We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to give a word of warning to all bloggers. Unless you are a blogger, feel free to simply disregard this post. :)
If you are a blogger, you are most likely part of the Amazon Affiliate program. It is so easy to implement and can be a great source of income. It also makes blogging increasingly user-friendly!
Although Amazon is super easy to use, this can sometimes mean that it is also easy to (unknowingly) abuse. I wanted to share with you three things you could currently be doing that violates the Amazon Affiliates Program Participation Requirements. I have either done (or come close to doing) each of these things, not realizing they were violating the terms of use, and just want to get the word out to other bloggers!
Here are three ways you could be breaking Amazon’s Affiliate Program Rules (without even knowing it):
1. Shortening Your Affiliate URL:
With the recent Facebook changes, more people see your posts if you only include the link (and not the preview). The problem is that Amazon Affiliate links are loooong and it just makes sense to shorten them using the Tiny URL or Bitly generator, right? Wrong. This is a violation of Amazon’s Terms of Use:
“You will not cloak, hide, spoof, or otherwise obscure the URL of your site containing Special Links (including by use of a redirecting page) such that we cannot reasonably determine the site from which a customer clicks through such Special Link to the Amazon Site.” -Amazon Affiliates Program Participation Requirements, #30
And
“In addition, you must not use a link shortening service in a manner that makes it unclear that you are linking to an Amazon Site.” -Amazon Associates Program Linking Requirements (middle of 2nd paragraph)
I have been (unknowingly) guilty of doing this in the past. It wasn’t until I recently reviewed Amazon’s Participation Requirements that I realized I was violating it! Either use the full (ugly) URL or use the “Share on Facebook” or “Share on Twitter” options within the Affiliate Site Stripe.
2. Including links in eBooks, e-mails or PDF documents:
I nearly violated the Terms of Use for the Amazon Affiliate Program when I wrote my new eBook. Within the book, I gave several recommendations for books and other products. As always, I only included books/products I currently use and can personally endorse. However, three days before its launch I was reading the comments in Blogging with Amy’s post and someone had commented that you could not use affiliate links within an eBook. I was stunned and I immediately panicked. I had never come across this information before, so I began to dig…and dig…and dig to find out some answers. The problem is that the wording on the Participation Requirements is a bit ambiguous (especially in reference to eBooks):
“You will not engage in any promotional, marketing, or other advertising activities on behalf of us or our affiliates, or in connection with the Amazon Site or the Program, that are not expressly permitted under the Operating Agreement. For example, you will not engage in any promotional, marketing, or other advertising activities in any offline manner, including by using any of our or our affiliates’ trademarks or logos (including any Amazon Mark), any Content, or any Special Link in connection with an offline promotion or in any other offline manner (e.g., in any printed material, mailing, email or attachment to email, or other document, or any oral solicitation).” -Amazon Affiliates Program Participation Requirements, #6
See what I mean? It doesn’t say you can and it doesn’t say you can’t. In my near panic, I abruptly e-mailed Amazon to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth and this was their response:
“You should not place an Amazon Affiliate link within your book. However, you may add the link to your website within the content of your book.”
“You will not purchase any Product(s) through Special Links for use by you or for resale or commercial use of any kind. Similarly, you will not request or encourage any of your friends, relatives, or associates to purchase any Product(s) through Special Links for use by you or them or for resale or commercial use of any kind. Further, you will not offer any Products on your site for resale or commercial use of any kind.” -Amazon Associates Program Participation Requirements, #29
Eek! Thank you for posting this! I was looking to purchase a domain name and set up hosting for the sole purpose of being able to include affiliate links – something you’re not allowed to do with the free WordPress sites. However, I think that the only people who read my blog are friends…so, it wouldn’t be worth it. /sigh
Thanks, again, for the heads up!
You could still do that…friends can purchase through your Amazon affiliate links. You just can’t say, “Hey, will you buy such and such through my link on Amazon?” When you write a post, just include the link and leave it at that. Just make sure you have a privacy policy on your new site.
The good thing about #1 is that Amazon will shorten your link to am.zn link. But I had NO IDEA about #2. What in the world can be done about books already sold? I mean, nothing, obviously. But wow. I’ll have to change that, too! And #3, I don’t buy via my own link (I guess I assumed it just wouldn’t work.) so I usually click thru my fave bloggers’ links! ;)
Thanks for the info!
a
How do you shorten links through Amazon?
Hi Jenae,
I have a blog that mostly friends and family read. What are the benefits of doing the affiliate program?
I will read online too but I thought I’d ask since I enjoy reading your posts.
Wow! Thank you for the heads up!
Ashley
Me and Marie Learning
I have two questions:
1. Can we used amazon affiliate links on content websites such as squidoo, hubpages etc. I know many people are already doing this, but I am not very sure if this is allowed.
2. Can we use affiliate links on social medial websites such as facebook, twitter etc. Here, I am not talking about sharing posts with links but direct links. There is a lot of confusion online as far as this issue is concerned.
Thank you
Raunek k
Not sure about #1.
#2 is just fine, as long as you don’t shorten the URL OR You use one of the “Share” buttons from the affiliate stripe at the top of your Amazon account (the bar at the top of the page that allows you to easily link directly from a product page).
Also, you’ll want to make sure you’ve added any social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, etc) to your Amazon Affiliate account under websites.
Well said! So glad to have discovered your lovely blog!
I had heard rumblings recently about not being able to use Amazon links in eBooks (thankfully, I didn’t use any in mine – I had considered it but worried about the rules changing). I had no idea about the other rules you mentioned. Thank you for this information. Pinned so I can pass it along and remind myself!
Good to know info, thanks!
When bit.ly shortens amazon links, they are still clearly marked as being amazon links, so based upon what is written, it seems that using bit.ly would be okay.
You Rock! Thanks so much for the great info!
Awesome Article!
Thanks for the info!!!
I just started using Amazon Assosiates after playing around with Google Adsense for a bit (don’t worry, I’m keeping that too… whew) on my blog (fashioninfull on Blogger)
And I am really hoping to see some results from both,
Thanks for the heads up!!