Glossary

In CPS programs, you earn a percentage or fixed fee per sale generated. Pros: aligns with revenue; Cons: requires downstream conversion.

Programs may allow or restrict PPC (paid search) traffic. When allowed, there can be rules: no bidding on brand/trademark terms, no direct linking to the advertiser’s domain, geo or keyword restrictions, and required negative keywords. Violations can lead to reversals or removal from the program.

Many programs prohibit affiliates from bidding on the advertiser’s brand names, product names, or misspellings in search ads. Some allow bidding on generic terms but require negative keywords to prevent brand conflicts. Policies often distinguish between broad match vs exact match on brand terms and may restrict using the brand in ad copy or display URLs.

Actions include signup, trial, install, or other non-purchase events.

A lead might be a signup, registration, or inquiry form submission. Pros: faster earnings; Cons: lower value per conversion.

The publisher (affiliate) promotes a merchant's product or service in exchange for a commission on referred sales or actions. This term emphasizes their role in publishing or placing ads/links.

The merchant (advertiser) owns the product or service being promoted by the affiliates. They are responsible for setting the program rules and paying commissions.

A self-managed program is run directly by the business, typically using Affiliate Software (like Tapfiliate), where the business manages all aspects of recruitment, tracking, and payout without relying on a third-party network marketplace.

Affiliate Networks (like CJ, Impact, ShareASale, Awin) act as an intermediary marketplace, providing tracking, payment aggregation, and a built-in directory for advertisers to find affiliates.

Also known as Affiliate Tracking Software. These tools (like FirstPromoter or Tapfiliate) provide the necessary links, tracking, reporting, and payment management for a business to run its program directly, without relying on a third-party network marketplace. The business is responsible for affiliate recruitment.

Programs define commission rates, cookie durations, and rules. They can be run directly, via a network, or via an affiliate software.

Increases conversion rates compared to generic homepage links. Often supported via network dashboards or custom link builders.

Ranges from 24 hours to 90+ days depending on program. Longer cookies increase the chance of earning commissions.

Key metric for evaluating program profitability. Networks often display EPC to help affiliates compare programs.

The conversion window (attribution window) is the period after a tracked click or view during which a sale or action can be attributed to the affiliate. Common windows are 7 or 30 days for clicks; some programs also define view-through windows (e.g., 1–7 days). It differs from cookie duration, which controls how long the referral identifier persists.

Used to identify campaigns, traffic sources, or ad placements. Helps optimize performance across multiple strategies.

Net terms indicate how long after the close of a billing period the payout is made. For example, net-30 means payment 30 days after month end; net-15 is 15 days; net-60 is 60 days. Some programs specify 'net-XX after approval' or 'net-XX after month end'. Delays can account for refunds and chargebacks.

In last-click attribution, the final tracked click within the conversion window receives full credit for the conversion. This model is common in affiliate programs and networks, prioritizing the most recent affiliate touchpoint. It can ignore earlier upper‑funnel influences and may be combined with rules like de-duplication, brand/coupon prioritization, and channel overrides.