The Cookie - What is it?

[erikbrodch]

Hi,
Can someone please explain to me the cookie thing (beginner).
What does it meen that the cookie is for 30 days?
Thanks a lot.
Arik

 

[enlytend]

A cookie is a little bit of data which websites place on your computer. It has information in it which is read again by that website the next time you visit. It's often used as a way for sites to customize your visit based on what you did last time you were there. Cookies can have an expiration date.

In affiliate marketing, cookies are used to track your sales. When someone clicks through from your link, a cookie with a timestamp and your affiliate ID is set on their computer. Typically, if they leave the merchant site without buying right away but return and buy something the next day, as long as your cookie hasn't expired you'll get credit for the sale (even though the 2nd visit wasn't made through your link).

A 30 day cookie means the cookie won't expire for 30 days. Other things can affect this - some affiliate cookies can be overwritten with other affiliates' ids, or the visitor may run something on their PC which deletes all their cookies sooner.

 

[erikbrodch]

Thanks a lot for the answer.
What should I do with the link after 30 days? I assume that nothing and that anyone who will go through my website will get a new cookie, am I right?

 

[enlytend]

I assume that nothing and that anyone who will go through my website will get a new cookie, am I right?

Yes. The cookie (with expiration date) is on the visitor's PC, not your website.

When people click through your link, they will get a cookie dated from the time they click. Someone uses your link today - they get a cookie dated 30 days from today. Someone else uses it tomorrow - they get a cookie dated 30 days from tomorrow. Another visitor clicks through 6 months from now, their cookie expires 30 days after that.

The cookies are handled (read, interpreted, set) on the merchant's site. If a repeat visitor (who has a cookie already set) clicks through, it's up to the merchant whether they set a new cookie for that person or use the old one.

Longer cookie durations give you more time to get a sale, though in reality a lot of them get deleted before they expire. (Although these cookies are harmless, security programs label them as a form of spyware and will offer to delete them on spyware sweeps unless you tell them otherwise - don't get me started on that!)

 

[Kassey Lee]

What if the visitors have their cookie disabled when visiting your site?

 

[enlytend]

If the visitor rejects the cookie, then you're S.O.L.