About the AR Amazon Link?

[kudzu]

Do I understand correctly, if I navigate to Amazon by clicking on the AR Tiny URL, even if I navigate away from the initial landing page and purchase items through my existing Amazon Prime account, AR will benefit from purchases I make?

[Huskee]

Not sure about when navigating away. Saving the link as a favorite or bookmarking it will make it easy to use each time. Also you can do the following, it's more precise but more work:

Manually enter this: ?tag=amazi0a8-20 after the 10-digit code & / in any Amazon product's URL (web address).

1. As an example, the URL for Meathead's book would look like this:
www. amazon.com/Meathead-Science-Great-Barbecue-Grilling/dp/054401846X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484766259&sr=1-1&keywords=meathead+science+of+bbq

2. Here's the same code again with everything after the 10-digit code and the / highlighted in red (it will usually start with "ref"):
https:/ /www.amazon.com/Meathead-Scie...dp/054401846X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484766259&sr=1-1&keywords=meathead+science+of+bbq

3. Delete what you see in red. The paste this in its place: ?tag=amazi0a8-20

4. It ends up like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Meathead-Scie...ag=amazi0a8-20

You can do this with ANY product, then refresh the screen after the edit. As long as the product remains there, it worked. Add the product to your cart, and repeat.

Thanks for asking.

[kudzu]

Thanks, Huskee!

Just playing around with it, using the saved link and selecting an item does not create a URL that includes the "?tag=amazi0a8-20" string, though I guess it works. The method you describe as "more precise but more work" is easy enough by simply copying and pasting, and works every time based on the refreshing-the-page test. The tiny extra effort is worth it to know that it is working.

Since it costs me nothing and generates a few pennies for AR, it is a win-win. God knows Jeff Bezos doesn't need the pennies!

[Huskee]

Thanks, Huskee!

Just playing around with it, using the saved link and selecting an item does not create a URL that includes the "?tag=amazi0a8-20" string, though I guess it works. The method you describe as "more precise but more work" is easy enough by simply copying and pasting, and works every time based on the refreshing-the-page test. The tiny extra effort is worth it to know that it is working.

Since it costs me nothing and generates a few pennies for AR, it is a win-win. God knows Jeff Bezos doesn't need the pennies!

Exactly! Thank you for being willing to do it! Every little bit helps.

[MBMorgan]

Why bother advertising the http://tinyurl.com/amazingribs url at all since it really doesn't work? As kudzu questioned (and as I reported many moons ago), as soon as you navigate away from its landing page on amazon.com, the amazingribs tag is immediately lost and there is therefore absolutely no benefit at all to AR.

[kudzu]

...As kudzu questioned (and as I reported many moons ago), as soon as you navigate away from its landing page on amazon.com, the amazingribs tag is immediately lost and there is therefore absolutely no benefit at all to AR.

Well, I was not sure the AR referral was not effected some other way, but I wondered.

[Huskee]

Why bother advertising the http://tinyurl.com/amazingribs url at all since it really doesn't work? As kudzu questioned (and as I reported many moons ago), as soon as you navigate away from its landing page on amazon.com, the amazingribs tag is immediately lost and there is therefore absolutely no benefit at all to AR.

It works if you use it and make a purchase. If it didn't work, it wouldn't have been featured for years as it has.

[David Parrish]

It works even if you navigate away. Amazon stores a cookie in your browser, and that cookie will have the AR tag in it.

[MBMorgan]

It works if you use it and make a purchase. If it didn't work, it wouldn't have been featured for years as it has.

My point is this. Let's say I want to buy a charcoal lighting chimney. I click on the AR tiny url ( http://tinyurl.com/amazingribs ) and it takes me to the amazon.com landing page here ( https://www.amazon.com/b?_encoding=U...&creative=9325 ). You can see that the AR tag is embedded correctly into the url.

I then enter "charcoal lighting chimney" into the search box and press enter to search for one. One of the choices that is shown is the "BBQ Dragon Chimney of Insanity" ... so I click on it and it takes me to the page where I can purchase it ( https://www.amazon.com/BBQ-Dragon-Ch...ghting+chimney ).

The AR tag is nowhere to be found in the url. So when I purchase the chimney, unless there is magic at play, I don't see how AR gets any credit at all for the sale. Perhaps amazon is somehow keeping AR associated with the search and purchase ... but if so, it is outside every url after the original AR tiny url landing page.

FWIW, I'm not trying to be argumentative here ... I just don't see how the featured AR tiny url can possibly work.

Edit: Just saw David's reply. Apparently the magic is provided by a cookie. That's a relief! (I hate unsolved mysteries) Thanks Pit Boss ...

[kudzu]

Yep, me too, glad to know that it works and how.

[Willy]

If I save the AR link on my desktop as a shortcut, will the AR connection be there as well or do I need to navigate through AR every time I go to Amazon?

[MBMorgan]

If I save the AR link on my desktop as a shortcut, will the AR connection be there as well or do I need to navigate through AR every time I go to Amazon?

It'll work every time from your desktop, too.

[Bruce54]

I'd like to nominate this post, or the info contained, for "stickiness".

[ribeyeguy]

I agree with Bruce54 , it should be pinned or stickied. There's been many times where I'll read a post here about a product someone bought and zip over to Amazon to check it out. More often than not though I'll forget about the AR referral link. If it was pinned to the top of the page it might serve as a memory jogger.

[Huskee]

I'd like to nominate this post, or the info contained, for "stickiness".

Done!

Now everyone please make sure to house shop and car/truck shop on Amazon!