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Agreements and terms

Affiliate program

Also called partner program, referral program, affiliate scheme, partnerprogram.

Short answer

An affiliate program is a store's agreement with the affiliates who market it: which action is paid for, how large the commission is, how long a click counts, and which channels are allowed.

Definition of Affiliate program.

An affiliate program is an agreement, not a piece of technology. It sets out five things: which action triggers payment, how much is paid, how the amount is calculated, how long a click can be tied to a purchase, and which channels the affiliate may use. Everything else in an affiliate partnership follows from those five decisions.

The program and the tracking are often confused. The tracking is the mechanism that records the click and receives the conversion; the program is the numbers and rules the mechanism looks up. That is why two stores on the same platform can have very different programs.

Affiliate program vs. affiliate network

AspectAffiliate programAffiliate network
What it isa store's agreement and set of rulesthe platform connecting many stores and affiliates
Who owns itthe storethe network
What it sets outrate, window, channels, rejection rulestracking, reporting, payout process, access to affiliates
What it coststhe commission on approved salesa fee for the infrastructure on top of the commission
Where affiliates find itin the network's directory or on the store's siteit is the directory

The program is the agreement, the network is the infrastructure – a store can run its program in-house, but then has to build tracking, reporting and payouts itself.

At Affilyflow

Affiliate program in practice

A program on Affilyflow sets its own rate, type and attribution window – the window is chosen between 14 and 90 days, and we recommend 30. Rate and window are copied to the click at the moment of the click, so a later change does not affect clicks already sent.

Frequently asked questions

What is an affiliate program?

An affiliate program is the store's agreement with the affiliates who market it. The program sets out which action triggers payment, how large the commission is, how it is calculated, how long a click can be tied to a purchase, and which channels the affiliate may use.

What is the difference between an affiliate program and an affiliate network?

The program is a store's agreement and set of rules. The network is the platform that provides tracking, reporting and the payout process and connects many stores with many affiliates. A store can have a program without a network, but then has to build and run the technology behind it itself.

How long should the cookie window be in an affiliate program?

It should match the actual time from first visit to purchase in your category. Affilyflow recommends 30 days, and the choice is between 14 and 90 days. Short windows suit impulse purchases, longer windows suit products customers compare over weeks.

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