If you’re involved in affiliate marketing, managing and optimizing your links is key to increasing trust, clicks, and commissions. That’s why link cloaking tools are essential for serious affiliate marketers.
In this article, we’ll go over the top link cloaking tools for affiliates, covering both free and paid options that help make your links cleaner, more secure, and trackable.
What Is Link Cloaking?
Link cloaking is the process of converting long, unattractive affiliate URLs into shorter, branded, and more user-friendly links. It’s especially helpful when promoting links through blogs, emails, or social media.
Benefits of Link Cloaking:
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Protects your affiliate commissions from hijacking or overwriting
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Improves click-through rates (CTR) with clean, professional-looking links
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Builds trust with your audience
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Enables tracking of clicks and performance
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Helps bypass ad blockers that target affiliate links
Best Link Cloaking Tools for Affiliates
Pretty Links
A popular WordPress plugin that allows you to create custom, branded links. It also tracks click data, organizes links by category, and integrates with your existing content. The free version covers the basics, while the paid version adds features like automatic keyword linking and advanced analytics.
Ideal for: bloggers, niche site owners, and WordPress users who want an easy-to-use cloaking solution.
ThirstyAffiliates
A feature-rich WordPress plugin designed specifically for affiliate marketers. It offers cloaking, redirection, link categorization, broken link checking, and geo-targeting. The pro version includes automatic keyword linking and enhanced reporting tools.
Great for: affiliate professionals managing large campaigns through WordPress.
Lasso
A powerful all-in-one affiliate management tool that goes beyond cloaking. It includes customizable product displays, click tracking, link management, and SEO tools to help increase affiliate revenue. Lasso is focused on optimizing both user experience and conversions.
Best suited for: content-focused marketers, SEO professionals, and high-traffic blogs.
ClickMeter
A cloud-based solution that offers link cloaking, conversion tracking, fraud protection, and geo/device targeting. Unlike WordPress plugins, ClickMeter works across any platform and supports complex campaigns. It’s especially useful for performance marketers and agencies managing multiple traffic sources.
Recommended for: affiliate marketers running paid ads, funnels, or multi-channel campaigns.
TinyURL Pro
A lightweight tool that’s useful for shortening and customizing URLs. In the pro version, it allows you to create branded short links, track clicks, and set expiration dates. It’s simple and fast, making it a good fit for beginners or casual affiliate marketers.
Perfect for: users who need quick, clean links with minimal setup.
How to Choose the Right Tool
Here’s what to consider when picking a cloaking tool:
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Are you using WordPress? Go with a plugin like Pretty Links or ThirstyAffiliates.
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Need conversion-optimized features and displays? Lasso is a great choice.
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Running paid campaigns or working across multiple channels? ClickMeter offers advanced analytics and flexibility.
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Looking for something simple? TinyURL Pro covers the basics well.
Final Thoughts
Using a link cloaking tool is a smart move for any affiliate marketer. Whether you’re protecting your commissions, improving CTR, or organizing your links, cloaking gives you more control and clarity.
Start with a free or entry-level option, and upgrade as your site and affiliate income grow. The right tool not only makes your links look better—it helps you earn more from every click.