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Question

Affiliate Links Not Working in Facebook/Instagram DM Automations

  • June 4, 2026
  • 3 comments
  • 27 views
JJBrown

We're experiencing issues with affiliate links sent through ManyChat automations on both Facebook and Instagram (more frequently on Facebook).

Our setup:

  • ManyChat comment-to-DM automations
  • Affiliate links from Geniuslink, Howl, BrandCycle, LTK, etc.
  • ManyChat URL shortener is not disabled

Issues we're seeing:

  • Some users don't see the link in the DM at all - they are only seeing the opening message, but no link buttons
  • Some users report that links don't work when clicked.
  • Some users can open our website, but affiliate links on the page return errors such as "Page removed" or fail to load.
  • The issue often resolves when users open the link in Safari or Chrome instead of Meta's in-app browser.

Has anyone experienced similar issues with affiliate links in Messenger or Instagram automations? Are there any known issues with link tracking, redirects, or Meta's in-app browser that could be causing this? I field dozens of messages a day with users reporting that our links are broken. 

Any troubleshooting recommendations would be appreciated.

      3 replies

      cata_rendon
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      • cata_rendon
      • Community Moderator
      • June 4, 2026

      Hi ​@JJBrown  This is migth be an issue with affiliate links in Meta DM automations, and the symptoms you're describing point to a few overlapping causes:

      1. Link position in the flow Meta tends to flag or suppress links that appear in the first message of an automation. Try moving the affiliate link to a second or third step — after an initial reply that doesn't contain any URL.

      2. Meta's in-app browser (most likely culprit for "Page removed" errors) Affiliate networks like LTK and BrandCycle use redirect chains to track clicks. Meta's in-app browser handles redirects more aggressively than Safari or Chrome and can break the chain mid-redirect — especially on Facebook. This explains why the issue resolves when users switch browsers. Two things that help:

      • Use a direct affiliate URL when possible, rather than a multi-hop redirect link
      • If you're using Geniuslink, check whether their links can be configured to handle Meta traffic differently

      3. Facebook vs. Instagram Since you're seeing this more on Facebook: Messenger applies stricter link filtering than Instagram DMs. Testing the same flow on Instagram can help isolate whether it's a platform-specific block or a link structure issue.

      Hope this helps!

      Cheers!

      Catalina Rendon

       

       

      https://www.dominariai.com | www.linkedin.com/in/catalina-rendon-gamboa
      JJBrown
      • JJBrown
      • Author
      • Up-and-comer
      • June 4, 2026

      Thanks for the suggestions. My concern with adding an additional step in the automation is that people will drop off and not click through. I’ll do some digging on the affiliate side.

      cata_rendon
      Forum|alt.badge.img+5
      • cata_rendon
      • Community Moderator
      • June 4, 2026

      Thanks for the suggestions. My concern with adding an additional step in the automation is that people will drop off and not click through. I’ll do some digging on the affiliate side.

      Hi ​@JJBrown, I undestand, the more steps you have, more drop-outs. Probably you can do an A/B testing to see if what is the best option for you.

      https://www.dominariai.com | www.linkedin.com/in/catalina-rendon-gamboa
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