My Amazon Affiliate Links No Longer Work

  • I’ve noticed recently that the Amazon Affiliate text links on my blog (which I’ve been using for several years) are now going to amazon’s 404 page. But when I copy the address and paste it into my browser, the link works; just not when I click the link on my blog.

    I create my own links using the following format …

    https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/%5BINSERT-ISBN%5D/%5BINSERT-MY-ID%5D

    It’s always worked, until recently. Does anyone know why this is no longer working for me? Any good solutions?

    Thanks!

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
  • Thread Starter williswired

    (@williswired)

    FYI, when I paste one of my affiliate links into the Link Checker at Amazon Associates’ site, I get the result …

    Success: The link tags to a valid tag or sub-tag for your Associate ID.

    Thread Starter williswired

    (@williswired)

    Okay, this is interesting. I checked my click reports at Amazon Associates and see that links went nearly non-existent in early March — the day I discovered my site had been hacked. I ramped up site security and added some security plugins.

    I’m guessing there’s a connection, but not sure what it is.

    Any ideas?

    Thread Starter williswired

    (@williswired)

    I don’t know if this means anything, but I notice that when I click on my affiliate link on my blog, I see this link for a brief moment …

    https://www.heapr.com/#https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/williswire/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=heaprcom05-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creativeASIN=williswire

    Weird.

    But I just discovered that this only happens in Chrome. Links work in Safari.

    I read one source that said the YouTube Downloader extension added heapr.com spyware. I had that extension but have removed it. Links still don’t work. Could that be it?

    Thread Starter williswired

    (@williswired)

    Apparently it was some sort of spyware in my Chrome. After I removed the YouTube Downloader extension and restarted the browser, links are working for me now.

    Still don’t know why my clicks took a major hit, though.

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
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