Affiliate Tracking IDs: A Beginner’s Setup Guide

By the pprawat.com team

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Last checked 31 Oct 2026.

Say you promote the same product in three places: a blog post, your welcome email, and a weekly email. One day you see a sale in your affiliate account. Which of the three made it happen?

Without a tracking ID, you can’t tell. With one, the answer is right there in your report.

This guide explains what a tracking ID is, how to add one to an affiliate link, how to name your IDs so they stay useful, and how to read the results. We use ClickBank and Amazon Associates as examples (new to the networks? see ClickBank vs JVZoo for beginners), because both explain their tracking features on their own help pages.

What is an affiliate tracking ID?

A tracking ID is a short label you add to your affiliate link. When someone clicks that link and buys, the label shows up in your sales report. It tells you where the click came from.

Think of it like writing a different code on each coupon you hand out. When a coupon comes back, the code tells you which stack it came from.

Different networks use different names for it:

• ClickBank calls it a TID. Its HopLinks Guide says: “A tracking ID (TID) is an alphanumeric string of up to 100 characters, including numbers, lowercase letters, and underscores, that you can add to the end of a HopLink.” (Source: ClickBank HopLinks Guide, last checked 31 Oct 2026)
• Amazon Associates calls them tracking IDs. Its help page says that with tracking IDs, Associates can analyse the performance of different websites or merchandising strategies “while accumulating earnings under a single Associates ID.” (Source: Amazon Associates Help, What are tracking IDs, last checked 31 Oct 2026)
• Explodely also uses tid. Its help article shows the format https://sellerID.a.explodely.com/?aff=affiliateID&pid=12345&tid=Blog and says you can “simply update the tracking id in the link” rather than make a new link for each source. (Source: Explodely Support, How do I use Tracking IDs to track sales?, last checked 31 Oct 2026)

Other networks have their own version. If you join one, search its help center for “tracking ID,” “sub ID,” or “tid.”

Why tracking IDs matter for beginners

When you are just starting, you have very little data. That makes every bit of it more useful. Tracking IDs help you:

• See which pieces of content get clicks. Maybe one blog post sends far more traffic than you thought.
• Compare emails. You can tell whether people click more in your welcome series or in your weekly sends.
• Stop guessing. Instead of thinking “I believe the review page works,” you can check.
• Spend your time better. If a page never gets clicks, you know to rewrite it or move on.

None of this guarantees sales. It just shows you what is happening, so your next decision is based on facts.

How to add a tracking ID to a ClickBank HopLink

A HopLink is ClickBank’s name for an affiliate link. You add the TID at the end using tid=.

ClickBank’s guide shows two formats. The first is the unencrypted version:

https://hop.clickbank.net/?affiliate=[affiliate nickname]&vendor=[seller nickname]&tid=[your TID]

The second is the encrypted version, which looks like a long random subdomain followed by ?tid=:

https://[long code].hop.clickbank.net/?tid=[your TID]

(Source: ClickBank HopLinks Guide, last checked 31 Oct 2026)

ClickBank TID rules to know

• Length: up to 100 characters.
• Allowed characters: numbers, lowercase letters, and underscores.
• No hyphens. ClickBank’s guide warns that adding a dash to a TID “breaks the TID and it will not be tracked.” Use underscores instead.
• Private to you. The guide says your tracking IDs “are visible only to you as the affiliate,” so the seller can’t see them.

(Source for all four: ClickBank HopLinks Guide, last checked 31 Oct 2026)

The hyphen rule trips up a lot of beginners. A TID like welcome-email-1 will not track. Write welcome_email_1 instead.

Where you see the results

ClickBank’s guide says that when a sale is made through one of your HopLinks, “the Tracking ID is passed into ClickBank’s reporting, so you’ll be able to see which of your promotional efforts led to the sale.” (Source: ClickBank HopLinks Guide, last checked 31 Oct 2026)

ClickBank’s menus change from time to time, so look in your account’s reporting or analytics area for a way to view or filter by TID.

How tracking works on Amazon Associates

Amazon works a bit differently from ClickBank. Instead of typing any label you like onto the end of a link, you create tracking IDs inside your Associates account and pick one when you build each link.

Store ID vs tracking ID. Your main Associates ID (often called your store ID) is your account. Tracking IDs sit under it. Amazon’s help page explains it with an example: an Associate with the ID storeid-20 “might use the tracking ID storeid-1-20 to track referrals from his Web site, and storeid-2-21 to track referrals from his newsletter.” All the earnings still go to the one account, and you can view earnings for all tracking IDs together or run a report for each one. Amazon’s help also says tracking IDs “remain associated with your main Associates ID and do not constitute separate accounts.” (Sources: Amazon Associates Help, What are tracking IDs and How to create Tracking IDs, last checked 31 Oct 2026)

How to create one. Amazon’s help says: “If you would like to create tracking IDs for your Associates account, please visit your account and click on ‘Manage your Tracking ID’ link.” Give each new ID a name that tells you where the link lives, such as your site name plus “blog” or “email.” (Source: Amazon Associates Help, last checked 31 Oct 2026)

Using it in links. When you build a link in your account, choose the tracking ID for that spot. Amazon’s help notes that you “can change the tracking ID to be used in the resulting code at any time while you’re building links,” and that its reports include the tracking ID for each transaction. (Source: Amazon Associates Help, last checked 31 Oct 2026)

Notice that Amazon’s own example IDs use hyphens. That is fine on Amazon, because Amazon creates the ID for you. The no-hyphens rule above is a ClickBank TID rule.

Two Amazon rules are worth knowing before you set this up:

• Tracking is for sources, not people. The Program Policies say: “Under no circumstances may you associate any sub-tag, other ID or reporting provided in connection with the Associates Program with a specific end user of your Site.” So use IDs for places, like “blog_sidebar,” never for individual readers.
• Email links need permission. The same policies allow Special Links in emails only when “such communications are solicited (i.e., opted into by the receiving customer)” and otherwise follow the agreement.

(Source for both: Amazon Associates Program Policies, last checked 31 Oct 2026)

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How to name your tracking IDs

A good naming system is the difference between a report you can read in ten seconds and a report full of mystery labels.

Use this simple pattern:

source_placement_version

• source: where the link lives, such as blog, email, or pdf
• placement: which page, email, or spot, such as review, welcome2, or sidebar
• version: a short marker if you test two versions, such as a or b

Examples:

Where the link lives	Tracking ID
Review post, first button	blog_review_top
Review post, last button	blog_review_end
Welcome email 3	email_welcome3
Weekly email, Nov. 4	email_wk_1104
Free checklist PDF	pdf_checklist
Bridge page, version A	bridge_a
Bridge page, version B	bridge_b

All of these use only lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores, so they also fit ClickBank’s TID rules.

Naming tips

• Keep them short. You will read them in a report, often on a phone.
• Be consistent. Pick email or em and stick with it. Mixing both splits your data.
• Write them down. Keep a simple spreadsheet with three columns: tracking ID, where the link is, and the date you added it.
• Do not reuse old IDs for new spots. If you move a link, give it a new ID. Otherwise your old and new data blend together.

Step-by-step: your first tracking setup

Here is a starter setup you can finish in about an hour.

Step 1: List every place you share affiliate links. Write down each blog post, each email, each PDF, and each page.

Step 2: Give each spot a tracking ID. Use the naming pattern above. Put them all in your spreadsheet.

Step 3: Build the links. For ClickBank, add ?tid=your_id to the end of the HopLink, or &tid=your_id if the link already has a question mark in it. For other networks, follow their help pages.

Step 4: Test each link. Click it yourself. Make sure it lands on the right sales page. Then check that the full link, including your ID, is what you pasted.

Step 5: Replace old links. Swap the plain links in your posts and emails for the new tracked ones.

Step 6: Check your report once a week. Pick one day. Look at clicks and sales by tracking ID. Note anything that stands out in your spreadsheet.

Shortened and cloaked links: what to watch for

Many affiliates use link shorteners or “pretty links” like yoursite.com/go/product. These can be tidy and easy to update. But they can also break tracking if set up wrong.

ClickBank’s guide answers this directly. Asked whether you can shorten or cloak a HopLink, it says “Yes,” but “for HopLinks to track affiliate referrals the customer’s internet browser must redirect through a correctly formatted HopLink.” It also says HopLinks must open in the top level of a window, not hidden inside frames or iframes. (Source: ClickBank HopLinks Guide, last checked 31 Oct 2026)

So if you use a short link, make sure it points to the full HopLink, TID included. Then click it and confirm you end up on the seller’s page.

Amazon has stricter rules on redirects. Its policies say purchases are not counted when the link sends users indirectly to Amazon “via an intermediate site, without requiring the customer to click on a link or take some other affirmative action on that intermediate site.” (Source: Amazon Associates Program Policies, last checked 31 Oct 2026) Read the full policy before you use any redirect with Amazon links.

How to read your tracking report

Once you have a few weeks of data, look at these three things for each tracking ID:

1. Clicks. Is anyone clicking? A spot with zero clicks needs a better call to action, a better spot on the page, or a different topic.
2. Sales. Which IDs show sales? Do not read too much into one or two. Small numbers jump around.
3. Refunds. If one source shows lots of refunds, the people from that spot may have expected something else. Check whether your page or email described the product honestly.

A simple weekly note might look like this:

Week of Nov. 3: blog_review_top 41 clicks, blog_review_end 9 clicks. The top button gets most clicks. Next test: add a short summary box above the end button.

The numbers in that note are just an example of how to write it down, not a result to expect.

Common mistakes

• Using hyphens in ClickBank TIDs. They break tracking. Use underscores.
• Using capital letters. ClickBank lists lowercase letters as allowed, so keep everything lowercase to be safe.
• One ID for everything. If every link says blog, you learn nothing new.
• Forgetting to update old emails. Automated emails keep sending for months. Update the links inside them too.
• Tracking people instead of places. Never put an email address or a reader’s name in a tracking ID. Amazon forbids linking IDs to specific users, and it is a privacy problem anywhere.
• Never checking the report. Tracking only helps if you look at it.

FAQ

Does adding a tracking ID change the price for the buyer?
No. A tracking ID is only a label for your report. The buyer sees the same sales page and price.

Can the seller see my tracking IDs?
On ClickBank, no. Its guide says your tracking IDs are visible only to you as the affiliate. (Source: ClickBank HopLinks Guide, last checked 31 Oct 2026) Other networks may differ, so check their help pages.

How long can a ClickBank TID be?
Up to 100 characters, using numbers, lowercase letters, and underscores. (Source: ClickBank HopLinks Guide, last checked 31 Oct 2026) Shorter is easier to read, so aim for under 20.

What if a sale shows up with no tracking ID?
That usually means the buyer used a link without an ID, such as an old link you forgot to update, or a link someone copied and shared. Check your older posts and emails.

How many tracking IDs should a beginner use?
One for each place you share links. For most new affiliates that is somewhere between five and fifteen. You can always add more later.

Wrap-up

A tracking ID is a small label that answers a big question: where did this click come from? Pick a simple naming pattern, follow each network’s rules (no hyphens on ClickBank, no tracking of individual people on Amazon), test every link, and check your report once a week. Over time, you will know which pages and emails are worth your effort.

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