Affiliate Links for Headless WordPress
Traditional WordPress affiliate plugins don't work in headless setups. ClickReap restores that functionality — automatic affiliate links on any frontend framework, no plugins required.
The Headless WordPress Problem
Going headless with WordPress gives you incredible flexibility — faster frontends, modern JavaScript frameworks, better developer experience. But it comes with a hidden cost: your WordPress plugins stop working on the frontend.
This is especially painful for affiliate link management. Plugins like ThirstyAffiliates, Pretty Links, and AAWP are all PHP-based. They modify content at the server level inside WordPress. When you decouple the frontend and use the REST API or WPGraphQL, those plugins can't reach your rendered pages.
- Faust.js + WPGraphQL: Your frontend queries content via GraphQL, but affiliate plugin shortcodes aren't processed. You get raw shortcode text instead of links.
- Next.js frontend: If you're building your frontend with Next.js, WordPress plugins have zero influence over what gets rendered in the browser.
- Astro or Eleventy frontend: Static site generators that pull from WordPress API get the content data, but not the plugin transformations.
- Lost functionality: Auto-linking, link cloaking, click tracking, and link management features all disappear when you go headless.
This forces headless WordPress developers to either rebuild affiliate link functionality from scratch or go without it entirely. Neither option is good.
How ClickReap Bridges the Gap
ClickReap works on the frontend — the part of your headless stack that actually reaches your visitors. It doesn't care what your backend is. WordPress, Contentful, Sanity, or a flat-file CMS — ClickReap processes the rendered HTML in the browser.
This means your headless WordPress setup gets affiliate link automation without requiring any WordPress plugins at all. Here's how it looks with a Next.js frontend:
Next.js frontend with headless WordPress backend
// app/layout.tsx (Next.js App Router)
export default function RootLayout({
children,
}: {
children: React.ReactNode
}) {
return (
<html lang="en">
<body>
{children}
<script
src="https://api.clickreap.com/sdk/clickreap.min.js"
data-project="YOUR_PROJECT_ID"
/>
</body>
</html>
)
}Or if your headless WordPress frontend is built with Astro:
Astro frontend with headless WordPress backend
---
// src/layouts/Layout.astro
const { title } = Astro.props;
---
<html lang="en">
<head>
<title>{title}</title>
</head>
<body>
<slot />
<script
src="https://api.clickreap.com/sdk/clickreap.min.js"
data-project="YOUR_PROJECT_ID"
></script>
</body>
</html>One script tag on your frontend. That's all it takes to restore — and significantly improve — the affiliate link functionality you lost when going headless.
Why This Matters for Modern WordPress
The shift to headless WordPress is accelerating. More publishers and agencies are decoupling the frontend for better performance, security, and developer experience. But the plugin ecosystem hasn't caught up.
ClickReap fills that gap specifically for affiliate link management. Instead of being a WordPress plugin that only works inside WordPress, it's a platform-agnostic tool that works wherever your content is displayed.
- Better than WordPress plugins: ClickReap offers automatic link insertion, click tracking, and central management — features that many WordPress plugins charge extra for or don't offer at all.
- Future-proof: If you change your frontend framework or even your CMS, your affiliate link configuration stays intact. No migration needed.
- Works with any headless stack: Faust.js, WPGraphQL, REST API, custom Node.js backends — ClickReap doesn't care how your content gets to the frontend.
- Team management: Multiple team members can manage affiliate links through the ClickReap dashboard without needing WordPress admin access.
If you're comparing this to traditional WordPress affiliate plugins, the key difference is that ClickReap works outside of WordPress. It lives on the frontend, which is exactly where headless architectures need it. Explore the full feature set or see how it works with other JAMstack frameworks.
How ClickReap Works
Three simple steps to automate your affiliate monetization.
Add Your Products
Import your affiliate products with their links, aliases, and keywords. ClickReap tracks every product mention across your content.
Install the SDK
Add a single JavaScript snippet to your site. No code changes to your content — ClickReap works with any CMS or static site.
Monetize Automatically
ClickReap scans your pages and converts product mentions into affiliate links automatically. Track clicks and revenue in real time.
Pricing for Headless WordPress Publishers
Start free. No WordPress plugins needed. No credit card required.
Free
Perfect for trying out ClickReap
- Up to 3 products
- 1 team member
- 10 pages
- Unlimited transformations
- Auto link monetization
Starter
For growing content creators
- Up to 10 products
- 2 team members
- 50 pages
- Unlimited transformations
- Auto link monetization
- Click tracking & analytics
Pro
For professional publishers
- Up to 50 products
- 5 team members
- 250 pages
- Unlimited transformations
- Auto link monetization
- Click tracking & analytics
- Priority support
Business
For teams and media companies
- Up to 200 products
- 20 team members
- 1,000 pages
- Unlimited transformations
- Auto link monetization
- Click tracking & analytics
- Priority support
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to install anything in WordPress for ClickReap to work? +
Will ClickReap process content fetched via WPGraphQL? +
Can I migrate from ThirstyAffiliates to ClickReap? +
Does it work with Faust.js? +
What about WordPress shortcodes in my content? +
Restore affiliate links to your headless WordPress site
One script tag on your frontend. Full affiliate link automation without WordPress plugins. Free plan available — no credit card required.
Free forever plan available. No credit card needed.