How to start an affiliate network: a step-by-step plan

An affiliate network earns the difference between what advertisers pay per result and what affiliates receive. The model is simple; what makes a network last is the quality of its offers, its traffic and its payments. This plan covers the steps in the order they usually happen.

1. Choose a vertical

Networks that do everything compete with everyone. Pick one or two verticals where you already know advertisers or affiliates: iGaming, finance, e-commerce, apps, dating, nutra, SaaS. The vertical decides:

• the payment models (CPA, revshare, CPL, CPS);
• the traffic sources your affiliates use;
• the rules and licences you must respect (iGaming and finance are regulated in most countries).

2. Sign your first advertisers

Start with three to five advertisers you can reach directly. Agree for each offer:

• the revenue per conversion and the payout you can offer;
• the allowed traffic (and what is banned, such as incentivized traffic or brand bidding);
• the caps per day or month;
• the payment terms, for example Net 30, and how rejected conversions are handled.

Keep a margin that covers fraud, chargebacks and the time between paying affiliates and being paid.

3. Set up tracking

Tracking is the core of the network: every click, conversion and euro depends on it. Ask each advertiser to send conversions by postback (S2S), which works without cookies and is the most reliable method. See how to choose tracking software for what to check.

4. Recruit affiliates

• Use your contacts first: a few good affiliates are worth more than hundreds of inactive ones.
• Be present where affiliates look for offers: forums, conferences, affiliate directories and Telegram groups.
• Approve sign-ups by hand at first, and ask about the traffic sources.
• Give each group of affiliates an affiliate manager.

5. Protect yourself against fraud

Fraud costs the network twice: you pay the affiliate and the advertiser rejects the conversion. From the first day, check for bots, data-centre and VPN traffic, repeated clicks, and conversions that come too fast or from the same device. See fraud protection.

6. Pay on time

Affiliates stay with the networks that pay. Publish your payment terms and minimum payout, show balances in real time, and keep a record of every payment. See affiliate payouts.

7. Grow

Once the basics work, add what keeps affiliates loyal and advertisers happy:

• volume tiers for your best affiliates;
• smart links for affiliates with mixed traffic;
• sub-affiliates, so affiliates bring other affiliates;
• your own brand and domain.

Starting with RastroAff

RastroAff covers tracking, offers, affiliates, advertisers, fraud checks and payouts, so you can launch without building your own platform. The 14-day trial includes everything in the Growth plan, with no card required. To set up your network, follow getting started.