In this article, you'll discover 59 affiliate marketing terms every creator needs to know.
Having worked in affiliate marketing for years and earned over 7 figures in commissions, I've compiled this list from years of practice in the field.
You'll uncover the hidden language that only industry insiders know, allowing you to navigate the affiliate world like a pro.
Let’s get into it.
1. Affiliate Link
A unique URL containing a creator's ID, used to track referrals in affiliate marketing.
When viewers click this link and make a purchase, the creator earns a commission.
Creators include these links in their content (blogs, videos, social media) to promote products or services and get credit for resulting sales.
2. Commission
The payment an affiliate receives for successfully promoting a product or service.
Usually a percentage of the sale price or a fixed amount per action (like a signup or download).
Commission rates vary widely depending on the product, industry, and affiliate program structure.
3. Advertiser / Merchant
A merchant is a company or individual offering products or services through an affiliate program.
They provide affiliate links, set commission rates, and pay affiliates for successful promotions.
Advertisers use affiliate marketing to increase sales and reach new audiences through trusted content creators.
4. Affiliate Program
A structured marketing arrangement where a business offers commissions to affiliates for promoting its products or services.
It includes terms, commission rates, tracking methods, and promotional guidelines.
Creators join these programs to access products to promote and make a kickback from their recommendations.
5. Affiliate Network
A platform that connects advertisers with affiliates.
It manages tracking, reporting, and payments, making it easier for both parties to participate in affiliate marketing.
Networks often provide a variety of offers for affiliates to choose from and tools for advertisers to manage their programs.
6. Affiliate Niche
A specific market segment or topic area that an affiliate focuses on.
Choosing a niche allows creators to target a particular audience with relevant products or services.
Successful affiliates often specialize in niches where they have expertise or a passionate following.
7. Affiliate Disclosure
A statement that informs the audience about the affiliate relationship between the creator and the advertiser.
Required by law in many countries, it maintains transparency and trust.
Disclosures are typically placed near affiliate links or at the beginning of content containing affiliate promotions.
8. Conversion Rate
The percentage of visitors who take a desired action (like making a purchase) after clicking an affiliate link.
It's calculated by dividing the number of conversions by the total number of clicks.
A higher conversion rate indicates more effective affiliate marketing efforts.
9. Click-Through Rate (CTR)
The percentage of viewers who click on an affiliate link after seeing it. Calculated by dividing the number of clicks by the number of impressions (views).
CTR helps measure the effectiveness of an affiliate's promotional content and link placement strategies.
10. Earnings Per Click (EPC)
The average amount an affiliate earns each time someone clicks their affiliate link.
Calculated by dividing total earnings by the number of clicks. EPC helps affiliates compare the potential profitability of different offers or programs.
11. Cookie / Cookie Duration
A cookie is a small file stored on a user's device that tracks their activity after clicking an affiliate link.
Cookie duration is how long this tracking remains active, determining the timeframe in which the affiliate can earn a commission for that user's purchases.
12. Affiliate Dashboard
A central interface where affiliates can track their performance, manage links, and access promotional materials.
It typically shows metrics like clicks, conversions, and earnings. Dashboards are usually provided by affiliate networks or individual affiliate programs.
13. Affiliate Manager
A professional who oversees an affiliate program, acting as a liaison between the company and its affiliates.
They recruit affiliates, provide support, monitor performance, and ensure program compliance.
Good managers can significantly boost an affiliate program's success.
14. Payout Threshold
The minimum amount an affiliate must earn before they can request payment. Set by affiliate programs or networks to manage administrative costs.
Thresholds can range from a few dollars to hundreds, depending on the program.
15. Affiliate Payout Methods
The ways affiliates receive their earned commissions. Common methods include PayPal, direct bank transfer, check, or cryptocurrency.
Programs may offer multiple options, with some methods having different minimum payout thresholds or fees.
16. Recurring Commission
A commission structure where affiliates earn ongoing payments for as long as a referred customer remains active.
Common in subscription-based services like software tools. It incentivizes affiliates to promote products with long-term value and customer retention.
17. Revenue Share
A commission model where affiliates earn a percentage of the revenue generated from their referrals.
This can apply to one-time purchases or recurring payments.
The exact percentage can vary based on the product, volume of sales, or affiliate performance.
18. Cost Per Sale (CPS)
A commission model where affiliates earn a fixed amount or percentage for each sale they generate.
This is one of the most common affiliate payment structures.
The commission is typically paid out after the customer's return or refund period has passed.
19. Cost Per Lead (CPL)
A commission model where affiliates are paid for generating qualified leads, such as sign-ups, form submissions, or free trial activations.
The payout is usually a fixed amount per lead.
It's common in industries where the sales cycle is longer or more complex.
20. Cost Per Click (CPC)
A model where affiliates earn a commission for each click on their affiliate link, regardless of whether a sale occurs.
Less common in affiliate marketing, it's more often used in advertising.
CPC can be risky for advertisers but potentially lucrative for high-traffic affiliates.
21. Cost Per Action (CPA)
A pricing model where advertisers pay for a specific action taken by a referred visitor, such as filling out a form, signing up for a newsletter, or making a purchase.
CPA is favored by many advertisers as it ensures payment only for desired outcomes.
22. Cost Per Mille (CPM)
A pricing model where affiliates are paid a fixed amount for every 1,000 impressions (views) of an ad or affiliate link.
Less common in affiliate marketing, CPM is more prevalent in display advertising. It can benefit affiliates with high-traffic platforms.
23. Two-Tier Affiliate Program
A structure where affiliates earn commissions not only from their own referrals but also from the sales of other affiliates they recruit.
This model incentivizes affiliates to grow the program. It's similar to multi-level marketing but typically limited to two levels.
24. Affiliate Program Tiers
A system where affiliates are categorized into different levels based on their performance.
Higher tiers often receive increased commissions, earlier payouts, or exclusive offers.
This structure motivates affiliates to improve their performance and drive more sales.
25. Affiliate Offer Types
The various promotional deals available to affiliates.
These can include percentage-based commissions, flat-rate payouts, or bonuses for meeting certain goals.
Different offer types suit different products and affiliate strategies, allowing for flexible promotion approaches.
26. Affiliate Content Creation
The process of developing material (blog posts, YouTube videos, social media content) that incorporates affiliate promotions.
Effective content blends valuable information with strategic product recommendations, maintaining audience trust while driving affiliate sales.
27. Product Review
A common form of affiliate content where creators evaluate and discuss a product.
Honest, detailed reviews can be highly effective in driving affiliate sales, as they provide valuable information to potential buyers and build trust with the audience.
28. First-Party Cookie
A small piece of data stored by the website a user is directly visiting.
In affiliate marketing, first-party cookies are considered more reliable for tracking as they're less likely to be blocked by browsers or ad-blockers.
29. Third-Party Cookie
A cookie placed by a domain other than the one the user is visiting.
Often used in affiliate tracking, but increasingly being phased out due to privacy concerns.
Their declining use is pushing affiliate programs to adopt alternative tracking methods.
30. Affiliate SEO
Search engine optimization strategies specifically tailored for affiliate marketing content.
This includes optimizing for product-related keywords, creating high-quality content, and building authority in specific niches.
The goal is to improve search rankings and drive organic traffic to affiliate offers.
31. Affiliate Newsletter
An email marketing strategy used by affiliates to promote products or services.
These newsletters combine valuable content with affiliate offers, maintaining audience engagement while driving traffic to affiliate links.
They help nurture relationships and can be a consistent source of affiliate revenue when done effectively.
32. Affiliate Marketing Funnel
The journey a potential customer takes from initial awareness to purchase through affiliate channels.
It includes stages like discovery, consideration, and decision.
Affiliates create targeted content for each stage to guide prospects toward conversion, optimizing the process to maximize sales and commissions.
33. Deep Linking
The practice of using affiliate links that direct users to specific pages on a merchant's website rather than just the homepage.
It can mean pointing to product pages, category pages, or special offer pages to reduce the number of clicks needed to reach the desired content...
... which in turn increases user experience.
Effective use of deep linking can significantly increase conversion rates by aligning user intent with relevant landing pages.
34. Affiliate Link Management
A set of practices and tools used to organize, track, and optimize affiliate links.
This includes creating custom links, monitoring their performance, and updating them as needed.
Effective management helps affiliates identify successful promotions, maintain link accuracy, and maximize earnings across various campaigns.
35. Affiliate Link Rotator
A tool that cycles through multiple affiliate links for the same product or offer.
It enables A/B testing of different merchants or programs without manual link changes.
This helps affiliates identify the best-converting offers, optimize their promotional strategies, and potentially diversify their income sources through data-driven decisions.
36. Affiliate Link Redirect
The technical process of forwarding users from one URL to another in affiliate marketing.
It's used for tracking clicks, managing links across platforms, and handling link updates.
Redirects can help affiliates maintain consistent links even when underlying affiliate URLs change.
37. Affiliate Link Insertion
The process of adding affiliate links to content, either manually or through automated tools.
For smaller sites, it often involves manually placing links in relevant content. Larger sites may use automation to insert links across extensive content libraries.
This practice helps monetize both new and existing content effectively.
38. Affiliate Link Localization
The practice of adapting affiliate links for different geographic regions or languages.
It ensures users are directed to the appropriate local version of a product or service.
This improves user experience, increases conversion rates, and allows affiliates to effectively target international audiences.
39. Affiliate Link Deprecation
The process of phasing out or removing outdated affiliate links to maintain site integrity and user experience.
Link deprecation becomes necessary when affiliate programs change, products are discontinued, or links expire.
Regular link audits help prevent revenue loss from broken or outdated links.
40. Link Cloaking
A technique to mask affiliate links, typically changing their appearance from long, complex URLs to shorter, branded ones.
While it can make links look more trustworthy, some view it as less transparent. Many affiliate programs have specific policies regarding link-cloaking practices.
41. Affiliate Tracking
The process of monitoring and recording user interactions with affiliate links.
It uses technologies like cookies, pixels, or server-side tracking to attribute sales to specific affiliates.
Some programs also collect data for retargeting campaigns, enhancing overall marketing effectiveness.
42. Attribution Models
Frameworks determining which marketing touch points receive credit for a conversion.
Common models include first-click, last-click, and multi-touch attribution, but the last-click model is most common in affiliate marketing.
The chosen model impacts commission distribution and significantly influences affiliate strategies.
43. Postback URL
A URL used to communicate conversion data directly between servers.
When a conversion occurs, the advertiser's server sends a request to this URL, notifying the affiliate network or tracking platform.
It's particularly useful when cookies are unreliable or for more accurate conversion tracking.
44. S2S (Server-to-Server)
A direct communication method between the advertiser's server and the affiliate network's server.
Generally more reliable than Postback URLs, S2S tracking isn't affected by browser restrictions or ad-blockers.
It's becoming increasingly important as privacy regulations tighten.
45. Affiliate Conversion Optimization
The process of improving the rate at which affiliate traffic turns into sales or desired actions.
It involves analyzing user behavior, A/B testing different elements, and refining the customer journey.
Effective optimization can significantly increase an affiliate's earnings without necessarily driving more traffic.
46. Affiliate Marketing ROI
Return on Investment in affiliate marketing context.
It measures the profitability of affiliate campaigns by comparing the revenue generated to the costs incurred.
Calculating ROI helps affiliates and merchants evaluate the effectiveness of their strategies and allocate resources efficiently.
47. Affiliate Leakage
The loss of potential affiliate commissions due to various factors.
This can occur when users bypass affiliate links, clear cookies, or use ad-blockers.
Leakage can also happen due to technical issues or when customers use multiple affiliates before purchasing.
48. Affiliate Program Assets
Marketing materials provided by merchants for affiliates to use in their promotions. These can include banners, text links, product images, and videos.
High-quality, diverse assets can significantly enhance an affiliate's ability to promote products effectively across different platforms.
49. Affiliate Compliance
Adherence to the rules, regulations, and ethical standards set by affiliate programs and relevant laws.
This includes proper disclosure of affiliate relationships, honest marketing practices, and respecting intellectual property rights.
Compliance is crucial for maintaining program integrity and avoiding legal issues.
50. Affiliate Recruitment
The process of finding and onboarding new affiliates to a merchant's program.
It involves identifying potential partners, reaching out to them, and providing necessary information and resources.
Effective recruitment strategies help expand a program's reach and increase sales potential.
51. Sub-Affiliate
An affiliate recruited by another affiliate into a program. The recruiting affiliate typically earns a percentage of the sub-affiliate's commissions.
For creators, becoming a sub-affiliate can be an entry point into established programs, while recruiting sub-affiliates can increase earnings without direct sales.
52. Affiliate Program Exclusivity
An arrangement where a merchant/network offers an affiliate exclusive rights to promote their products, often with higher commission rates or other perks.
This can result from a close relationship between the affiliate and their Affiliate Manager.
While limiting, exclusivity can lead to deeper product knowledge and potentially higher conversions.
53. Cross-Program Promotion
The practice of promoting products from multiple affiliate programs simultaneously.
This often manifests in content like roundup posts or transactional comparisons.
It allows affiliates to diversify income sources and offer a wider range of products but requires careful balance to maintain audience trust.
54. Going Direct
When an affiliate bypasses networks to work directly with a merchant. This can lead to higher commission rates and closer relationships with brands.
However, it often requires more administrative work from the affiliate and may lack the tracking and payment infrastructure provided by networks.
55. Street Payout
The standard commission rate offered to new affiliates when they join a program. It's the baseline rate before any negotiated increases.
Understanding street payouts is crucial for affiliates to gauge their earning potential and negotiate better rates as they prove their value.
56. Commission/Pay Bump
A negotiated increase in commission rates above the street payout. Affiliates can request bumps from their Affiliate Manager (AM) based on performance.
Maintaining a good relationship with AMs is important for securing these increases.
Bumps significantly boost affiliate motivation and program performance.
57. Affiliate Fraud
Dishonest practices aimed at generating illegitimate commissions.
This can include cookie stuffing, click fraud, or using stolen credit cards for purchases.
Affiliate fraud is a serious concern for programs, requiring robust detection and prevention measures to maintain integrity.
58. Affiliate Shaving/Scrubbing
The unethical practice of underreporting sales to reduce affiliate payouts.
This can involve manipulating tracking data or improperly categorizing sales as invalid.
Some networks may promise higher payouts but scrub conversions on the backend to maintain profitability, a particularly deceptive form of this practice.
59. Cookie Stuffing
A fraudulent technique where an affiliate forces cookies from multiple merchants onto a user's browser without their knowledge or consent.
This unethical practice aims to claim commissions for sales the affiliate didn't legitimately influence. It's strictly prohibited by reputable affiliate programs.
Wrapping Up
While it's not crucial to memorize all these terms, knowing them can make you sound like a super affiliate.
This knowledge might even help others take you more seriously in the affiliate marketing world.
Now:
Are there any terms on this list that sound particularly interesting? Or are there any other terms you think should be added?
Let me know in the comments below.