What is Affiliate link?
An affiliate link is a unique tracked URL given to a creator so that any purchase or sign-up made through that link is attributed to that creator, who earns a commission on resulting sales.
Affiliate links are the primary mechanism behind performance-based creator monetisation. Instead of a flat fee, the creator earns a percentage of revenue they drive. This aligns creator incentive with brand outcome and allows creators to earn continuously from evergreen content.
Common affiliate platforms include ShareASale, Impact, and Amazon Associates. Brands can also run direct affiliate programs. The commission rate, cookie window (how long a click is tracked), and payment threshold vary by program and should be evaluated before joining.
Affiliate income compounds over time. A YouTube review or blog post that ranks in search can drive affiliate clicks and commissions for years. Creators should disclose affiliate relationships clearly, as the FTC considers affiliate commissions a material connection requiring disclosure.
Related terms
- Affiliate marketing
- Affiliate marketing is a performance model where creators earn a commission for each sale or action driven through their unique link or discount code.
- Conversion rate
- Conversion rate is the percentage of people who took a desired action (purchase, sign-up, click) out of the total who saw or clicked a piece of content or ad.
- ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)
- ROAS is the revenue generated for every dollar spent on advertising or influencer marketing, calculated by dividing total revenue attributed to the campaign by total spend.
- Link in bio
- A link in bio is a single landing page linked from a social media profile that holds all of a creator’s important links, used because platforms like Instagram and TikTok allow only one clickable link in the bio.
- Creator economy
- The creator economy is the ecosystem of people who earn a living by making online content, plus the platforms, tools, and brands that pay and support them.
More in Monetisation
Affiliate link sits in the monetisation part of the glossary. These terms come up in the same conversations and are worth reading alongside it.