Direct URL Fraud Protection

Uh ... I just saw in the demo in the explanation "all Links have to be manually approved". I guess this is exactly for the above check: To be sure, that the domain belongs to the affiliate.

I would suggest another (easier) way: Use the footer!
Let the affiliate put a little string in the footer, which has his aid codet into it. So when he puts in a new direct-url the check of the footer would prove that this site is really his own. Would make sense to me, because I don´t like to check each and every directURL manual. And the next problem: How should I know that the affiliate is really the owner of the Domain?

Next nice thing: By putting something in the footer, it can also be a small "seal" or something like that. A tiny grafic, something that shows the ... hey, there comes up a great, great idea! I will start over with that idea, it could be a new module:

There is a footer-script for the affiliate, that he can download in the backend and then put it into his website. When this footer-script is in, the direct-URL can work totally automatic. It´s easy: Just check in every (!) sale if there is a footer-link on the refering website. If there is ... the sale is tracked with the affiliate.

The great thing about this "footer-system" is, that each footer also contains a link to the website. This gives a boost for Google!
For the affiliate the link is also very, very usefull in another way: With the (really tiny) grafic he can check that this page is also covered with the directURL-Linking.

This is great for example for a forum. The admin of a forum puts in this footer-script and so he can be sure, that all (!) links to the affiliate-website will be his (!) commission-links. Na matter, who posts them.

Would make sense to have a descision when the direct-URL doesn´t match a ref-parameter, which one is taken. In case of Bulletin-borads I would suggest to take the direct-url. The Forum-Admin would know that every sale generated by his pages will be "his commission", and he can check that with the tiny grafic at the bottom. And the Merchant of the Affiliate-System has lots and lots of backlinks.

Best wishes, Julian!

I like Julian's idea of having the affiliate place some sort of "verification code" on their site for the Direct Linking feature. This way, I don't have to manually process every affiliate application for Direct Linking.

This wouldn't necessarily be something they add to the footer of their site. A simple file placed in the root of their domain will suffice, as PAP may then fetch the expected file before approving the Direct Link URL in the affiliate's account. This is how Alexa verifies site ownership.
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- Alan Tutt

Hi Alan,

well, the "footer-think" has some other things inside of it. Having "just" something in the root doesn´t really prove everything. Imagine, when SEF-URLs are active, when somebody is having sub-domains or even sub-folders, when sub-domains have other owners, there are many ways where the root alone is not enough.

However, there are many other benefits in the "Footer-Script". First of all, for the Merchant, this is a great value for google! And I´d like to have this benefit!

Second, this is a good "check" for the affiliate, that all links comming from this website, are correct affiliate-links. Imagine a Bulletin-Board-Admin: A little green traffic-light in the footer shows him, that every link places by a member in the Forum will lead to his (!) affilaite-code. Nice to have that.

Placing it in the footer makes it much more easy. No need to search through all folders if the script or the file is there. Simply putting it into the template and that´s it. Well ... bouth strategies, file in folder and script in footer, can be implemented the same time, to give the affiliates a choice. I would take the Footer-Thing. ;-)

Very important: How to handle with conflicts between directURL and aid. I definitely suggest here an option, so that the merachand or even better the affiliate can choose.

Best wishes, Jul ian!

I think the reason Alexa has website owners upload a file to the root of their domain is because only a site owner can upload files. (At least on most sites, and certainly to the root of the domain.)

Personally, I really don't care how the Direct Linking works because I don't see my affiliates abusing the system, although I understand that my affiliates are not representative of all affiliates everywhere.

I may be misunderstanding things a bit, but I don't see how having something in the HTML of a page proves anything either. What's to stop a MySpace user from placing the code on their MySpace page and claiming that all links from MySpace are for their affiliate account?

Or in other words, how is a "footer script" different from code placed elsewhere on the page?

In this example, no MySpace user has access to upload files to the root of the www.myspace.com domain, and having a file uploaded there would be better "proof" of site ownership.

Again, personally I don't care how it works, but since we're talking about it, which way is more secure, and why?
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- Alan Tutt

Hi Alan,

the difference between "file to the root" and "footer-script" is, that the footer-script covers all sites, also the sites in sub-folders, if there are.

The Footer-Script gives the Affiliate a visual prove (like a little grafic) that exactly this page is active for the program.

And the Footer-script gives a google-thrust, because it builts up a backlink on every site, running the program.

My marketing would be: Just put this script in your footer and don´t care anymore.

This are benefits for bouth sides. I agree that not everybody would like it, so I think the best is to combine bouth ways, so everybody can choose.

Best wishes, Julian

yes, this is a beautiful suggestion, i hope would be accepted...

so only if affiliate put "footer-script" (or "file to the root") directlink tracking work this web-site

Yes, and please keep this things in mind:

- We need a way to adjust the script itself. I like to really use it as a backlink-bringer, and so I will have to define where the backlink shows to and which word is connected. Things like that. So the script itself best is neutral, but allows the merchant to insert some html-code.

- There should be a check that the script is original. I want to make sure that the affilaite doesn´t simply delete the backlink.

- There should be a check for the affiliate, that his script is in and valid.

Best wishes, Julian!