How Affiliate Programs Work
These pages cover the rules that apply to every program.
They quote the FTC on disclosure and the IRS on forms and self employment tax.
| Sheet | What it covers |
|---|---|
| How to Join Affiliate Programs | A step-by-step guide to joining affiliate programs: what you need before you apply, where to find them, and what happens after you are accepted. |
| What Affiliate Links Are and How They Work | An affiliate link is a normal link with your ID inside it. Here is how it tracks a click, earns a commission, and what rules come with it. |
| What an Affiliate Marketing Platform Is | An affiliate marketing platform is the software layer between publishers and brands. Here is what one does and how to compare them. |
| Software Affiliate Programs: What Each One Says | A guide to software and SaaS companies that run their own affiliate programs, with the terms each program's own page states. |
| What Is an Affiliate Network? | An affiliate network is a company that sits between brands and publishers. It brings the two sides together and handles the links, tracking and payouts. |
| What an Affiliate Marketing Network Is | A network is one roof over many brand programs. Here is how it differs from a single-brand program, with named networks as examples. |
| FTC Disclosure Rules for Affiliate Marketing | The FTC asks affiliate marketers to disclose a material connection clearly and close to the link. Here is what that means in practice. |
| Affiliate Programs for Content Creators | A roundup of affiliate programs creators may look at, with each program's stated terms. |
| Hosting Affiliate Programs and What Their Pages Say | Four hosting companies run affiliate programs. Each one's own page states its commissions, tracking and payout terms. |
| AI Affiliate Programs: What Each Tool's Page Says | Several AI tools run affiliate programs. Here is what each program's own page states about commissions, terms and rules. |
| E-commerce Affiliate Programs: What Stores Offer | E-commerce affiliate programs pay commission when a store's own page says it does. Here is what the big retail programs state on their pages. |
| What Travel Affiliate Marketing Programs Are | Travel affiliate marketing programs pay a partner when a reader books through their link. Here is how the category works. |
| How to Track Affiliate Programs You Have Joined | Each program states its own rates, windows and payout terms. Here is what to record and where each program publishes it. |
| What an Affiliate Marketing Program Is | A brand pays a commission when your tracked link leads to a sale or lead. Here is how one works, what it costs, and what you agree to. |
| How Affiliate Payouts Are Sent | A sale does not turn into money in your account that day. Read the payout lines on a program's page to see when and how it is paid. |
| What a Cookie Window Is | A click leaves a small marker in the reader's browser. The cookie window is how long a program counts that click. |