How the Link Generator Works
Table of Contents:
Quick summary
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Search a place or paste a provider URL. Either way, you get a trackable, commission-earning Allez link in seconds.
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New: search a hotel, neighborhood, or city and Stay22 optimizes according to the booking provider most likely to convert for each click, so you don't have to.
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Your existing links are untouched. Nothing you've already published changes, and this has no effect on Spark or LinkSwap.
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Every link lives in Your Links in the Stay22 Hub under Link Generator: filter it, re-copy it, or re-download its QR code any time.
- Name your link and add a campaign ID before generating. This will help you identify and track your link performance better in the Stay22 Hub.
- Bookings made through your link are attributed to you and earn commission, no matter which path you used to create it.
What it is
The Link Generator is a tool in the Stay22 Hub where you create an Allez Link: a trackable, commission-earning link to any place or provider page.
Use it anywhere you can't install the Stay22 Script, like captions, link-in-bio pages, newsletters, confirmation emails, PDFs, and ebooks. For more on when to use Allez links vs. the Stay22 Script, see How to Add Stay22 Links to Your Content.
There are two ways to build a link.
Option 1: Optimized Link (New)
Type a hotel name, a neighborhood, or a whole city into the Link Generator and pick the right match from the list. No URL needed.
In the Hub, this option is labeled "Let Stay22 optimize each click." It's powered by Stay22's Supplier Optimization: Stay22 ranks the eligible booking providers for that click and sends the traveler to the one most likely to convert. See How Supplier Optimization Works for the details.
What your audience sees:
- Search a specific hotel: your link opens either directly on that hotel's page, or on a search results page with that hotel pinned at the top.
- Search something broader, like a neighborhood or city: Stay22 sends travelers to the booking provider's results for that destination, picking the provider most likely to convert for each click.
This currently covers accommodation only. Flights, activities, and car rentals aren't eligible for this option yet.
This is the path for when you don't have a URL handy, or when you'd rather recommend a place than manage one specific provider.
How to create it:
- Log in to the Stay22 Hub and open the Link Generator from the side menu.
- Search a hotel, neighborhood, or city and select the right match from the list.
- Name your link. "Lisbon boutique hotel" is a lot more useful later than "Untitled."
- Add a campaign ID if you track performance your own way. This is optional, but it's what lets you tell your links apart later: compare how a newsletter placement is doing against an Instagram bio link, or track one campaign separately from another.
- Click Generate. You'll get a shortlink and a QR code.
- Add the link or QR code to your videos, caption, bio, newsletter, PDF or wherever you're recommending the place.
Option 2: Provider Link
If you already have a link to a specific hotel or search page, paste it in the Link Generator. This works exactly as it always has, and you choose which provider the link points to. Stay22 won't swap it for a different one.
This covers accommodations, tours & activities, car rentals, flights, and airport taxis. For supported providers, check the Stay22 Supplier List.
How to create it:
- Log in to the Stay22 Hub and open the Link Generator from the side menu.
- Paste your provider URL.
- Name your link. "Lisbon boutique hotel" is a lot more useful later than "Untitled."
- Add a campaign ID if you track performance your own way. This is optional, but it's what lets you tell your links apart later: compare how a newsletter placement is doing against an Instagram bio link, or track one campaign separately from another.
- Click Generate. You'll get a shortlink and a QR code.
- Add the link or QR code to your video, caption, bio, newsletter, PDF, or wherever you're recommending the place.
Your existing links are untouched
- This release leaves your existing Stay22 links untouched, including anything running through Spark, LinkSwap, or the Stay22 Script. Nothing is changed, converted, or re-routed.
- There's no separate opt-in or opt-out for the new search option. Pasting a provider URL still works exactly as it always has.
- Nothing changes for links you've already published unless you go back and recreate them using the new search option.
Managing your links
Every link you create, either way, shows up in Your Links in the Hub. From there you can:
- Filter the list by source or link type
- Re-copy a link without creating a duplicate
- Pull up and download the QR code again
- Delete a link you no longer need
Deleting a link only removes it from your Your Links list in the Stay22 Hub for your own reference. It doesn't deactivate the link: it keeps working wherever you've already published it (caption, email, QR code, etc.) until you remove or replace it from that content.
If you generate a link for a place and campaign ID you've already used, you'll get your existing link back instead of a new one. The only way to get two separate, separately trackable links for the same place is to use different campaign IDs.
How you earn
When someone clicks your link or scans your QR code, Stay22 records that it came from you. If they go on to book, that transaction is attributed back to you and you earn your share of the commission, regardless of which option you used to create the link, search or pasted URL. This works the same way it does across all Stay22 products.
Good to know
- The link's code can't be customized. The random letters and numbers at the end of your Allez link (for example, go.stay22.com/7jpA5I282w) are generated automatically.
- Analytics are campaign-level, not per-click yet. Use the campaign ID field to compare link performance in Page Analytics. We're working on bringing deeper, per-link click and booking history.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will this change my existing links?
No. This release doesn't retroactively change, convert, or re-route any link you've already created, and it has no effect on Spark, LinkSwap, or the Stay22 Script. The new search option only applies when you actively choose it while creating a new link.
Does deleting a link in the Hub stop it from working?
No. Deleting a link only removes it from Your Links in the Stay22 Hub > Link Generator for your own reference. Your Allez link keeps working wherever you've already published it (caption, email, QR code) until you remove or replace it from that content yourself.
Why would two readers click the same link and land on different booking sites?
That's Supplier Optimization at work. For links made by searching a hotel, neighborhood, or city, Stay22 ranks the eligible providers for each click and sends that traveler to the one most likely to convert, so different readers can land on different providers from the same link. If you paste a provider URL instead, every click goes to that same provider. For more, see How Supplier Optimization Works.
Does optimized links option work for a specific hotel, or only for destinations like a city?
Both. Generating an Allez link by searching a specific hotel in the Link Generator, directs your audience to that hotel's page or a search results page with the hotel pinned. Searching a neighborhood or city sends travelers to the provider's results page for that destination.
If I generate a link for the same place twice, will I get two separate links?
Only if you use a different campaign ID. Same destination and same campaign ID returns your existing link. A different campaign ID creates a new, separately trackable link for the same place.
What's a shortlink?
It's the short, custom URL form of your Allez link, like go.stay22.com/7jpA5I282w. It's created the moment you click Generate, and it's what you can share in your caption, bio, newsletter, or QR code.
Can I customize my shortlink?
No. The code at the end of your Allez link (e.g. go.stay22.com/7jpA5I282w) is generated automatically; you can't create a custom link.
Will I get per-link analytics?
Not yet. Analytics are currently campaign-level, not per-click. Use the campaign ID field to compare performance in Page Analytics.