Sorry, there was a problem connecting to the Geniuslink API

Hi Brad,

Thanks for reaching out. You don’t need to use the JS snippet – just the plugin. Generally you’ll see that error when something is blocking the connection from your WP instance to our servers. Can you try disabling Ad Blocker or trying another browser to see if you get the same behavior?

Let me know if so and we can troubleshoot further.

Thanks!

Thanks. The plugin installed and configured. How do i add Amazon links? DO i add them directly from Amazon or do i need to create them in genuislink?

Hey Brad,

Great! Glad you got everything figured out. AS for adding Amazon links, the plugin automatically converts all Amazon links already on your page, so if you don’t already have them, just add the Amazon links from Amazon and we’ll take care of the rest. ??

I’ll go ahead and mark this thread as resolved since the issue is fixed, but let us know if you need anything else.

Hi there,
I actually experienced the problem Brad describes above. I use a different browser to Brad (he uses Safari with a MAC,I use Firefox with Windows 7 on a PC). I do not have any ad blockers in place.

When logged into WordPress dashboard and trying to make sure the Amazon link plugin works with API numbers created on account at Geniuslink site: Item 3, Monetize your traffic….. returns an error: Sorry there was a problem connecting to the Geniuslink API.

(This happens even after going back to Geniuslink and recreating the API numbers).

Back in WordPress dashboard it seems trying a second time makes number 3 work (regardless of API numbers being used). It always takes two tries to make it work.

I think I recall this issue being discussed here at an earlier time.

Interested to hear from Geniuslink why this happens.

Howdy,
Further question about adding Amazon links.

AS for adding Amazon links, the plugin automatically converts all Amazon links already on your page, so if you don’t already have them, just add the Amazon links from Amazon and we’ll take care of the rest. ??

Can you confirm that this means:
Log in to Amazon account.
Find item and copy only the first part of the item number referenced in the information bar.
Log in to Geniuslink account and click Links, then paste the Amazon item information there.

I’m really quite confused by the wording used and not sure if the process of adding links to the Geniuslink LINK tab has anything to do with actually adding Amazon links to a blog post.

Is adding the links to Geniuslink via the LINK tab ONLY for the purpose of reporting, tracking etc, with a paid Geniuslink account?

I take it going through the process of creating API keys and then making sure they have been successfully added to the Amazon Link plug in ensures affiliate commissions are credited to me.

If the API keys are NOT added successfully then all Amazon affiliate commissions will be credited to Geniuslink.

Is there a geniuslink video that explains the complete process of creating Amazon link, adding it to Geniuslink (ONLY for tracking purposes)and then showing how it is added to a blog when creating a new post via WordPress dashboard?

Also, is it possible to automate this process so the whole thing can be done while creating a post?

Many thanks.

Hey Julievee,

Thanks for the heads up on trying twice. The one thing I can think of that would cause that issue is if you are trying to add the API information within seconds of creating it. It does take a few minutes for that API key to replicate out to our international server stack, so our system may think it does not exist if you’re trying right away.

As for your second question, that’s not quite right. You don’t need to create the shortened geni.us link in order to use our WordPress plugins, just use the raw Amazon link on your page. So the entire process would be:

1. Go to Amazon
2. Find the product you want to promote
3. Copy the URL
4. Paste it somewhere on your blog (either behind text, behind an email, or just on the page itself).
5. Our plugin then automatically finds and converts all Amazon links on your website so they are localized when someone clicks.

If you look at the “screenshots” tab of our Amazon Link Engine (https://www.ads-software.com/plugins/amazon-link-engine/screenshots/) That gives an example for you. You can also check out the FAQ for more details (https://www.ads-software.com/plugins/amazon-link-engine/faq/).

Hope that helps!

Hi Geniuslink member,
Wow! That was a quick response. I’ve since edited my original post, so a few more questions thrown in there.
Hopefully, you can shed some more light on things when answering those.
Thank you for outlining steps needed to create Amazon links on my website. That really helps.
This would seem to indicate I might be on the right track perhaps and that adding links to Geniuslink TAB is for reporting purposes?
Again, many thanks for your help so far.

Oops, sorry about that. Didn’t see your other questions.

I’m really quite confused by the wording used and not sure if the process of adding links to the Geniuslink LINK tab has anything to do with actually adding Amazon links to a blog post.

The “Links” tab in your Geniuslink account is used for making “geni.us” links, which are short links that have a lot more functionality than just localizing Amazon links. If you’re just using the WordPress plugin, you won’t need to create geni.us links, but they can be useful if you want shortened URLs for things like social media. You can also do some pretty cool things with our Advanced Targets and pixel support, but again – if you just want to localize Amazon links, creating them individually through our geni.us link creator tool isn’t necessary. So – you can just add Amazon links directly to your blog ??

Is adding the links to Geniuslink via the LINK tab ONLY for the purpose of reporting, tracking etc, with a paid Geniuslink account?

I sort of touched on this above, but the shortened geni.us links are generally used for more advanced things than just localizing the Amazon links. You’re welcome to use them if you’d like, but in terms of an easier way to localize and affiliate Amazon links on your blog, the Amazon Link Engine is the best bet.

I take it going through the process of creating API keys and then making sure they have been successfully added to the Amazon Link plug in ensures affiliate commissions are credited to me.

If the API keys are NOT added successfully then all Amazon affiliate commissions will be credited to Geniuslink.

This is correct (and a really good question). It’s very important to make sure you add your affiliate IDs to your Geniuslink account so we know what IDs to use for your accounts. Otherwise, we just default to using our own.

Hope I didn’t miss anything, but let me know if so. ??

Hi there Geniuslink member,
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my many questions. I will keep a copy of this information for future reference.
You have definitely helped heaps with your very clear answers.
I’m sure others who may be experiencing any confusion will find this really helpful.
The extra information about short links will also come in handy as I learn more about blogging and venture further into social media and such.
I belong to a large forum of bloggers who will make great use of this information!
Again, many thanks.

Hi julievee,

Great! We’re always happy to help, and I’m glad to hear that will be useful for others as well. ??

I hope you have a good week!

Hi again,
One last question. This one relates to paying to have an account with geniuslink.

What happens after the trial period? Is it necessary to have a paid account with geniuslink and what does a paid account provide?

Is this to make sure affiliate commissions associated with Amazon links I add to my blog using the Amazon Link plug-in will be credited to me?

Once again, thanks for your help with this.

So the process looks like:

1. You get 30 days of unlimited clicks where you can send as much traffic through our service as you want.
2. After those 30 days, we charge in increments of $10,000 clicks for $10 each. Billing is done on the first of each month for the last month’s total clicks.
3. If you send less than 1,000 clicks each month, your account remains free.
4. If you send more than 1,000 clicks, you fall into those $10 buckets.

So if you send more than 1,000 clicks in a month’s time, you will need to have a credit card on file with us so that we can bill you for the clicks sent. That ensures that we can continue to pay for the cost of serving those clicks for you and giving you all of the features we offer (like the reporting and affiliation and localization). I hope that helps!

Thanks again. Having the numbered outline really helps. Even I can understand how it works now. LOL!