A publisher, also called an affiliate, is any individual or business that promotes an advertiser's products or services in exchange for commission on resulting clicks, leads, or sales. Publishers range from large cashback and coupon sites to individual content creators and bloggers, all operating through tracking links provided by a network.
A home-renovation blogger becomes a publisher for a tools advertiser, adding tracking links throughout their articles. Every reader who clicks through and buys earns the blogger a commission, without the blogger ever handling inventory or payment processing themselves.
Yes, in most cases. Advertisers typically review and approve publisher applications before tracking links become active, checking that the publisher's audience, content, and promotional methods fit their brand. Some advertisers auto-approve; others manually vet every applicant before granting access to their program.
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