affiliate link
/əˈfɪliɪt lɪŋk/
Very CommonA tracked URL that pays the creator a commission when someone uses it to make a purchase.
Mostly neutral or accepted now. Became slightly loaded when creators failed to disclose them or built content solely to push purchases. The phrase 'link in bio' is closely associated.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | the whole review is just a setup for the affiliate link at the end. noticed. | The review content exists to drive to a commission purchase, not to genuinely inform. | x, 2023 |
| 02 | if I click your affiliate link does it actually help you or are you just saying that | Genuine curiosity about whether the creator earns meaningfully from affiliate commissions. | youtube, 2024 |
| 03 | I make more from affiliate links than I ever did from brand deals. volume matters. | Commission-based links can outperform flat-fee sponsorships when audience size is large enough. | x, 2024 |
| 04 | every single product in this 'honest review' video has an affiliate link. there are 14 products. | The quantity of affiliate links undermines the neutrality of the review. |
Use it when
- A creator recommends a product with a tracked URL that earns them commission.
- Describing the link in a YouTube description, newsletter, or bio.
- Skeptically calling out content that exists mainly to drive purchases.
Do not use it when
- You mean a direct brand deal or sponsorship with a flat fee.
- You mean someone selling their own products through TikTok.Use “tiktok-shop” instead.
Variations and related forms
Affiliate link vs TikTok Shop
affiliate link
An affiliate link sends you to an external store and pays a commission on purchase.
VS
tiktok-shop
TikTok Shop is an in-app purchase with the creator earning through the platform's own commerce system.
Origin and context
Amazon's Associates program launched in 1996 and is considered the first mainstream affiliate program. The term became common web vocabulary as blogging and later YouTube creator monetization grew through the 2000s and 2010s.
- First seen
- late-1990s
- Confidence
- high
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/affiliate-linkUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0