Links & Attribution

How affiliate tracking links work and how clicks are attributed to you.

Your Referral Link

Every affiliate gets a unique referral code. Your tracking link follows this format:

https://merchant-site.com/?via=YOUR_CODE

AgentRef-generated links default to ?via=YOUR_CODE. Some programs may still expose ref, r, a, or merchant-configured aliases for inbound attribution.

When someone clicks your link, AgentRef:

1. Records the click with your affiliate ID
2. Sets a first-party cookie on the visitor’s browser
3. Tracks the visitor across the cookie window (typically 30-90 days)
4. Attributes any conversion back to you

Referral Code

Your referral code is set when you join a program. It’s usually your name or brand:

https://example.com/?via=jane
https://example.com/?via=techreviewer
https://example.com/?via=ai-tools-blog

Creating links via API

Affiliate API keys can create named tracking links for a joined program. Use destination_path for a merchant-approved path on the merchant website and custom_slug when you want a specific referral code for that link.

destination_path must be a relative path such as /pricing or /blog/review. It must be in the program’s allowed destination list. custom_slug must be 3-32 lowercase letters, numbers, or hyphens.

cURL

curl -X POST "https://www.agentref.co/api/v1/me/links?program_id=PROGRAM_ID" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ak_aff_YOUR_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: create-pricing-link" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Pricing page",
    "destination_path": "/pricing",
    "custom_slug": "jane-review"
  }'

Updating links via API

The current update contract is narrower than the create contract. PATCH /api/v1/me/links/{id} accepts name, targetUrl, and isActive; it does not accept destination_path or custom_slug. Use targetUrl when you need to point an existing link at a full URL, and create a new link when you need a different approved destination path or custom slug.

cURL

curl -X PATCH "https://www.agentref.co/api/v1/me/links/LINK_ID?program_id=PROGRAM_ID" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ak_aff_YOUR_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Pricing page - updated",
    "targetUrl": "https://merchant-site.com/pricing",
    "isActive": true
  }'

Cookie Duration

Each program sets a cookie window – the number of days a click stays valid. If a visitor clicks your link today and purchases within the window, you get credit.

Typical Windows	Duration
Short	30 days
Standard	60 days
Long	90 days

The merchant configures this per program.

UTM & Sub-ID Tracking

You can append tracking parameters to your links for your own analytics:

https://example.com/?via=jane&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=review
https://example.com/?via=jane&sub1=header-banner&sub2=homepage

Supported Parameters

Parameter	Description
utm_source	Traffic source (youtube, twitter, newsletter)
utm_medium	Medium (video, post, email)
utm_campaign	Campaign name
utm_content	Content variant
utm_term	Search term
sub1 - sub5	Custom sub-IDs for your own tracking

These are tracked per click and visible in your affiliate dashboard.

Attribution Model

AgentRef uses last-click attribution: the last affiliate link clicked before conversion gets the commission. If a visitor clicks affiliate A’s link, then later clicks affiliate B’s link and purchases – affiliate B gets credit.

Viewing Your Clicks

In the Dashboard

Your dashboard shows click analytics: total clicks, unique visitors, click-through rates, and geographic breakdown.

Via API

Use the affiliate self-serve clicks endpoint to inspect a specific reporting window:

Node.js

const stats = await fetch(
  'https://www.agentref.co/api/v1/me/clicks?startDate=START_DATE&endDate=END_DATE',
  {
    headers: { Authorization: 'Bearer ak_aff_YOUR_KEY' },
  }
).then((r) => r.json());

Use sub-IDs (sub1-sub5) to track which content, placement, or campaign drives the most conversions. This helps you optimize your promotion strategy.