Generating the Affiliate Link Code?

Hi Everyone,

I have a question regarding the affiliate system and the customized code that must be used. This is my last resort as I have search for answers in the various forums including the online manual and knowledgebase.

I understand the setup for the affiliate system in the Configuration > General Settings and for each product. However, what I am puzzled about is:

1. Where do I get the affiliate links (AffiliateLinkCode)?

2. Am I suppose to find a third party application in order to use the system?

3. How do I generate the affiliate's customized link code?

If a third party application (something to generate the link code) is needed, please provide a recommendation.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Joe

no, you don't need a third party system. basically, you put in your configuration what you want your link to say, if you want an image, link to the image, etc. look at the docs on the affiliate system. there is a variable you put in the configuarion to make the link...the system generated the custom link code when someone who has a client account chooses the option to join the affiliate program and gives them the code for them, using the links/banners you set up in the affilaite config.

Thanks goddess_dix for your response.

Sorry if I'm not understanding this fully, however, the following is the sample links that I found in the documentation on Affiliates.

<a href="[AffiliateLinkCode]"><img src=120x60banner.gif width="120" height="60" border="0"></a>

<(a href="[AffiliateLinkCode]")><(img src=120x60banner.gif width="120" height="60" border="0")><(/a)>

The "variable" or "AffiliateLinkCode", is that really the URL for the Web site, for example <a href="http://www.mywebsiteaddress.com/linkhostingproducts.php"><img src...></a>?

Since there is no way for me to see how the generated link would appear in a client's account, i.e. if they sign up as an affiliate, can someone please provide an example of a link (not an active link though, one used in the configuration)? Also, I would like to use a text message as an option (in addition to the image) so I am assuming the concept would be the same.

Since I already have my system up and running with registered clients, I would really like the affiliate system to function properly by ensuring that I have the correct code in place (it would be better getting a little support to get it done right the first time, than to set it up by trial and error). Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Joe

tropicalwebshop,

have you found the answer to your question yet?

If not, here is a little bit of info.

In my setup, i have left everything as default - I have not changed any of the affiliate customize links.

Say my link to the whmcs is:

http://billing.myhosting.com/

then the affiliate links are:

http://billing.myhosting.com/*?aff=<AFFILIATE IF#>

I can find the affiliate ID# rather easy by going to:

1. Click on CLIENTS

2. MANAGE AFFILIATES

3. CLICK ON THE EDIT SYMBOL - next to the delete (red X)

4. There it will have the "Affiliate ID" on top - my first one started with '002"

therefor my Affiliate link will be as follows:

http://billing.myhosting.com/*?aff=002

The code above is for banners ... lots of affiliates will create a banner ad on a website, and have the click through link to their affiliate referral link. The aff=xxx will disappear once it's processed - the end user will not see that he was sent to the hosting company through a referral, instead of you directly.

Take care,

marco

I see how you posted a link to go to the Client Portal using the aff=002 affiliate link ..

but how would to send them to the specific order page

like

http://billing.mydomain.com/cart.php?gid=2'>http://billing.mydomain.com/cart.php?gid=2

or http://billing.mydomain.com/cart.php

Yes I too need to send people to the cart directly but need to make sure it is tagged with the affiliate ID.

I know I can edit * to redirect to an alternative URL but this would forward all affiliate links to the new URL.

I need to be able to link to any product using a specific affiliate ID.

Is this possible?

Yes I too need to send people to the cart directly but need to make sure it is tagged with the affiliate ID.

 

I know I can edit * to redirect to an alternative URL but this would forward all affiliate links to the new URL.

 

I need to be able to link to any product using a specific affiliate ID.

 

Is this possible?

I figured out how to accomplish this. I created a new * file and named it aff-youjoomla.php. I then added the following to the file:

header("Location: ".$CONFIG["Domain"]."/billing/cart.php?a=add&pid=77");

I then gave the new affiliate link to my affiliate:

http://interactiveonline.com/billing/aff-youjoomla.php?aff=058

Using that affiliate code takes this specific affiliate link to the specific product in WHMCS. I tested it and it works

even simpler to do ...

header("HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently");

$location=$CONFIG["Domain"];
if (isset($pid))
{
       $location.="/cart.php?a=add&pid=$pid"; // go straight to a pid
}
if (isset($domain))
{
       $location.="/cart.php?a=add&domain=$domain"; // go straight to a domain reg/transfer
}
header("Location: ".$location);

I know I can edit * to redirect to an alternative URL but this would forward all affiliate links to the new URL.

Looking at * I cabbot figure out how to edit. Where would I put a different URL?

It would be nice to be able to select the destination URL modifying * instead of creating a new file.

Something like "if *?aff=XX then redirect to custom_url".

Does someone know if this is possible?

Thanks goddess_dix for your response.

 

Sorry if I'm not understanding this fully, however, the following is the sample links that I found in the documentation on Affiliates.

 

<a href="[AffiliateLinkCode]"><img src=120x60banner.gif width="120" height="60" border="0"></a>

<(a href="[AffiliateLinkCode]")><(img src=120x60banner.gif width="120" height="60" border="0")><(/a)>

 

The "variable" or "AffiliateLinkCode", is that really the URL for the Web site, for example <a href="http://www.mywebsiteaddress.com/linkhostingproducts.php"><img src...></a>?

 

Since there is no way for me to see how the generated link would appear in a client's account, i.e. if they sign up as an affiliate, can someone please provide an example of a link (not an active link though, one used in the configuration)? Also, I would like to use a text message as an option (in addition to the image) so I am assuming the concept would be the same.

 

Since I already have my system up and running with registered clients, I would really like the affiliate system to function properly by ensuring that I have the correct code in place (it would be better getting a little support to get it done right the first time, than to set it up by trial and error). Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks.

 

Joe

Hi Joe

All you do is add something like this

"<a href="[AffiliateLinkCode]"><img src=http://easyasabc-hosting.com/images/banner.gif width="468" height="60" border="0"></a>"

in the affliate link box and the WHMCS system will automatically give each signed affliate their own code which will them be automatically added where [AffiliateLinkCode] is and then when someone ordered through the link used the commission will be automatically added to the affiliates own affliliate account.

I know but in case you want a certain affiliate to send traffic to a particular link instead of the homepage, we would need to edit the * but I don't know how.

Add an additional variable to your affiliate link, ie: aff.phpaff=123&page=resellers

Then in * get the value of page and do a redirect based on that.

if($_GET['page'] == 'resellers') {
 header("HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently");
 header("Location: http://www.site.com/resellers");
}

I would obviously make sure the only input that can be used in the page variable are values you've already setup so people can't pass in arbitrary info. I would also do a switch based on page instead of a bunch of if statements as that will speed things up a bit for more than a couple choices.

Hooboy, this is strangely more complex than it should be.

Firstly, I made this link in the General Settings area

<a target="blank" href="[AffiliateLinkCode]"><img src="http://www.transmutationsciences.com/images/banners/499_Hosting.gif" width="468" height="60" border="0"></a>

I then created an affiliate and see my affiliate link

http://www.transmutationsciences.com/clientaccess/*?aff=001

... and down below I see the banner I have created.

Firstly, there are no instructions for the user on how to use the banner with the aff code. I know its simple, but LCD (Lowest Common Demoninator).

There should be a box below the image that says "Copy this code to your website."

But more importantly, using the affiliate link code above simply takes people to my main site http://www.transmutationsciences.com and not my WHCMS.

Any ideas would be helpful.

Aaron

Okay, did Kelliix's fix. Works well. Wondering why we have to go through that mess.?

Yikes.

I am sooo close, but so far away from a complete solution.

In Keliix's fix the banner links (when you are logged in as an affiliate, you scroll over the banners and see the fixed code) work as they should and take people where we need then to go.

However, on the affiliate's page, the "Your Unique Referral Link:" displays the generic affiliate link, which now leads to a blank page!

ie.

http://www.transmutationsciences.com/clientaccess/*?aff=001

vs. what should be displayed

http://www.transmutationsciences.com/clientaccess/*?aff=001&page=clientaccess

Whew! I just know affiliates are going to copy and paste the code supplied versus the correct second one.

How to fix this?

A customer wants a text link.. How do I do that?