Affiliate Agreement Template – Free Sample & Key Contract Clauses

We know what brought you here. You’re looking for a solid affiliate agreement template you can plug into your process and get moving.

But here’s the thing: the wrong agreement (or worse, no agreement at all) can create serious problems down the line. Think unclear commission terms, brand misrepresentation, or affiliates demanding payouts for leads that never converted. We’ve seen it happen.

That’s why we’re not handing you a template and sending you on your way. Instead, we provide an affiliate marketing agreement template you can customize according to your specific brand and program needs.

It gives you the context you need to use it well, so you’re not just covering your legal bases but setting your program up for long-term success.

We’ll walk you through:

• What to include
• How to customize it for a SaaS business
• What to watch out for as you grow your program

Let’s start with the basics. If you’re running or planning an affiliate marketing program, you need to be clear on what an affiliate agreement is and why it matters.

What is an Affiliate Agreement?

If you’re inviting people outside your company to promote your product, you need clear terms everyone agrees to. That’s exactly what an affiliate agreement does.

It’s more than just a legal document; it establishes a legally binding relationship between you and your affiliates.

Affiliates often use an affiliate link to promote various products and companies within their content, reflecting the non-exclusive nature of affiliate marketing relationships.

It’s the foundation for a smooth partnership between you and your affiliates. It sets expectations, protects your brand, and gives both sides confidence to move forward.

But what does this agreement cover, and why is it essential for SaaS companies?

Why B2B SaaS Companies Need a Legally Binding Affiliate Contract

Affiliate marketing sounds simple on the surface. Someone promotes your product, drives a lead, and earns a commission. But things get a lot more complex once money, customer data, and your brand reputation are involved.

For SaaS companies, that complexity scales fast. You’re dealing with recurring revenue, multi-step conversions, and affiliates who might not fully understand your product or market.

Without an explicit agreement that aligns with applicable laws for full affiliate marketing compliance, it’s easy for wires to get crossed and hard to resolve issues when they do.

A proper contract gives you:

• Clear commission terms so there’s no confusion around payments
• Guardrails on how your product is promoted
• Protection if an affiliate uses misleading tactics or breaks the rules

It also shows your affiliates that you’re serious. You’re not running a casual side project. You’re building a scalable, trustworthy program, and that starts with setting the right expectations from day one.

Affiliates will promote your products and services by sharing tracked links that direct traffic to the company's website, generating sales, and offering financial incentives when visitors click through and make purchases.

Before you hand over your agreement to new partners, you need to make sure it covers all the right ground, including clauses for prior written consent. A few vague lines about commission won’t cut it, especially if you want to avoid confusion or disputes later.

Why Do You Need an Affiliate Agreement?

An affiliate program agreement template is a crucial document that outlines the terms and conditions of the affiliate relationship between a company and an affiliate. You need to have a clear and comprehensive agreement in place to ensure that both parties understand their roles, responsibilities, and expectations.

An affiliate agreement helps to prevent misunderstandings, disputes, and potential legal issues that may arise during the partnership.

Having an affiliate agreement in place also helps to establish a professional and transparent relationship between the company and the affiliate. 

It shows that both parties are committed to working together fairly and honestly, which can lead to a more successful and profitable partnership.

And don't forget: A solid affiliate agreement can help to protect the company’s intellectual property, brand reputation, and business interests. It can also provide a framework for resolving disputes and terminating the agreement if necessary.

5 Key Elements of an Affiliate Agreement

A strong affiliate agreement doesn’t need to be full of legal jargon, but it does need to be complete. The best ones are clear, concise, and cover all the core areas that matter in a real-world SaaS affiliate program.

Let’s walk through the key pieces your agreement should include, starting with the basics.

1. Parties involved in the agreement

Every affiliate agreement needs to clearly define who’s involved. That means identifying your company as the merchant and the affiliate as the partner promoting your product.

It sounds obvious, but this part sets the tone for everything else. Use full legal names and make sure both sides understand their roles and responsibilities.

At minimum, you should include:

• The legal name of your company
• The name (or business name) of the affiliate
• A short explanation of the relationship and purpose of the agreement
• Details of the company website, emphasizing the company's role in fulfilling orders placed by customers directed by affiliates

This section lays the groundwork. From here, you can move into the specifics around payments, responsibilities, and what happens if someone breaks the rules.

2. Commission and terms of payment

This is the part affiliates care about most, and it’s where confusion usually starts if you’re not specific.

Your agreement should outline exactly how commissions work. That includes the type of commission, how much they’ll earn, when they’ll be paid, and how the payout happens.

Here’s what to include:

• Commission structure: Will you offer a flat fee per sale, a percentage of revenue, or recurring payments for subscription models?
• Payment schedule: Define when payouts happen. Monthly? Quarterly? After a 30-day refund window?
• Thresholds: Will you only pay out once affiliates reach a minimum amount?
• Payment method: Will you pay via PayPal, Wise, or direct bank transfer?

If your product has a free trial or long sales cycle, make that clear, too. Affiliates should know when a lead officially qualifies for commission so they’re not left guessing.

This section should leave no room for interpretation. The clearer it is, the fewer support tickets you’ll deal with later.

3. Affiliate obligations and compliance

You’re trusting affiliates to speak on behalf of your brand. That’s a big deal.

This section spells out what’s allowed, what’s not, and what affiliates need to do to protect confidential information and stay in good standing. It’s where you prevent spammy tactics, false claims, or shady shortcuts that could hurt your reputation or, worse, put you at legal risk.

At a minimum, cover these areas:

• Acceptable marketing practices: Be clear about what promotion types are okay (blog posts, email marketing, social media) and what’s off-limits (paid search on your brand name, misleading claims, mass unsolicited emails).

• Compliance with laws and regulations: Affiliates must follow FTC disclosure rules, GDPR, and relevant advertising laws. Spell that out.
• Disclosure requirements: Affiliates must clearly state that they may earn a commission when they promote your product. No exceptions.
• Content accuracy: Affiliates shouldn’t make unverified claims or misrepresent your product’s features or results. An affiliate website must adhere to legal obligations and terms, ensuring compliance with guidelines on deep linking and competitive link restrictions.

Setting these expectations up front helps protect your company and gives affiliates the guidance they need to market you the right way.

4. Intellectual property and brand guidelines

Your brand is one of your most valuable assets. When affiliate partners promote your product, they often use your name, logo, and messaging. That means you need clear guidelines on how your brand can (and can’t) be used.

Here’s what to outline in this section:

• Logo and asset usage: Include rules around where your logo can appear, how it should look, and whether affiliates can edit or resize it.
• Brand voice and messaging: If you have preferred language or positioning, let affiliates know. This keeps the way your product is described consistent across all channels.
• No impersonation: Affiliates must not present themselves as employees or official representatives of your company.
• Approval process: If you want to review promotional content before it goes live, say so here.

Giving affiliates some structure actually helps them perform better. It makes your brand look more professional, and it avoids the awkwardness of asking them to take something down after it’s already out in the wild.

5. Termination and breach of agreement

Even with the best affiliates, things don’t always go to plan. This part of the agreement gives you a clean, professional way to end the relationship if needed.

Here’s what to include:

• Termination terms: Can either party end the agreement at any time? Do they need to give notice? Make this clear so there’s no confusion.
• Immediate termination conditions: Spell out the serious violations that could lead to instant removal from your program. This might include fraud, non-compliant marketing, or misuse of your brand.
• Unpaid commissions: Explain what happens to pending commissions if the agreement ends. Will they still be paid out? Under what conditions?

Having this section in place protects you legally and helps keep the program running smoothly. It also gives affiliates confidence that they know where they stand.

Having these clauses in place gives you a solid foundation to build a trustworthy, scalable affiliate program. But we get it. Writing all of this from scratch isn’t exactly quick work.

That’s why we’ve put together a free sample affiliate program agreement to help you get started.

Sample Affiliate Program Agreement - Free Download

We’ve taken all the essential pieces outlined above and turned them into a simple, ready-to-use affiliate agreement you can plug into your program.

This sample includes everything from commission terms to compliance guidelines, written in a way that’s easy to customize for your SaaS business. 

This free downloadable affiliate marketing agreement template serves as a foundation for you to customize according to your specific brand and program needs.

Here’s how to use it:

1. Review each section carefully and adjust the language to reflect your program’s structure. For example, update the commission rates, payment schedule, and acceptable marketing practices to match your terms.
2. Add your company’s legal name and contact details, along with a section for your affiliates to sign and agree to the terms.
3. Save it as a PDF or use a digital signature tool to send it out when onboarding new affiliates. This helps you keep everything organised and legally binding from the start.

You’ll can download it here and start building or improving your program right away.

Before you start editing, let’s consider how to tailor the agreement to fit your unique business model.

How to Customize the Affiliate Agreement for Your SaaS Business

A generic agreement is a good start, but it’s not enough on its own. Your SaaS business has its pricing model, sales cycle, and customer journey. Your affiliate agreement should reflect that.

Now, we'll walk you through the key areas to adapt so your contract works in the real world and not just in a legal doc.

Let’s start with your payment structure.

Tailoring Payment Structures to Your Business Model

Not all SaaS products are priced the same, and your affiliate payouts shouldn’t be either. A well-matched commission structure keeps affiliates motivated and helps you stay profitable.

Here are a few ways to tailor your payment terms:

• Recurring commissions: If you offer monthly or annual subscriptions, consider giving affiliates a percentage of each recurring payment. This encourages long-term promotion and aligns with your revenue model.
• One-time payouts: For SaaS products with one-off pricing or setup fees, a flat-rate payout might be more practical.
• Free trials: If you use a trial-to-paid model, be clear about when the commission kicks in. Do affiliates earn after a sign-up or only after someone becomes a paying customer?
• Tiered rewards: Want to push performance? Set higher commission rates for affiliates who bring in more sales over time.

The goal is to find a structure that rewards results without overcomplicating things. Affiliates should know exactly what they’ll earn and when.

Adding Compliance and Legal Requirements

Affiliate marketing may seem informal, but it comes with serious legal responsibilities. As a SaaS company, you’re likely dealing with data privacy, international partners, and advertising regulations, which should be reflected in your agreement.

Here’s what you need to consider:

• FTC guidelines: Affiliates must disclose that they may earn a commission. This is non-negotiable if you’re targeting or operating in the US.
• GDPR and other data privacy laws: If your affiliates handle any user data—or direct users to a page that collects it—you need to be clear about how that data is used and protected.
• Anti-spam rules: Make sure affiliates understand they can’t use unsolicited emails or misleading content to promote your product.
• Jurisdiction and governing law: Specify which country or state’s laws apply to the agreement. This helps avoid confusion if disputes come up.
  • Applicable law: Allow parties to designate which jurisdiction's laws will govern the interpretation of the agreement.

This section doesn’t need to be packed with legal jargon, but it does need to be clear and enforceable. If you’re unsure, it’s worth having a legal expert review your customized version.

Specifying Promotional Guidelines for Your Affiliates

Even the most well-meaning affiliates can go off track if you don’t give them clear promotional guidelines. And once something is out there—on a blog, in a LinkedIn post, or in an ad—it can be tough to undo the damage.

This part of your agreement should outline what affiliates can and can’t do when promoting your product.

Things to cover include:

• Approved channels: Can affiliates use paid ads, email, YouTube, or only organic methods? Be specific.
• Brand voice: Share some simple do’s and don’ts. For example, avoid saying “#1 tool in the world” unless you’ve earned that title.
• No spam or clickbait: Make it clear that misleading headlines, fake reviews, and aggressive email tactics aren’t allowed.
• Use of branded assets: Remind affiliates to follow your brand guidelines when using your logo or messaging.

Providing structure doesn’t limit your affiliates; it empowers them to promote you more effectively, and it protects your reputation along the way.

Strong affiliate agreements don’t just come from knowing what to include. They also come from avoiding the mistakes that trip up so many programs.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in an Affiliate Agreement

Strong affiliate agreements aren’t just about what you put in. They’re also about what you leave out—or forget to include. Overlooking minor details can lead to confusion, strained relationships, or even legal issues later.

Here are some of the most common mistakes we see SaaS companies make and how you can avoid them:

Not Defining Clear Payment Terms

If affiliates don’t understand how and when they’ll get paid for referred traffic, you’ll end up fielding a lot of emails—or worse, losing their trust. Be specific about the commission structure, timing, thresholds, and methods.

Failing to Include Marketing Compliance Clauses

Without clear rules around disclosures and acceptable promotion tactics, affiliates could unintentionally put your business at risk. Make sure your agreement covers legal and ethical marketing requirements.

Overlooking Intellectual Property Rights

Letting affiliates use your brand assets without guidelines can lead to sloppy or misleading promotions. Include clear terms about how your logo, name, and messaging can be used.

Ignoring Affiliate Fraud Prevention

Not all affiliates play fair. Some may try to game the system with fake referrals or self-deals. 

Build protections like manual approval processes or fraud detection tools to keep your program clean. 

Including an 'entire agreement' clause in your contracts is also crucial, as it signifies the final agreement between parties on discussed issues and protects against claims of additional promises.

Avoiding these mistakes gives your affiliate program a much stronger foundation.

But creating the agreement is just one part of the puzzle. You also need a system that helps you manage affiliates, track performance, and stay compliant as you grow.

Why Reditus is the Best Solution for Affiliate Program Compliance

At Reditus, we’ve worked with dozens of SaaS companies that started with manual affiliate programs—spreadsheets, shared links, and a basic contract. It doesn’t take long before things get messy.

Our platform helps you avoid that by building compliance into how your program runs.

Here’s how we do it:

• Built-in tracking: Every affiliate has a unique link. You can see precisely who referred each lead and track the entire journey from click to paid customer.
• Clear attribution: No more disputes about who deserves credit. Our system shows where each sign-up came from and ensures the right person gets paid.
• Centralized compliance settings: Set terms, review content, and manage approvals in one place. If an affiliate breaks the rules, you can take action right away.
• Automated payouts: Say goodbye to manual transfers and payment delays. Reditus handles payouts so your affiliates stay happy—and you stay focused on growth.

You still need a strong agreement to start, but having the right platform behind it makes all the difference in scaling your program without stress.

An explicit agreement sets expectations. The right platform helps you stick to them. When both are in place, you can grow your affiliate program with confidence instead of second-guessing every new partner.

Over to You: Build a Strong and Legally Compliant Affiliate Program

Affiliate marketing works best when there’s trust on both sides. Your partners need to know what’s expected, how they’ll be paid, and where the boundaries are.

You must protect your brand, stay compliant, and avoid the back-and-forth that slows everything down.

That’s precisely what a well-structured affiliate agreement delivers. And when you combine that with a platform like Reditus, you’re not just managing a program. You’re building something that can scale.

Ready to get started?

Download the free affiliate partnership agreement template and use it as a foundation for your own program. If you’re looking for a smarter way to manage and grow that program, Reditus can help.

FAQs: Affliate Agreements

What is an affiliate agreement template?

An affiliate agreement template is a pre-written contract that outlines the relationship between your business and your affiliates. It covers commission terms, marketing rules, and legal responsibilities so everyone knows what’s expected.

Can I use this template for any type of affiliate program?

This template is designed with SaaS companies in mind, but you can adapt it for other industries. Just update the payment terms, legal clauses, and promotional guidelines to fit your business model.

Is this a legally binding document?

Yes, once it’s signed by both parties. That’s why it’s essential to fill it out thoroughly, ensure everything is accurate, and consider having a legal expert review it, especially if you operate internationally.

Where can I find a sample affiliate agreement in PDF format?

You can download our free affiliate agreement template PDF directly from this post. It’s ready to use and easy to customize.

What’s the difference between an affiliate agreement and a referral agreement?

An affiliate agreement typically applies to external partners who promote your product for commission. A referral agreement often applies to existing users who refer others within your app. The goals are similar, but the structure and rewards may differ.

Do I need a lawyer to create an affiliate marketing agreement?

Not necessarily. Templates like the one we provide can get you started. But if your program is extensive, international, or includes complex terms, it’s wise to get a legal review.