What is an affiliate link?

A seller runs an affiliate programme, often through a network or its own dashboard. You sign up and get a unique link, or a unique code added to any product link. When a visitor clicks it, the seller’s system remembers who sent them. If that visitor buys, the sale is matched to you.

The terms are set by each programme, not by Instagram or Facebook: how long a click stays valid, what share you earn, when you are paid and what counts as a refunded sale. Read those terms before you promote anything, because they differ from one seller to the next.

• A plain product link has no tracking, so you earn nothing from it.
• A short or shortened link can still be an affiliate link. The code is hidden behind the redirect.
• A discount code can also act as an affiliate link when the seller ties the code to you.

The US Federal Trade Commission’s guide for influencers says that if you endorse a product, your message should make it obvious when you have a “material connection” with the brand. It lists a financial relationship as one, and says to disclose it if you got anything of value for mentioning a product. A commission on sales fits that description, though this is a general guide, not legal advice, and rules differ by country.

The same guide says the disclosure should sit with the endorsement itself, not only on a profile page or at the end of a post. It says not to bury it in a group of hashtags or links, and that a plain note such as thanks for a free product is often enough when it is hard to miss. It also warns against vague terms such as “sp” or “collab”.

Meta’s messaging rules mean the first automatic DM to someone who commented on your post is plain text, with no link. In practice you ask them to reply first, then send the link once they do. A message such as “Reply LINK and I will send the page I use, I earn a small commission if you buy” discloses and gets the permission step done in one go.

Tip: Keep a list of the links you use and the programme each belongs to. When a seller changes its terms, you can update every post and DM that points to it.