affiliate-managerlisted

## Overview Affiliate programs turn partners into a performance-based sales force: they promote you, you pay only for results. This skill covers designing the program (commissions, terms, tracking), recruiting quality affiliates, enabling them to sell effectively, and managing the program for growth while preventing fraud. ## When to use - Launching an affiliate or partner program - Setting commission structures - Recruiting affiliates - Reducing affiliate fraud - Improving affiliate activation (many sign up, few promote) - Evaluating affiliate program ROI - Migrating affiliate platforms without losing tracking - Designing tiered commission structures - Handling affiliate program compliance (FTC disclosures) - Launching a second-tier or influencer affiliate hybrid - Negotiating exclusive coupon codes with top affiliates - Expanding the program internationally - Managing affiliate compliance at scale ## Core concepts **Commission design.** Percentage of sale (common for digital: 20–50%; physical: 5–15%), flat bounty per lead/sale, recurring commissions for subscriptions (powerful for SaaS), tiered rates rewarding volume. Model: commission must leave you profitable after CAC — work backward from allowable CAC. **Cookie windows and attribution.** 30–90 day windows are standard. Define attribution clearly (last-click typical), and rules for coupon/trademark bidding affiliates who may cannibalize organic sales. **Affiliate types.** Content affiliates (blogs, YouTube — high