Affiliate links are often very long and messy, with many random numbers and letters inside them. Link cloaking is a method used to make those links look shorter and cleaner. Instead of showing a long tracking link, a site owner creates a simple link that redirects to the real affiliate page. For example, a link might look like a normal page on the website but still track the referral in the background. Many marketers also use this method to organize links and track clicks easily. Why do many affiliate sites prefer cloaked links instead of direct ones?