How To Check If Affiliate Links Are Working? Here’s 6 Ways

How To Check If Affiliate Links Are Working, that’s what we’re going to talk about today.

As an affiliate marketer, your affiliate links are the lifeblood of your business. There is no grey area – if your affiliate links are not working you’re not making money.

The good news is you have several different ways of testing your affiliate links making sure you’re not missing out on any commissions.

So let’s dig in and let me show you the 6 different options you have for making sure your affiliate links are working.

How To Check If Affiliate Links Are Working

As an affiliate marketer, It’s important that you get in the habit of regularly checking to see that your affiliate links are working properly. Because broken or incorrect links can lead to lost sales and missed opportunities for earning commissions. And we certainly don’t want that.

So here are 6 ways you can check your affiliate links are always working properly so you’re always making money!!

Check The Link URL Manually

To check the link URL, simply copy and paste it into a browser and hit enter. This will take you to the product page that the link should be redirected to.

You also want to be sure that your affiliate ID or tracking code is present in the URL or on the page.

For example, I’m an affiliate of Thrive Suite. So when someone clicks on my affiliate they are taken to the Thrive Themes page. And if you look at the URL of that page people are taken to you can see my affiliate tracking ID.

Now If there is an error message or if you are redirected to a different page, then there is an issue with your affiliate link and you need to resolve the issue right away.

Don’t worry I’m going to cover the steps for troubleshooting and figuring out the reason an affiliate link is not working. But first, let’s cover the other methods you can use to check your affiliate links.

Note: Some affiliate tracking IDs will not show once they are on the destination page. And that’s because your affiliate link is being redirected to the final page.

And when you click your link if you look at the URL you will see your tracking ID before the page redirects. And you will be credited with any sales.

Test The Link On Different Browsers and Devices

In addition to checking the link URL, it’s important to test how the affiliate link works on various browsers and devices. This ensures that all users are able to access your affiliate links regardless of their preferred device or browser.

To test this, simply click on the affiliate link from different devices such as laptops, smartphones, or tablets using various browsers like Google Chrome, Safari, or Firefox.

By doing this, you can ensure that there are no issues with redirects or loading times which could affect user experience.

Use A Link Checker Tool

Link checker tools are extremely useful when it comes to checking whether your affiliate links are working properly or not.

These tools scan your website for any broken or invalid links and provide you with detailed reports of any issues found.

Now when it comes to these tools there are plenty of free options to choose from, so you don’t need to pay to do a broken link check.

The one I always use (and I do this link check once a month) is called Broken Link Checker.

To get things going simply enter your website URL, and then click the Find Broken Links button. You’ll be taken to a new page. Once there you will given the option of the links you want checked.

• Report distinct broken links only
• Report all occurrences of each dead link – this is slower

I always choose the second option, report all occurrences of each dead link. Once you’ve chosen one of those options enter the security code and click the Find Broken Links Now tab.

Once you do that the checker does its thing and you will see a report appear as the checker finds any broken links.

The report includes:

• The broken link
• The link text
• The page where the broken link is found
• Server response (404, 500, etc)

By using tools such as this one, you can quickly and easily identify any problematic links and fix them right away ensuring you’re not missing out on any affiliate commission.

Affiliate Program Reports

Every quality affiliate program typically provides you with an affiliate dashboard. And within this dashboard, you’ll find a “reporting” or “analytics” section.

Look for a section or report that displays clicks, conversions, or earnings associated with your affiliate links.

Now compare the data with your promotional activities to ensure accurate tracking.

If you see that the clicks are being tracked then you know that your affiliate link is working.

Third-Party Tracking Tools

Another issue that can impact affiliate link performance is tracking problems.

Tracking allows you to monitor clicks and earnings from your referral traffic and ensures accurate commission payments from merchants.

As I mentioned earlier you will find tracking information within the affiliate dashboard. And I will say that most if not all affiliate tracking is accurate. However, things can go wrong.

So many affiliates also use third-party tracking tools along with what’s provided by the affiliate program.

Now one of the most popular affiliate-tracking WordPress plugins is MonsterInsights.

Their plugin works with Google Analytics to track your affiliate links. And what’s really nice is that you can see how your affiliate links are performing without having to leave your WordPress dashboard.

Browser Developer Tools

This way is more techy, but it’s still worth mentioning.

To use this method right-click on your affiliate link and select “Inspect” or “Inspect Element.”

Once you do that your webpage will split and the browser developer tools panel will appear showing the Elements of your webpage. It will also highlight your affiliate link.

Here’s what this looks like.

You can click on your affiliate link in the elements panel to check to see if it’s working.

Now if you want to get even more techy you can click the “Network” or “Console” tab at the top of the developer tools panel and monitor the network requests or console log for any errors or indications of successful tracking.

What If A Link Is Not Working What Can You Do?

If you find that an affiliate link is not working, you can take the following steps to troubleshoot and determine the reason behind the issue:

Double-Check The Link

• Copy the affiliate link from your affiliate dashboard or program again.

• Paste the link into a text editor or document to ensure there are no extra spaces, missing characters, or URL encoding issues.

• Verify that the link structure is correct and matches the expected format provided by the affiliate program.

Test The Link Manually

• Follow the manual click-testing steps that I outlined earlier to ensure the link is not working consistently.

• Try accessing the link from different browsers or devices to rule out any browser-specific issues.

Check For Typos Or Errors

• Verify that your affiliate ID or tracking code is correctly added to the link.

• Make sure there are no spelling mistakes, missing characters, or incorrect formatting in the affiliate ID or tracking code.

Examine Affiliate Program Guidelines

• Review the terms and conditions of the affiliate program you’re promoting.

• Check if there are any specific restrictions or limitations on how the affiliate links should be used.

• Ensure that you’re not violating any guidelines that may cause the link to be non-functional.

Contact Affiliate Program Support

• Reach out to the affiliate program’s support team or your affiliate manager.

• Describe the issue you’re experiencing and provide them with the specific affiliate link that is not working.

• Ask for their assistance in troubleshooting the problem or for clarification on any potential issues with the link.

Analyze Tracking And Reporting Data

• If the link appears to be working but is not tracking conversions or clicks, analyze the data available in your affiliate program’s reporting dashboard.

• Look for any discrepancies or missing data that may indicate a tracking issue.

• Compare the performance of the non-working link with other working affiliate links to identify any patterns or differences.

By following these steps, you should be able to identify the potential reasons why an affiliate link is not working.

Can You Get Banned From An Affiliate Program Clicking Your Own Links?

I get asked this question a lot, and if you’re new to affiliate marketing I understand why.

You CANNOT get banned from an affiliate program by clicking your own links.

However, you will get into trouble if you try and buy products through your own affiliate link. This is a major no-no.

You will find in the TOS (terms of service) of affiliate programs that buying products through your own affiliate is a violation of their terms of service and can result in getting terminated from the affiliate program.

But as I said when it comes to testing, feel free to click away, you have absolutely nothing to worry about.

Get In The Habit To Regularly Check All Your Affiliate Links

Many people do the “Set and Forget” approach when it comes to affiliate links. And that’s a nasty habit to have.

Nothing is set and forget, products sometimes go out of stock or get discontinued, which can lead to broken links even if the original link was correct when it was posted initially.

Regularly checking these product pages helps minimize instances of broken or unavailable pages.

So you want to make checking your affiliate links part of your website maintenance routine.

As I mentioned I do a broken link scan once per month. And in many cases, I do find broken links. Imagine if I didn’t do this scan. I would be missing out on potential commissions.

Now just think if you never did a link check. How many commissions are you missing out on?

Bottom Line

Broken or non-functional affiliate links will lead to lost chances of earning commissions.

So, making sure that all your affiliate links are working correctly will go a long way in maximizing revenue generation. So remember to perform these checks on a regular schedule.

After all, we’re here to make as much money as we can, right?

Now, if you’re new to affiliate marketing or you’ve been at it a while but you’re still struggling to build your business you may want to take the time to check out Wealthy Affiliate.

You’ll find beginner to advanced training, as well as all the resources, and tools you need to build a thriving affiliate marketing business along with live 24/7 support.

Alright, I hope this article helped you better understand the importance of checking your affiliate links.

Of course, if you have any comments or questions please level them below and I’ll get back to you.

I believe in you
Leo