What Is a Sub ID in Affiliate Marketing? Labelling Every Click
A sub ID is a label you add to an affiliate link so reports split by account, post or creative. How sub IDs work, a naming system that scales, examples and the mistakes to avoid.
A sub ID is an extra label you attach to your affiliate link, usually as a URL parameter like `?sub1=reddit_acc3`. The program records it with every click and conversion, so your report can be split by whatever the label means: account, post, creative, country or day.
Sub IDs solve a problem every growing promoter hits. You have one affiliate ID per program, but dozens of places you post. Separate tracking links are one answer; sub IDs are the lighter one, and most programs support both.
How sub IDs work
Your main affiliate ID says who sent the visitor. The sub ID says from where. A link might look like `offer.example.com/?aff=1234&sub1=x_main&sub2=video_hook_b`.
- Many programs accept several slots: sub1 to sub5, or aff_sub, aff_sub2 and so on.
- The value is free text, but keep it short and to letters, numbers, dashes and underscores. Spaces and symbols get mangled.
- Sub IDs show up as a column or a filter in the program's report, next to clicks and conversions.
A naming system that still works at 200 placements
The value of sub IDs comes from consistency. Decide once what each slot means and never mix them.
| Slot | Means | Example values |
|---|---|---|
| sub1 | Platform + account | rd_acc03, x_main, tt_02 |
| sub2 | Post or creative | hook_a, hook_b, carousel_1 |
| sub3 | Date or week | w44, 2026-10-29 |
| sub4 | Paid source (if any) | tg_buy_07, organic |
Write values in lowercase and keep the same order of parts every time: platform first, then account number. "rd_acc03" and "Reddit-3" are the same account to you and two different rows to a report. If a team posts for you, give each poster the exact links to use instead of letting them type sub IDs by hand. One typo splits a week of data across two labels that nobody notices until the totals stop adding up.
A worked example
Illustration only. You post the same teaser on three Reddit accounts with sub1 = rd_acc01, rd_acc02, rd_acc03 and two hooks in sub2.
| sub1 | sub2 | Clicks | Conversions |
|---|---|---|---|
| rd_acc01 | hook_a | 420 | 9 |
| rd_acc01 | hook_b | 390 | 3 |
| rd_acc02 | hook_a | 150 | 4 |
| rd_acc03 | hook_a | 610 | 5 |
Two findings in one table: hook A converts better than hook B on the same account, and account 3 sends lots of clicks that rarely convert, so its audience or community fit is worth checking. A single untagged link would have shown only "1,570 clicks, 21 conversions".
Sub IDs, separate links and UTM tags
| Method | Read where | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Sub ID | The program's report | Splitting conversions by placement |
| Separate tracking link | The program's report | A few big placements you want named |
| UTM parameters | Your own analytics | Traffic to your own site or landing page |
UTM tags are read by your analytics tool, not by the affiliate program, so they can't show conversions that happen on the offer's side. See how tracking links work.
Common sub ID mistakes
- Changing what a slot means halfway through a month, which breaks every comparison.
- Putting personal data in a sub ID, such as a fan's name or email. Never do this; labels describe placements, not people.
- Too many unique values, so every row has one click and nothing is readable.
- Shorteners that drop parameters. Test the final link.
An AMZA Wingman can set up a naming scheme with you on day one so your weekly numbers read cleanly from the start.
FAQ
What is a sub ID in affiliate marketing?+
A label added to your affiliate link that the program stores with every click and conversion, so you can split results by account, post or creative.
How many sub IDs can I use?+
It depends on the program. Many allow up to five slots. Check its link builder or documentation.
Is a sub ID the same as a UTM tag?+
No. Sub IDs are read by the affiliate program and show conversions. UTM tags are read by your own analytics and usually only show visits to your pages.
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