A distributed link or connection processing system delivers application and multi-media content over the Internet. A client selection of remotely hosted information or multi-media content routes a request including option specifying content provided by the web page developer to one of a plurality of link or connection servers. The link server designated by the request identifies the server hosting the requested content and, after optionally verifying the authorization of the request and recording the request in a customer records database, issues a request for the server hosting the requested content to initiate information transfer to the requesting client. Web developers utilize the provided software for constructing option encoding reference tags for the link servers, thus eliminating the need to learn formal request requirements of the link server. By distributing link processing to a plurality of remote link servers, the web developer is no longer constrained by the support features of a particular web server.