Shorten Affiliate Links & Track Clicks with URLShortly

May 13, 2025
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smith
smith
12 mins read

Affiliate marketing is a great way to earn money online, but long and complex affiliate URLs can look messy and untrustworthy. Imagine sending someone a link like this:

https://example.com/product?ref=affiliate123&tracking=abc123&utm_source=xyz

It’s long, confusing, and might scare users away.

That’s where URLShortly comes in.

With URLShortly, you can shorten affiliate links, customize them, and track the clicks — all in a clean and professional way. In this article, you’ll learn how to do it step by step, in a very simple and easy-to-understand format.


Why Should You Shorten Affiliate Links?

Before we jump into the steps, let’s quickly look at why shortening affiliate links is important:

  1. Looks Professional – A clean, short link is easier to read and share.

  2. Improves Click-Through Rate – Short links often get more clicks.

  3. Boosts Trust – Users are more likely to click on a link that looks simple and branded.

  4. Tracks Performance – You can see how many people clicked your affiliate link, where they’re from, and which device they used.

  5. Custom Branding – You can use your own custom slug to describe the product or offer.


Step-by-Step: How to Shorten Affiliate Links with URLShortly

Step 1: Copy Your Affiliate Link

Go to your affiliate program or platform (like Amazon, ClickBank, or ShareASale), and copy the affiliate link you want to promote.

Example:
https://example.com/product?affiliate=yourid123&utm_source=facebook


Step 2: Log In to URLShortly

Visit URLShortly.com and log in to your account.

If you don’t have an account, you can create one for free. It only takes a few seconds.


Step 3: Paste the Link and Create a Short Link

  1. In your dashboard, look for the “Create Short Link” box.

  2. Paste your affiliate link into the URL field.

  3. (Optional) Customize the slug to match your product. For example: fitnessdeal or myoffer2025.

  4. Click the Shorten button.

Your link is now shortened and ready to share!
Example: https://urlshortly.com/fitnessdeal


Step 4: Share the Link Anywhere

You can now share your short affiliate link on:

  • Facebook

  • Instagram bio

  • Twitter

  • WhatsApp

  • YouTube descriptions

  • Email newsletters

  • Blog posts

Wherever your audience is — your link is ready to go.


How to Track Clicks on Your Affiliate Links

One of the best parts of URLShortly is that it gives you analytics for every link you create.

To check your link’s performance:

  1. Go to your URLShortly dashboard.

  2. Find the short link you created.

  3. Click on “Analytics” or “View Stats.”

You will see:

  • Number of Clicks

  • Location of users (countries, cities)

  • Devices used (mobile, desktop, tablet)

  • Referral sources (Facebook, email, etc.)

  • Time and Date of clicks

This data helps you understand where your audience is and what’s working.


Bonus Tips for Affiliate Marketers Using URLShortly

Use UTM Parameters
If your affiliate platform supports it, add UTM tags to your link to track sources even better.

Use a Custom Domain (Optional)
If you want to use your own domain name instead of urlshortly.com, you can connect it in the settings.

Group Your Links
If you promote different products, create folders or tags to organize them better in your dashboard.

Monitor & Test
Try using different slugs or sharing the same link across different platforms to see which one performs best.


Final Words

Using long, messy affiliate links can hurt your clicks and reduce your earnings. With URLShortly, you can turn those complex URLs into simple, branded, and trackable links that work better.

It’s free, fast, and beginner-friendly — making it perfect for affiliate marketers who want to take their link game to the next level.

Start shortening your affiliate links today and see the difference in performance!

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