affiliate-link-compliance

name	affiliate-link-compliance
description	Verify all affiliate link disclosures for FTC, ASA, and international compliance. Finds undisclosed affiliate links and ensures proper format.

Affiliate Link Compliance

Comprehensive verification of affiliate link disclosures across your entire site. Ensures FTC, ASA, and international compliance.

Scoring Mode & Aggregation Contract

Field	Value
Scope	Cross-phase check — always runs when site has any affiliate content, regardless of score mode
Core 79 items covered	PC10 (affiliate disclosure — veto item), TD08 (privacy policy affiliate mention)
Extension items covered	PC12–PC13 coverage when gambling/regulated affiliate programs present
Veto items	PC10 — any disclosure failure = instant pillar veto; escalate immediately
Mode interaction	This skill contributes to PC and TD pillars; report findings under both

Output fields required (for aggregation by ads-readiness-assessment):

• score_mode: inherit from calling orchestrator
• pillars_affected: ["PC", "TD"]
• items_evaluated: e.g., ["PC10", "TD08"]
• veto_triggered: true / false + which item(s)
• undisclosed_links_found: count + URLs
• disclosure_format_issues: list of non-compliant disclosure formats

Rule: If site has no affiliate links, output affiliate_scope: none and skip all checks — do not mark items as not_in_scope (they simply do not apply).

Purpose

Audit affiliate link compliance:

• Identify all affiliate links
• Verify proper disclosure
• Ensure visibility and clarity
• Comply with all regulations
• Prevent policy violations

Quick Start

Input: Website URL or source files Output: Affiliate link inventory + compliance report Time: 15-30 minutes

Compliance Standards

FTC (USA)

Requirement: Clear and conspicuous disclosure Placement: Before the link or at beginning of content Language: "Affiliate disclosure", "We earn commissions", "As an Amazon Associate" Penalty: False advertising violation + legal action

ASA (UK)

Requirement: Clear identification of commercial relationship Format: #ad or #sponsored on social media, disclaimer on content Placement: Prominent location Penalty: Fine, removal from advertising

EU (GDPR & Ecommerce)

Requirement: Transparent affiliate relationship Disclosure: Required in privacy policy Format: Clear and honest language Penalty: Fine up to €20,000

Canada (MACT)

Requirement: Clear disclosure of material connection Format: "We may earn commission" Placement: Before user decision Penalty: Fine + damages

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Affiliate Link Audit Process

Step 1: Inventory All Affiliate Links

Identify affiliate URL patterns:

• Amazon: amazon.com/?tag=yourtag
• CJA: cjdropshipping.com/?ref=
• Impact: /click/
• Rakuten: rakuten.com?_l=en
• ... (others)

Automated script:

# Find affiliate patterns in HTML
grep -r "amazon.com/.*tag=" ./website/
grep -r "cjdropshipping.com/.*ref=" ./website/
grep -r "/?affiliate=" ./website/

Step 2: Check Disclosure Presence

For each page with affiliate links:

• Is there ANY disclosure statement?
• Is it before the links? (best)
• Is it after the links? (acceptable)
• Is it in fine print? (risky)
• Is it in footer only? (borderline)

Good Disclosure Locations:

1. ✅ Before the first affiliate link (best)
2. ✅ In a "Disclosure" section at top of post
3. ✅ Immediately next to the link
4. ⚠️ In a separate "Affiliate Links" section on page
5. ❌ In footer only (often missed by users)
6. ❌ In privacy policy only (not visible where it matters)

Step 3: Evaluate Disclosure Quality

Clear & Conspicuous Test:

• Can users easily see it?
• Is it in natural language (not legalese)?
• Does it clearly explain the relationship?
• Is it hard to miss?

Examples:

✅ Good Disclosure:

"As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
This does not affect the price you pay."

✅ Good Disclosure:

"Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate
links. If you purchase through these links, we receive a
small commission at no extra cost to you."

❌ Poor Disclosure (too hidden):

"*See disclosure policy in footer for affiliate
relationship details."
[User never sees footer]

❌ Poor Disclosure (unclear):

"Some of our content may contain commercial relationships."
[Vague, doesn't say what kind]

Step 4: Generate Compliance Report

# Affiliate Link Compliance Report

## Summary
- Total pages reviewed: 150
- Pages with affiliate links: 45
- Compliant disclosures: 40
- Non-compliant or missing: 5
- Compliance Rate: 89%

## Non-Compliant Pages (Action Required)

### Critical (Missing Disclosure)
- /blog/top-products
- /reviews/gadgets
- /comparison/tools

Action: Add disclosure statement immediately

### Medium (Disclosure Hidden)
- /guides/best-practices
- /tutorials/setup

Action: Move disclosure to more prominent location

## Recommendations
1. Add disclosure to [X] pages
2. Move [Y] disclosures to more visible location
3. Clarify [Z] disclosure statements

---

Disclosure Templates by Platform

Standard Affiliate Disclosure

<div class="affiliate-disclosure">
  <strong>Affiliate Disclosure:</strong> This post contains
  affiliate links. If you purchase through our links, we may
  earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
</div>

Amazon Associates

<p><strong>As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying
purchases.</strong> This does not affect the price you pay.</p>

Multiple Affiliate Networks

<p><strong>Disclosure:</strong> This post contains affiliate
links from Amazon Associates, CJ Affiliate, and Shareasale.
We earn a commission if you purchase through these links.</p>

Per-Link Disclosure

<p>Check price on <a href="amazon-link">Amazon*</a></p>
<p>*Affiliate link: We earn a commission</p>

CSS-Based Visible Disclosure

.affiliate-link::after {
  content: " [affiliate link]";
  color: #999;
  font-size: 0.9em;
}

---

Compliance Checklist

• All affiliate links identified
• Disclosure on every page with affiliate links
• Disclosure BEFORE the affiliate link
• Disclosure clear and in plain language
• No misleading about commission/cost
• Privacy policy mentions affiliate relationships
• FTC/ASA standards met
• Tested for visibility
• Mobile version also compliant

---

Common Non-Compliance Issues

Issue 1: No Disclosure

• Page has affiliate links but no disclosure
• Fix: Add disclosure immediately (FTC violation)

Issue 2: Hidden Disclosure

• Disclosure in footer, not visible above fold
• Fix: Move to top of post or near links

Issue 3: Vague Disclosure

• "Commercial relationship" but doesn't say what
• Fix: "Affiliate links - we earn commissions"

Issue 4: Disclosure Only in Footer/Policy

• Users don't see it where it matters
• Fix: Add to each post with affiliate links

Issue 5: Misleading Statement

• "This doesn't affect your price" when it does
• Fix: Be honest about commission structure

---

Geographic Compliance

USA (FTC):

• Clear disclosure required
• "Affiliate" or "We earn commissions"
• Before link preferred

UK (ASA):

• #ad or #sponsored on social
• Clear on webpage
• "Affiliate" label

EU (GDPR):

• Transparent about relationships
• Privacy policy must mention
• Must be fair and honest

Canada (MACT):

• Clear "material connection" disclosure
• Before user makes decision
• Honest representation

---

Automation Script

Find non-compliant pages:

const fs = require('fs');
const path = require('path');

function checkAffiliateLinkCompliance(htmlContent) {
  const affiliateRegex = /amazon\.com\/.*\?tag=|cjdropshipping\.com\/.*\?ref=|click\.../g;
  const disclosureRegex = /affiliate|commission|earn|compensat/i;

  const hasAffiliateLinks = affiliateRegex.test(htmlContent);
  const hasDisclosure = disclosureRegex.test(htmlContent);

  if (hasAffiliateLinks && !hasDisclosure) {
    return { compliant: false, reason: 'Missing disclosure' };
  }

  if (hasAffiliateLinks && hasDisclosure) {
    const disclosureIndex = htmlContent.indexOf(disclosureRegex);
    const affiliateIndex = htmlContent.indexOf(affiliateRegex);
    if (disclosureIndex > affiliateIndex) {
      return { compliant: false, reason: 'Disclosure after links' };
    }
  }

  return { compliant: true };
}

---

Success Metrics

• 100% of affiliate link pages have disclosure
• 100% of disclosures before links
• All disclosures clear and conspicuous
• No FTC violations or complaints
• Compliant with all geographic requirements

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Related Skills:

• Policy compliance → policy-risk-scanner, policy-remediation-plan
• Full audit → ads-readiness-assessment
• Active monitoring → active-compliance-monitor