Javascript is here

Mogga · 27-06-06

Hmmm. Just went to get a link and voila!

JavaScript technology is now the default for Commission Junction links. In order to take advantage of future enhancements, we encourage you to incorporate JavaScript links. For a limited time, you may access legacy code for this link by selecting the 'Access Legacy Code' button below.

It looks like a nightmare for being able to ID links. I have no idea how the tracking in it works. Its got one 5 digit number in. Will each time I get a new link it has a different number in?
I use id codes relevant to each merchant to track down links across all my sites and suspect this will mean I have to keep track of every link I put up by manually building a database myself - which sounds like a lot of effort when there are other networks out there.

Rich · 27-06-06

Yeah, it creates a new number each time you create a link (though if you go back to make another link for the same site, merchant & creative then it seems to use the same number) and that number is used to decide what details are used to make the link.

It does mean you can't tell what program a link is for just by looking at it and I really can't see how this "will make it easier for you to get the most out of your advertiser relationships".

For those that are interested this an example of what the JS adds to your page: -

PHP Code:


			
<form name="CJ10296262X933" method="POST" style="margin:0px;display:inline" action="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click">
<input type="hidden" name="AID" value="10296262"/>
<input type="hidden" name="PID" value="1366378"/>
<input type="hidden" name="url" value="https://www.totesport.com/?AID=115&SID=0"/>
<a href="javascript:CJ10296262X933.submit();">totesport</a>
</form>
<img src="http://www.kqzyfj.com/image-1366378-10296262" width="1" height="1" border="0"/>

So just a form. I'm surprised they are not doing more with the JS, but I expect it will come.

Mogga · 27-06-06

Annoyingly I've just noticed one of those "this ad will self-destruct in 28 days" - I would have thought this would have meant the end of silly short lived link offers.

So does it mean it'll break if it tries to fetch the link coming from not-the-assigned site?

Rich · 27-06-06

I don't think so. The number in the link is used to match back to AID,PID,destination url and creative details so the links should still work on any site.

Flightmapping · 27-06-06

So far, so bad.

I think like Mogga, I like to serve some banners up from a database, which has a field for destination URL, and another for the banner location. If we are using a text link, or a banner on our server, there is also the chance to display a 1x1 px tracker image.

The Thomson search box just looks a total mess when I try the CJ link. Much as though I hate to do programming, I've ended up doing most of our coding, and I like the fact that if we have the code for the banner, I can pre-populate the departure or arrival airport according to the page it is on. Also, how are these going to allow deeplinks.

Too many questions, not many answers yet, or is that the point of having CJU UK? At least, IIRC, that is a free event.

Dynamoo · 27-06-06

This link was posted at ABW, might be worth checking out: http://www.jangro.com/cj-lmi-decoder.php

internetheaven · 29-06-06

I think some of use are forgetting that javascript is only the sole linking format for CJ. Many of the merchants we work with have emailed us saying that they have programs on other networks, especially those that we have product feeds with as we have our own search function which simply could not work with javascript.