What is an Affiliate Code? Examples?

Affiliate marketing is a powerful model for businesses to increase sales and for affiliates to earn commissions by promoting products. One of the key components that make affiliate marketing work is the affiliate code. But what exactly is it, and how does it function?

Let’s break it down.

What is an Affiliate Code?

An affiliate code is a special ID attached to a link or ad that helps businesses track which affiliate (or person) referred a customer. When someone clicks an affiliate’s link and buys something, the affiliate code lets the business know which affiliate made the sale so they can pay them.

Affiliate code is used as a “tag” added to the affiliate link. For example, the link might look like this:

www.merchant.com/product?affiliate_code=12345

In this example, “affiliate_code=12345” is the affiliate code that helps the business track which affiliate referred the sale.

How Affiliate Codes Are Used?

An affiliate code (e.g., affiliate_code=12345) is used for tracking referrals in an affiliate program. Here’s how it works:

1. Identifies affiliates – Each affiliate gets a unique code (e.g., aff=123) to track their referrals.
2. Tracks conversions – When a customer clicks a link containing the code (e.g., yourstore.com?aff=123), the system records the referral.
3. Assigns commissions – If the referred customer makes a purchase, the affiliate earns a commission.
4. Customizable links – Codes can be added to URLs, allowing affiliates to promote through social media, blogs, and emails.

Affiliate code as a part of tracking code

An affiliate code is usually part of an affiliate tracking code. The affiliate code is a unique ID that identifies the affiliate. The tracking code is a more detailed code used in links, image, and ads to track sales. It includes the affiliate code along with other details, like the ad ID and the product URL, to make sure the correct affiliate gets credit for the sale.

Affiliate tracking code can be embedded in many types of promotional materials. For example, in text links, Image and banner link, videos and other media, or dynamic content.

An affiliate code can contain several elements to help track conversions accurately. These elements typically include:

• Link target: This is the final URL that the customer lands on after clicking the affiliate link.
• Affiliate code: This is the unique number or ID assigned to each affiliate to identify them. It’s the core of the affiliate code and helps businesses attribute sales to the correct affiliate.
• Advertisement ID: This identifies the specific ad or promotion that led to the conversion, helping businesses analyze the effectiveness of different advertisements.
• Image URL: For banner ads, this is the URL used to display the image on the affiliate’s site.

For example, a JavaScript snippet used to embed an affiliate code might look like this:

<script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.affiliatenetzwerk.de/js/jsadlib.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
    Adcell.user.setPartnerId("12345");  // Affiliate ID: Identifies the affiliate
    Adcell.user.getAd({
        "wid":"98765",  // Advertisement ID: Identifies the specific ad that led to the conversion
        "link_target":"https://www.merchant.com/product",  // Link target: The URL the customer lands on
        "image_url":"https://www.merchant.com/ad-banner.jpg"  // Image URL: Used for banner ads
    });
</script>

In this example:

• Affiliate Code ("12345") is the unique identifier for the affiliate.
• Advertisement ID ("98765") identifies the specific ad that was clicked by the customer.
• Link Target ("https://www.merchant.com/product") is the page the customer is directed to after clicking the affiliate link.
• Image URL ("https://www.merchant.com/ad-banner.jpg") is used for the banner ad, which shows on the affiliate’s website.

This code helps track the affiliate’s performance and ensures the correct commission is paid when a customer makes a purchase.

Tracking Sales with Affiliate Codes

The main reason affiliate codes are so important is they help businesses track sales. When a customer clicks on an affiliate’s link and makes a purchase, the affiliate code tells the business which affiliate made the sale. This way, the affiliate can get paid for their work. This is called “tracking a conversion.”

The merchant can then pay the affiliate a commission for the sale because the code linked the sale to them.

Tips for Using Affiliate Codes to Get More Sales

To get more sales, it’s important for affiliates to choose the right ads. For example, using a deep link that takes customers directly to a special offer or product can be more effective than just linking to the homepage.

#1 – Use Deep Links for Higher Conversions

Instead of sending users to the homepage, direct them to the exact product page the affiliate is promoting.

Example:

• Regular Link: yourstore.com?aff=123 → Customers must search for the product.
• Deep Link: yourstore.com/products/shoes?aff=123 → Customers land directly on the product page.

This approach will shortens the buying journey, increasing conversion rates. It also helps affiliates optimize their content (blog posts, videos, etc.).

Merchants often provide different types of ads, like banners, links, and product promotions. The more options available, the more likely affiliates will find the right ad to use with their audience, leading to more sales.

#2 – Use UTM Tracking for Better Insights

UTM parameters help track where traffic is coming from (Instagram, Facebook, email, etc.), making it easier to optimize campaigns.

Example UTM link:

bashCopyEdityourstore.com/products/shoes?aff=123&utm_source=instagram&utm_campaign=spring_sale

This help merchants understand which traffic source drives the most sales. It also adjust marketing strategies to focus on the best-performing channels

FAQs