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Is it possible to have server-side Amazon Affiliate ads - from my server, in order to bypass ad blockers?

If I use the code supplied by the Amazon Affiliate tools, I get something like this (obfusticated affiliate ID, etc)

    <div id="amzn-assoc-ad-12345-9320-4c39-90b3-12345"></div>
<script async src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US&adInstanceId=12345-9320-4c39-90b3-12345"></script>

Ad blockers will block this affiliate ad.

I tried copying the script file to my server, but that doesn't work; I suspect some checking inside the script by the Zon.

How best to have a server-side Zon Affiliate ad that will bypass ad blockers? The only option I can think of is to use the Affiliate API, but wondering if there is another way. (Server-side CURL?)

Thanks.

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You can use "text links" for individual products instead of Amazon's interactive widgets with images. When you search for a product, you can click on the drop down icon to quickly get the text link.

That will have a pop up with just a normal URL that you can link to. I tend to use the shortening service that is available with one click.

If you instead click on the main "Get link" button, you can still get the text link. It is available from the middle tab that says "Text Only".

It is then up to get users to display these links on your pages and get users to click on them. You can host product images yourself and link those images. You can embed text links in appropriate places. Neither of those techniques will be blocked by ad blockers. If you hot link images from Amazon, those hot linked images could still get blocked and users would have nothing to click on.

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  • Yes, I am aware of that. But that doesn't give you the ability to use links that are 'generated' by visitor activities or site content. And I know how to use the Zon API to get product info (including pictures). But that doesn't give you the same capability as you get using the JS code for Zon "banners", etc. The intent is to run the Zon-supplied JS code on the server side, rather than the client side, as some (many) clients will block client-side advertising. It's the same concept I use to run Google Analytics server-side, to get analytics even when ad blockers are enabled client side.
    – Rick Hellewell
    Commented Oct 5, 2020 at 18:32
  • I don't know of any way to get those content matching features server side. I find it is worth it to search products manually to add to pages so that users without adblock can see the recommendations.
    – Stephen Ostermiller ♦
    Commented Oct 5, 2020 at 21:53
  • What I was thinking is running the JS on the server. But suspect that's not available/possible. Might have to use the API to get products in a category, then display some of the results. Looking for possible options
    – Rick Hellewell
    Commented Oct 5, 2020 at 23:28
  • You should add that as your own answer.
    – Stephen Ostermiller ♦
    Commented Oct 27, 2022 at 18:36

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