"I'm placing affiliate links everywhere, but I have no idea which content is actually driving results." Sound familiar? When you optimize on gut feeling alone, results rarely improve. Once you set up and analyze sub-IDs properly, you can see in real numbers what is working and what is wasting your effort. This article walks through sub-ID basics, naming conventions, how to read the Kingfin dashboard, and a practical monthly PDCA template you can apply right away.
This article is provided for informational and educational purposes related to affiliate operations. No specific revenue is guaranteed, and individual results vary.
What Is a Sub-ID? Understanding How Affiliate Links Work
A sub-ID is an identifier tag (URL parameter) you append to your affiliate link. Even when the underlying Kingfin affiliate link is the same, sub-IDs let you distinguish which page, piece of content, or channel a click came from.
For example, if the same URL is pasted into both a blog post and an X (formerly Twitter) post, the Kingfin dashboard cannot tell which one led to the signup. By adding a sub-ID, you can see "5 from the blog, 2 from X" at a glance, broken down by source.
| Aspect | Without sub-ID | With sub-ID |
|---|---|---|
| Performance visibility | Totals only | Broken down by channel and content |
| Direction of optimization | Based on intuition | Driven by data |
| Resource allocation | Spread evenly and wasted | Focused on high-performing tactics |
| Quality of PDCA | Low (unclear what to fix) | High (problem areas identified) |
Add it as a URL parameter to your Kingfin affiliate link:https://kingfin.com/?ref=YOUR_ID&sub_id=your_tag
You choose the "your_tag" portion. Alphanumeric characters and underscores are supported.
Without Sub-IDs, You'll Never Know What's Actually Working
Many beginner affiliates reuse the same link across multiple channels without setting sub-IDs. In that state, even if you get 100 clicks, you have zero visibility into where they came from.
This matters especially for the RevShare model, where the quality of the traders you refer (their deposit amounts and trading frequency) directly drives your earnings. A trader who came from "an X follower" can behave very differently from one who came from "an SEO blog article." Without sub-IDs, you can't detect that gap.
- You wrote five blog posts but don't know which contributed most to conversions.
- You promote Kingfin on both X and your blog, but can't tell which is more efficient.
- You refreshed an article and can't measure whether performance actually improved.
- You moved the CTA placement, but have no way to verify the impact.
How to Set Up Sub-IDs in the Kingfin Dashboard
Log in to your Kingfin account
Go to kingfin.com and log in to the partner dashboard.
Open the "Affiliate Link" or "Tracking Link" section
From the link management page in the dashboard, identify your base affiliate URL.
Append the sub_id parameter
Add &sub_id=your_tag to the end of the base URL. Name the tag yourself (see the next section for conventions).
Place the links on each channel
Use a different sub_id per piece of content. We recommend managing them in a spreadsheet to prevent copy-paste errors.
Confirm tracking has started in the dashboard
After placing the links, run a test click and verify it appears in the "sub_ID report" inside the dashboard. Data typically shows up within a few hours to one business day.
Naming Conventions: Consistency Makes Data Readable
The key to getting the most out of sub-IDs is consistency in naming. Inconsistent names become impossible to analyze once data piles up. Defining a rule from day one makes the data dramatically more useful six months later.
Recommended naming format
Combine three to four elements in the following format:
Example: blog_article_revshare_cta1
Example: x_post_beginner_bio
Example: note_article_cpa_inline
Example: youtube_desc_fx_intro
Channel abbreviation standards
| Channel | Recommended abbreviation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Blog (WordPress, etc.) | blog | blog_article_fx001_cta |
| X (formerly Twitter) | x | x_post_weekly_bio |
| note | note | note_article_revshare_top |
| YouTube | yt | yt_desc_beginner_link1 |
| LINE | line | line_msg_campaign_cta |
| Email newsletter | email | email_weekly_may_btn |
- Use lowercase letters and underscores only (no spaces or symbols).
- Keep names within ~30 characters (longer names become unwieldy).
- Document the rule and share it across the team if you're collaborating.
- Make names self-explanatory so anyone can tell at a glance where the link lives.
Start generating sub_ID links in the Kingfin dashboard
Account creation is free. Generate sub_ID tracking links right now from the partner dashboard.
Sign Up FreePractical Templates: Sub-ID Designs per Channel
Below are concrete sub-ID design examples for each channel. Copy them and swap in your own channel names and article IDs.
Blog (multiple placements per article)
Mid-article CTA: blog_fx_beginner001_mid
Bottom CTA: blog_fx_beginner001_btm
Sidebar: blog_sidebar_static
X (Twitter) posts
Weekly recap post: x_post_weekly_may12
Campaign post: x_post_campaign_may
Pinned tweet: x_pinned_main
note articles
End-of-article CTA: note_revshare_guide_btm
YouTube
Pinned comment: yt_comment_pinned_may
How to Read the Data: Key Points in the Kingfin Dashboard
Once your sub-IDs are in place, the next step is to actually read the data and turn it into improvements. The Kingfin dashboard's sub_ID report shows clicks, signups, active trader counts, and estimated RevShare revenue per sub_ID.
Four metrics to watch
| Metric | What it means | Optimization tip |
|---|---|---|
| Clicks (CTR) | How often the link was clicked. Indicates content reach. | If clicks are low, revisit your headline and CTA copy. |
| Signups (conversions) | Number of people who registered with Kingfin after clicking. | High clicks but low signups likely points to a landing experience problem. |
| Active rate | Percentage of signups who actually traded. | A low active rate suggests your audience composition needs reconsideration. |
| RevShare contribution | Estimated revenue generated by each sub_ID. | Replicate the content patterns behind your highest-contributing sub_IDs. |
First, look for sub_IDs with high clicks but few signups — that's where optimization yields the biggest impact. Next, examine the ones that convert but have a low active rate, and rethink the audience the content is attracting.
Running a Monthly Improvement Cycle (PDCA Template)
A monthly 30-minute review session is plenty for sub-ID data. Reviewing monthly (rather than daily) makes trends more visible and improves the quality of your decisions.
Form this month's hypothesis
- Pick one or two sub_IDs you most want to grow this month.
- Write down a prediction like "If I improve this piece of content, signups should rise by X."
- Name and prepare the sub_IDs for new content in advance.
Improve and add content / CTAs
- Revise CTAs (copy or placement) that underperformed last month.
- Publish the new articles and posts on schedule.
- Make sure each piece of content uses the correct sub_ID link.
Review the dashboard at month-end
- Lay out clicks, signups, and active rate for every sub_ID in a table.
- Identify which sub_IDs grew or shrank versus last month.
- Note the gap between prediction and reality — and why it occurred.
Apply learnings to next month
- Articulate the "winning pattern" of your top sub_IDs and replicate it.
- Consider retiring or rebuilding any sub_ID that has underperformed for three months in a row.
- Bring outside perspective in by talking with your Kingfin manager.
A Google Sheets URL tracker is highly effective. The standard layout is seven columns: sub_ID, full URL, content name, placement date, clicks (last month), signups (last month), and notes. Copying dashboard numbers in at month-end gives you a clear view of how performance is evolving.
Common Failure Patterns and How to Fix Them
Recycling a sub_ID because "it's a hassle to generate a new link every time" mixes the data and makes it impossible to tell which content drove the result. Even if sub_IDs are set, their analytical value drops to zero.
Fix: Make "generate the sub_ID link" a standard step in your content publishing routine. With a spreadsheet template ready, it takes under five minutes.
"I set sub_IDs, but I've been too busy to actually look at the dashboard." If you never look at the data, you've gained nothing. Data only creates value when it's reviewed.
Fix: Block a recurring 30-minute "Kingfin dashboard review" on the first Monday morning of every month. Set a calendar reminder so it doesn't slip.
Ad hoc names like "x1," "blog_test," or "link_may" accumulate until you can't tell which link is which three months later — not even yourself.
Fix: Stick to the format introduced here ([channel]_[type]_[theme]_[placement]) from the start. Make time to rename any existing inconsistent sub_IDs as well.
Summary: Sub-ID Analysis Turns Intuition Into Evidence
Setting up sub-IDs takes only a few minutes. But combining a solid naming convention with a monthly review habit fundamentally changes how precisely you can improve your affiliate performance.
The shift is from "I'm doing my best in general" to "I focus on what the data says works." That shift is the foundation of long-term revenue growth. Start today by adding a sub_ID to a single piece of content.
- STEP 1: Re-add sub_IDs to your highest-traffic existing content.
- STEP 2: Decide on a naming rule and log it in a Google Sheet.
- STEP 3: Schedule a recurring 30-minute review for the first Monday of every month.
Start sub_ID tracking today
The Kingfin partner dashboard shows clicks, signups, and RevShare revenue per sub_ID in real time. Sign up free and run a truly data-driven affiliate operation.
Sign Up FreeFrequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Related Insights
To get even more out of sub-ID analysis, check out these companion articles.
[Disclaimer] This article is informational and educational content produced by the Kingfin editorial team. The sub-ID setup methods and analysis approaches described are intended as general guidance and do not guarantee any specific revenue or outcome. The features and specifications of the Kingfin dashboard may change without notice. Investment and affiliate activities involve risk. Use this guide at your own discretion and responsibility.