to cover it up. Your end user will only see the redirected domain not your affiliate link.

Excellent resources here on how to cloak a link but I thought I read somewhere that your affiliate manager at a CPA network for example may question your traffic if it's not visible to their system. I could be wrong but are people cloaking to....

a) hide their link from a potential visitor
b) hide their link from those who could steal commission
c) hide their link to hide which keywords sent traffic to the offer so the merchant or aff manager can't steal your "money keywords"?

Thanks all

PS - maybe I'm just being paranoid about cloaking links??

its good !!!!!!!

tinyurl.com

I use mbpninjaaffiliate.com (Ninja Affiliate) for cloaking my links. It gives you the sitename.com/recommends/productname structure that someone was looking for. It's $97 and also allows you to track impressions and clicks in wordpress.

For those using TinyURL or a similar free service, I would suggest testing out bit.ly as it allows you track click thrus and impressions.

I use Mike Filsaime's Powerlink Generator.

Cloaking, Custom Domain Directory names and Tracking all in one.

Got a superstar scriptlance programmer to put it on for me.

Best money I have spent this year.

Charles

I am pretty green on all of this but can't you do this with redirects through Cpanel?

You can use software to cloak your affiliate links, but not all of them are 100%. There are some free scripts that you can find that will help you cloak, but it's better for you to get a coder to help you.

I use .....ly - you know what I mean Mate

I usa Tinyurl...and works very good for me.

One of the cloakers that I use is covert links, it's fairly in-expensive and works for anything I've needed it for. It's simple because you just plug in your information and it creates a webpage for you. It's great for direct linking because you clone your target website but your domain remains in the address bar. The other great benefit is that you get to add meta tags into your page like: description, keywords, titles, etc... which will be a nice boost to your SEO. The other program that I use is Phantom Link Cloaker. This one does everything that covert links does but what really makes this one a gem is that you are able to create an optin message that appears over top of your main page. So your offer to build your subscription list is the first thing visitor see transparent over your affiliate page. That feature in itself is worth the price of the script. The software isn't cheap at $97 but think of the power of building your list first before the product being offered starts dropping down optin forms. For those of you that want to go absolutely free then bit.ly is a great alternative and yes you can track clicks with bit.ly

Yes, I like to use a simple php

<?php header("Location: YOUR LINK HERE");?>

Save that a php file from notepad and up load it to your file server

ie. myaffiliatelink.php

your website url/myaffiliatelink.php

Tracking202 as a link cloaking feature. That's what I use.

I use "MyLinkGuard" ...works for me and very easy to use.

I use a double meta refresh script on my domain, and I double and triple check it by visiting the cloaked link on Google Chrome, Opera, and Safari (it should not go to your offer in those 3 browsers - if it does, then your referrer info is leaking).

Since this thread appears to keep getting resurrected, I'll throw in my suggestion for WordPress Blogs. I like to use the Pretty Link plugin. It allows me shorten my URL, making it appear to be from my blog, instead of someone else's URL shortener, plus creates tracking reports.

WordPress › Pretty Link WordPress Plugins

I use my own url site TwURLit.com it works a treat and have never had any trouble and i guess its easier than normal cloaking techniques.

You do a meta refresh redirect, or a php redirect. Use google to get these, they are quite easy. You have to have a domain to do this, of course. Just make a simple html file for each redirect on your hosting.

Search for threads created by george brown. he has a method completely for free

Wow, lots here on link cloaking.

I created a few tutorials on this subject. They are at no cost for anyone who wants to view them. I personally use a software that I do talk about in the tutorials. I use it because I need to get things done FAST... The tutorials also go over how to put your cloaked links in banners and pictures.

I have post them on my site at affiliatetrainingpros.com

This link is not to break any forum rules it is only to direct to the videos that may help you.

If you want to cloak your link with out software, there are the steps to doing it.

Step 1:
Create a new folder on your desktop and give it a name. You can name it whatever you want. Most folks will use either the name "go" or "recommends"

Step 2:
Open the folder and then right click and hit the "create new text document" link.
Step 3:
Rename the text document to whatever name you want that will reflect the product you are promoting.
Step 4:
Create the code as illustrated here:
<php? header("location "http://YOUR AFFILATE CODE GOES HERE");
?>
Step 4:
Click on the File drop down menu and click "save"
Step 5:
Highlight the file extension and rename the extension from .txt to .php and click save.
Step 6:
Upload the folder to your site.
Step 7:
Check your new link to make sure it is working properly.
Your new link will now look something like this..
http://yoursite/thenameofyourfile/yourextensionname.php


Hope this helps!

I use exactly the same technique outlined by RhondaGiarraffa and it works great and the links look cool.

Prosper202 - enable cloaking

I recently had to re-install my operation system and went with Windows 7. Then someone told me that Windows 7 has enhanced its' PCP's and most cloaked links can't get past them. I don't know if I explained that right as i don't have a clue what PCP's are and hope to never need to know!

Anyway, I am worried about this. I mostly have been using viral url and have had some warnings and a TE rejection for a couple of days earlier this week, but seems fine now. Have also used tinyurl, but have gone through the comments here and some have noted that it looks unprofessional and I think i would agree with that.

Can anyone comment on the Windows 7 issue?
Thanks.

p202 cloaking

Simple php redirect always works for me

create a folder (ie go, order, etc)

Add your affiliate link in a php redirect(see below) and save it in the folder as index.php and upload to your hosting account. Your link will then be yoursite.com/go

Cloak Affiliate links?? what for?

Prosper202 and some slight mods I had a programmer do to make it 99% failproof. Don't see why you'd need anything else.

Josh Spaulding has a free cloaker that you upload to your server called "clever cloaker".

I think what you also want is a cloaker and redirecter.

(For Example) sometimes you may want to just link to an order page. Many of the free cloakers dont do that, they just link to the home offer page.

The only one I found that does this is Easy Redirect Script but this cost $77.00--http://www.easyredirectscript.com/index.php Not An Affiliate Link

As for me...i am gonna stick with "Pretty Links". Is free plugin, I can track clicks, have 4 different options for cloaking, and also no-follow and open new tab option and best of all I still retain my web address as part of the cloaked link.

Prosper202 although they have gone through a bad patch now being bought out then mbo. Used to use them quite a lot but now have built my own cloacker.

If you use wordpress. you can install the plugin cparedirector2

Ninja Link Cloaker by Matt Haslem. It works like a charm. I use it in conjunction with Adtrackz for tracking.

If you are using wordpress - an you should be - use a plugin called "pretty links". It allows you to have www.yourdomain.com/anything u want. Its the only link cloaker Iuse and it works great. I dont believe in using online link shortner services

I use Profit Protector. Its free and very easy to use.
Free HTML Tool - Profit Protector Affiliate Link Cloaker

I just use a site called thatswise.com to cloak my links. It's free to use and really easy.

Wow this is an old thread! Check post 4 by Kenster - oh how far some have come...