The Affiliate Link Encoder (ALE) is a tool that uses javascript to automatically change direct merchant links that appear in your website html into AvantLink.com Affiliate tracking links. The ALE javascript will detect and change direct links only for merchants that are in the AvantLink network.
This is a powerful tool for Bloggers, Forum Admins, and other community sites. It allows you or your community contributors to post direct links to any of the merchants you are associated with in the AvantLink Affiliate network and still earn a commission when a site visitor clicks on one of those links and buys from the merchant.
In this quick tutorial we are going to show you how to install the ALE javascript on a WordPress blog.
Get the Affiliate Link Encoder (ALE) code:
- First, log into your Affiliate account, click on ‘Tools’ and then under ‘Ad/Link Tools’ click on ‘Affiliate Link Encoder’.
- Choose the website you will be using the ALE code on, add a custom tracking code if you want, and click the ‘Get Html’ button.
- Cut and paste the source code into a text editor or just leave it there and open another tab in your browser.
Install the code in your WordPress template:
- Log into your WordPress admin interface.
- Click on ‘Presentation’ and then ‘Theme Editor’.
- On the right side of the page you’ll see a list of theme files. Click on the ‘Footer’ link.
- In the source code form field, look for the closing </body> html tag.
- Cut and paste your ALE javascript code in right before the closing </body> tag.
- Save the changes and you’re done.
Now you can try creating a blog post and adding a direct link to one of your AvantLink merchants. You’ll notice that when you view the published article and rollover those links that they are Affiliate tracking encoded.
Scott & AvantLink
You mean I can put a direct link to ANY page on the affiliate site, and this magic will happen automatically?
Myrtha
January 28th, 2008 at 9:26 am
Hi Myrtha, Yes as long as you are active in an Affiliate program the ALE will convert your direct links to Affiliate tracking links (with your id appended).
More info…
http://www.avantlink.com/tools/affiliate_link_encoder.php
January 28th, 2008 at 9:32 am
Can this apply to other blogs and websites? For instance; can I use it on Blogger? I have all my blogs on Blogger, and I know nothing of Wordpress. Will it still work?
February 6th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
The ALE Is a line of Javascript that needs to be placed in the site wide template of any website. So if you can access the code to add the ALE to your blog or forum template, yes it would work just fine.
February 7th, 2008 at 10:33 am
Gary do you think this will work with my site which uses pligg?
February 17th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Kevin, I am not familiar with pligg but if you can post a line of javascript to your site-wide template it will work fine. See my comment above yours.
February 18th, 2008 at 9:37 am
Ok thanks Gary Java script works fine on plgg.
Cheers for another superb avantlink tool.
February 18th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Added the line of js, not seeing any ads though… Does it take a little while to parse the code?
March 9th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
Jake, The ALE doesn’t serve ads. It converts existing direct links to merchants, or keywords on the page to Affiliate tracking links.
March 9th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
@Gary M: Sorry poor word choice, I am not seeing any new links…
March 9th, 2009 at 5:35 pm