Affiliate links: commissions, attribution windows and disclosure duties

The short version

Affiliate links are a way for creators to earn a commission when a viewer buys a product they recommended. This is not a one-time click event. A creator can earn money even if a viewer leaves the page, closes the app, or returns days later, because of a mechanism called an attribution window.

This guide explains the mechanics of that window, the rules for disclosing these relationships, and what counts as a paid endorsement. It is not financial advice, a tax guide, or a legal verdict. It separates the technical setup from the regulatory duties.

How it works

The core mechanism relies on a digital trail. When a viewer clicks a special link in a post, a cookie or similar identifier is placed on their device. This tag tells the retailer: "This visitor came from Creator X."

If that visitor buys the product later, the system checks if the visit happened within a specific timeframe. This timeframe is the attribution window.

• The Window: Depending on the retailer or network, this window can last for hours, days, or even months. If a user clicks a link on a Monday, browses for a week, and buys on a Sunday, the sale often still counts for the creator.
• The Commission: If the sale occurs within that window, a pre-agreed percentage or fixed fee is paid to the creator.
• The Trigger: The trigger is the click. The payment happens only if a transaction follows.

This setup means a recommendation does not need to result in an immediate purchase to generate revenue. The link keeps "active" for the duration of the window, allowing creators to earn from delayed decisions.

What is sourced

The rules governing these links are not optional for professional creators. Regulators view these relationships as commercial endorsements.

According to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission), if a brand gives you free or discounted products or other perks and then you mention one of its products, you must make a disclosure. This applies even if you were not explicitly asked to mention that specific product. The receipt of a gift or a discount creates a material connection that must be revealed.

Furthermore, the FTC works to stop deceptive ads. Its Endorsement Guides detail how advertisers and endorsers can stay on the right side of the law. The core principle is clarity: the audience must understand that the content is influenced by a financial or material relationship.

In the European context, rules on unfair commercial practices state that when promoting, selling, or supplying products, companies must give consumers enough accurate information to enable an informed buying decision. This reinforces the need for transparency so viewers understand the commercial nature of the recommendation.

In France, the ARPP (Autorité de régulation professionnelle de la publicité) updates its practical sheet on influencer–brand communication in line with the digital advertising recommendation: commercial character must be identified instantly, explicitly and legibly — not buried after “see more,” not only at the end of a video, and not hidden in a hashtag pile. Affiliate commissions sit inside that same transparency duty whenever the creator has a material connection to the merchant.

Caveats

There are important limits to what creators can say and how they must present these links.

• Scope of Endorsement: It is not just a written review. Tags, likes, pins, and similar ways of showing you like a brand or product can be endorsements. If a financial or material connection exists, these actions may require disclosure.
• Truth in Claims: Creators cannot make up claims about a product that would require proof the advertiser does not have. For example, asserting a product can treat a health condition without scientific proof is prohibited.
• Disclosure Visibility: A disclosure must be clear and conspicuous. Hiding it in a list of hashtags or requiring a user to click "more" to see it often fails to meet regulatory standards.

These rules exist to prevent deception. The goal is not to ban affiliate marketing, but to ensure the audience knows when a recommendation is paid or incentivized.

What's next

As platforms and tools evolve, the mechanics of tracking may change, but the duty to disclose remains. Creators should verify their specific network's attribution windows and ensure their disclosures are obvious to the average viewer.

For brands, the focus is on ensuring their partners understand these duties to avoid penalties. For viewers, the key is to look for the disclosure before trusting a recommendation.

Going further

• FTC Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers — The official U.S. guide on when and how to disclose material connections.
• ARPP — Communication d’influenceurs et marques — French self-regulatory update on instant, explicit commercial identification.
• ARPP — Digital advertising recommendations — Deontological rules applied to online commercial communication.
• Unfair commercial practices - Your Europe — EU rules on providing accurate information for informed buying decisions.