Where the websites around Shopify brands already earn
Which affiliate platforms do the websites our scan found around Shopify brands already use? In our scan of 30 Shopify brands, the most common was Amazon Associates. It sat behind the links on 43% of the websites that showed proof of earning. Skimlinks came next at 17%, then Awin at 13%, Impact at 12%, LTK at 6% and Refersion at 3%. A site can use several, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
This post is about where those sites already earn. It is not about which app the 30 Shopify stores run. Those are two different questions, and the scan answers only the first. The figures are counts from one scan on 22 October 2026, not an industry average.
An affiliate is a person or site with an audience who earns a commission, a cut of each sale they send. An affiliate network is a middleman that tracks sales and pays affiliates for many brands. Our guide to affiliate network or direct recruiting covers the trade-offs.
How we counted
Our scanner ran a first search for each of 30 public Shopify brands on 22 October 2026. Fifteen were UK shops and fifteen were US. It found 5,537 people and hid 2,613 with its own filter. It showed 2,924, of whom 2,459 were websites. The rest were podcasts, TikTok creators and Instagram creators. They are not in these counts.
For each website shown, the scan read pages for proof of earning. Proof of earning means the scan found one of five things on a page it read. These are a disclosure, a network link, a tracked link, an own redirect link or a promo code. That is proof the site earns from links somewhere. It is not proof the site promotes your brand. An Amazon link shows the site earns from links in general, nothing more.
Proof turned up on 654 of the 2,459 websites shown (26.6%). Every platform share below is a share of those 654 websites. Of the 5,537 people found, 5,037 were website candidates, and that figure includes ones the filter hid. We could not read 732 of those 5,037 website pages (14.5%), so all of these counts are a floor.
We also read 30 of the 654 websites by hand, picked at random. In 27, the page showed the disclosure or links the scan had recorded. None was contradicted. Three would not load for us, so we could not tell. One of the 27 was a weak case: a network link that sat only in a sidebar ad. This is a different test from the 30-row check on our scan method page. That check asked whether people promote at all. This one asked whether the recorded proof is on the page. Thirty is a small sample, so treat the figures as an estimate that held up, not an audit.
Which platforms sit behind the links?
Here is every platform the scan named, as a share of the 654 websites with proof.
| Platform behind the links | Websites | Share of the 654 |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon Associates | 280 | 42.8% |
| Skimlinks | 112 | 17.1% |
| Awin | 86 | 13.1% |
| Impact | 77 | 11.8% |
| Unnamed program | 60 | 9.2% |
| LTK | 41 | 6.3% |
| Rakuten | 32 | 4.9% |
| CJ | 29 | 4.4% |
| Own redirect link | 29 | 4.4% |
| ShareASale | 25 | 3.8% |
| Refersion | 21 | 3.2% |
| Partnerize | 19 | 2.9% |
A site can use several platforms, so the shares add up to more than 100%. A review page might carry Amazon links and Awin links side by side.
Two cautions. First, the counts are a floor, as set out above. Second, this is the platform behind the promoter's links. It says nothing about which affiliate app the 30 Shopify stores use to run their own programs. For that, see Shopify affiliate apps compared.
What are these platforms?
We read each platform's own page on 29 October 2026. Here is what each says about itself.
- Amazon Associates. Amazon calls it "one of the largest affiliate marketing programs in the world." Members use linking tools to recommend Amazon products and earn commission on qualifying purchases. Rates vary by product category. Creators with an eligible website or app can apply (Amazon Associates).
- Skimlinks. It says it helps editorial publishers, shopping platforms and creators earn from shopping content. It also says it turns content into affiliate revenue "automatically," with access to 48,500 merchants and 50+ affiliate networks (Skimlinks).
- Awin. It says creators "partner with leading brands to earn reliable income." Publishers create links and earn commission on each sale, across blogs, social posts, videos and newsletters (Awin for publishers).
- Impact. Its partner page says publishers and creators can apply to brand programs. They are paid through one platform, with payouts in 70+ currencies. Signing up is free (impact.com, affiliate partners).
- LTK. It describes itself as a creator commerce platform where creators make content and promote products for shoppers. The pages we read did not explain how its links earn, so we say nothing on that (LTK).
- Refersion. It describes itself as an affiliate tracking and management platform for ecommerce brands. Its site also mentions an affiliate marketplace where a brand can list an offer (Refersion).
These are descriptions from each platform's own pages, not a ranking or a review.
What does it mean for your brand?
The scan shows where promoters earn today. It does not show where your best promoters earn.
1. Amazon is not a place to list. Amazon Associates sits behind 43% of the proven websites, but it is a program for promoting Amazon products. You do not list a Shopify store there. What the figure tells you is that 43% of the proven sites already earn from Amazon links. Commission is a familiar idea to them.
2. Networks are where you can list. Skimlinks, Awin and Impact are the next three, and a brand can join each. Our network or direct guide covers what each network costs. If you want to meet people already on a network, listing there puts your offer in front of them. It will not pick the right ones for you.
3. Your own program still needs an app. A tool from our Shopify affiliate apps guide tracks your sales and pays your people. Whether you also join a network is a second choice.
Our rule of thumb: start with the people, then pick the platform. List on a network only if you want its reach and can pay its fees.
What should you say when you reach out?
Some of these sites already earn through a network, so they know how commission works. Lead with that. Here is a short first email, with the pitch in two lines.
Hi [first name], I read your [page title]. We make [product]. We pay [rate] of each sale through our own links. If it is easier, we can also set you up on [network]. Want a free sample to try first?
Three tips:
- Name the page you read. It proves a person wrote the email. Our outreach template shows how.
- Say the rate and the cookie window. The cookie window is how many days after a click a sale still counts for the person who sent it. Amazon's rate table lists standard rates by product category, topping out at 10% (Amazon Associates fee schedule). A clear rate stands out. See what commission a Shopify program should pay.
- Offer a network route only if you are on one. Some promoters want one tracking login for all their brands. Others prefer a direct link. Ask which they like.
The US Federal Trade Commission says affiliate links need a clear disclosure (FTC, Endorsement Guides: what people are asking). Say in your offer that you ask for one. Skip any line that says "I saw you earn from Amazon." You do not know that the page promotes your category.
What are the limits?
- One scan, one day. It ran on 22 October 2026 on 30 Shopify brands, 15 UK and 15 US.
- A floor. We could not read 14.5% of website pages (732 of 5,037), so proof rates are low estimates.
- Earning somewhere, not for you. A network link proves a site earns from links. It does not prove it would promote your brand.
- A small hand check. 27 of 30 held up, 3 did not load, and one of the 27 was weak.
- Several platforms per site. Shares overlap, so do not add them up.
- Not the brands' apps. The table is about the promoters' links, not the 30 Shopify stores' programs.
To keep coupon sites out, read how to stop coupon sites joining your affiliate program.
Frequently asked questions
Which affiliate networks do Shopify promoters use most?
In our scan of 30 Shopify brands, Amazon Associates was most common, behind 43% of the 654 websites that showed proof of earning. Skimlinks was 17%, Awin 13%, Impact 12%, LTK 6% and Refersion 3%. A site can use several.
Is this the platform the 30 Shopify stores use to run their programs?
No. It is the platform behind the promoters' own links. Which app each brand uses to track and pay affiliates is a different question, covered in Shopify affiliate apps compared.
Does an Amazon link mean a site will promote my brand?
No. It shows the site earns from links in general. It says nothing about your category, so read the page before you write.
Should my Shopify brand join an affiliate network?
It depends. A network adds reach and costs fees. Our guide to affiliate network or direct recruiting lays out the costs and a mixed plan.
How reliable are these figures?
They are counts from one scan, not an industry average. We read 30 of the sites with proof by hand: 27 held up, none was contradicted and 3 would not load. That is a small sample.
Sources
All read on 29 October 2026.