Basics
What is an affiliate link?
It's a link to an online merchant but it contains an extra bit of information—"parameter" is the technical term—called an affiliate code. That code tells the merchant where a visitor/customer came from. And if there's a sale, that the referrer may get a commission.
When does Tumblr add its affiliate code to my links?
Tumblr's affiliate code only gets added to links if 1) you haven't disabled Tumblr affiliate codes in settings, 2) you haven't used your own affiliate code, and 3) the link goes to a participating merchant.
Can I opt out so Tumblr's affiliate code isn't added to my links?
Yep. There's a switch in your Tumblr's settings called "Affiliate links." Flip it off. Keep in mind that this only affects links you post—you could still see affiliated links that other people post.
How are affiliate links even possible? Aren't there trillions of merchants out there?
Literally trillions. But a company we work with, VigLink, did the work to connect about 55,000 of them.
If there’s a problem with VigLink, will links still work?
Barring any other issues, yes. If VigLink fails to respond, we just forward you on without an affiliate code.
Do affiliate links slow down Tumblr?
They shouldn't. That's very important so we're always tracking response times.
Are affiliated links going to use HTTPS?
They will use whatever was originally linked. HTTP will stay HTTP, HTTPS will stay HTTPS.
Is there a risk of VigLink serving malware?
If there's malware, it won't be because of VigLink. All VigLink does is see if a merchant is in their network, and adds a referral code to the URL if it is. If the original link is to malware, it won't be in the VigLink network. As a general rule, never click on links from people you don't trust—and be skeptical of everything on the internet. You can review our security documentation here.
If I allow Tumblr affiliate links on my posts...
Can I still use my own affiliate links?
Yes. Absolutely. Personal affiliate links are given priority over Tumblr's. They won't be blocked or overridden. As long as you're following our Community Guidelines (i.e., not creating blogs with the primary purpose of affiliate marketing) we hope you're making tons of money.
What will change about links that I post?
Nothing. That's the best part. Links will look and work just like they always have.
Will links be added to random words in my posts?
No. Definitely not. Nothing will change about the look and feel of your posts—or any posts.
Do I get a cut of the money Tumblr makes from monetizing my links?
No. But! VigLink lets you make affiliate links for your own use. You’ll need a separate VigLink account, but it’s stupid easy to get started. They even wrote these instructions for you.
Will there be issues with my ad blocker?
Not that we've seen. But we can't guarantee that browser extensions won't interfere with Tumblr—they're literally designed to interfere in some way.
Will posts that contain affiliate links be treated differently from those that don’t?
No. Affiliate links don't factor into search or recommendations in any way.