LinkSwitcher: Convert links on the website into Travelpayouts affiliate links

If you work directly with travel brands and already have links to their websites on your blog, you can easily convert them to Travelpayouts affiliate links using the Travelpayouts LinkSwitcher. It's a tool that quickly switches direct affiliate links from travel brands into Travelpayouts affiliate links.

By choosing Travelpayouts, you will continue receiving rewards for all bookings made via your affiliate links, but you also gain additional benefits, like access to all major travel programs all in one place, quick and timely payouts, and detailed performance stats. All in one place - your Travelpayouts dashboard.

Important! LinkSwitcher only converts affiliate links. Other tools, such as widgets, banners, etc., will not be affected.

What is LinkSwitcher and what are the benefits of using it?

LinkSwitcher is a piece of JavaScript code that you need to add to your site. This tool converts links from travel brands into Travelpayouts links that include a unique ID. This enables you to receive rewards via our platform.

Advantages of using LinkSwitcher:

  • Time-saving convenience: LinkSwitcher frees you from the tedious process of link-by-link replacement. You can spend more time on what matters most – traveling, creating, and growing your blog.
  • Simplified link placement: You can continue to place direct links to the brand's websites after LinkSwitcher is installed. It will automatically convert them into Travelpayouts affiliate links. You don't need to go into your account and take additional steps to turn the link into an affiliate link.
  • User-Friendly Setup: No technical hurdles or programming expertise required. LinkSwitcher is designed for simplicity, ensuring all partners can navigate the migration process effortlessly.
  • Safe and Reversible: LinkSwitcher maintains the safety and integrity of your setup. It can be switched off at any time, reverting all changes. 

What types of links does LinkSwicher convert?

  • Links from the brand's direct affiliate programs (you get these links if you are signed up with direct affiliate programs of travel brands)
  • Standard links to the brand's websites (copied directly from the brand's site and shared in your blog for your readers)

What is needed to start using LinkSwitcher?

To use the LinkSwitcher, you should have a website and access to its code editor.

You also need to complete the following steps before starting with the LinkSwitcher:

1. Sign up for Travelpayouts if you have not yet done so. 

2. Next, you need to create a Project in your Travelpayouts account. The Project contains information about the website where you want to use Travelpayouts affiliate links. You can follow these instructions in our Help Center to create a Project.

3. Go to the program’s catalog and connect to the programs in Travelpayouts which links you want to switch. 

Important! Some programs may not be supported by LinkSwitcher. Find the full list here. The list is constantly updated, so stay tuned.

4. Open the profile page of the program you want to connect to in your Travelpayouts account and click Connect to program.

Note! Some programs require the brand's approval to connect. This means that your Project will be reviewed to ensure that it complies with the program's terms and conditions. You can find more information in the How to connect to a program article.

5. Once you are connected to a program — you will receive an email confirming that. Now you can install the LinkSwitcher on your website.

How to install LinkSwitcher on your website

You can install LinkSwitcher on your website using one of the following options:

Installing via WordPress

  1. Open your website’s WordPress admin dashboard. In the left pane, click Plugins, and then click Add New. 
  2. Type "Head & Footer Code" in the search field.
  3. Find the right plugin (same as in the picture below) and click the Install Now button. This plugin will help you apply LinkSwitcher to every page of your blog.
  4. Once the installation is completed, click Activate.
  5. Next, click Plugins in the left pane and then click Installed plugins.
  6. Find "Head & Footer Code" in the list and open it's Settings.
  7. Replace YOUR_ID in the code below with your Travelpayouts ID and copy it: 
    <script src="https://tp-em.com/entrypoint.js?marker=YOUR_ID" async="async" data-noptimize="1" data-cfasync="false" data-wpfc-render="false"></script>
  8. Paste the code in the Head & Footer plugin in the HEAD Code section.
  9. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save changes.

Installing via Google Tag Manager

  1. Open Google Tag Manager and add a new tag. For more instructions check Google documentation.

  2. Select Custom HTML as the tag type.

  3. Replace YOUR_ID in the code below with your Travelpayouts ID and copy it:
<script src="https://tp-em.com/entrypoint.js?marker=YOUR_ID" async="async" data-noptimize="1" data-cfasync="false" data-wpfc-render="false"></script>
  1. Paste the code in the HTML field of the New tag form.
  1. Select All Pages in the triggers section.
  1. Save changes.

Manual Code Setup

  1. Replace YOUR_ID in the code below with your Travelpayouts ID and copy it:
<script src="https://tp-em.com/entrypoint.js?marker=YOUR_ID" async="async" data-noptimize="1" data-cfasync="false" data-wpfc-render="false"></script>
  1. Add the code in the tag ‘<head>’ on all your pages. If you have a separate HTML file containing a head tag, just paste the code there.

Next steps after installation

Once you have completed the installation, please send a request to the Travelpayouts support team to enable LinkSwitcher on your website.

Once LinkSwitcher is turned on it will automatically switch the links for all brands that are both present in the list of brands supported by LinkSwitcher and you are connected to them in your Travelpayouts account.

Please note the following:

  • You can connect to programs after the LinkSwitcher code is installed and turned on on your website. In this case, after connection, the links for newly connected brands will be automatically converted as well. Just remember to make sure that the brand is present in the list of supported brands.
  • If you want to exclude certain pages from link conversion, please include this information in the request to our support team.
  • You will be able to see all clicks and bookings made using Travelpayouts links in the statistics section of your account. For more details check out the Affiliate program summary article.
  • If you don’t want to convert links, you can disconnect from the program in your Travelpayouts account. You can also contact the Travelpayouts support team if you want them to exclude a given brand from your LinkSwitcher setup without disconnection.

Programs supported in LinkSwitcher

  • Booking.com

  • Agoda

  • GetYourGuide

  • TripAdvisor

  • Viator

  • Tiqets

  • Discovercars 

  • Airalo 

  • Expedia

  • Klook

  • Vrbo

  • Rentalcars 

  • Hostelworld

  • Trainline

  • Localrent

  • Kiwi.com

  • Go City

  • Flixbus

  • GetTransfer 

  • Omio

  • 12GO

  • Trip.com

FAQ about LinkSwitcher

I am not working with the brand’s direct affiliate program, but I still have some links that I manually placed in my articles. Will LinkSwitcher help convert them into Travelpayouts affiliate links?

Yes, LinkSwitcher will convert such links as well. Remember, that links need to be leading to the websites of the brands supported by LinkSwitcher in order for it to work.

I already joined the brand’s direct affiliate program on their site. How can I add that one on Travelpayouts without requesting to connect?

To work with any brand via Travelpayouts, you need to connect to their program within our platform separately. So you can’t skip this step even if you were previously connected directly to the brand.

I joined the Booking.com direct affiliate program before I joined Travelpayouts. Do I need to delete my Booking.com account and re-apply through TP to have all my data in one place?

You can use both accounts, as it’s in line with the terms provided by both Booking.com and Travelpayouts. Therefore, there’s no need to delete your Booking.com account to start working with Travelpayouts. This also applies to any other brand.

Can I transfer my statistics from the direct program to Travelpayouts and have all the history there?

Unfortunately, there's no possibility to transfer and merge statistics from the direct affiliate program into your Travelpayouts account. As long as these accounts can't be connected in any way, the statistics in your Travelpayouts account will be counted separately.

Can I apply for the brand’s program in Travelpayouts if I was canceled in their direct affiliate program? 

Sure, but you still need to send a request to connect to a program via Travelpayouts. To do this, you need to create a Project in your Travelpayouts account and make sure to specify all the details about your website in it. Please note that some brands (e.g. Booking.com) provide rather strict requirements for our partners’ projects when it comes to approval. It’s important that your website is a travel-related content project updated on a regular basis.

Please note that if your request to connect to the direct affiliate program was declined, and you received a detailed explanation, you still need to bring your website in compliance with the requirements provided by the brand. After doing so, feel free to apply for the program within the Travelpayouts platform.

Where can I check the statistics for the Travelpayouts affiliate links? 

Once LinkSwitcher converts the links, you will be able to check impressions, views, and clicks using the Reports section in your Travelpayouts account. You can filter the stats by Project, which will allow you to see how well the links are performing on each of your websites where LinkSwitcher is enabled.

Benefits of switching from a direct affiliate program to Travelpayouts

We have gathered here the top reasons for connecting to travel brands via the Travelpayouts partnership platform. Please read our Blog article for more information.

  • Rates

For example, when it comes to Booking.com, with Travelpayouts, you earn a consistent 4% of each booking's total value, regardless of the number of monthly bookings. On average, 4% of the booking value equals the amount offered by Booking.com in its direct program. However, within the direct program, this amount is shown as 25% of the commission that Booking.com receives from third parties.

Your initial rate on Travelpayouts matches the minimum from the direct affiliate program. To unlock a higher rate, achieve 50 monthly bookings. If you generate up to 150 bookings, choosing Travelpayouts offers nearly identical earnings and partner-focused benefits.

  • Regular monthly payouts

With Travelpayouts, you will receive payouts automatically from the 11th to the 20th of the subsequent month once you meet the minimum payout amount on your balance. There are no delays in payouts. 

The minimum payout amount can be different for various payout methods available on Travelpayouts. For example, if you are using PayPal, it’s enough to reach 50 USD on your balance to receive the payout.

  • Access to other programs and their tools

Travelpayouts provides access to numerous affiliate programs from key travel brands like Expedia, Viator, and GetYourGuide among many others.  This expands the range of products you can promote via affiliate tools beyond just hotels. You'll have the convenience of efficiently managing all your connections and reviewing statistics through your Travelpayouts account all in one place.

  • Support

The Travelpayouts support team provides quick responses, making sure to resolve problems as thoroughly as possible. You can reach out to the Travelpayouts support team through various channels aside from your personal account, such as Facebook and Instagram.