Major affiliate network
Awin Affiliate Link Checker
formerly Affiliate Window / zanox
Awin affiliate links break most often when a merchant leaves the network: the link starts returning Awin’s closed-merchant page instead of the store, and every click earns nothing. Because the link still "loads", most publishers never notice. An Awin link checker needs to follow the full redirect chain, recognize Awin’s closed-program pages, and confirm the awc tracking parameter survives to the merchant site.
How Awin links work
Typical link
https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=12345&awinaffid=67890&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fmerchant.com%2FproductA standard Awin deep link runs through awin1.com/cread.php. The awinmid parameter identifies the merchant, awinaffid identifies you, and ued carries the URL-encoded destination page. When a visitor clicks, Awin registers the click server-side, sets its tracking cookie, and redirects to the merchant with an awc click ID appended.
Because the destination is embedded inside the link, an Awin link can fail in two independent places: the Awin hop (program closed, merchant left) and the destination page (product removed, URL changed). A correct health check has to verify both.
Link domains
awin1.com · zenaps.com
Tracking parameters
| Parameter | Role |
|---|---|
| awinmid | Merchant (advertiser) ID |
| awinaffid | Your publisher ID |
| ued | URL-encoded destination (the merchant page) |
| clickref | Optional sub-ID for your own tracking |
| awc | Click ID appended to the merchant URL — proof tracking fired |
How Awin links break
Merchant leaves Awin
The most damaging failure. The link redirects to Awin’s closedMerchant page or shows "this link is inactive". Clicks keep flowing, commissions stop. Awin does not rewrite or fix your old links when a program closes.
Destination page dies
The Awin hop works, the click is tracked, but the ued destination now 404s or redirects to the merchant’s homepage. You keep your cookie but conversions collapse because visitors land on the wrong page.
Merchant switches networks
Brands regularly move between Awin, Impact, and CJ. After a migration your Awin links may keep redirecting for a while — without crediting you. The only fix is regenerating links on the new network.
Error signals Afterlink detects
These are actual failure fingerprints from Afterlink's validation engine for Awin links:
- ▸closedMerchant.html in the final URL
- ▸"this link is inactive" page content
- ▸"advertiser not found" / "programme not found"
- ▸"this program has been suspended"
- ▸Missing awc parameter on the merchant landing page
How Afterlink checks Awin links
Afterlink extracts every link from your YouTube channel or website, recognizes Awin links by domain and parameter signature, then runs five checks on each one: the full redirect chain (including JavaScript and meta-refresh redirects), network error-page detection, destination verification against the embedded target, tracking parameter analysis, and deep-link decay detection (product page silently replaced by a homepage). Every link gets a clear verdict — working, warning, or broken — with the evidence attached.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if an Awin merchant left the network?
Click your link: if it lands on an Awin page mentioning a closed or inactive program (often closedMerchant.html) instead of the store, the merchant left. You can also check the advertiser directory inside your Awin dashboard. Afterlink detects the closed-merchant page automatically on every scan.
What happened to ShareASale links?
ShareASale is being folded into Awin. Old shareasale.com links for migrated merchants eventually stop crediting, so publishers should regenerate links through Awin for any merchant that moved.
Do Awin links still track if the awc parameter is missing from the final URL?
Usually yes — the click is registered at the awin1.com hop and stored in a cookie before the merchant page loads. Some merchants strip query parameters from the visible URL. A missing awc is worth a look, not a panic.
How often should I check Awin links?
Weekly at minimum if affiliate income matters to you. Merchants leave networks without notice, and the average publisher finds out weeks later via a commission drop. Automated monitoring closes that gap to a day.
Troubleshoot Awin
Related networks
Check every affiliate link you've ever published
If you've published Awin links, some of them are probably broken right now. Afterlink scans your entire YouTube channel or website, follows every redirect chain, and alerts you the day a link breaks.
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