How Affiliate Commissions Really Work
July 2, 2026 · 7 min read
An affiliate link is simply a normal link with a tracking code attached. When someone follows it and buys something, the retailer records that you sent the visitor and pays you a share of the sale.
Commission rates vary enormously — a few percent on general retail, considerably more on software and digital goods. The rate matters far less than whether your recommendation was the right one for the reader.
Most programmes use a cookie window, often between 24 hours and 30 days, during which a purchase still counts as yours.
Realistically, an affiliate site takes six to eighteen months to earn meaningfully. Anyone promising faster is selling something other than the truth.
Disclose your links clearly. It is both a legal requirement in most countries and, more importantly, the reason readers will trust you enough to follow your advice at all.
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