What it means
In affiliate marketing, affiliate program a structured marketing arrangement where a business rewards external partners (affiliates) for driving traffic, leads, or sales through the affiliate's promotional efforts.
Why it matters
Whether you're launching a new affiliate program or scaling an existing one, understanding affiliate program helps you make better decisions about commission structures, partner recruitment, and growth tactics. Most SaaS founders run into this concept early and benefit from a clear mental model before they start building.
See also
Related terms in the affiliate marketing glossary that connect to affiliate program:
- API Key -- A unique identifier used to authenticate requests to an affiliate platform's API. In Refgrow, API keys use the rgk_ p...
- Attribution -- The process of identifying which affiliate or marketing channel deserves credit for a conversion. Common models inclu...
- Attribution Window -- The time period after a click during which a conversion can be credited to the referring affiliate. Also called cooki...