Cloaking 2 part affiliate links.

by mugwum0

Posted: 15 years ago 17 replies

WEB DESIGN

With simple URL links, frame redirect shows the refering page in browser URL box, rather than the destination page, thus concealing affiliate ID as well as permitting shorter links.

In 2 Part text links, of form
<a href="h_t_t_p:/_/w_w_w.merchant.com/product-code/affilID/other-stuff">Product name</a>
<img src="h_t_t_p:/_/w_w_w.merchant.com/e/r?=affilID/more-stuff" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none; margin:0px;" />
the fake image is used for tracking, whereas the first part is still a simple URL.

Frame redirect does not carry the <img> along. So how can the full link be cloaked AND not lose commission.
Solutions can use HTML, PHP under *NIX.

Alternative question: how to cloak affiliate links for amazon.com, cj.com, clickbank.com.

#affiliate #cloaking #links #part

Dirkchad Banned 15 years ago

[DELETED]

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- mugwum0 15 years ago
  
  See h t t p:/ /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/URL_redirection
  under "Frame redirects" about 2/3 down page.
  Main advantage over <Meta refresh, php redirect
  (<? header('Location: h t t p://w w w.thesite.com/theactualpage.html '); ?>
  and so forth is that URL window shows source page, not destination / affiliate
  link. Also 301's, .htaccess, etc.
  
  Problem is that various redirects work only on URL, not the <img> part of
  example. I've tried and get errors.
  
  As I said, I could use specific examples on cloaking affiliate links for amazon.com,
  cj.com, clickbank.com which use that 2 part structure with <img> for tracking.
  
  Thanks
  
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fragin_bastich 15 years ago

I'm not sure what you are trying to say with the image but if you are asking what I think you are asking than use a full page iFrame with a php redirect or http meta refresh, or better yet a double refresh to actually cloak your links.

<IFRAME SRC="link.php" WIDTH=100% HEIGHT=100%>
</IFRAME>

link.php->

<?php
header( 'Location:h**p://www.yoursite.com/link2.php' ) ;
?>

link2.php->

<?php
header( 'Location:h**p://www.affiliatesite.com/affiliateid.etc' ) ;
?>

basically your affiliate site will appear as a full page iFrame (you may have to adjust scrolling and borders and such) and anyone who looks at your source code will see link.php instead of the affiliate url.
- Thanks
- 1 reply
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- mugwum0 15 years ago
  
  Ok, your <iframe saves me having a separate redirect.php. However, amazon.com, cj.com, clickbank.com still want that token <img for tracking. It is not certain that I get paid without that.
  
  Thanks
  
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fragin_bastich 15 years ago

After reviewing your original post it appears your speaking of a "tracking pixel"...not "really" an image...and it goes on the merchants site, not in your iframe. Talk to your affiliate network to get the pixel placed.
- Thanks
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strsinthesky 15 years ago

There was a program called affiliate link cloaker. It does the job great.
- Thanks
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n7 Studios 15 years ago

You could use your .htaccess file to set up a redirect on a link - so for example yoursite.com/affiliatelink would actually send the user to anothersite.com/anotheraffiliatelink/etc.

This requires some setup, but means your links would be better cloaked, and not rely on Javascript or other client-side methods.
- Thanks
- 1 reply
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- mugwum0 15 years ago
  
  Well, now I have a name for it, "tracking pixel".
  My experience todate (far from complete) says none of the redirects at my end can convey that little feller. As I recall, the commercial products, reviews, and free equivalents use frame redirects, which only do the URL part, not the "tracking pixel".
  
  Thanks for the responses, but...
  
  BTW: Can anyone texplain how "tp" works?
  
  Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
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  fantomaster 15 years ago
  
  @mugwum0
  
  Essentially, what the "tracking pixel" does is get called via your promo page by your visitor's browser, allowing the merchant system to synch your affiliate site/code with the visitor's IP to ensure that you'll get your commission in case of a sale.
  (Yes, this is a bit of a simplistic explanation as it ignores cookies etc. but it should do to outline the procedure in a general way.)
  
  And you're right, if you merely redirect the naked URL this tracking info will get lost so chances are you won't get credited for the sale.
  
  Your least complicated solution would be to link to a dedicated gateway page on your own system: Here you'll merely displaying the full affiliate link (i.e. including that TP), but using a "0 seconds" refresh redirecting your visitor to the merchant's sales page.
  
  Actually, it's a dedicated hop page you're using here. If your system is up to par and the Net connection is fast enough, your visitor will probably remain unaware of that redirect but you will then be credited ok for the sale.
  
  Obviously, it'd be even easier if your merchant were to offer text only links (e.g. for e-mail) without any pixel tracking gimmicks, but unfortunately there's quite a few who still don't. Just mentioning this in case you haven't specifically checked them out for that.
  
  E.g. at CJ you may have to dig these plain URL links up separately (again, look for "text link" or "e-mail link"), esp. if your merchants offers a wide range of banners etc. to choose from.
  
  Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
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  mugwum0 15 years ago
  
  Thanks. My first glimmer of understanding.
  
  I mostly use text links. The ones from amazon, cj.com, clickbank have these pesky "tracking pixel"s on every case I have examined. Shareasale.com DOES offer option of email links, no pixel, but don't cover all product lines.
  
  Please explain how to implement your "dedicated gateway page", "dedicated hop page". (Or any other way to save tracking pixel.)
  
  ---------------
  Googling for gateway pages finds numerous references on spamming and how to get rejected by Search Engines. I hope you can give me better guidance.
  
  Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
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  fantomaster 15 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by mugwum0
  
  Googling for gateway pages finds numerous references on spamming and how to get rejected by Search Engines. I hope you can give me better guidance.
  
  Simple - this is the essential procedure:
  
  YourSalesPage-ProductLink ---> HopPage (aka GatewayPage) ---> MerchantSalesPage
  
  The gateway or hop page is a plain vanilla html page featuring your FULL affiliate link. (No need for anything else, be it content or graphics or whatever.)
  
  Set this page to a "0 secs" JavaScript redirect.
  If you don't know how to do this, here's a sample code (replace "TP-URL" with the pixel graphic's link, "MAIN-URL" with the merchant page link proper:
  
  Code:
  
  <html><head></head> <body onLoad="javascript:location.replace('TP-URL')"> <a href="TP-URL" target="_top" onmouseover="window.status='MAIN-URL';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;">target.com</a><BR> <font face="Verdana, Arial" size="1">Promo Text ...</font><img src="TP-URL" width="1" height="1" border="0"> </body> </html>
  
  You can also read up alternatives here:
  grizzlyweb AT com/webmaster/javascripts/redirection.asp
  
  Thanks
  
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dafewealth

15 years ago

i saw this kind before,i think you should get a
web manager to check it out for you.it could be something very little.

Thanks
1 reply

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mugwum0

15 years ago

to fantomaster: Clarification, please.
You show TP-URL in 3 places, first with single quote, then two with double quote.
It appears that I am to place my TP value into the last, in <img ...
What about <a href="TP-URL" ?

You show MAIN-URL once with single quote. Is that where I put main url.

Where goes the "0 secs"?

Thanks for the refs.

Thanks
1 reply

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fantomaster

15 years ago

Many ways to skin a cat - this is just one of them.

Simply replace the TP-URL and MAIN-URL were referenced and take it from there.
Just DO it - then test.

Plus, check out the link I pointed you to for alternatives.

(Sorry, I can't post proper URLs here yet for want of submissions to date, duh...)

@rarebiz: Yes, it is I, warts and all...

Originally Posted by mugwum0

Thanks

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rarebiz 15 years ago

OMG!!! Fantomaster is invading this forum.
Are you the real one?

Sorry out of topic.
- Thanks
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rarebiz 15 years ago

Wow. Are you sure your not some forum poster, paid by them?
I can't wait to see your signature become WSO here
This guy is the real dea,l mugwum0. I'll let him handle your problem :p.
Piece a cake~
- Thanks
- 1 reply
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- mugwum0 15 years ago
  
  As I said, your directions [and ref] are not totally unambiguous.
  <img src="TP-URL" seems clear, but not so for
  replace('TP-URL')
  <a href="TP-URL"
  .status='MAIN-URL'
  
  I did the following, and it transfers to the product page, but I cannot test TP. And I still see no place for timer=0 sec. There is a pause of several seconds before final page.
  
  <body onLoad="javascript:location.replace('h t t p://w w w.merchant.com/gp/product/NUMBER?ie=UTF8&tag=AFFILID&linkCode=as2&camp=1789& creative=9325&creativeASIN=NUMBER')">
  <a href="TP-URL" target="_top" onmouseover="window.status='MAIN-URL';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;">Discount Price</a><BR>
  <font face="Verdana, Arial" size="1">Product Name</font><img src="h t t p://w w w.assoc-merchant.com/e/ir?t=AFFILID=as2&o=1&a=NUMBER" width="1" height="1" border="0">
  </body>
  </html>
  
  You can see that
  1. I put actual URL in replace('..')
  2. left <a href="TP-URL" as is
  3. put tracking pixel in <img..>
  4. I did nothing to .status='MAIN-URL'
  
  With my limited experience, I don't understand how "replace('url')" is keyed to
  <a href="TP-URL" for substitution.
  
  Further note: As I have done it, final page shows full affiliate link in URL box, so no cloaking/masking.
  I'm not sure what I have achieved compared to raw original merchant code.
  
  BY THE WAY: inserting characters in www and http is my trick for getting around forum filter.
  
  Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
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  fantomaster 15 years ago
  
  Ok, just a few points addressing your questions as I'm a bit pressed for time.
  
  1. To reiterate: the issue at hand is using affiliate links that are split in two parts, the classic affiliate URL and another one calling a one pixel tracking graphics file.
  
  2. What the proposed code does is to redirect a visitor (assuming a JavaScript enabled browser) to the target URL (merchant page).
  
  3. For browsers with JS disabled, the target URL is embedded within the HTML code, hidden (admittedly perfunctorily) via "onmouseover". MAIN-URL is actually the merchant page sans affiliate code.
  
  4. The main problem addressed by this approach is getting the tracking one pixel graphics (TP) to do its job in order to safeguard your commission.
  
  5. You're right in that there's no specific "0 seconds" code implemented here as this is typically effected by the OnLoad command. You can add a "0 seconds" meta refresh in your page header to be on the safe side, but generally speaking the OnLoad process won't take longer, either. That's why it's fairly critical to host your pages on a state of the art server system with a fast connection.
  
  6. If the merchant page displays your actual affiliate code, this is basically a configuration flaw on their part. (Yes, many less tech savvy merchants sites still do that but the better outfits will hide it these days.)
  By way of an "evil black hat trick" (well, not really: it's merely a bit of thinking-outside-the-box...) you can, at least for merchants who don't have that TP implemented, chose to promote the merchant's page directly - with your affiliate code included in the URL, e.g. by throwing plenty of links at it: that way, if their site rises in the rankings (or gets replaced by your affiliate encoded URL) you'll even get credited for sales you didn't have a hand in, namely by anyone clicking their URL in the SERPs. But I digress...
  
  7. We've been using this approach for years to push traffic generated via Shadow Domains (i.e. cloaked sites) to merchant sites requiring a TP with excellent success. But I realize that you're probably not into cloaking entire domains so the link cloaking effect of this approach will be limited at best within your specific scenario.
  
  @rarebiz: Currently working on a virtual fantomaster clone to handle such forum discourse tasks, but it's still in alpha, so no way I can delegate them yet, lol.
  
  Thanks
  
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Cloaking 2 part affiliate links.

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