Glossary
The B2B affiliate glossary.
Plain definitions for the terms behind attribution, commissions, payouts and running a partner program.
Definitions
105 terms
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Affiliate
An individual or company that promotes products for a merchant in exchange for a commission.
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Affiliate Marketing
A performance-based marketing strategy where affiliates earn commissions by promoting a merchant's products or services.
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Affiliate Network
A platform that connects merchants with affiliates to facilitate affiliate marketing partnerships.
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Affiliate Program
A system where a merchant rewards affiliates for driving traffic or sales through their marketing efforts.
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Commission
The fee paid to an affiliate for generating a specific action, like a sale or lead.
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Click-Through Rate (CTR)
The percentage of people who click on an affiliate link compared to those who view it.
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Conversion Rate
The percentage of visitors who take a desired action, such as making a purchase, after clicking an affiliate link.
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Cookie Duration
The time period during which a merchant tracks an affiliate's referral for commission purposes.
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Cost Per Action (CPA)
A commission structure where affiliates are paid when a specific action is completed by the referred user.
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Cost Per Click (CPC)
A payment model where affiliates earn money each time a user clicks on their affiliate link.
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Cost Per Mille (CPM)
A commission model where affiliates are paid per thousand impressions of an ad or link.
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Earnings Per Click (EPC)
An average amount earned by an affiliate each time a user clicks on their affiliate link.
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Landing Page
The web page where a visitor arrives after clicking an affiliate link, designed to convert visitors into leads or customers.
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Lead
A potential customer who has shown interest in a product or service, often by providing contact information.
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Merchant
A company or individual who sells products or services and runs an affiliate program.
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Pay Per Click (PPC)
An advertising model where affiliates are paid each time their ad or link is clicked.
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Pay Per Sale (PPS)
A commission structure where affiliates are paid only when a sale is made through their referral.
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Performance Marketing
A marketing approach where payment is based on measurable results, such as sales or leads.
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Publisher
Another term for an affiliate who promotes products or services through their own channels.
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Referral
A visitor or customer directed to a merchant's site by an affiliate.
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Return on Investment (ROI)
A measure of the profitability of affiliate marketing efforts compared to the costs involved.
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Tracking
The process of monitoring clicks, conversions, and other actions to attribute them to the correct affiliate.
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Two-Tier Affiliate Program
A program where affiliates earn commissions on their own sales and on the sales made by affiliates they refer.
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Upsell
A sales technique where a higher-end product or service is offered to a customer during the purchase process.
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White Label
A product or service produced by one company that other companies rebrand to make it appear as if they made it.
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Backlink
A link from one website to another, important for SEO and driving traffic.
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Banner Ad
A graphical advertisement displayed on a website, linking to the merchant's site.
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Chargeback
A reversal of a transaction, resulting in the loss of a sale and commission for the affiliate.
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Contextual Advertising
Advertising that is relevant to the content on the web page where it appears.
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Conversion
The completion of a desired action by a user, such as making a purchase or signing up for a service.
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Creative
Marketing materials provided by the merchant for affiliates to use in promotions.
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Deep Linking
Linking directly to a specific page or product on a merchant's website.
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Impression
A single instance of an ad being displayed to a user.
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Lifetime Value (LTV)
The total revenue a merchant expects to earn from a customer over the entire period of their relationship.
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Link Cloaking
The practice of disguising affiliate links to make them shorter and more user-friendly.
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Offer
A specific product or promotion that affiliates can promote to earn commissions.
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Opt-in
When a user gives permission to receive marketing communications, such as emails.
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Pay Per Lead (PPL)
A commission model where affiliates are paid for generating leads, regardless of sales.
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Pixel
A small piece of code used for tracking user behavior and conversions.
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Recurring Commission
Ongoing commissions earned by affiliates for repeat purchases or subscriptions by referred customers.
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Split Testing
Also known as A/B testing, it involves comparing two versions of a marketing element to determine which performs better.
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Sub-Affiliate
An affiliate who is recruited by another affiliate in a network, often earning commissions for both parties.
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Super Affiliate
An affiliate who consistently generates high volumes of traffic and sales.
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Target Audience
A specific group of consumers identified as the intended recipient of an advertisement or message.
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Text Link
A hyperlink using text as anchor text to direct users to the merchant's site.
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Third-Party Tracking
Using independent platforms to monitor affiliate marketing activities and verify performance.
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Traffic
The visitors who come to a website, crucial for generating potential conversions.
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Unique Visitor
An individual who visits a website at least once within a specific period, counted only once.
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Viral Marketing
A strategy that encourages individuals to share marketing messages, leading to exponential growth.
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Withdrawal Threshold
The minimum amount of earnings an affiliate must accumulate before receiving a payout.
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Attribution Model
The method used to assign credit for conversions to different marketing efforts.
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Brand Bidding
When affiliates bid on branded keywords in search engine marketing, sometimes restricted by merchants.
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Cloaking
A technique where different content is shown to users and search engines, often frowned upon.
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Compliance
Adherence to laws, regulations, and program policies in affiliate marketing activities.
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Conversion Path
The sequence of interactions a user goes through before completing a conversion.
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Creative Inventory
The collection of marketing materials available for affiliates to use.
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Cross-Device Tracking
Monitoring user behavior across multiple devices to attribute conversions accurately.
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Data Feed
A file containing detailed information about a merchant's products, used by affiliates to create listings.
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Geo-Targeting
Delivering content or advertisements to users based on their geographic location.
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In-House Program
An affiliate program managed directly by the merchant without using a network.
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Software as a Service (SaaS)
A software licensing and delivery model where software is centrally hosted and accessed via subscription.
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Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
The total revenue expected from a customer throughout their relationship with a business.
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Churn Rate
The percentage of customers who stop using a service during a given time period.
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Free Trial
A limited-time offer allowing potential customers to use a product or service without payment.
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Freemium
A business model offering basic features for free while charging for premium features.
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Product-Market Fit
The degree to which a product satisfies strong market demand.
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Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
The cost associated with acquiring a new customer.
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Onboarding
The process of integrating new customers and helping them achieve initial success with a product.
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Referral Program
A marketing strategy that rewards existing customers for referring new customers.
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Partner Program
A business relationship where companies collaborate to mutual benefit, often including referrals and integrations.
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API Integration
The process of connecting different software applications through their Application Programming Interfaces.
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Advocate Marketing
A strategy that leverages satisfied customers to promote products through authentic recommendations.
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Influencer Marketing
A marketing approach that leverages individuals with social influence to promote products or services.
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Content Marketing
A strategy focused on creating valuable content to attract and engage target audiences.
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Email Marketing
Direct communication with prospects and customers through email campaigns.
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Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
The practice of optimizing content to rank higher in search engine results.
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Customer Journey
The complete experience a customer has with a brand from awareness to purchase and beyond.
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Conversion Funnel
A model representing the customer journey from awareness to conversion.
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Lead Magnet
A valuable resource offered in exchange for contact information.
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Retargeting
Advertising to people who have previously visited a website or interacted with content.
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Customer Success
Ensuring customers achieve their desired outcomes while using a product or service.
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Upselling
Encouraging customers to purchase higher-value or additional products.
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Cross-Selling
Selling complementary products to existing customers.
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Customer Retention
Strategies and metrics focused on keeping existing customers engaged and subscribed.
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Webinar Marketing
Using online seminars to educate prospects and promote products or services.
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Social Media Marketing
Using social platforms to promote products and engage with audiences.
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Pay-Per-Click Advertising
A digital advertising model where advertisers pay for each click on their ads.
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Attribution Modeling
Methods for assigning credit to different marketing touchpoints in the customer journey.
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Drip Campaign
A series of automated emails sent to prospects over time.
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Marketing Automation
Technology that automates marketing tasks and workflows to improve efficiency and personalization.
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Cohort Analysis
A method of analyzing user behavior by grouping users based on shared characteristics or experiences.
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Customer Segmentation
Dividing customers into groups based on shared characteristics to enable targeted marketing.
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Predictive Analytics
Using data analysis and machine learning to predict future outcomes and behaviors.
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Programmatic Advertising
Automated buying and selling of digital advertising space using technology and algorithms.
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Dynamic Pricing
Automatically adjusting prices based on market conditions, demand, and other factors.
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Impact.com
Enterprise-grade partnership platform known for breadth of integrations; compared with Uppercut.co it serves a broader market but is less specialized in high-ticket B2B SaaS.
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Awin
Global network with strong EU reach and consumer verticals; Uppercut.co provides more B2B‑SaaS‑specific tooling and faster payouts.
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ClickFunnels Affiliate Program
Popular funnel‑builder affiliate hub optimized for info‑products; Uppercut.co outperforms it on curated affiliate quality and API access.
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CJ Affiliate
Long‑standing global network with premium brand roster; Uppercut.co offers lower friction and SaaS‑specific KPIs.
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Rakuten Advertising
Retail‑heavy network backed by an e‑commerce giant; Uppercut.co delivers a nimbler model for subscription SaaS.
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PartnerStack
SaaS‑oriented partner marketplace with automation features; Uppercut.co differentiates via high‑ticket focus and free hosting.
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ShareASale
Mid‑market network known for blogger relationships; Uppercut.co surpasses it on B2B lead vetting and API depth.
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Partnerize
Enterprise partnership automation with AI optimisation; Uppercut.co offers leaner, pay‑on‑sale pricing for SaaS growth teams.
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Refersion
Plug‑and‑play Shopify affiliate app with basic tracking; Uppercut.co provides richer data and higher‑ticket reach.
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Tapfiliate
Developer‑friendly affiliate software with white‑label options; Uppercut.co brings marketplace network effects and vetted partners.
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