If you’re running Pinterest affiliate links and losing track of what’s actually working, Pretty Links might just save your sanity.
I’ve been there.
Dozens of affiliate links scattered across pins, no clue which ones are driving clicks, and no way to fix a broken link without redoing every single pin.
Sounds familiar?
Here’s the thing about Pinterest affiliate tracking.
Most people skip it entirely and just guess what’s working.
That’s a rookie mistake.
Why Pretty Links Matters for Pinterest Affiliate Tracking
Pinterest is a visual platform, but the money side of things happens in the background.
You’ve got affiliate links that are long, ugly, and stuffed with tracking codes.
Nobody wants to click on a link that looks like spam.
Pretty Links fixes that by cloaking your affiliate links into clean, branded URLs.
Instead of showing something messy, your link looks like:
yoursite.com/recommends/product-name
That’s it.
Clean, trustworthy, and click-worthy.
But the real magic isn’t just the look.
It’s the tracking.
Pretty Links shows you:
– How many clicks each link gets
– Which pins are sending traffic
– What’s converting and what’s dead weight
– Geographic data on where your clicks come from
Without this data, you’re basically throwing pins at Pinterest and hoping something sticks.
With it, you know exactly which strategy to double down on.
Setting Up Pretty Links for Your Pinterest Strategy
Right, let’s get into the actual setup.
First thing you need is the Pretty Links plugin installed on your WordPress site.
There’s a free version and a paid version.
The free version works fine if you’re just starting out.
Once installed, here’s what you do:
Step 1: Create Your First Pretty Link
Go to Pretty Links in your dashboard and click “Add New.”
Paste your ugly affiliate link into the target URL field.
Then create a short, memorable slug like /pin-deal or /best-tool
Step 2: Add UTM Parameters
This is where most people mess up on Pinterest affiliate tracking.
You want to know which platform sent the click.
Add UTM parameters so you can see:
– Source (Pinterest)
– Medium (social)
– Campaign name (whatever pin or board it’s from)
Step 3: Use the Link on Your Pins
Now when you create a pin, use your Pretty Link instead of the raw affiliate URL.
Simple as that.
Your pin description and link both look clean and professional.
Tracking Your Results the Smart Way
Here’s a quick comparison of what tracking looks like with and without Pretty Links.
| Feature | Without Pretty Links | With Pretty Links |
|---|---|---|
| Link Appearance | Long, messy, spammy-looking | Clean, branded, trustworthy |
| Click Tracking | Guesswork | Exact numbers per link |
| Editing Links | Have to redo every pin | Edit once, updates everywhere |
| Source Data | No idea where clicks come from | Full breakdown by platform |
Big difference, right?
Once you start seeing real numbers, you stop guessing and start optimising.
That’s the whole point of Pinterest affiliate tracking.
You want data, not vibes.
I check my Pretty Links dashboard every week.
Some pins that I thought were doing great turned out to be dead links.
Others I barely paid attention to were quietly bringing in solid clicks.
Without tracking, I’d have never known.
Right, so you’ve got Pretty Links installed.
You’re creating clean URLs.
But here’s what nobody tells you about Pretty Links Pinterest affiliate tracking.
The setup is the easy part.
Knowing what to do with the data is where people fall apart.
The Categorisation Trick Most People Skip
Here’s something I wish someone told me earlier.
Don’t just create random links as you go.
Group them by category from the start.
So if you’ve got pins about kitchen gadgets, tag those Pretty Links under “kitchen.”
Fashion pins get tagged under “fashion.”
Why does this matter?
Because when you check your dashboard, you can see which niche is actually pulling weight.
Maybe your kitchen pins are quiet but your fashion links are on fire.
Without categories, you’re stuck scrolling through a random list of links trying to guess which is which.
With categories, it’s instant clarity.
Setting Up Link Rotation for A/B Testing
Here’s a feature most people never touch.
Pretty Links lets you rotate multiple URLs under one link.
Say you’ve got two different affiliate offers for the same product.
Instead of picking one and hoping for the best, set up a rotation.
Half your clicks go to offer A.
Half go to offer B.
Then you check which one converts better.
This is proper testing, not guessing.
Pinterest sends you traffic.
Your Pretty Links tell you which offer that traffic actually prefers.
Reading Your Click Data Like a Pro
Numbers on a screen mean nothing if you don’t know what they’re telling you.
Here’s a simple breakdown of what to look for.
| Metric | What It Tells You | What To Do About It |
|---|---|---|
| High clicks, low conversions | Pin is good, offer isn’t matching | Swap the affiliate link, keep the pin |
| Low clicks overall | Pin design or copy isn’t grabbing attention | Redesign the pin, test new titles |
| Clicks from one country only | Your content resonates with a specific audience | Create more content aimed at that audience |
| Sudden drop in clicks | Link might be broken or pin got buried | Check the link, refresh the pin |
This is the stuff that actually moves the needle.
Not just staring at a number and feeling good about it.
Why Broken Link Checks Save You Money
I learned this one the hard way.
Affiliate programmes change their links all the time.
A product gets discontinued.
A merchant switches their tracking system.
And suddenly, that link you pinned three months ago is dead.
Without Pretty Links, you’d never know.
Traffic is going to that pin.
People are clicking.
But the link goes nowhere, and you’re losing money every single day.
With Pretty Links, you edit the destination URL once.
Every single pin using that link updates instantly.
No republishing.
No hunting through old boards.
Just one fix, and you’re back in business.
Building a Weekly Review Habit
Here’s the plain truth.
Tools don’t work if you don’t use them.
Set a reminder every week.
Fifteen minutes.
Open your Pretty Links dashboard.
Check what’s working.
Kill what’s dead.
Double down on what’s converting.
That’s the whole game.
Pinterest affiliate tracking isn’t complicated.
It just needs consistency.
Scaling Pretty Links Without Losing Your Mind
Here’s the problem nobody warns you about.
You start with five links.
Easy to manage.
Then three months in, you’ve got sixty links and no system.
You’re searching through a messy list trying to remember which link goes to which pin.
That’s wasted time you don’t get back.
Here’s what actually works:
– Name your links by product, not by random numbers
– Use folders or tags for each Pinterest board
– Keep a simple spreadsheet backup with link names and destinations
– Review and delete dead links monthly
Small habit.
Big payoff later.
Pairing Pretty Links With Pinterest Analytics
Pretty Links tells you what happens after the click.
Pinterest Analytics tells you what happens before it.
Put them together and you get the full story.
| Data Source | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Pinterest Analytics | Impressions, saves, outbound clicks per pin |
| Pretty Links Dashboard | Actual clicks on your affiliate link, source, and destination performance |
If Pinterest shows loads of outbound clicks but Pretty Links shows barely any hits, something’s off.
Maybe the pin links to the wrong Pretty Link.
Maybe there’s a typo.
You’d never catch that without checking both.
Using Pretty Links Reports to Plan Future Pins
I treat my Pretty Links reports like a shopping list for content ideas.
If a certain product link keeps getting clicks week after week, I make more pins for it.
Different images.
Different titles.
Same offer.
Why fix what’s already working?
On the flip side, if a link’s been sitting there dead for a month, I stop wasting pins on it.
Simple as that.
Your Pinterest affiliate tracking data should shape what you create next, not just sit in a dashboard looking pretty.
Connecting This to Your Wider Pinterest Strategy
None of this works in isolation.
If you’re still figuring out how to structure your boards or write pin descriptions that actually convert, that’s worth sorting first.
Pretty Links Pinterest affiliate tracking only shows its full value once your pins are already pulling in decent traffic.
Get the traffic flowing.
Then use the tracking to sharpen what’s working.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need the paid version of Pretty Links for Pinterest tracking?
Not at the start.
The free version covers basic cloaking and click tracking, which is enough when you’re getting going.
How many Pretty Links should I create per pin?
One link per offer is fine.
Just make sure you’re tagging it properly so you can find it later.
Can Pretty Links track conversions, not just clicks?
It tracks clicks well.
For actual sales data, you’ll still need your affiliate network’s dashboard alongside it.
Will cloaked links get my Pinterest account flagged?
No, as long as you’re not hiding spammy or banned content behind the link.
Clean redirects to real products are fine.
That’s the full picture on Pretty Links Pinterest affiliate tracking.Right, so you’ve got Pretty Links Pinterest affiliate tracking sorted for individual links.
But what happens when you’ve got fifty links across twenty boards?
That’s where most people get stuck.
How often should I clean up my Pretty Links list?
Once a month is plenty.
Check for dead links, low performers, and duplicates.
Can I use Pretty Links across multiple Pinterest accounts?
Yes, just keep your naming and tagging consistent so you don’t mix up which link belongs where.
Should I create a new Pretty Link for every single pin?
No need.
One link per offer works fine, even if you use it across several pins.
What’s the biggest mistake people make when scaling their links?
Not naming them properly from the start.
It turns into a mess nobody can untangle later.
That’s the deeper side of Pretty Links Pinterest affiliate tracking sorted.
