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affiliate links

How to Create Affiliate Links (The Smart, Simple Way)

You’ve got the offers. You’ve got the content. Now you need the link that tracks it all. If you’re diving into affiliate marketing, one of the first things you need to understand is how affiliate links work. These links are how brands track referrals — and how you get paid when someone makes a purchase, signs up, or takes action.

Whether you’re running a blog, building a content site, or sharing offers on TikTok or Pinterest, affiliate links are your core tool. And if you’re working with Yep Ads, we make it even easier by giving you fully optimized tracking links from the start.

Let’s walk through how it all works. 

Table of Contents

 

Key Takeaways

  • Affiliate links track your referrals and help you earn commission.
  • You don’t need to build links manually — Yep Ads gives you ready-to-go tracking links.
  • Use sub-IDs to track which content performs best.
  • Shorten and brand your links to improve click-through rates.
  • Place links inside helpful, value-based content — not randomly.
  • Always disclose affiliate relationships and use the right link tags for SEO.
  • Keep links updated, test regularly, and monitor performance.
  • Yep Ads offers dedicated support, exclusive offers, and smarter link management so you can focus on growing your income.

An affiliate link is a unique URL that connects a customer’s action (like a sale or sign-up) back to you. It tells the advertiser, “Hey, this person came from your content.”

Example:
https://brand.com/product?ref=yourID

That little bit at the end (your ID or sub-ID) is what tracks who sent the traffic, and makes sure you get the commission.

Image Source: Yep Ads Website

Option 1: If You Partner With an Affiliate Agency:

Step 1: Work With a Trusted Affiliate Partner

Before creating links, you need access to the right offers.
If you’re working with Yep Ads, this part is simple — we’ll match you with the best campaigns based on your niche, audience, and GEO (location), and provide the tracking links for you.

No need to build them from scratch or manage multiple dashboards — we’ve got you covered.

Step 2: With Support of Affiliate Manager Choose the Offer

Work together to pick:

  • High-converting offers
  • Payout models you’re comfortable with (e.g., CPA, CPS)
  • Creative assets that match your style (videos, banners, landing pages)

Your manager can recommend top-performing offers and even help test different options for you.

Step 3: Add Sub-IDs for Smarter Tracking

Want to know which post, platform, or campaign brought in that sale?

Add a sub-ID to your link, like this:
https://brand.com/product?affid=12345&subid=tiktok-review

This helps you track what content performs best. You can use different sub-IDs for your blog, Instagram, email newsletter, or anything. It’s one of the smartest habits to build early.

How To Make Your Link Look Cleaner (Optional)

Affiliate links can be long or look technical. While they still work as-is, shortening or branding them can improve click-through rates.

Tools like:

  • Pretty Links (for WordPress users)
  • Bitly
  • Rebrandly
     help you turn this:
     https://brand.com/product?affid=12345&subid=tiktok1
     into:
     https://yourwebsite.com/deal

Clean, branded links feel more trustworthy and user-friendly.

Step 5: Place the Link Where It Makes Sense

This is where strategy comes in. Good affiliate links are placed inside helpful, value-driven content, not spammed randomly.

Best places to add your links:

  • Inside honest product reviews
  • In “Top 10” or “Best of” roundups
  • On clear Call-to-Action (CTA) buttons like:
    “Get the Deal”
    “Try It Now”
  • In YouTube descriptions or TikTok captions
  • Inside tutorial blogs or how-to guides
  • In your newsletter (if the platform allows)

Always aim to help, not just promote.

Option 2: If You Work With Brands Directly:

If you’re collaborating one-on-one with a brand, you may need to create your affiliate link manually or request one from the brand.

Here’s what to do:

  1. Ask the brand if they offer affiliate tracking.
    Request your unique tracking link or ask if they’ll generate it for a specific landing page or product.
  2. Confirm the payout terms, cookie duration, and reporting process.
  3. If they don’t use a platform, you may need to agree on custom UTM parameters for tracking (e.g., ?ref=yourname or ?utm_source=blog&utm_campaign=summerpromo).
  4. Ideally, they’ll connect you to a platform like Everflow so you can track traffic, clicks, and conversions in real time without relying on Google Analytics.
  5. If no dashboard is available, ask the brand to send monthly conversion reports or share access to performance data.

When partnering with Yep Ads, we provide you not only with the unique tracking links and all the terms, but also with our innovative tracking platform access, so no extra actions needed, you have everything in 1 place. We provide ongoing support and assistance whenever you need us.

Affiliate Link Best Practices

  • Track performance weekly — see what’s converting and what’s not.
  • Keep your links updated — offers change, and broken links mean missed revenue.
  • Disclose: Let readers know you may earn a commission. Example:
     “This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you.”

Why Yep Ads Makes Affiliate Links Easier

When you work with Yep Ads, we don’t just hand you a link and walk away.

Here’s what we provide:

  • Custom affiliate links built for your campaign and GEO
  • Smart tracking with sub-ID structures so you know what’s performing
  • Access to exclusive high-converting offers across verticals like VPNs, finance, mobile, wellness, and more
  • Help from real affiliate managers who’ll guide you on what’s working
  • Consistent, consolidated payouts (instead of chasing multiple networks)

We give you everything you need to start strong and grow faster.

Image Source: Yep Ads Website

Final Thoughts

Creating affiliate links isn’t complicated, especially when you understand how they work and where to use them.

The real win comes from:

  • Choosing the right offers
  • Using smart tracking
  • Placing your links inside helpful content
  • Working with the right partner (hi)

Whether you’re a solo creator or building an affiliate media site, you don’t have to do it all alone. Yep Ads is here to make sure your links are optimized, trackable, and ready to perform.

Want links that convert (without the hassle)?
Join Yep Ads and we’ll set you up with everything you need to succeed.

Image Source: Yep Ads Website

Affiliate Link FAQs

How do I know if my affiliate link is working?
 Most platforms (including Yep Ads) give you a dashboard where you can see clicks, conversions, and commissions. You can also test your link by clicking it and checking if it redirects properly and includes your tracking info.

Can I use affiliate links on social media?
 Yes! Just make sure it’s allowed on the platform (Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, etc.) and that you include a disclosure. Tip: Use a shortened or branded link to keep it clean.

What’s a sub-ID and why does it matter?
 Sub-IDs help you track where your traffic is coming from — like which blog post, ad, or video generated the click. It’s extra data that helps you optimize what’s working.

Do affiliate links expire?
 Sometimes. If a brand ends a campaign or changes a landing page, your link might stop working. That’s why it’s important to check your links regularly — or let Yep Ads handle it for you.

What’s the difference between affiliate links and referral links?
 They work similarly, but affiliate links are usually used in performance marketing, while referral links are more common in influencer programs or customer referral bonuses.

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