Affiliate Marketing: Tools, Networks, and Strategy

Affiliate marketing is a performance-based business model where you earn commissions by recommending products or services. Instead of creating your own products, you focus on connecting people with tools, platforms, and resources they’re already looking for.

This page serves as a practical overview of affiliate marketing—how it works, where it fits within online business, and the major networks and resources available at different experience levels. You’ll find a mix of strategy, context, and curated recommendations to help you decide whether affiliate marketing aligns with your goals—and how to approach it thoughtfully if it does.

New to affiliate marketing? Start with the fundamentals before diving into tools and networks.
Affiliate Marketing for Beginners: Your Step-by-Step Roadmap to First Sales covers everything you need to know to get started the right way.

Affiliate Networks

There are several ways to find affiliate programs and products to promote. Some well-established companies—like major retailers and software providers—run their own in-house affiliate programs.

Other companies choose to outsource their affiliate program through an affiliate network, which acts as a middleman between brands and affiliate marketers. These networks centralize tracking, approvals, payouts, and reporting—allowing affiliates to work with multiple companies from a single dashboard.

While some networks are entry-level and well suited for beginners, others have a much higher barrier to entry. The most established options are grouped below based on who they’re best suited for.

Beginner

• Amazon Associates
  Easy application process. Massive product selection, low barrier to entry, but lower commission rates as well. Note: Amazon requires a verified sale within 180 days to maintain an account.
• ClickBank
  One of the most well-known networks. Popular for digital products. Easy approval, higher commissions, but requires careful product vetting.
• Digistore24
  Beginner-friendly with strong EU presence. Clean dashboard and solid support for digital offers.
• MaxWeb
  CPA-focused network with beginner access, though approval standards are slightly higher.
• WarriorPlus
  Heavily marketing-focused offers. Easy to join, but quality varies—best used selectively.

ClickBank is one of the most beginner-accessible networks on this list. For a full walkthrough of how to navigate the platform, find quality offers, and get your first affiliate link, see our ClickBank tutorial.

Intermediate

• AWIN / ShareASale
  Large, brand-focused affiliate networks now operating under the AWIN group. Stricter approvals than entry-level platforms, but stronger long-term opportunities with established brands.
• CJ (Commission Junction)
  Enterprise-level affiliate network working directly with established brands.
• PartnerStack
  SaaS-focused network best suited for B2B tools and recurring commissions. LinkedIn profile required for full access.

Advanced

• Pepperjam / Ascend by Partnerize
  An established performance network now part of Ascend by Partnerize, offering advanced tracking and tools. Best suited for affiliates who already have some experience and a niche presence.
• Rakuten Advertising
  A premium affiliate network known for strong brand partnerships and high standards. Approval is typically more selective, and it tends to be best for experienced affiliates with established traffic.

Link Management

Affiliate link management tools help you track, organize, and optimize the links you promote. At a basic level this includes:

• Hoplinks — ClickBank’s native affiliate tracking links, generated directly from the marketplace
• Deep links — links directly to a specific product page rather than a homepage, improving relevance and conversion
• Link shorteners — tools like Bitly that clean up long affiliate URLs for sharing on social media or video descriptions
• Link trackers — platforms that monitor clicks, conversions, and traffic sources across all your affiliate links
• Cloaking tools — reformat affiliate URLs to appear cleaner and more trustworthy to visitors

For serious affiliate marketers, ClickMagick is one of the most recognized tracking platforms available, offering split testing, attribution, and detailed analytics across campaigns. It is a paid tool, but worth knowing as your business scales.

For definitions of any unfamiliar terms, visit our Glossary.

If you’re brand new, start with the beginner options above—then use the posts below to learn the process step by step.

Affiliate Marketing Guides & Tutorials