Creating custom referral links

Who is this article for?

This article will be useful to you if are a partner on PartnerStack looking to create a custom referral link.

What are custom referral links?

When you join a program on PartnerStack, you are automatically assigned a default referral link to share with potential customers. The link text (or appearance) and URL destination of your default link cannot be changed. 

If the company you partner with has enabled custom link creation, you can create custom referral links.

Custom referral links are links with customized link text, such as your company name, and a customized destination, if you would like to direct customers to a different, approved URL on the company's website.

Create a custom referral link

Custom links can have your company name or social media handle in them and can link to specific pages on the website of the company you partner with, which can help increase conversion rates.

To create a custom referral link: 

1. Login to your account
2. Click "Switch Program" in the top right-hand side of your account
3. Select the program you want to create a custom referral link for
4. In the menu on the left-hand side, select "Links"
5. If the program has enabled custom link creation you will see a "Custom link" section
6. Click "Create a custom link"
   1. If custom link creation has not been enabled by the company you partner with, you will not see the option to "Create a custom link"
7. In the drawer view that opens:
   1. Enter a link title and description 
   2. Select a link destination from the list of company-approved destinations
      1. If the link destination allows customization, enter the specific URL 
   3. Enter a link customization - this is the text that will display for your final link URL (i.e. your business name or social handle)
      1. This customization can only contain numbers, letters, and dashes, no special characters
8. Click "Create link"
   

Why can I only select specific custom link destinations?

For tracking purposes, customers must land on the website of the company you are partnered with, and this page must have been configured by the company you partner with to properly track customer activity.

In the past, partners could direct custom links to any page, however, this could result in missed conversions if the link directed to a different site entirely (i.e. a blog page) or if the link directed to a company URL not configured up to track customer activity.

The custom link destinations that you can select from have been added by the company you partner with to ensure proper customer tracking. 

I see a destination option with an asterisk (*) what does that mean?

If a company has tracking enabled on all pages on their website, they may provide the option to further customize your link destination using wildcards/asterisks (*).

If the company you partner with has added a link destination with a wildcard (*) before their domain, after their domain, or both, they have given you the option to further customize your link destination. 

When you select a link with a wildcard (*) an option will appear prompting you to replace the wildcard, enabling you to create a custom link to any page on the company's website.

To ensure accuracy, we recommend copying the text of the URL you would like to redirect to and pasting it into the "Replace * with" field. 

For example, to direct customers to the https://partnerstack.com/pricing URL enter "pricing" in the "Replace * with" field. 

Delete a custom referral link

If you would like to delete a custom link: 

1. In your program Links tab scroll down to your custom links
2. Click the expand arrow next to the link you would like to delete
3. Click "Delete link"

Edit a custom referral link

To edit a custom link you have created:

1. In your program Links tab scroll down to your custom links
2. Click the expand arrow next to the link you would like to edit
3. Update your link title, description, destination or customization
4. Click "Update link"

Note, if you update the link customization (link appearance) for a link you have shared externally, i.e. on your website, you will need to update the link on your website with your edited custom link after saving.

Common Questions 

Why is the "Create" button greyed out when trying to create my link?

You have special characters in your link ( $, %, &, @, etc). Custom link text can be letters, numbers, or dashes only.

How many referral links can I have at a time?

Up to 100 unique referral links can be created for each partnership. 

Why can't I edit one of my custom links?

While you can edit the custom links you have created, you cannot edit custom links created on your behalf by the company you partner with. If you would like a custom link updated that was created by the company you partner with, reach out to them directly using your Messages tab.

Why don't I have the option to create a custom referral link?

Not all programs choose to enable custom link creation. If you don't see a "Create a Custom Referral Link" option in your "Links" tab, the program you are partnered with has not enabled custom link creation. 

The custom link already exists 

Two custom links cannot exist with the same link text to ensure activity is tracked to the correct partner. If you try to create a custom link and see a "link already exists" error message, this means the custom link text you have entered is already in use by another partner. Choose a different text to use for your link customization to create your custom link.