This article will cover the following:
What Is a Smart Link?
A smart link is a single tracking URL that automatically routes incoming traffic to one or more offers based on rules you set. Instead of assigning affiliates to a single fixed offer, a smart link evaluates each click and decides where to send it — based on rotation settings, performance data, or custom routing rules.
Smart links are sometimes called "rotation links" or "multi-offer links" in other platforms. In CAKE, find them under Campaigns → Smart Links.
Rotation Types
- Round Robin — traffic cycles evenly through all active offers in sequence. Best when you want equal exposure and don't yet have performance data.
- Weighted — you assign a percentage to each offer and CAKE honors that split. Percentages must total 100%.
- Performance-Based — CAKE automatically shifts more traffic toward whichever offers are converting best, based on live CR or EPC data.
Start with Round Robin to gather baseline data, then switch to Weighted or Performance-Based once you have a clearer picture of each offer's conversion rate.
How to Create a Smart Link
- From your CAKE dashboard, go to Campaigns → Smart Links and click Add Smart Link.
- Name the smart link descriptively — e.g., "US Mobile Health Q3" rather than "Link 1."
- Select your Rotation Type.
- Add offers to the rotation. If using Weighted rotation, set percentages — they must add up to 100%.
- Set a Fallback Offer (see next section).
- Click Save. CAKE generates your smart link URL, ready to share with affiliates.
Setting a Fallback Offer
A fallback offer is where CAKE sends clicks when no offer in the rotation can accept them — because they're paused, capped, or geo-restricted. Without a fallback, those clicks are simply lost.
Set the fallback at the bottom of the smart link editor. Choose an offer with broad eligibility — few restrictions and no hard cap — so it can absorb traffic that would otherwise go to waste.
If you don't set a fallback and all primary offers become unavailable, clicks will result in an error page. Always configure a fallback before your smart link goes live.
Offer Routing Rules
Routing rules let you define conditions that override the default rotation for a specific click. Rules are evaluated before the rotation type kicks in, acting as a filter layer.
- Country / Region — send US traffic to one offer and UK traffic to another.
- Device Type — route mobile users to a mobile-optimized offer.
- Operating System — separate iOS and Android traffic for app-specific offers.
- Day and Time — route traffic differently during business hours vs. evenings.
- Sub-ID or Affiliate ID — direct traffic from specific affiliates to specific offers.
Keep your rule list manageable. Too many overlapping rules make it hard to troubleshoot routing issues. Start with broad rules (country, device) before adding more granular ones.
Smart Link vs. Direct Campaign Link
| Feature | Smart Link | Direct Campaign Link |
|---|---|---|
| Points to | Multiple offers in rotation | One specific offer |
| Routing logic | Round Robin, Weighted, Performance-Based | None — always the same offer |
| Fallback support | Yes | No |
| Routing rules | Yes — by geo, device, and more | No |
| Best for | Testing offers, maximizing fill rate, simplifying affiliate promotion | When precision matters — exclusive advertiser campaigns |
API: Smart Links & Routing Endpoints
List Smart Links
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| smart_link_id | integer | No | Filter to a specific smart link ID. |
| affiliate_id | integer | No | Filter smart links for a specific affiliate. |
| smart_link_status | string | No | Filter by status: active or inactive. |
Sample request
GET https://yourdomain.cakemarketing.com/api/2/smart_links.json
?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY
&affiliate_id=67890
&smart_link_status=activeSample response
{
"request_status": "Success",
"smart_links": [{
"smart_link_id": 301,
"smart_link_name": "Summer Campaign — Tier 1",
"affiliate_id": 67890,
"rotation_type": "weighted",
"smart_link_status": "active"
}]
}Create Smart Link
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| smart_link_name | string | Yes | Display name for the smart link. |
| affiliate_id | integer | Yes | ID of the affiliate this smart link is assigned to. |
| smart_link_status | string | Yes | Initial status: active or inactive. |
| rotation_type | string | Yes | Traffic distribution method: even, weighted, or priority. |
Sample request
POST https://yourdomain.cakemarketing.com/api/2/smart_link.json
{
"api_key": "YOUR_API_KEY",
"smart_link_name": "Q1 Finance Rotation",
"affiliate_id": 67890,
"smart_link_status": "active",
"rotation_type": "weighted"
}Sample response
{
"request_status": "Success",
"smart_link": {
"smart_link_id": 315,
"smart_link_name": "Q1 Finance Rotation",
"rotation_type": "weighted"
}
}If you have any questions, please reach out to your dedicated CAKE Client Success Manager/Account Manager or contact the CAKE Support Team at support@getCAKE.com.