Understanding cookies in affiliate marketing

  • Published on Mar 26, 2026
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Overview

This article explains what cookies are, why they’re essential for affiliate marketing, and how they support tracking and attribution. It also covers cookie duration, first‑party and third‑party cookies, and how link parameters enrich reporting. The goal is to help you understand how user actions are tracked so commissions can be awarded accurately.

What cookies are

A cookie is a small text file stored in a user’s browser. It can hold information such as preferences, login state, or items in a shopping cart. In affiliate marketing, cookies are used to track the journey between a click and a sale so the correct partner can be rewarded.

When a user clicks a partner link (such as a banner or text link), a tracking cookie is set to record:

  • The advertiser and partner’s program ID.

  • The date and time of the click.

  • The commission (based on the program’s setup) that can be rewarded.

  • Additional link parameters.

This ensures the right partner receives commission for the conversion.

First-party and third-party cookies

Tracking cookies can be set on the advertiser’s domain (first-party) or on Awin’s domain (third-party). Modern browsers prefer first‑party cookies, which is why Awin supports and encourages standard tracking methods that use first‑party cookies or (where possible) cookieless solutions.

Cookie duration

The cookie duration defines how long a cookie remains valid after a user clicks a partner link. Industry standard is 30 days, but durations may vary by program. To check your program’s cookie duration, go to: Account > Profile > Overview.

Using link parameters for richer attribution

Link parameters (custom parameters) can be added to affiliate links to provide more data, without using personally identifiable information. They can encode meaningful information such as:

  • Product details (e.g., SKU, color, sub brand, destination)

  • Payment or delivery type

  • Partner identifiers and campaign details

This enables granular reporting and commission logic while keeping personally identifiable information (PII) out of scope in standard setups.

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