To shorten an Amazon link, trim the address down to amazon.com/dp/ followed by the product's 10-character ID, use Amazon's own short link, or run the link through a link shortener. If you're an Amazon Associate, the method matters, because Amazon's Associates Program Policies have rules on link shorteners, cloaking and redirecting links.
This guide quotes those rules and links to them. It isn't legal advice, and only Amazon can say whether a particular setup is acceptable. BioLink.page, which we mention below, is our product, and we have no affiliation with Amazon.
Why are Amazon product links so long?
An Amazon product link is long because, on top of the product ID, it carries the product name and details about how you got to the page, like your search terms and where the result sat on the page. Amazon describes the product ID, the ASIN, as "a unique 10-character alphanumeric code" and says it appears after /dp/ in the product page address (Amazon, June 4, 2025).
A link copied after a search looks something like this (the product and ID are made up, so the link doesn't work).
https://www.amazon.com/Trailside-Insulated-Water-Bottle-32oz/dp/B0EXAMPLE1/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2XQ7&keywords=insulated+water+bottle&qid=1761700000&sr=8-3
Only the domain and the part after /dp/ identify the product. In this example, everything after the ID describes your visit. Some links also carry a chosen size or color, so open the trimmed link and check it shows the right option.
Method 1, trim the link to /dp/ and the ASIN
Trimming works for ordinary sharing, when you just want a friend or a customer to see the product. For affiliate links, use Method 2 instead.
- Copy the product page address.
- Keep
https://www.amazon.com/dp/and the 10-character ID after it. If the address has no /dp/, Amazon says the ASIN is "typically listed" in the product information or details section of the page. - Delete the product name before /dp/ and everything after the ID.
The example above becomes https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0EXAMPLE1.
If you're an Associate, don't trim your affiliate links. Trimming deletes any tracking tag in the address, and the Associates Operating Agreement says your links must "properly use the special 'tagged' link formats we provide" (Operating Agreement, Section 1, last updated October 15, 2025). Use Amazon's tools for affiliate links instead.
Method 2, use Amazon's own short link
Associates can get an official short link from SiteStripe, the toolbar Amazon shows at the top of its pages when you're signed in with your Associates account. Amazon's SiteStripe help says the Get Link, Text option builds "short and long links" to the page you're viewing, and that your Associate ID and tracking ID are already included in the short link (SiteStripe Help, read October 29, 2026). If you don't see the toolbar, Amazon says you need to be signed in as the Amazon customer that matches your Associates account.
When we opened the bare a.co and amzn.to addresses on October 29, 2026, both redirected to www.amazon.com. That shows where they forward, not which one SiteStripe uses or whether a link is tagged. The Amazon shopping app also has a share option, but what it copies can vary, so look at the link before you post it. A link shared from the shopping app isn't automatically an Associates link.
Method 3, use a link shortener or a branded short link
A link shortener gives you a short address on its own domain that forwards to the full Amazon link. On BioLink.page it works like this.
- Go to Links and create a new link.
- Paste the full destination. For affiliate links, paste the link you got from SiteStripe, not a trimmed one.
- Pick a custom ending if you like, for example
biolink.page/amazon-trail-bottle. A short address on its own domain doesn't show that it leads to Amazon, so say so in the ending or in the text next to the link. - Save, then open the short link on your phone and check that it lands on the right product.
The free plan includes 100 short links in total, as of October 29, 2026. When the destination is an amazon.com address, BioLink.page recognizes it and switches app linking on automatically, so the link goes through a short in-between page instead of a plain redirect (details in the next sections). Switch app linking off in the link's settings and the short link sends visitors on with a standard server redirect (301 or 302) to the exact address you saved, including any ?tag= part. Destinations on a.co or amzn.to aren't recognized as Amazon product links, so they get the plain redirect from the start. We checked all of this in BioLink.page's code on October 29, 2026, not with live clicks. A link that opens the right product hasn't necessarily kept its tag, and a kept tag doesn't mean Amazon will credit the purchase. Only your Associates reports and Amazon can answer that.
There's one more catch if you use OneLink to earn from shoppers in other countries. Amazon's OneLink FAQ says "Shortened links created by third-party link shorteners are currently not supported and will not be redirected," while Amazon full links and Amazon short links work after the one-time setup (OneLink FAQ, read October 29, 2026). If OneLink matters to you, use Amazon's own short link from Method 2.
For more on picking a short ending, see branded short links for small businesses.
What do Amazon's rules say about shortening affiliate links?
Amazon's Associates Program Policies don't ban link shorteners. They set conditions on how you use them. These are the passages that matter here, from the Associates Program Policies (updated April 14, 2026, read October 29, 2026).
- Policy 6(w), link shorteners. You may not use a link shortening service, button or other placement "in a manner that makes it unclear that you are linking to an Amazon Site."
- Policy 6(v), cloaking. You may not cloak, hide, spoof or otherwise obscure the URL of your Site that contains Special Links, and the policy names Redirecting Links as one way of doing that, in such a way that Amazon can't reasonably tell which site or app a customer clicked through from.
- Policy 6(n), framing. You may not frame an Amazon Site or any part of it within your Site.
- Commission Income Statement 2(e), Redirecting Links. Purchases are excluded when the customer reaches Amazon through a link that goes via an intermediate site "without requiring the customer to click on a link" or take some other affirmative action there. Amazon calls this a Redirecting Link.
The Operating Agreement also requires the statement "As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." on your Site (Section 5), and Section 1 counts your social media content as part of your Site. FTC disclosure rules apply on top of that, and they're about each link, not only your profile. The FTC's Endorsement Guides Q&A says "Paid link" placed right next to an affiliate link "should be an adequate disclosure of the nature of the link."
We can't tell you whether a particular shortener setup meets these rules, because only Amazon applies them. The wording of 6(w) is about whether it's clear the link goes to Amazon, so at minimum check that a reader can tell before they tap. Meeting 6(w) doesn't settle 2(e) or the other policies. Amazon's own full or short links leave the least room for doubt. If you're unsure, ask Associates support before you publish.
Which BioLink.page settings change how an Amazon link redirects?
Three BioLink.page link settings put a page on biolink.page between the short link and Amazon, and a fourth changes the Amazon address itself. With Amazon affiliate links we suggest leaving all four off unless Amazon has told you otherwise. That's our reading of the code, and Amazon hasn't reviewed it. One of them, app linking, is on by default for amazon.com links. We found this by reading the redirect code (checked October 29, 2026).
- Tracking pixels. If you attach a pixel to the short link, visitors first get a small page on biolink.page that loads the pixel and the cookie consent banner, then JavaScript sends them on. While the consent banner is switched on for the site, as it was on October 29, 2026, a first-time visitor isn't forwarded until they respond to it. The free plan includes 5 pixels, so this is easy to switch on by accident.
- Cloaking. On the Starter and Pro plans (not the free plan), cloaking opens the destination inside a full-screen frame on the short link's page, so the address bar keeps showing your short link. Policy 6(n) says you may not frame an Amazon Site, so keep cloaking off for Amazon links.
- App linking. This is switched on automatically for new amazon.com short links, free plan included. It goes through the same intermediate page, tries to open the Amazon app with the product path and query string (including
?tag=), and falls back to the website after 0.65 seconds on iPhone or 2 seconds on Android. Passing the tag to the app doesn't tell you whether Amazon credits purchases made there. - UTM fields. If you fill in the link's UTM source, medium or campaign, those parameters are added to the Amazon address. We don't know how Amazon treats them, so leave them empty for Amazon links. Our UTM link generator is meant for your own site's links.
With all four off, the short link is a single server redirect, and our URL redirect checker should show a 301 or 302 step from biolink.page to Amazon. Amazon may add redirects of its own after that. How Amazon's Redirecting Link definition applies to a page like the pixel page is a question for Amazon, not something we can answer.
Common Amazon short link mistakes
| Problem | Why it happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The tag is missing | The destination was a trimmed or app-shared link | Use the SiteStripe link as the destination |
| The link opens a search page, not the product | A search results address was copied | Open the product page first, then copy |
| Visitors see a spinner, a banner or a blank page first | App linking, a pixel or cloaking is switched on | Turn them off in the link's settings |
| Extra parameters on the Amazon address | UTM fields are filled in | Clear them |
Does a click on your short link mean a sale?
No. A click on a short link only means the link was opened. BioLink.page counts opens of the short link and keeps them for 30 days on the free plan. It can't see what happened on Amazon, and orders and commissions only show up in your Associates reports. More on reading those numbers in how to shorten a link and track clicks, and if you sell your own products too, see our link in bio guide for Etsy and Shopify sellers.
You can shorten Amazon links with a free BioLink.page account. For affiliate links, Amazon's own short link is the simpler choice. If you do use a shortener, keep pixels, cloaking, app linking and UTM fields off, make it clear the link goes to Amazon, and check Amazon's current policies before you post.
