Affiliate Marketing Glossary

An affiliate network is a marketplace connecting brands with affiliates, while an affiliate program is your own direct partner channel.

Affiliate tracking is the system that attributes clicks, conversions, and revenue to the right partner so they get paid accurately.

Attribution is the process of determining which affiliate or marketing channel deserves credit for a conversion.

Click deduplication prevents the same visitor from being counted as multiple clicks, giving you accurate traffic metrics.

Click fraud is the practice of generating fake or invalid clicks on affiliate links to inflate metrics or steal commissions.

Conversion holdback is a waiting period between when a conversion is recorded and when the affiliate commission is approved for payment.

A conversion pixel is a JavaScript snippet placed on your thank-you page that fires when a customer completes a desired action.

A cookie window is the period of time after a click during which a conversion can still be attributed to the referring affiliate.

Cookieless tracking attributes conversions to affiliates without relying on browser cookies, using methods like server-side IDs and coupon codes.

Coupon attribution credits a conversion to an affiliate based on the promo code used at checkout, not a tracking link click.

CPA is a pricing model where you pay affiliates a fixed amount for each completed action like a sale, signup, or lead.

Deep linking lets affiliates send traffic directly to a specific product or landing page instead of your homepage.

EPC measures how much revenue each click generates on average, helping you evaluate affiliate and offer quality at a glance.

First-party tracking uses cookies set by your own domain to attribute conversions, avoiding the restrictions browsers place on third-party cookies.

A partner portal is a self-serve dashboard where affiliates can access their links, view performance data, and manage their account.

A postback URL is a server-to-server callback that notifies your tracking system when a conversion happens, without relying on the browser.

RevShare is a commission model where affiliates earn a percentage of each sale they refer, aligning their earnings with your revenue.

Server-to-server tracking sends conversion data directly between servers, bypassing the browser for more reliable attribution.

Smart links automatically route visitors to different destinations based on their geography, device, operating system, or other attributes.

Sub-ID tracking lets affiliates append custom parameters to their links to identify which campaigns, placements, or creatives drive results.