# What Is Affiliate Marketing? A Plain-English Guide

Published 2026-10-23 · Data updated 2026-10-23 · https://clickaffiliate.net/blog/what-is-affiliate-marketing/

Affiliate marketing is a simple deal: a company pays you a commission when someone you refer buys its product. You share a tracked link; the company's software records the visit, and if a sale happens within the **cookie window**, the sale is credited to you.

## The four terms that decide what you earn

- **Commission** — a percentage of the sale (for example 30%) or a flat amount (for example $100 per signup).

- **Recurring vs one-time** — recurring programs keep paying every month the customer stays subscribed, sometimes for life. For software, recurring is usually worth far more.

- **Cookie window** — how long after the click you still get credit. 30 days is common; 90+ days is generous.

- **Payout terms** — how often you are paid, the minimum balance, and the methods (PayPal, bank, Stripe).

## How to choose a program

Start with what your audience already needs, then compare programs in that niche on the four terms above. That is exactly what our [daily rankings](https://clickaffiliate.net/rankings/) do for you.

## Rules to respect

Most programs forbid bidding on their brand name in ads, self-referrals and coupon-site promotion. Always disclose affiliate links to your readers — it is required by law in many countries.