The .HTACCESS file is on just about every single installation of the Apache web server and can allow you to quickly and easily hide your affiliate links so that they not only look more attractive, but they can stop "affiliate thieves" from steeling your "hard earned" affiliate commissions.

Let's say you want to promote the an horrible looking affiliate link. Just by looking at it, your web visitors can tell straight away, everyone we can see its a "horrible" affiliate link

So lets say we are going to promote the link as http://www.WebSiteSecrets101.com/links/

We could mess about with all sorts of Javascript redirection, but why bother! Simply edit your site's .htaccess file (using NotePad on Microsoft Windows) and add the following line of code to it.

Redirect /links/ http://www.somesite.com?id=1234&p=4&x=1

Copy the file back up to your server, and you are done !!

Now when someone calls the URL http://www.websitesecrets101.com/links/ they are immediately redirected to the destination site with all your affiliate information preserved.

You can also redirect an entire domain as well Redirect/ http://www.someothersite.com/

This is very useful during construction work, with your are editing files. Since the bypass happens on the server, the visitors browser does not play a role, thereby preserving and safe-guarding your affiliate commissions.