Multi-link — is a single link that opens a small page with several buttons. Each button leads to a different destination: a website, a messaging app, other social media platforms or an online store. Such a page can be created without a developer using specialized page builders. Basic features are free, while additional functions — lead forms, payment processing and advanced statistics — may require payment.
Multi-links appeared because some social networks allow users to add only one link to their profile. This restriction is easy to work around: a single URL is placed in the profile, and it opens a page containing all the necessary buttons.
In addition to links, you can add text and images to the page. The service's statistics also show how many people clicked each button.
Multi-links in traffic arbitrage
In traffic arbitrage, multi-links are often used for organic traffic generated through free social media videos. A viewer visits the profile, clicks the link in the bio and lands on a multi-link page, which then leads them to an offer, a channel or a chatbot in a messaging app.
What a multi-link provides for an affiliate marketer:
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the profile contains the URL of a neutral page rather than a direct link to an offer;
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several offers can be placed on one page, for example for different GEOs, allowing you to compare which gets more clicks;
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an offer link is easy to replace: if the offer is paused, you simply change the button on the page without having to modify your social media profile.
A multi-link shouldn't be confused with a smartlink. On a multi-link page, users choose where to go themselves, while a smartlink automatically redirects them to a suitable offer based on their country, device and other data.
Important: a multi-link is subject to the rules of both the social network and the page-building service. All users' pages on the platform are hosted under the same domain. If a social network considers that domain spammy, it may block the entire domain, causing links to stop working for everyone using the service.
The page builder may also block a page if its content violates the service's terms. That's why you should check which niches the chosen service allows before launching.
