Introduction

Affiliate link code contains information about the ad display and enables our network to track and identify your role in the conversion or sales process. Proper use helps ensure you can be paid the commissions you have earned.

Link codes can vary depending on the link type and how you use them. This is a common example of our link code with all segments or parameters in place:

<a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=lMh2Xiq9xN0&offerid=7097.10000034&subid=0&type=4">Item Description or Image Location</a><img border=0 width=1 height=1 src="https://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=lMh2Xiq9xN0&bids=7097.1000003&subid=0&type=4">

Link Code Segments

HTML is the programming language used for link code. Below is the link code again, with each segment color-coded to help you identify the parameter and illustrate its role in the tracking process.

<a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=lMh2Xiq9xN0&offerid=7097.10000034&subid=0&type=4">Text link copy or Image Location</a><img border=0 width=1 height=1 src="https://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=lMh2Xiq9xN0&bids=7097.1000003&subid=0&type=4">

These are the parameters identified in this link code example:

• Redirect: https://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?

  Each URL starts with our server location. Our network links to the advertiser's site after first hitting one of our servers.

• Affiliate ID: id=lMh2Xiq9xN0

  This unique 11-character alphanumeric code identifies you and tells the server exactly which publisher the click came from. This is also called the tracking code, tracking ID, or encrypted code.

• Offer ID: &offerid=7097

  The numbers identify the offer. This allows our system to track the offer you are participating in and the advertiser who created it.

• Link ID: .10000034

  These numbers identify the specific link from the offer that has been clicked.

• Sub ID: &subid=0

  This number is used to identify the sub-publisher partner in a sub-network, if applicable. It corresponds to the value passed as the subid= parameter in the affiliate link. In this specific example, no value was passed.

• Link Type: &type=4

  This identifies the type of link that was clicked. See below for the specific codes.

All the above parts of the link, from Redirect to Link Type, or purple to orange are the tracking link code that allows us to track a user clicking through and redirecting to the advertiser’s or brand’s site.

• Creative: Text link copy or Image Location

  For text links, this is the viewable text to be displayed. For an image link, this will be the coded path to the image file. See the below for more information.

• Impression Tracking Pixel: <img border=0 width=1 height=1 src="https://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=lMh2Xiq9xN0&bids=7097.1000003&subid=0&type=4">

  Tracking pixels are added to links to allow for tracking when an image is not hosted on a Rakuten server. See below for more information.

Link Type

This identifies the type of link that was clicked. Possible values and their corresponding link type are:

• 1: Email
• 2: Product
• 3: Text
• 4: Banner
• 5: Search box
• 10: Deep links
• 13: Flex links
• 14: Dynamic rich media (DRM)
• 15: Product Catalog
• 20: Showcase

Creative 

For text links, this is the viewable text to be displayed. For an image link, this will be the coded path to the image file. The code should be enclosed in an image tag, include parameters and the path to the file. 

<img border=0 alt="95 x 95 v2" src="https://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=lMh2Xiq9xN0&bids=7097.1000003&subid=0&type=4">

Impression Tracking Pixel

Tracking pixels are added to text links and image links when the image is not hosted on a Rakuten server. The impression tracking pixel is a 1x1-sized graphic that allows us to record impressions on the creative. Tracking pixels are placed after the </a>

Consider carefully before removing a 1x1 pixel from your link code, as this will affect our ability to track impressions.

Additional Resources

Learn more about tracking technology and using link code on your site.