Hiding or masking the URL of an affiliate link can help protect commission rates by keeping the original URL private and providing a cleaner, more user-friendly URL. Below are several methods you can use to mask affiliate URLs, along with detailed examples and explanations for each.
JavaScript
JavaScript can be used to dynamically redirect users to an affiliate link. Note that this is not the most reliable method as users may have JavaScript disabled, and search engines may not execute JavaScript, leaving your link unindexed.
<a href="#" onclick="redirectAff()">Click here</a>
<script>
function redirectAff() {
const url = 'https://affiliate.site.com?id=12345';
window.location.href = url;
}
</script>
PHP Redirect
A PHP script could handle server-side redirection to the affiliate link. This solution is more reliable than JavaScript as it occurs on the server and is independent of the user’s browser settings.
<?php
// redirect.php
$affiliateUrl = 'https://affiliate.site.com?id=12345';
header("Location: $affiliateUrl");
exit;
?>
You can link to redirect.php like this:
<a href="redirect.php">Visit Affiliate</a>
Apache/htaccess
Using Apache’s .htaccess configuration file, you can create a redirect rule for a cleaner URL that internally maps to the affiliate link.
# .htaccess RewriteEngine On RewriteRule ^go/(.+)$ https://affiliate.site.com?id=$1 [L,R=302]
To use this, you would create a URL like example.com/go/12345, which would internally redirect to https://affiliate.site.com?id=12345.
Robots.txt
This file can be used to instruct search engines to avoid crawling affiliate links, though keep in mind that not all bots will respect this file.
# robots.txt User-agent: * Disallow: /go/
The directory /go/ should match the one used in your .htaccess or server configuration for redirects. This prevents search engines from indexing those URLs.
Combining Methods
- PHP with .htaccess: Use
.htaccessto make clean URLs (example.com/go/aff) and then internally redirect through a PHP script for future-proofing and logging capabilities. - JavaScript for Fallback: For enhanced user experience, combine JavaScript-based redirection with server-side methods as a fallback if JavaScript is disabled.
- SEO Considerations: Always test your robots.txt to ensure you’re effectively hiding any affiliate links from search engines while still serving them to users.
Security and Ethical Considerations
- Disclosure: Always disclose affiliate links to maintain transparency with users.
- HTTPS: Ensure your redirects work over HTTPS to protect user data.
- Privacy Policies: Comply with digital marketing rules, such as GDPR, if applicable.
Using these methods, you can effectively mask and manage affiliate URLs in a manner that can increase your click-through rates while providing a cleaner user experience.
