Amazon Associates' April 2026 update: on-site commissions changed, off-site links did not¶
TL;DR: Good news for publishers: affiliate links on your own website keep earning commission on the reader's entire Amazon cart. Amazon's April 14, 2026 update changed commissions only for content hosted on Amazon itself, which now earns on the exact product linked. Off-site links work just as they did before, so every link you add can earn on everything the reader buys in that session.
What Amazon changed¶
The change appears in Amazon's Updates to the Associates Program Operating Agreement, effective April 14, 2026:
Updated calculation of onsite commission income to apply only to Direct Qualifying Purchases of the same ASIN variant as the linked Product detail page.
"Onsite" means content hosted on Amazon itself, such as creator videos on product pages, idea lists and storefronts, mostly produced by members of the Amazon Influencer Program. Amazon's Onsite Commission Income page defines a Direct Qualifying Purchase as a purchase of the same ASIN variant as the product detail page the customer linked to from on-site content, or, for video, the product featured in the video.
Before the update, on-site content also earned on "halo" sales, such as other purchases in the same category. Now, if a shopper watches a creator's review of a kettle and then buys a toaster, only a purchase of the kettle earns on-site commission.
What did not change: off-site links¶
Off-site links are ordinary affiliate links on your website, newsletter or social media that send readers to Amazon. They are governed by Amazon's Associates Program Policies, and the April update did not change how they are attributed.
A click on an off-site link starts a session. The session ends after 24 hours, when the customer places an order, or when the customer clicks another associate's link, whichever comes first. Every product the customer adds to their cart during that session and buys within 89 days is a Qualifying Purchase, whether or not it is the product you linked.
So if your reader clicks your link to a kettle and also buys a toaster, a set of mugs and a bag of coffee, all four purchases earn commission.
| On-site (Amazon-hosted content) | Off-site (your website) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the content lives | On Amazon | Your blog, newsletter or social media |
| What earns commission since April 14, 2026 | Only the exact product (ASIN variant) linked | Every product added to the cart during the 24-hour session |
| Changed by the April 2026 update? | Yes | No |
Other changes in the same update
The April 2026 update also changed a few rules for all associates. Products must now be shipped, streamed or downloaded and paid for within 180 days to qualify, and purchases referred through paid or boosted ads that link to Amazon no longer earn commission. Commission rates also vary by category and can change independently of attribution rules; see our Amazon Associates page for current rates.
Why this matters for publishers¶
On-site content now earns on the specific product it features. On your own website, every affiliate link starts a session that can earn on the reader's entire cart. The more of your product mentions carry a link, the more of those sessions you start.
Most publishers mention far more products than they link, simply because adding links by hand takes time. Mentionlink finds those unlinked product mentions across your site and turns them into Amazon affiliate links automatically. Those are off-site links, so each one can earn on the whole cart.
To see what your unlinked mentions could be earning, try the Missed Revenue Calculator or email us at hello@mentionlink.com.