Measure referral clicks without visitor profiles

Create a link registry

Map a stable local identifier to an approved outbound URL, associated product and sponsor/affiliate indicator.

/go/product-slug
  → lookup permitted destination
  → record product, origin path, timestamp
  → 302 redirect

Validate destinations

Only allow HTTP or HTTPS destinations. Ensure redirects are based on administrator-approved records, never a visitor-provided target URL. Mark paid or affiliate links with clear user-facing disclosures.

Minimize collection

You do not need IP addresses or fingerprints to count link popularity. Restrict origin fields to local paths; avoid recording full URLs containing user tokens or query strings.

Decision metrics

Report clicks by page, product and campaign. Keep a separate measure of qualified downstream conversions if vendors provide trustworthy attribution. Click volume alone does not establish earnings.