Skimlinks parameter
What is the xcust parameter?
xcust is Skimlinks's your skimlinks custom tracking id. xcust is Skimlinks’ publisher-defined sub-ID, echoed in reporting so you can attribute aggregated commissions back to specific content. Since Skimlinks strips its own parameters before the merchant, xcust never appears in final URLs — that is normal.
Where it appears
In the affiliate link you publish
Example
https://go.skimresources.com/?id=12345X678901&url=...&xcust=post-slugIf xcust is missing
Optional — xcust is reporting metadata. Skimlinks monetization works without it.
How Skimlinks tracking fits together
Skimlinks rewrites your outbound merchant links (or you build them manually) through go.skimresources.com with the destination in the url parameter. The click is monetized server-side: Skimlinks matches the merchant to its network relationships, tracks the click, and redirects — usually with a clean final URL.
That server-side model means URL-parameter checks prove nothing about Skimlinks tracking. What matters is: does the link reach the intended destination page, and is the merchant still monetizable?
Frequently asked questions
What does the xcust parameter do?
xcust is Skimlinks's your skimlinks custom tracking id. xcust is Skimlinks’ publisher-defined sub-ID, echoed in reporting so you can attribute aggregated commissions back to specific content.
What if xcust is missing?
Optional — xcust is reporting metadata. Skimlinks monetization works without it.
Is xcust in my analytics affiliate traffic?
Yes — if xcust shows up in your site analytics or server logs, that traffic arrived via Skimlinks affiliate links.
Related
Check every affiliate link you've ever published
Parameter checks are one of five validations Afterlink runs on every Skimlinks link. Afterlink scans your entire YouTube channel or website, follows every redirect chain, and alerts you the day a link breaks.
Run a free scan