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  5. Getting started with AffProf
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Getting started with AffProf

A 15-minute walkthrough to your first tracked link. Follow these steps in order; each one builds on the last.

By the end you will have
  • A product set up.
  • Your first short link with UTMs and a fallback.
  • A QR code, if you need one.
  • Health monitoring active.
  • Confidence to scale to your full link library.
If you have already done some of these steps, skip ahead. The structure is linear, but the app is flexible once you are set up.
Before you start
Make sure your profile is complete before creating links.
  • Name, shown in welcome messages.
  • Short link slug: appears in every short URL you create. Pick something clean and short. Changing it later breaks links already shared.
  • Timezone, used for analytics displays.
  • Language.
Step 1: Create your first product
Every link belongs to a product, so create one first.
  1. 1Go to Products -> New product.
  2. 2Enter a specific name, such as Blue Yeti Microphone, Notion, or My Tech Blog.
  3. 3Avoid vague names like Stuff, Links, or Test.
  4. 4Optionally add a description and image.
  5. 5Save.
If you are not sure what your first product should be, pick the affiliate link you promoted most recently. For deeper organization concepts, see Products, links & tags.
Step 2: Create your first link
This is the core action in AffProf. Everything else flows from here.
  1. 1Go to Links -> New link.
  2. 2In Basic info, choose the product you just created.
  3. 3Paste your full affiliate URL as Base URL.
  4. 4Set Platform, such as amazon, shareasale, or notion.
  5. 5Choose a memorable Slug, such as blue-yeti-amazon, or click Suggest.
  6. 6Leave Link availability on.
  • Optional UTMs: use utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign for most tracking needs.
  • Recommended fallback: set a Fallback URL in Options so broken destinations can still redirect somewhere useful. See Fallback URLs & Link Health.
  • Optional tags: add existing tags or create new ones in Tags.

Click Create link. Then copy the short URL from the Links table and test it in a private browser window.

Checkpoint: if your link redirects correctly, you are most of the way there. If it does not, double-check the Base URL and try again.
Step 3: Generate a QR code
Optional, useful for videos, presentations, packaging, or physical placements.
  1. 1In the Links table, find your link.
  2. 2Open the actions menu and click QR Code.
  3. 3On Free, download the standard black-and-white QR. On Pro, optionally create a brand in Settings -> Brands -> Add brand, then choose it in the QR dialog before downloading.
  4. 4Click Download PNG.
For more on branded QRs, see Brands & QR codes.
Step 4: Confirm health monitoring is working
Monitoring is on by default, but verify alerts are enabled.
  • Free: every link is checked once per day.
  • Pro: every link is checked every 6 hours.
  1. 1Go to Settings -> Notifications.
  2. 2Confirm Broken link alerts is on.
  3. 3Optionally add a CC email for a teammate.
  4. 4Manually test from Links by opening the link actions menu and clicking Check link.
The result appears in the link analytics under Recent checks. For details, see Fallback URLs & Link Health.
Step 5: Share your link and watch analytics
Once your link receives clicks, explore the results.
  1. 1Go to Dashboard to see overall traffic.
  2. 2Click your link in Top performing links.
  3. 3Open the Analytics tab to see clicks by source, device, country, and more.
Checkpoint: once you see clicks in analytics, you are fully set up. Everything else is scaling and refinement. See Dashboard & analytics.

What to do next

Bring over many links
Use Links -> Import CSV to upload or start from the template. This is fastest for 10+ links.
Import & export links
Use your own domain
Replace affprof.com/go/yourslug/linkname with links.yourbrand.com/linkname on Pro.
Custom domains
Organize your library
Understand product, link, and tag relationships that scale well.
Products, links & tags
Lock down account settings
Set a strong password, default fallback URL, and email notification preferences.
Account & settings

Common questions while getting started

My short link does not redirect. What's wrong?

Test the Base URL directly first. If it fails, the destination is the issue. If the Base URL works but the short link does not, contact hello@affprof.com.

The slug I want is already taken. What now?

Slugs are unique within your account. Add a number, platform, or channel, such as blue-yeti-2, blue-yeti-amazon, or blue-yeti-yt.

Can I edit a link after creating it?

Yes. Anything except the slug can be changed. The slug stays fixed because changing it would break short URLs already shared.

Why does my link show broken already?

Health checks detect 404s, timeouts, certificate errors, and other destination issues. Check Recent checks, fix the destination, then run a manual check.

Where do I see my plan and billing?

Go to Billing. See Billing & subscription for plans, trials, refunds, and cancellation.

Should I create more products or more tags first?

Start with products for the things you promote, then add tags for channels, campaigns, and contexts. See Products, links & tags when you are ready to organize deeper.

Need help?

If you are stuck on any step, email hello@affprof.com with what you tried and what happened. We respond within 24 hours, faster for Pro users.