Reference/Glossary

Affiliate marketing, defined.

Plain-language definitions of the terms creators actually run into. Two paragraphs each, no jargon, internal links to the deeper coverage.

ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number)

The 10-character product identifier Amazon uses internally for every product. Found in product URLs as amazon.com/dp/B0XXXXXXXX. ASINs are supposed to be permanent but get reassigned more often than creators expect.

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Affiliate link

A URL that contains a tracking parameter identifying you as the referrer, so the merchant can credit you a commission when the click converts to a sale.

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Affiliate network

A platform that aggregates affiliate programs from many merchants in one place. Acts as the intermediary tracking clicks, attributing sales, and paying out commissions. Examples: Awin, Amazon Associates, Daisycon, Impact, ShareASale.

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Affiliate tag

The unique identifier inside an affiliate URL that tells the network which publisher to credit. Different networks call it different names but the function is the same.

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Cookie window

The timeframe between a visitor clicking your affiliate link and completing a purchase, during which the network will credit you the commission. Varies by program, from 24 hours (Amazon) to 30+ days (most other networks).

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EPC (earnings per click)

A standard affiliate-marketing metric: total commissions earned divided by total clicks sent. Used to compare program profitability or content effectiveness across affiliate links.

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Last-click attribution

The model affiliate networks use to credit commissions: whoever was the last affiliate to send a visitor before they purchased gets the commission, regardless of who introduced them to the product.

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Link cloaking

The practice of replacing an ugly affiliate URL with a clean, brand-friendly URL on your own domain that redirects to the affiliate destination. Originated in WordPress plugins like ThirstyAffiliates and Pretty Links.

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Managed URL

A redirect URL on a domain you control that points to your underlying affiliate URL. Update the destination in one place; every platform using the managed URL reflects the change instantly.

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Soft 404

A page that returns HTTP status 200 OK but actually shows error content — "currently unavailable," "out of stock," or similar. Looks healthy to status-code checkers; doesn't convert for buyers.

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