ThirstyAffiliates – Affiliate Links, Link Branding, Link Tracking & Marketing Plugin
by Blair Williams · Analytics
Also makes 3 other plugins · 530K+ installs across the portfolio →
🔗 Affiliate link management & cloaker tool. Easily manage, shrink and track your affiliate links in WordPress. 🔥
Try it live opens a temporary test site in your browser, which can take about 20 seconds to load. Plugins that rely on outside services or a full server may not work completely there.
Health
A 87/100
no flags
Active installs
30K+
≈35K estimated
Momentum
+2%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “redirects” for “link cloaking”. “redirects” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “link cloaking” sits at #4 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
87 health vs 67 average across 1,826 Analytics plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →2.1%
of downloads still active
At least 30K of 1.4M lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Analytics plugin keeps 1.2%, across 1,006 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Analytics plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
This plugin shipped 7 releases in the last 12 months, and every existing install that updated counted as another download. wp.org publishes no split between first installs and updates, so we show the raw rate rather than guess at one.
Details
Directory ranking optimization
How it's scored →How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.
Excellent listing optimization
Well tuned across the board
Updated 2 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
4.6★ over 251 reviews, smoothed to 4.52★
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
1 of 1 support threads resolved in the last 2 months
Search visibility
How it's tracked →Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.
40
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.0
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
23%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
+0.0
Acceleration
recent half vs earlier
wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.
| Keyword | wp.org | On merit | wp.org move, 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| cloaker | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| link branding | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| link shortner your tag | #2 | #1 | down 1 |
| shrink | #2 | #2 | up 1 |
| affiliate link management | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| affiliate link | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| branding | #3 | #2 | 0 |
| link tracking your tag | #3 | #2 | 0 |
| link cloaker | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| amazon affiliates your tag | #4 | #2 | down 2 |
| affiliate links your tag | #5 | #3 | down 1 |
| affiliate tracking software | #2 | #1 | 0 |
| convert product links to affiliate links | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| shortner | #2 | #1 | 0 |
| link management | #6 | #4 | down 1 |
| link cloaking | #4 | #3 | 0 |
| link | #9 | #6 | up 1 |
| cogs | #5 | #2 | 0 |
| affiliate link tracking | #4 | #3 | 0 |
| amazon affiliate link | #4 | #2 | 0 |
| redirects your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
321 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 250 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 1 of its tags isn't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “redirects” for “link cloaking”. “redirects” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “link cloaking” sits at #4 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 43.5K · peaks are release surges
Directory rank vs rivals
wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you
Rating trend
Star average over time · dips mark rough releases
Health trend
Composite health score, snapshotted daily
Update activity
How busy the existing users are, measured as downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites. A spike means a new release everyone's pulling; a long, slow decline means an aging user base that updates less.
Release cadence
Actively maintainedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
7
releases in the last 12 months
2d ago
latest release · v3.12.2 · 29 Oct 2026
68
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 43% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “30K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 4.3 years ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 50% of the way through.
Install history since 1 Nov 2021
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ pulsewebdesigns7mo ago
Wanted to use and like this plugin, but couldn’t even get the wizard screen to load correctly. CSS was mangled, everything was hucked onto one page because of this, and buttons wouldn’t click. Almost equally as bad in the actual settings screens if you bypass the wizard. Can’t trust a plugin that fails to perform from minute one. My setup is basic elementor and hello theme, so nothing should be conflicting.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ hamed54869mo ago
very good
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ lusi2310mo ago
I love it.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ phillip253211mo ago
This is the easiest and most efficient affiliate plugin I have used.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Greg Rice1.0y ago
“As a content creator and affiliate marketer, I’ve tried a number of plugins, and ThirstyAffiliates stands out as a game-changer for managing links on WordPress. From its intuitive interface—where you simply ‘Add New’ and then use the ‘TA’ button in the editor—to its robust features like cloaked redirects, link grouping, click tracking and built-in reports, this plugin makes affiliate link management seamless and professional. The ability to update a destination URL once and have it ripple across hundreds of posts is a massive time-saver, and the fact that it stays lean without database-bloat is excellent. Their support and updates have been reliable, and the translation-ready, well-documented setup means you don’t need to be a developer to get up and running. If you run affiliate campaigns on WordPress, I highly recommend ThirstyAffiliates—five stars!”
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ MJ Habib1.0y ago
ThirstyAffiliates makes managing my affiliate links so much easier — cloaking, organizing, tracking, and inserting links all in one place. This has saved me countless hours. Thank you!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ dancool19751.1y ago
I’m enjoying using this software for the short time I’m using it, and there have been no issues. This topic was modified 9 months, 1 week ago by dancool1975.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ pwfjci1.2y ago
Ontzettend handig programma voor affiliatie, voor het inbrengen van foto’s, korte links. 5 sterren waard
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 3.12.0 Cleaned up plugin design and pro messaging Added setting to disable ThirstyPay Tweaked design of Reports page Change the order of menu items putting more used items close to the top 3.12.0
- — Version 3.11.10 Minor security fix 3.11.10
- — Version 3.11.9 Security hardening in Shortcode 3.11.9
- — Version 3.11.8 Fix regression against old versions of the Pro plugin 3.11.8
- — Version 3.11.7 Fix in plugin messaging bug 3.11.7
- — Version 3.11.6 Updated Growth Tools Properly handle media file deletion Extended data not importing for new links Search columns include Slug and Destination URL Add slug column to Links listing table 3.11.6
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceAll 7 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (3.12.2). Sites still on an older version should update.
- Patched High · 7.2 ThirstyAffiliates <= 3.12.1 - Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Comment Content via <ta> Tag ↗2026-10-30 CVE-2026-119089 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 3.12.1 Patched in 3.12.2
- 2026-10-15 CVE-2026-97314 Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor Affects <= 3.12.0 Patched in 3.12.1
- Patched Medium · 6.4 ThirstyAffiliates <= 3.11.8 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting ↗2025-12-15 CVE-2025-67537 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 3.11.8 Patched in 3.11.9
- Patched Medium · 5.4 ThirstyAffiliates Affiliate Link Manager <= 3.9.2 - Stored Cross-Site Scripting ↗2020-05-22 CVE-2021-24127 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 3.9.2 Patched in 3.9.3
Vulnerability records provided by Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. License and terms.
CVE records: Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. CVE terms of use.
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 10 languages, 0 at 90% or more
AI assistants
How it's measured →Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.
Not measured yet for this plugin’s topics. Its tracked searches are not among the measured topics. See the topics measured so far.
Readme readiness
7 of 8 pass · checked 25 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "🔗 Affiliate link management & cloaker tool. Easily manage, shrink and track your affiliate links in WordPr..."
- ✓ Has a FAQ 5 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 5 of 5 read like questions a user would type.
- ! Names who it is for One audience phrase ("great for"); say who the plugin is for and what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions Stripe, PayPal, MemberPress.
- ✓ Headings and lists 6 headings and 4 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 6,411 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "Amazon affiliates", "link tracking" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2022-07-01 40K+ → 30K+ down after 303 days in tier
- 2021-09-01 30K+ → 40K+ up after 31 days in tier
- 2021-08-01 40K+ → 30K+ down after 31 days in tier
- 2021-07-01 30K+ → 40K+ up after 30 days in tier
- 2021-06-01 40K+ → 30K+ down after 51 days in tier
- 2021-04-11 30K+ → 40K+ up after 584 days in tier
- 2019-09-05 20K+ → 30K+ up after 489 days in tier
- 2018-05-04 10K+ → 20K+ up after 927 days in tier
Competes with
The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).
-
Telchar Referral Link Tracker — installs · 3.6★ · 3 shared tags -
PrettyLinks – Affiliate Link Management, URL Shortener, Link Cloaking, Tracking & Branded Short Links 200K+ installs · 4.8★ · 2 shared tags A -
BetterLinks – Link Shortener, Link Cloaking, Redirects, Affiliate Link Manager & MCP 20K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags A -
LinkCentral – URL shortener, Affiliate Links & Custom Link Shortener with Link Tracking 400+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags A -
PublishPress Shortlinks – The Link Manager for WordPress 200+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags B -
GT Link Manager 100+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for ThirstyAffiliates – Affiliate Links, Link Branding, Link Tracking & Marketing Plugin into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/thirstyaffiliates" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="ThirstyAffiliates – Affiliate Links, Link Branding, Link Tracking & Marketing Plugin — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> ThirstyAffiliates – Affiliate Links, Link Branding, Link Tracking & Marketing Plugin: 30K+ active installs, 4.6★ (251 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/thirstyaffiliates
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