Sales Loves MarketingAn affiliate network is a middleman between merchants and the publishers who promote them. Merchants list their affiliate programs on the network. Publishers, also called affiliates, join the network, apply to the programs they want, and earn a commission on the sales or leads they send. The network tracks every click and sale and pays everyone out.
How does an affiliate network work?
- A merchant joins the network and sets up a program: the commission, the rules and the creative assets.
- Publishers apply to the program through the network. The merchant approves or rejects them.
- The network creates tracking links for each publisher, including deep links to specific product pages.
- A visitor clicks and buys. The network records the click and matches the sale to the right publisher, using cookies, click IDs or server-to-server postbacks.
- The merchant approves the commission, and the network collects the money and pays the publisher, often bundling payments from many merchants into one payout.
Most programs pay per sale or per lead. See pay per sale and cost per action.
What does an affiliate network offer each side?
For merchants
- Access to a large base of existing publishers.
- Tracking technology and reporting.
- Payment processing to many affiliates at once.
For publishers
- One account for many programs.
- Combined reporting and a single payout.
- Product feeds and APIs for building content.
How do affiliate networks charge?
Affiliates generally join for free. Merchants usually pay a setup fee, a recurring membership fee or both. Many networks also take an "override", a percentage added on top of each commission the merchant pays to affiliates. Fees vary by network and by contract, so compare the total cost per sale, not just the headline fee.
Affiliate network vs affiliate program vs in-house program
| Affiliate program | Affiliate network | In-house program | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | One merchant | A third-party platform | The merchant, with its own software |
| Products promoted | That merchant's only | Many merchants' | That merchant's only |
| Example | Amazon Associates | A multi-merchant network | A SaaS company's partner program |
| Main cost | Commissions | Commissions plus network fees | Commissions plus software |
For B2B companies, the choice is usually between joining a network for its publisher reach and running a program in-house, where you recruit partners such as consultants, agencies and review sites yourself. Read more in how to create a partner program for your B2B SaaS.
Networks change over time
Affiliate networks merge and close, so check that a network is still operating before you join. ShareASale, a Chicago-based network founded in 2000, was bought by Awin in 2017. Awin moved eligible ShareASale advertisers and publishers onto its own platform and shut ShareASale down on October 6, 2025.
Disclosure rules still apply
Joining a network doesn't change a publisher's obligations. In the US, the FTC says publishers should clearly disclose that they earn commissions from their links.
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
How do affiliate networks make money?
Mostly from merchants. Merchants usually pay a setup fee, a recurring membership fee or both, and many networks also take an override, a percentage charged on top of each commission paid to affiliates. Affiliates generally join for free.
What is the difference between an affiliate network and an affiliate program?
An affiliate program belongs to one merchant and promotes that merchant's products, such as Amazon Associates. An affiliate network hosts the programs of many merchants, so one affiliate account gives access to all of them.
Do I need an affiliate network to run an affiliate program?
No. A merchant can run a program in-house with its own tracking software and recruit partners directly. A network adds a ready base of publishers and handles payments, in exchange for its fees.