ThirstyAffiliates is built specifically for affiliate publishers. Unlike general redirect plugins, it treats affiliate links as first-class content – each link has its own admin screen with analytics, categories, notes, and geolocation rules. This guide covers the complete setup for a content site running an affiliate program.
Step 1: Configure Link Cloaking and Structure
Go to ThirstyAffiliates -> Settings -> General. The most important initial settings:
Link prefix – the directory prefix for your cloaked links. Default is /recommends/. Common alternatives: /go/, /out/, /visit/. Pick one and stick with it – changing it later requires updating all existing links. Consider: yourdomain.com/go/product-name
Default redirect type – set to 302 for affiliate links. Never use 301 for monetised links.
Add nofollow – enable this. Add rel=”nofollow sponsored” to affiliate links for proper SEO and FTC compliance signaling.
Open in new tab – enable for affiliate links. Sending visitors away from your site without opening a new tab loses them entirely.
Step 2: Organise Links With Categories
Go to ThirstyAffiliates -> Affiliate Links -> Categories. Create categories matching your content niches: Software, Physical Products, Services, Amazon, etc. This organisation pays off as your link library grows – you can filter and audit links by category rather than scrolling through hundreds of links.
Need help setting this up? Describe your affiliate program and get a free estimate.
Step 3: Add Your First Links
Go to ThirstyAffiliates -> New Affiliate Link. Fill in:
- Name – what you call this link internally (Product Name – Affiliate)
- Destination URL – your full affiliate URL with tracking parameters
- Slug – the clean part of the URL (product-name)
- Category – the category you created
- Redirect type – 302 for affiliate links
- Notes – commission rate, expiry date, program terms (useful for audits)
Step 4: Geolocation Redirects (Pro)
For sites with international audiences, geolocation is critical for Amazon affiliate income. Go to the link edit screen and find the Geolocation section. Add country-specific destination URLs:
- United States -> amazon.com/dp/ASIN?tag=us-tag
- United Kingdom -> amazon.co.uk/dp/ASIN?tag=uk-tag
- Canada -> amazon.ca/dp/ASIN?tag=ca-tag
- Australia -> amazon.com.au/dp/ASIN?tag=au-tag
Set a fallback URL for countries without a specific rule. Without geolocation, all international visitors use the default URL, which typically means no affiliate commission outside your home country.
Step 5: Auto-Link Keywords
Go to ThirstyAffiliates -> Settings -> Autolinker. Enable auto-linking and configure keywords for each link. When ThirstyAffiliates finds the keyword in post content, it automatically creates the affiliate link. Set limits:
- Maximum links per post (2-3 is typical)
- Exclude specific post types
- Case sensitivity