Research an affiliate program and create a verified listing for openaffiliate.dev. Use this skill when the user asks anything about listing a program, adding an affiliate program to the directory, submitting a program to list, creating a listing, documenting an affiliate program, sharing an affiliate program, writing a program profile, posting a program to openaffiliate.dev, or contributing a new program. Also trigger for: "list a program", "add affiliate program", "submit program to list", "create listing for X", "document affiliate program", "share affiliate program", "write a listing", "post to openaffiliate.dev", "add X to the directory", "register an affiliate program", "publish affiliate program", "new program listing", "profile this affiliate program", "catalog this program".
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Research an affiliate program and create a verified listing for openaffiliate.dev. Use this skill when the user asks anything about listing a program, adding an affiliate program to the directory, submitting a program to list, creating a listing, documenting an affiliate program, sharing an affiliate program, writing a program profile, posting a program to openaffiliate.dev, or contributing a new program. Also trigger for: "list a program", "add affiliate program", "submit program to list", "create listing for X", "document affiliate program", "share affiliate program", "write a listing", "post to openaffiliate.dev", "add X to the directory", "register an affiliate program", "publish affiliate program", "new program listing", "profile this affiliate program", "catalog this program".
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):
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.
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
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.
