Submit Program

Affiliate Program Lister

Research an affiliate program from official sources and produce a verified, publish-ready

listing for openaffiliate.dev. Every number comes from the

program's official affiliate page, network page, or pricing page. No guessing.

Stage

This skill belongs to Stage S1: Research

When to Use

• User wants to add an affiliate program to openaffiliate.dev
• User wants to document a program's commission structure in a standard format
• User found a program and wants to create a shareable profile for other affiliates
• User is contributing to the community directory
• User says "list this program" or "add X to the directory"

Input Schema

{
  program_name: string       # (required) Name of the affiliate program, e.g., "HeyGen"
  affiliate_link: string     # (optional) User's affiliate link to include in the listing
  niche: string              # (optional) Category hint, e.g., "AI video", "email marketing"
}

Workflow

Step 1: Confirm Program and Context

Confirm the program name with the user. Ask:

• Do you have an affiliate link for this program? (optional — used for verification only)
• What niche or category does it fall under? (helps with tagging)

If the user says "just list it" or provides enough context, skip questions and proceed.

Step 2: Research from Official Sources

Research the program using only official, verifiable sources. Search in this order:

• Official affiliate/partner page — web_search "[program name] affiliate program" or

web_search "[program name] partner program". This is the primary source for commission

structure, cookie duration, payment terms, and signup link.

• Affiliate network page — If the program runs through a network (ShareASale, CJ,

Impact, PartnerStack, Rewardful, etc.), find the network listing for additional details.

• Official pricing page — web_search "[program name] pricing". Needed to calculate

realistic earnings (commission % means nothing without knowing the price).

• Credibility signals — Look for: number of customers, notable clients, funding raised,

year founded, G2/Capterra rating, social proof. These go in the description.

For each data point, note the source. If a value cannot be verified from official sources,

mark it as "unverified" in the output.

Step 3: Extract Listing Fields

Fill in the structured listing fields from the research:

| Field | Source | Notes |

|-------|--------|-------|

| name | Official product name | Exact capitalization from their website |

| url | Product homepage | Main website, not affiliate signup page |

| reward_type | Affiliate page | One of: cpc, cpl, cps_one_time, cps_recurring, cps_lifetime, other |

| reward_value | Affiliate page | e.g., "30%", "$50", "$0.10 per click" |

| reward_duration | Affiliate page | For recurring: "12 months", "lifetime", etc. Omit for one-time |

| cookie_days | Affiliate page | Number only. If not stated, mark "unverified" and estimate from network norms |

| tags | Niche + features | 3-6 lowercase tags, e.g., ["ai", "video", "saas"] |

Reward type mapping:

• "X% of each sale" (one purchase) → cps_one_time
• "X% recurring" or "X% for Y months" → cps_recurring
• "X% for life of customer" → cps_lifetime
• "Pay per lead / free trial signup" → cpl
• "Pay per click" → cpc
• Anything else → other (explain in description)

Step 4: Write the Description

The description is structured markdown that helps affiliates decide if the program is worth

promoting. Write these sections in order:

Opening (2-3 sentences)

What the product does, who it serves, and why affiliates should care. Lead with the value

proposition, not the company history.

Why Promote This Program

3-5 bullet points covering: commission rate highlights, cookie duration, payment reliability,

product-market fit, conversion-friendly features (free trial, demo, low friction signup).

Commission Structure

A markdown table with all commission tiers if multiple exist:

| Plan | Price | Commission | Per Sale | Type |
|------|-------|-----------|----------|------|
| Starter | $29/mo | 30% | $8.70/mo | Recurring |
| Pro | $89/mo | 30% | $26.70/mo | Recurring |
| Enterprise | Custom | 30% | Varies | Recurring |

Include: minimum payout threshold, payment methods (PayPal, wire, etc.), payment frequency

(monthly, net-30, etc.) if found.

Target Audiences

Who can promote this product effectively. List 3-5 specific audience types with brief

reasoning, e.g., "YouTube creators making tutorial content — visual product, easy to demo."

Earning Potential

Realistic earnings at three traffic levels using conservative conversion assumptions

(2% CTR, 2% conversion rate):

| Monthly Traffic | Est. Sales | Monthly Earnings | Annual Earnings |
|----------------|-----------|-----------------|----------------|
| 5,000 visitors | 2 | $X | $X |
| 20,000 visitors | 8 | $X | $X |
| 100,000 visitors | 40 | $X | $X |

For recurring programs, show month-12 compounded earnings, not just month-1.

Why It Converts

2-3 sentences on what makes this product easy to sell: free tier, strong brand recognition,

low-commitment entry point, visual demo potential, etc.

Honest Limitations

2-3 bullet points on real drawbacks. Every program has them. Examples: short cookie window,

high competition from other affiliates, niche audience only, high price point limits

conversions, payout threshold too high for beginners.

Step 5: Verify Affiliate Link (If Provided)

If the user provided an affiliate link:

• Check that the domain matches the program's known affiliate tracking domain
• Check for expected URL parameters (ref=, aff=, via=, etc.)
• Flag if the link looks malformed or suspicious
• Do NOT click the link or test it — just validate the format

Step 6: Assemble Output

Present the output in two clearly separated parts:

• Listing Fields — structured data ready for API submission
• Description — the full markdown content

Step 7: Optional API Submission

If the user wants to submit the listing directly, note that openaffiliate.dev is a

community-curated directory. Submissions are made via GitHub pull request to the

Affitor/affiliate-skills repository. Format the listing fields below so the user

can include them in a PR or share via the community.

{
  "name": "...",
  "url": "...",
  "description": "...",
  "reward_type": "...",
  "reward_value": "...",
  "reward_duration": "...",
  "cookie_days": 30,
  "tags": ["...", "..."]
}

Step 8: Self-Validation

Before presenting output, verify:

• [ ] name matches official product name (exact capitalization)
• [ ] reward_value comes from the official affiliate page, not estimated
• [ ] reward_type uses one of the allowed enum values
• [ ] cookie_days is a number from official source or explicitly marked "unverified"
• [ ] Commission table math is correct (price x percentage = per-sale amount)
• [ ] Earning potential uses conservative assumptions (2% CTR, 2% CR) not optimistic ones
• [ ] Honest Limitations section contains real drawbacks, not filler
• [ ] No data was hallucinated — every number traces to a source

If any check fails, fix the output before delivering. Do not flag the checklist to the

user — just ensure the output passes.

Output Schema

Other skills consume these fields from conversation context:

{
  output_schema_version: "1.0.0"  # Semver — bump major on breaking changes
  listing: {
    name: string              # "HeyGen"
    url: string               # "https://heygen.com"
    description: string       # Full markdown description (all sections)
    reward_type: string       # "cps_recurring" — enum: cpc, cpl, cps_one_time, cps_recurring, cps_lifetime, other
    reward_value: string      # "30%" or "$50"
    reward_duration: string   # "12 months" | "lifetime" | null (for one-time)
    cookie_days: number       # 60
    tags: string[]            # ["ai", "video", "saas"]
  }
  sources: {
    affiliate_page: string    # URL of official affiliate page
    pricing_page: string      # URL of pricing page
    network: string | null    # "PartnerStack", "ShareASale", etc.
  }
  verification: {
    all_fields_verified: boolean  # true if every field from official source
    unverified_fields: string[]   # ["cookie_days"] if any field could not be confirmed
  }
}

Output Format

## Listing Fields

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| Name | [Product Name] |
| URL | [https://product.com] |
| Reward Type | [cps_recurring] |
| Reward Value | [30%] |
| Reward Duration | [12 months] |
| Cookie Days | [60] |
| Tags | [ai, video, saas] |

**Sources:** Affiliate page: [URL] | Pricing page: [URL] | Network: [Name or "Direct"]

---

## Description

[Opening paragraph]

### Why Promote This Program

- [Bullet 1]
- [Bullet 2]
- [Bullet 3]

### Commission Structure

| Plan | Price | Commission | Per Sale | Type |
|------|-------|-----------|----------|------|
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |

Payment: [method], [frequency], [minimum payout]

### Target Audiences

- **[Audience 1]** — [why they can promote this]
- **[Audience 2]** — [why they can promote this]
- **[Audience 3]** — [why they can promote this]

### Earning Potential

| Monthly Traffic | Est. Sales | Monthly Earnings | Annual Earnings |
|----------------|-----------|-----------------|----------------|
| 5,000 visitors | [X] | $[X] | $[X] |
| 20,000 visitors | [X] | $[X] | $[X] |
| 100,000 visitors | [X] | $[X] | $[X] |

*Assumes 2% CTR, 2% conversion rate. [Recurring note if applicable.]*

### Why It Converts

[2-3 sentences]

### Honest Limitations

- [Limitation 1]
- [Limitation 2]
- [Limitation 3]

---

**Ready to share?** Copy the Listing Fields above and submit via a GitHub PR to
Affitor/affiliate-skills, or browse the directory at openaffiliate.dev.

Error Handling

• Program has no affiliate program: Tell the user clearly. Suggest checking back later

or searching for similar programs that do offer affiliates. Do not fabricate commission data.

• Affiliate page is behind a login wall: Note that commission details could not be

verified from public sources. Use network listing or trusted third-party sources as

fallback. Mark unverified fields explicitly.

• Data is unclear or conflicting: When sources disagree (e.g., affiliate page says 20%

but network says 25%), note both values and flag the discrepancy. Let the user decide

which to use.

• Program recently changed terms: If the affiliate page mentions "updated" or "new"

commission rates, note the date if available and flag that terms may change.

• Pricing is usage-based or custom: Use the most common plan tier for earning

calculations. Note the assumption. For enterprise-only pricing, use "Contact sales" and

skip per-sale calculations for that tier.

• Cookie duration not stated: Mark as "unverified" and note the network default

(ShareASale: typically 30d, Impact: varies, PartnerStack: typically 90d). Do not guess.

Examples

Example 1: SaaS with recurring commission

User: "List HeyGen's affiliate program"

• Search official affiliate page → 30% recurring, 60-day cookie, via PartnerStack
• Pricing page → Creator $29/mo, Business $89/mo, Enterprise custom
• Build commission table: Creator = $8.70/mo, Business = $26.70/mo
• Earning potential at 5K visitors: ~2 sales/mo = $17-53/mo (month 1), compounding
• Tags: ai, video, saas, content-creation
• Limitations: competitive niche, product requires learning curve

Example 2: One-time commission program

User: "Add Bluehost affiliate program to the list"

• Search → $65+ per signup (one-time), 90-day cookie, direct program
• Pricing → Basic $2.95/mo, Plus $5.45/mo, Choice Plus $5.45/mo
• reward_type: cps_one_time, reward_value: "$65+"
• Earning potential: straightforward per-sale math, no compounding
• Tags: hosting, wordpress, web-hosting, beginner-friendly
• Limitations: saturated market, aggressive competitor affiliates, low-margin hosting

Example 3: Program with unverifiable data

User: "Create a listing for this new AI tool I found — ToolXYZ"

• Search affiliate page → behind login, cannot verify commission
• Network listing found on ShareASale → 15% recurring, cookie not specified
• Mark cookie_days as "unverified", note ShareASale default is typically 30 days
• Pricing page → $19/mo and $49/mo plans
• Flag in output: "Commission verified via ShareASale listing. Cookie duration unverified."
• Proceed with listing, clearly marking unverified fields

Flywheel Connections

Feeds Into

• affiliate-blog-builder (S3) — listing data powers review articles and roundup posts
• landing-page-creator (S4) — commission structure and product details feed landing pages
• comparison-post-writer (S3) — verified program data for side-by-side comparisons
• commission-calculator (S1) — structured commission data for earnings projections
• viral-post-writer (S2) — program highlights for social content
• bonus-stack-builder (S4) — product knowledge informs bonus design

Fed By

• affiliate-program-search (S1) — discovered programs that need to be listed
• niche-opportunity-finder (S1) — high-opportunity niches with programs worth documenting
• conversion-tracker (S6) — top-performing programs worth listing for the community

Feedback Loop

• Community engagement on openaffiliate.dev (stars, comments) reveals which listing styles

and description formats drive the most affiliate signups. High-star listings become

templates for future listings. Low-engagement listings get revised with better earning

potential data and more specific audience targeting.

chain_metadata:
  skill_slug: "submit-program"
  stage: "research"
  timestamp: string
  suggested_next:
    - "affiliate-blog-builder"
    - "comparison-post-writer"
    - "landing-page-creator"
    - "commission-calculator"

Quality Gate

Before marking this skill's output as complete:

• Every commission number traces to an official source URL
• The reward_type is a valid enum value from the openaffiliate.dev schema
• Earning potential math is correct and uses conservative assumptions
• The description contains all required sections (Opening, Why Promote, Commission Table, Target Audiences, Earning Potential, Why It Converts, Honest Limitations)
• At least one real limitation is listed — no "this program is perfect" outputs
• Unverified fields are explicitly flagged, never silently estimated
• Tags are lowercase, 3-6 items, and relevant to the program's niche

References

• affiliate-program-search/references/openaffiliate-api.md — API endpoints for openaffiliate.dev (public, no auth)
• shared/references/affiliate-glossary.md — reward_type definitions and field names
• shared/references/flywheel-connections.md — master flywheel connection map