Link Cloaking
Learn how to use link cloaking on AffEasy to mask your destination URL with your short link.
AffEasy’s link cloaking feature allows you to mask your destination URL with your short link, providing a cleaner and more branded experience for your users.
Why use link cloaking?
Link cloaking offers several benefits:
- Enhance brand visibility by displaying your custom domain
- Maintain a consistent user experience across different links
- Protect affiliate links from being stripped or replaced
- Increase click-through rates with more trustworthy-looking links
How to enable link cloaking
To use link cloaking for your AffEasy links, follow these steps:
- Open the link builder in your AffEasy dashboard.
- Enter your destination URL as usual.
- Toggle the “Link Cloaking” switch to enable the feature.
Once enabled, your short link will be displayed in the user’s browser address bar instead of the actual destination URL when they visit your link.
Important considerations
When using link cloaking, keep the following points in mind:
-
HTTPS requirement: For link cloaking to work properly, ensure your destination URL uses
https
. If your destination URL useshttp
, the browser will show a “Not Secure” warning, and link cloaking may not function correctly. -
Website compatibility: Link cloaking might not work for certain websites that have security measures in place to prevent framing. These measures include:
X-Frame-Options
header set toDENY
Content-Security-Policy
header set toframe-ancestors 'none'
If link cloaking doesn’t work for a particular destination, AffEasy will automatically fall back to a standard redirect to ensure your links always function.
Advanced link cloaking with AffEasy
AffEasy offers additional features to enhance your link cloaking experience:
Custom subdomains
With AffEasy Pro, you can set up custom subdomains for your short links. This allows you to use your own branded domain (e.g., go.yourbrand.com
) instead of the default AffEasy domain.
To set up a custom subdomain:
- Go to the Domains section in your AffEasy dashboard.
- Click on “Add Custom Domain” and follow the DNS setup instructions.
- Once verified, you can use your custom domain when creating cloaked links.
Link cloaking with the AffEasy API
For developers and advanced users, AffEasy provides API access to create cloaked links programmatically. Here’s an example of how to create a cloaked link using the AffEasy API:
Combining link cloaking with other features
AffEasy allows you to combine link cloaking with other powerful features:
- Geo targeting: Create cloaked links that redirect to different URLs based on the user’s location.
- Device targeting: Set up cloaked links that display different content depending on the user’s device type.
- Password protection: Add an extra layer of security to your cloaked links by requiring a password.
Measuring the impact of link cloaking
AffEasy provides detailed analytics to help you measure the effectiveness of your cloaked links. In your dashboard, you can view:
- Click-through rates for cloaked vs. non-cloaked links
- Engagement metrics for cloaked links
- Breakdown of traffic sources for cloaked links
Use these insights to optimize your link strategy and improve your marketing campaigns.
Need Help?
If you have any questions about setting up link cloaking or using any of our advanced features, please don’t hesitate to contact our support team. We’re here to help you make the most of AffEasy’s powerful link management tools!
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