Compare affiliate programs with Claude

What you'll make

A side-by-side comparison of 3–5 affiliate programs in your niche, scored on commission rate, cookie duration, reputation and how well the product fits your audience. Instead of guessing which program to join, you'll have a clear ranking with reasons.

What you need

• A Claude account
• A list of 3–5 affiliate programs you're considering (or a niche you want to find programs in)
• Knowing who your audience is and what they care about
• 25 minutes

Steps

1. Tell Claude about your audience and the programs you're considering:

I'm choosing an affiliate program to promote products to [describe your audience — e.g. new Etsy sellers, aspiring freelancers, small business owners]. I'm considering these programs:
1. [Program name] — [product type]
2. [Program name] — [product type]
3. [Program name] — [product type]

For each program, research and tell me:
1. Commission rate (percentage or flat amount)
2. Cookie duration (how long after clicking your link the sale is tracked to you)
3. Payment method and minimum payout threshold
4. Whether they have a good reputation among affiliates (any known issues with tracking, late payments, or sudden account closures)
5. Whether the product actually fits my audience

If you don't have reliable information about one of these, say so — don't guess.

2. Ask Claude to score and rank the programs:

Score each program out of 10 on these four factors:
- Commission rate (higher is better, but weigh this against cookie duration)
- Cookie duration (30+ days is good, 7 days is short, 24 hours is very short)
- Product fit for my audience (does my audience actually need this?)
- Reputation (based on what affiliates say online)

Give each program a total score and rank them from best to worst. Explain the ranking in 2–3 sentences.

3. For the top-ranked program, ask Claude to identify the risks:

For [top program], what are the top 3 risks I should know about before signing up? Consider: minimum payout thresholds that are hard to reach, programs that close accounts without warning, products with high return rates (which claw back commissions), and whether the program competes with its own affiliates by bidding on the same keywords.

4. Make your choice. Start with the top-ranked program that has the fewest red flags. You can always add a second program later — but focus on one first so you can learn the ropes.

Check your result

• You have a scored comparison of all programs with a clear ranking
• You know the cookie duration for each (this matters more than people think — a 24-hour cookie means most sales won't be tracked to you)
• You've identified at least one risk for your chosen program
• The program you picked actually fits your audience — you'd recommend this product even without the commission

If Claude doesn't have reliable info about a program's commission or cookie duration, go to the program's own affiliate page and read the terms yourself. AI can reason about fit and reputation, but it can't see live program details that may have changed.