"Should I use SiteStripe or make my links by hand?" sounds like a convenience question, and mostly it is — but there's one part of the answer that quietly decides whether your links earn what they should. Here's the honest 2026 comparison.
What SiteStripe is now
SiteStripe is Amazon's free toolbar that appears on product pages when you're logged into Associates, letting you generate a tracked affiliate link in seconds — roughly 60–80% faster than building one by hand. In 2026 the interface is cleaner and, usefully, the tracking-ID selector is more accessible than it used to be.
The big caveat: SiteStripe lost its Image and Text+Image features on December 1, 2023, and every link built with them broke on December 31, 2023 — an event that hit around 2.5 million Associates, many of whom saw real revenue drops from suddenly-broken product images. So in 2026, SiteStripe is effectively a text-link generator. For product images, Amazon now funnels you to its Creators API (which replaced the retired PA-API in early 2025), typically through a plugin — and note that screenshotting or re-hosting Amazon images yourself is a terms violation, though your own photos are always fine.
What "manual" really means
A manual link is one you build yourself: find the product's ASIN (in the listing's Product Information section) and construct the URL as amazon.com/dp/ASIN?tag=yourtag-20, with the right regional domain and your tracking ID. The power of manual links isn't doing it by hand one at a time — it's templating: on a data-driven or coded site, you store the ASIN as data and the tag as a per-site variable, and every link renders with the correct tag automatically.
The decision, honestly
Both methods produce the same kind of link. The real difference is who keeps the tag correct.
- SiteStripe is one link at a time, and you pick the tracking ID by hand each time. That's fine for a few links, but across a batch it's easy to forget to switch tags between sites — and a whole section of content ends up attributed to the wrong tag, or your default. Best for: occasional links, verifying an ASIN, and non-technical workflows.
- Templated manual links apply the right per-site tag automatically to every link on that site. The tag can't drift because it's a variable, not a manual choice. Best for: scale, programmatic and Next.js sites, and anyone who cares about clean per-site attribution.
There's a legitimate middle ground: link-management plugins (AAWP, Lasso, Tasty Links, ThirstyAffiliates) that build compliant links, pull Creators-API images, keep prices fresh, and apply tags — covered in the Amazon tools comparison. They're essentially "templated manual" with a UI.
The part that actually costs money
Whichever method you pick, the tag is the thing that pays you — and a missing or mistyped tag produces a link that works perfectly and earns nothing. It's the 200-OK-but-earns-zero failure, applied to your own links. SiteStripe protects you here by building the tag in (as long as you picked the right one); manual links put that responsibility on you, which is exactly why templating — where the tag is a variable you set once per site — is the safest approach at any real volume.
This is also what keeps your measurement honest. Consistent, correct per-site tags are what let Amazon's per-tag earnings map cleanly to sites, which is the input Clickolytics uses to import your earnings by tag and estimate per-page EPC — and its link checker flags the mistyped-tag and broken links that would otherwise leak revenue silently. Build links however suits you; just make the tag automatic and verify it.
Catch the mistyped tags that earn nothing: Clickolytics ties your Amazon earnings to the right sites and flags links that are quietly broken or mis-tagged. See how it works →
The bottom line
Use SiteStripe for speed and one-offs — just remember it's text-only now, and double-check the tracking ID before you copy. Use templated manual links (or a plugin) for anything at scale, because they make the correct per-site tag automatic and keep your attribution clean. The method is a preference; the tag being right on every single link is not — that's what turns clicks into commissions, and what makes your per-site earnings data trustworthy.
Frequently asked questions
Does SiteStripe still work in 2026? Yes for text links; Image and Text+Image were removed Dec 1, 2023. Product images now need the Creators API, usually via a plugin.
SiteStripe or manual? SiteStripe for occasional links and ASIN lookups; templated manual (or a plugin) for scale and automatic per-site tags.
How do I build a link manually? Get the ASIN, then amazon.com/dp/ASIN?tag=yourtag-20 with the right domain and tag. The tag is critical — mistyped means zero earnings.
Can SiteStripe still add images? No — removed in 2023. Use the Creators API (via AAWP, Lasso, Tasty Links) for compliant, live images; your own photos are always fine.
Related reading
- How to Add Multiple Amazon Tracking IDs — the per-site tags you'll template into links.
- Best Amazon Affiliate Tools — plugins that automate manual links and Creators-API images.
- Keep Affiliate Prices Fresh in Next.js — templated links in code, done right.
- Best Broken Link Checkers — catching the mistyped-tag "earns nothing" links.
- How to Read Your Amazon Associates Reports — where your tagged earnings show up.