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Learn everything you need to know about creating, managing, and tracking referral links for your affiliate program. This guide covers the basics, best practices, and tools you need to succeed.
Try Free Link GeneratorSee how referral links work by creating one below
The page you want visitors to land on
A unique identifier for this campaign
A referral link (also called an affiliate link or tracking link) is a unique URL that contains special parameters to identify who sent a visitor to your website.
When someone clicks on a referral link, the tracking parameters are captured and stored (usually in a cookie), allowing you to credit the referring affiliate for any resulting sales or signups.
Follow these four simple steps to create trackable referral links for your affiliate program
1
Start with the webpage you want to promote. This could be your homepage, a product page, or a special landing page.
Pro Tip: Use dedicated landing pages for better conversion tracking.
2
Include unique identifiers in your link to track who referred each visitor. Common parameters include campaign name and affiliate ID.
Pro Tip: Keep tracking codes short and memorable for affiliates.
3
Use a referral link generator tool to combine your URL with tracking parameters automatically.
Pro Tip: Test your link before sharing to ensure it works correctly.
4
Distribute your link to affiliates and monitor clicks, conversions, and revenue in real-time.
Pro Tip: Provide affiliates with multiple link formats for different platforms.
Skip the manual work—automate link generation for all your affiliates
Start Free with LinkJoltReferral links are essential for any business looking to track, measure, and optimize their affiliate marketing efforts
Know exactly where your traffic comes from and which affiliates drive the most visitors.
See which referral links lead to actual sales, signups, or other valuable actions.
Understand the return on investment for each affiliate partnership and marketing channel.
Detect and block suspicious activity with unique tracking codes for each affiliate.
Automate link generation for hundreds of affiliates instead of creating them manually.
Easily manage unlimited affiliates with organized, trackable referral links.
Compare the best tools for creating and managing referral links
All-in-one affiliate marketing platform with automatic link generation, real-time analytics, and automated payouts.
Unlimited tracking links
Stripe Connect payouts
0% transaction fees
Fraud detection
Popular URL shortener with basic click tracking and branded links.
Link shortening
Basic analytics
Custom domains
Free tool for adding UTM parameters to your URLs for Google Analytics tracking.
UTM parameter builder
Free to use
GA integration
Follow these proven strategies to get the most out of your referral link program and maximize conversions.
Get Started FreeUse URL shorteners or custom domains for cleaner links that look more professional and are easier to share.
Name your campaigns clearly (e.g., "SUMMER-SALE-2024") so you can easily identify them in your analytics.
Always click your referral links to verify they redirect correctly and tracking parameters are captured.
Give affiliates different link versions for social media, email, and websites to maximize reach.
Use cookie-based tracking to credit affiliates even if customers don't buy immediately.
Check your analytics weekly to identify top performers and optimize underperforming campaigns.
Common questions about referral links answered
A referral link is a unique URL that contains tracking parameters to identify the source of traffic. When someone clicks on a referral link, the tracking parameters are captured, allowing you to attribute visits, signups, and sales to specific affiliates, campaigns, or marketing channels. Referral links typically include a destination URL plus identifiers like affiliate IDs and campaign codes.
Creating a referral link involves three steps: (1) Start with your destination URL—the page you want visitors to land on. (2) Add tracking parameters like ?tc=CAMPAIGN&aff=AFFILIATE123 to identify the source. (3) Share the complete link with your affiliates. You can use a referral link generator tool like LinkJolt to automate this process and create links for multiple affiliates instantly.
Referral links offer several key benefits: accurate attribution of traffic and sales to specific sources, ability to calculate ROI for each marketing channel, automated commission tracking for affiliate programs, fraud prevention through unique identifiers, and scalable management of unlimited affiliates. They're essential for any business running a referral or affiliate program.
Track referral link performance using analytics tools that capture click data, conversions, and revenue. Key metrics to monitor include: total clicks per link, conversion rate (clicks to sales), revenue generated per affiliate, and average order value. Platforms like LinkJolt provide real-time dashboards showing all these metrics automatically.
Referral links track visitors through URL parameters and cookies, while coupon codes are discount codes entered at checkout. Many affiliate programs use both: links for attribution and coupons for discounts. The best approach is to use both together—referral links for tracking the customer journey, and coupon codes as an additional attribution method and incentive for customers.
Most referral links stay active indefinitely—the URL itself doesn't expire. However, the attribution window (how long after clicking a link an affiliate gets credit for a sale) is typically 30 days. This means if someone clicks a referral link and purchases within 30 days, the affiliate receives commission. You can adjust this window based on your product's typical buying cycle.
LinkJolt makes it easy to generate unlimited referral links, track performance, and pay affiliates automatically. Get started in minutes.
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The all-in-one affiliate management platform for SaaS companies.
© 2025 LinkJolt. All rights reserved.
Made with ♥ for SaaS companies