Affiliate programmes, disclosures and reporting
Understand the programme.
Earn the reader’s trust.
Thirty original guides to affiliate relationships, clear disclosures, programme terms, link records and careful interpretation of reports.
Start here · Understand the relationship
Know the relationship.
Read the conditions.
A referral arrangement has its own conditions.
Read the guide
Clear reader disclosures
Place the Disclosure Where the Recommendation Is Read
Read the programme terms
Policies Incorporated by Reference Still Need Reading
Understand the relationship
5 articlesUnderstand the relationship
What an Affiliate Programme Does
A referral arrangement has its own conditions.
Read the articleUnderstand the relationship
Publisher, Merchant and Network Roles
Identify who provides each part of the arrangement.
Read the articleUnderstand the relationship
Affiliate Links and Ordinary Editorial Links
A destination alone does not explain the commercial connection.
Read the articleUnderstand the relationship
A Material Connection Needs an Understandable Explanation
Explain the relationship a reader may not expect.
Read the articleUnderstand the relationship
Write a Plain-Language Commission Disclosure
Name the possible compensation clearly.
Read the articleClear reader disclosures
5 articlesClear reader disclosures
Place the Disclosure Where the Recommendation Is Read
A reader should encounter the relevant context in time.
Read the articleClear reader disclosures
Check Disclosure Layout on a Phone
A desktop placement can behave differently in a narrow view.
Read the articleClear reader disclosures
Video and Description Text Are Different Surfaces
A viewer may not read the supporting description.
Read the articleClear reader disclosures
Use the Audience’s Language for the Disclosure
A label must be understood, not merely present.
Read the articleClear reader disclosures
A Sponsored-Link Attribute Does Not Explain Compensation to Readers
Technical markup and readable wording do different jobs.
Read the articleEditorial evidence
5 articlesEditorial evidence
Understand rel Sponsored in the Actual Link
Qualify paid placements using maintained technical guidance.
Read the articleEditorial evidence
Separate Advertising from Editorial Comparisons
The basis of inclusion should remain clear.
Read the articleEditorial evidence
Be Honest About Products You Have Not Tested
A specification review is different from hands-on experience.
Read the articleEditorial evidence
Keep Evidence Behind a Recommendation
A claim should remain connected with its source.
Read the articleEditorial evidence
Read an Operating Agreement as a Complete Set of Conditions
The headline commission is not the whole arrangement.
Read the articleRead the programme terms
5 articlesRead the programme terms
Policies Incorporated by Reference Still Need Reading
A linked policy can supply an important condition.
Read the articleRead the programme terms
Record Effective Dates and Changes
An older saved copy may no longer describe the current terms.
Read the articleRead the programme terms
Check the Permitted Publishing Channels
A website and a message campaign may have different conditions.
Read the articleRead the programme terms
Link Restrictions Are Programme Specific
One programme’s example is not a universal rule.
Read the articleRead the programme terms
Maintain a Small Link Inventory
Connect each link with its page and purpose.
Read the articleLinks and report definitions
5 articlesLinks and report definitions
Tracking IDs Have a Reporting Purpose
An identifier is not a person-level explanation.
Read the articleLinks and report definitions
Clicks and Impressions Describe Different Events
Read the report’s definition before comparing counts.
Read the articleLinks and report definitions
Ordered and Shipped Items Are Different Report States
The stage of the transaction matters.
Read the articleLinks and report definitions
A Conversion Rate Needs Its Denominator
A percentage without its base is difficult to interpret.
Read the articleLinks and report definitions
Compare Matching Reporting Periods
Different date ranges can explain different totals.
Read the articleReview and corrections
5 articlesReview and corrections
Report Totals Can Be Revised
A saved snapshot records one point in time.
Read the articleReview and corrections
Returns and Reversed Commissions Need Their Own Record
An initial figure may not be the final amount.
Read the articleReview and corrections
Merchant Sales and Publisher Commission
The two amounts belong to different roles.
Read the articleReview and corrections
Use Synthetic Examples Without Earnings Promises
An illustration should explain a calculation, not predict a result.
Read the articleReview and corrections
Maintain a Content Review and Correction Log
A published page needs a traceable current record.
Read the articleA considered approach.
Independent affiliate-programme education. No enrolment, live offers, earnings guarantees or compensated recommendation links in this journal.