To find your best-performing affiliate links, you need to track clicks, conversions, and revenue for each link individually using analytics tools, UTM parameters, or affiliate platform reports — then compare performance to identify what’s working best.
You’ve got affiliate links scattered across blog posts, social media, and email newsletters. Some generate steady commissions, others get clicks but no sales, and some sit completely ignored. Without a system to identify which links actually perform, you’re essentially guessing where to focus your efforts.
In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to track and find your best-performing affiliate links using Google Analytics, UTM parameters, affiliate dashboards, and specialised tools — so you can double down on what works and cut what doesn’t.
TL;DR
Start by uniquely identifying each affiliate link — either with UTM parameters (like utm_content=blog-post-1) or by using different link IDs for each placement. Track clicks in Google Analytics (via outbound click tracking) or with a link shortener like Bitly. Then, pull conversion and revenue data from your affiliate dashboard. Compare performance metrics like clicks, conversion rate, EPC (Earnings Per Click), and total revenue. Your top-performing links are those with the highest conversion rates and EPC values — not just the most clicks. Use link management plugins like MonsterInsights or Pretty Links for easier tracking on WordPress.
Key Takeaways
- Track each affiliate link individually using unique identifiers like UTM parameters, different sub-IDs, or separate short links — never use the same link in multiple places without a way to tell them apart.
- Clicks alone don’t tell the full story — a link with 100 clicks and 10 sales (10% conversion rate) is more valuable than one with 1,000 clicks and 5 sales (0.5% conversion rate).
- EPC (Earnings Per Click) is the most useful metric for comparing affiliate links across different products and campaigns .
- Google Analytics 4 (GA4) can track outbound affiliate link clicks with a custom event that filters by URL patterns .
- Your affiliate dashboard is the source of truth for commissions and conversion data — analytics tools show clicks, but only the affiliate network shows the final conversion data .
Step 1: Uniquely Identify Each Affiliate Link
Before you can find your best-performing links, you need to tell them apart. If you use the exact same affiliate link in 10 different blog posts, you won’t know which post actually drove the sale.
There are three main ways to uniquely identify affiliate links:
Method A: UTM Parameters (Universal)
UTM parameters work with Google Analytics and most affiliate platforms. Add utm_content (or other UTM tags) to identify specific placements .
https://example.com/ref/your-id?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=summer-sale&utm_content=post-1
For example, if you’re promoting the same product across different blog posts, use different utm_content values like post-1, post-2, and post-3 to identify which post drove the sale .
Pro tip: Use a UTM builder tool (like Google’s Campaign URL Builder) to create these links without making formatting mistakes.
Method B: Affiliate Sub-IDs or Tracking IDs
Many affiliate networks allow you to add a custom subid or tid (tracking ID) parameter to your affiliate link. These show up in your affiliate dashboard, allowing you to see performance at a granular level.
https://example.com/affiliate?tid=blog-post-1
Check your affiliate platform’s documentation for the specific parameter they support — common ones include tid, subid, clickid, or aff_sub.
Method C: Separate Short Links
If you use a link shortener like Bitly or a branded URL shortener, you can create a unique short link for each placement. While this doesn’t automatically track conversions, it gives you clear click data and can be combined with UTM tags for conversion tracking.
Method D: Link Management Plugins (WordPress)
For WordPress users, plugins like Pretty Links or ThirstyAffiliates let you create clean, branded internal links that point to your affiliate URLs. Each link has a unique slug, and these plugins often include built-in click tracking .
Step 2: Track Clicks With Analytics
Once your links are uniquely identified, you need a way to collect click data. Here are the most effective methods:
Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
GA4 can track all outbound link clicks, including affiliate links, through its Enhanced Measurement feature .
- Enable outbound click tracking in GA4: Admin → Data Streams → your data stream → Enhanced Measurement → ensure “Outbound Clicks” is toggled on .
- Create a custom event specifically for affiliate clicks: Admin → Events → Create Event. Name it affiliate_click, set conditions for event_name equals click and link_url contains your affiliate domain or a common prefix like “ref” or “aff” .
- View your reports in GA4’s “Explorations” section or in the “Events” report to see which affiliate links get the most clicks.
If you use the MonsterInsights plugin on WordPress, affiliate link data appears directly in your dashboard under Insights → Reports → Publishers .
Outbound Link Tracking Tools
Specialised tools like Plausible, Burst Statistics, or other analytics platforms offer outbound link tracking that shows which external URLs visitors click most often . Some also filter out spam clicks by only tracking links that actually exist on your site .
Link Shorteners With Click Analytics
Services like Bitly or branded shorteners provide native click tracking for each shortened link. This is especially useful for social media links where you can’t easily add UTM tags.
Affiliate Platform Reports
Some affiliate platforms (like Amazon Attribution) provide click data directly in their dashboards — though with potential reporting delays of up to 48 hours .
Step 3: Track Conversions and Revenue
Clicks are only half the story. To find your best-performing links, you need to know which clicks actually generate revenue.
Use Your Affiliate Dashboard
Your affiliate network’s dashboard is the source of truth for conversion data. Most platforms let you filter performance by subid or tracking ID, showing you which specific links or placements generated sales .
Connect Click and Conversion Data
When you use unique tracking parameters (UTM content or sub-IDs), you can cross-reference your click analytics with your affiliate dashboard:
- Click data (from GA4, shorteners, or tracking tools) tells you which links people click.
- Conversion data (from your affiliate dashboard) tells you which clicks turned into sales.
- Combined, these data sources let you calculate conversion rates and EPC for each link.
For example, with Post Affiliate Pro’s Top URL report, merchants can identify which content and affiliates are driving the most traffic and sales .
Platform-Specific Tracking
Some platforms offer integrated tracking:
- Amazon Attribution provides metrics including clicks, detail page views, add-to-cart, purchases, sales value, and conversion rate — though data may be delayed up to 48 hours .
- Salla Partners offers API-based tracking that returns views, purchases, total sales, and affiliate earnings for each UTM-tagged link .
- Upfluence shows both clicks and conversions in one view, including EPC and conversion rate metrics .
Step 4: Compare and Analyse Performance
Now it’s time to identify which links are actually performing. Don’t just look at total clicks — that metric can be misleading.
Key Metrics to Compare
| Metric | What It Tells You | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Clicks | How many people clicked the link | Shows reach and interest, but doesn’t indicate quality |
| Conversions / Sales | How many clicks resulted in a purchase | Measures actual revenue generation |
| Conversion Rate | (Conversions ÷ Clicks) × 100 | Reveals which links attract the right audience |
| EPC (Earnings Per Click) | Total sales value ÷ total clicks | Shows the average value of each click — the most useful comparison metric |
| Total Revenue | Total sales value generated | Shows the overall impact of each link |
What to Look For
- High clicks + high conversion rate — your clear winners. Double down on these placements and strategies.
- High clicks + low conversion rate — your content is engaging, but the offer, audience match, or landing page needs work.
- Low clicks + high conversion rate — you’ve found a niche audience that buys. Increase exposure to these links.
- Low clicks + low conversion rate — cut these placements or reconsider the strategy entirely.
Use Visual Reports to Spot Trends
Advanced affiliate platforms like Affise offer colour-coded affiliate performance reports that make it easy to spot traffic drops, spikes, and trends at a glance . For example, you might spot a network-wide traffic dip or see that a specific affiliate’s clicks have dropped significantly over the past few days .
“The report compares each affiliate’s daily performance against their own best and worst days. Green means high performance, white is neutral, and red is below average — you can spot a drop without even reading the values.”
Step 5: Optimise Based on Your Findings
Data is useless without action. Here’s what to do once you’ve identified your best-performing links:
Double Down on What Works
- Place your best-performing links in more prominent positions on your site .
- Replicate the content format, placement, and context of winning links across other relevant pages.
- Consider higher-value affiliate offers that complement your top-performing products.
Test and Iterate on Underperformers
- Move low-performing links to more visible areas .
- Change the anchor text or call-to-action phrasing.
- Test different products or offers if a particular link consistently fails to convert.
Retire What’s Not Working
If a link has consistently low clicks and zero conversions over a significant period, remove it or replace it with something else.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most important metrics for comparing affiliate links?
EPC (Earnings Per Click) and conversion rate are the most useful metrics for direct comparison. EPC tells you the average value of each click, while conversion rate reveals which links attract the right audience. Total clicks alone can be misleading because high-traffic placements don’t always generate sales .
How do I track affiliate links on Instagram or TikTok?
Use unique short links (with UTM parameters) in your Instagram bio link or TikTok bio. For Instagram Stories, use the Link sticker with a unique tracking link. Since you can’t place different links in each post, use a link-in-bio tool that shows which link was clicked based on the visitor’s journey.
Can I track affiliate links without Google Analytics?
Yes. Link shorteners like Bitly offer click data. Affiliate platforms often provide basic click and conversion data in their dashboards. Outbound link tracking tools like Plausible or Burst Statistics also track external link clicks .
Why don’t my affiliate link clicks match my dashboard conversions?
Some users click but don’t buy. Some platforms have reporting delays (Amazon Attribution can delay data by up to 48 hours) . Ad blockers or browser privacy settings may also block tracking scripts. And some affiliate platforms only count conversions that meet specific criteria (like approved orders, not just any click).
How often should I check affiliate link performance?
Check clicks weekly for anomalies and significant changes. Review conversion and revenue data monthly to identify trends and make strategic adjustments. For seasonal or limited-time offers, check more frequently (daily or weekly) to optimise in real time.
Sources
- Rank Math — Track Affiliate Link Clicks With GA4
- Upfluence — Monitor Both Clicks and Sales
- Affise — Affiliate Performance Report
- Post Affiliate Pro — Top URLs Report
- Upfluence — Amazon Attribution Tracking
- OptinMonster — Affiliate Link Tracking in WordPress
Have a specific tracking challenge or a platform you’re struggling to get performance data from? Drop your question in the comments — we’re here to help you find your winning links.
