Affiliate Program Policy Template

Overview

This policy document clearly outlines what affiliates can and cannot do. It supplements your Terms & Conditions with practical, actionable guidelines.

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Affiliate Program Policy

[COMPANY_NAME] Affiliate Program Policy

Effective Date: [EFFECTIVE_DATE] Last Updated: [LAST_UPDATED_DATE]

This policy governs acceptable promotional practices for [COMPANY_NAME] affiliates. All affiliates must comply with these guidelines.

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1. Program Overview

What We Offer

Benefit	Details
Commission Rate	[COMMISSION_RATE]% per qualified sale
Cookie Duration	[COOKIE_DURATION] days
Recurring Commissions	[YES/NO] — [DETAILS_IF_YES]
Payment Threshold	[MINIMUM_PAYOUT]
Payment Schedule	[PAYMENT_SCHEDULE]

Who Can Join

We welcome affiliates who:

• Have relevant audiences (SaaS users, business owners, marketers, etc.)
• Create quality content
• Follow ethical marketing practices
• Can drive genuine value to our customers

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2. Approved Promotional Methods

Fully Approved ✅

Content Marketing:

• Blog posts and articles
• Product reviews
• Tutorials and how-to guides
• Comparison articles
• YouTube videos
• Podcasts

Social Media (Organic):

• Twitter/X posts
• LinkedIn articles and posts
• Instagram posts and stories
• TikTok videos
• Facebook posts

Email Marketing:

• Newsletters to your own list
• Product recommendations
• Educational sequences

Communities:

• Forum participation (with disclosure)
• Community contributions
• Q&A platforms (genuine help, not spam)

Requires Pre-Approval ⚠️

Contact [APPROVAL_EMAIL] before using:

• Paid Advertising — PPC, social ads, display ads
• Brand Bidding — Any use of "[COMPANY_NAME]" in ads
• Co-branded Materials — Custom landing pages, emails
• Incentivized Traffic — Cashback sites, loyalty programs
• Coupon Sites — Dedicated coupon/deal content

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3. Prohibited Activities

Immediate Termination Offenses 🚫

These will result in immediate removal and forfeiture of unpaid commissions:

Fraudulent Activity:

• Cookie stuffing or forced clicks
• Self-referrals
• Fake conversions or traffic
• Using bots or automated traffic
• Click injection or ad fraud

Deceptive Practices:

• False or misleading claims
• Fake testimonials or reviews
• Impersonating [COMPANY_NAME] staff
• Creating fake urgency ("closing forever!")
• Bait-and-switch tactics

Spam:

• Unsolicited emails
• Unsolicited direct messages
• Comment spam
• Forum/community spam

Brand Violations:

• Trademark infringement
• Domains containing our brand name
• Websites mimicking our official site
• Unauthorized use of brand assets

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Policy Violations (Warning First) ⚠️

These will receive a warning before termination:

• Missing affiliate disclosures
• Outdated product information
• Unapproved paid advertising
• Minor messaging guideline violations
• Promoting unauthorized coupons

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4. Affiliate Disclosure Requirements

FTC Compliance is Mandatory

All promotional content must clearly disclose your affiliate relationship.

Acceptable Disclosures:

Context	Example
Blog post	"Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you."
Social media	"#affiliate" or "#ad" or "affiliate link"
Video	Verbal mention in first 30 seconds + on-screen text
Email	"This email contains affiliate links" near the links

Disclosure Rules

1. Prominent — Not hidden in footers or fine print
2. Clear — Plain language your audience understands
3. Near links — Close to affiliate links, not just once per page
4. Honest — Don't disguise affiliate links

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5. Content Guidelines

Required

• ✅ Accurate product descriptions
• ✅ Current pricing (or link to pricing page)
• ✅ Honest opinions and reviews
• ✅ Clear affiliate disclosure
• ✅ Relevant, helpful content

Prohibited

• ❌ False claims or exaggerations
• ❌ Unauthorized testimonials
• ❌ Outdated screenshots or features
• ❌ Guaranteed results we don't promise
• ❌ Negative competitor attacks

Comparison Content

Comparison posts are allowed if:

• Information is accurate and current
• You've personally used compared products
• Comparisons are fair and factual
• You disclose affiliate relationships for all products

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6. Coupon & Discount Policies

Official Coupons

We may provide exclusive coupon codes. When using official coupons:

• Use exact code provided
• Follow any usage restrictions
• Remove expired coupons promptly

Coupon Sites

Affiliates focused primarily on coupon/deal content must:

• Get pre-approval to join
• Only promote official, current coupons
• Not create "fake" coupons (e.g., "[COMPANY] discount code")

Unauthorized Coupons

Promoting unauthorized, expired, or made-up coupon codes will result in:

1. First offense: Warning and commission reversal
2. Second offense: Program termination

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7. Paid Advertising Rules

Google/Bing Ads

• ❌ Brand Bidding Prohibited — Do not bid on "[COMPANY_NAME]" or variations
• ✅ Generic Keywords Allowed — Bid on category terms (e.g., "project management software")
• ⚠️ Display Ads — Require pre-approval

Social Media Ads

• ⚠️ Require pre-approval
• ❌ Cannot use our brand name prominently in ad copy
• ❌ Cannot use official product images without approval
• ✅ Can promote your own content about us

Native/Display Advertising

• ⚠️ Requires pre-approval
• Must clearly identify as advertising
• Cannot mimic editorial content deceptively

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8. Commission Rules

Qualified Sales

A sale qualifies for commission when:

• ✅ Customer clicked your unique affiliate link
• ✅ Purchase completed within cookie duration
• ✅ No refund requested within [REFUND_PERIOD] days
• ✅ Not a fraudulent or prohibited transaction
• ✅ Customer is new (not existing customer)

Disqualified Sales

Commissions will NOT be paid for:

• Self-purchases (you or immediate family)
• Existing customers
• Fraudulent transactions
• Refunded or chargebacked purchases
• Sales from prohibited traffic sources
• Purchases using unauthorized coupons

Commission Adjustments

We reserve the right to adjust commissions for:

• Refunds and chargebacks
• Suspected fraud
• Policy violations
• Calculation errors

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9. Termination

Voluntary Termination

You may leave the program at any time. Contact [SUPPORT_EMAIL] to request:

• Account closure
• Final commission payout (if above threshold)

Involuntary Termination

We may terminate affiliates for:

• Policy violations
• Inactivity ([INACTIVITY_PERIOD]+ months)
• Quality concerns
• Brand protection

Effect of Termination

Upon termination:

• Affiliate links will stop tracking
• Pending commissions (past holding period) will be paid
• You must remove all affiliate links and materials

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10. Policy Updates

How We Update

• Material changes communicated via email
• [NOTICE_PERIOD] days notice for significant changes
• Current policy always at [POLICY_URL]

Your Responsibility

• Check policy periodically
• Continued participation = acceptance
• Contact us if you have questions

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Contact Information

Affiliate Support: [SUPPORT_EMAIL] Policy Questions: [POLICY_EMAIL] Violation Reports: [VIOLATIONS_EMAIL]

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How to Use This Template

Implementation

1. Customize all [BRACKETED] sections with your specifics
2. Review with legal counsel for your jurisdiction
3. Publish on your website — e.g., yoursite.com/affiliate-policy
4. Reference in signup — Require agreement during registration
5. Send to existing affiliates when publishing

Key Variables

Variable	Description	Example
[COMPANY_NAME]	Your brand	Acme Inc.
[COMMISSION_RATE]	Commission %	25
[COOKIE_DURATION]	Cookie window	30 days
[REFUND_PERIOD]	Refund window	30 days
[INACTIVITY_PERIOD]	Before removal	12 months

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FAQ

How is this different from Terms & Conditions?

Terms & Conditions are legal terms of participation. This Policy is a practical guide to what affiliates can and cannot do. Use both together.

Should I enforce every violation?

Use judgment. Minor first-time issues warrant a friendly correction. Serious or repeated violations require termination.

How often should I update this?

Review quarterly. Update when you change commission structure, add restrictions, or see common issues.