Is there a sensible way to create affiliate links?

You don't create them yourself, the programme gives them to you. Sign up with the brand directly or through the network it uses, get approved, then generate the link in their dashboard. It carries your tracking ID, that's how the sale gets credited to you. Amazon Associates also has a toolbar on product pages once you're logged in, so you can grab links while browsing. Two habits that save trouble later: put a short disclosure near the links, and mark them rel="sponsored" so Google doesn't treat them as editorial links. And keep a sheet of which page uses which programme, because when a programme closes you'll want to find every link fast.