How I Find Products to Promote as an Affiliate

How I Started (And What Went Wrong)

I'll be honest: my first 12 months of affiliate marketing were largely a waste of time. Not because I wasn't working hard — I was working constantly — but because I had no system for finding the right products to promote.

I was doing what most beginners do: finding products with the highest commission rate and building content around them regardless of fit. A 40% commission on some $200 course sounds great until you realize nobody's searching for that course, the product is mediocre, and your content has zero affiliate intent from the reader's perspective.

The shift happened when I stopped asking "what has the highest commission?" and started asking "what problem is someone actually searching for, and what's the best product that solves it?"

My 5-Criteria Vetting System

Now, before I build a single piece of content around a product, I run it through five filters:

1. Keyword Demand Exists

There must be meaningful search volume for queries where this product is a natural recommendation. I use Ahrefs to confirm this — if the keyword cluster gets at least 300 monthly searches and the commercial intent is clear, it passes this filter.

2. Commission Structure Makes Sense

My hierarchy for commission preference:

1. Recurring SaaS commissions (20–40% monthly recurring revenue) — best for building passive income
2. One-time CPAs over $50 — high enough that a handful of conversions per month is meaningful
3. Product commissions 15%+ on products priced $100+ — physical or digital

I avoid anything under $15 per conversion unless the volume potential is enormous.

3. Cookie Duration is Reasonable

I don't promote products with cookie durations under 30 days for SaaS tools. For high-ticket offers, I look for 60–90 days minimum because the sales cycle is longer.

4. The Product Actually Works

I check G2, Trustpilot, Reddit, and if possible, I use the product myself. My rule: if I wouldn't recommend it to a close friend, I don't promote it. This is how you build credibility and a long-term business — not by chasing every commission you can get.

5. Affiliate Program Stability

I check how long the program has been active, whether there are any forum complaints about non-payment, and whether the company is stable. I've been burned by affiliate programs that closed with zero notice — it's gut-wrenching when you have content actively ranking for those products.

Where I Actually Find Products to Promote

Here are my main sources for finding affiliate products, in order of how often I use them:

PartnerStack

My single best source for SaaS affiliate programs. Most B2B SaaS companies run their affiliate programs through PartnerStack. I browse by category (Marketing, Productivity, Developer Tools) and look for programs with high recurring commissions and established products.

Impact.com

Great for consumer-facing software, e-commerce tools, and larger brands. The commission rates can be lower than PartnerStack, but the brand recognition often means higher conversion rates.

ShareASale and CJ Affiliate

More traditional networks — useful for physical products and niche tools that don't have independent programs. I check these for categories where I can't find programs directly or via PartnerStack.

Directly on Product Websites

Many great affiliate programs aren't listed on networks. I scroll to the footer of any product website I'm considering and look for "Affiliate," "Partners," or "Refer a Friend" links. You'd be surprised how many good programs you find this way.

Reddit and Niche Forums

I search "[product category] affiliate program" on Reddit to find real marketers discussing what's converting. This is where I find the hidden gems — programs with high EPCs that aren't saturated yet.

How AI Tools Changed My Product Research

In 2025–2026, my product research process got significantly faster thanks to AI tools. Specifically:

• I use AI to summarize product reviews from G2 and Trustpilot so I can quickly understand common pain points and praise without reading 200 reviews manually.
• I use AI to generate content briefs that map affiliate products to specific keyword clusters — it drafts the outline showing where each product recommendation fits naturally.
• I use AI to research competitor sites — I'll ask it to analyze what products a competing affiliate site is promoting and where they're placing affiliate links.

The Final Decision: What Makes Me Say Yes or No

After running a product through all five criteria, I ask one final question: "Can I write about this product in a way that genuinely helps the reader, and will that content be something I'm proud of in two years?"

If the answer is yes, I add it to my content calendar. If I'm uncertain, I put it in a "research more" pile and revisit it in a month.

The most important thing I've learned about finding products to promote: the best affiliate content comes from products you genuinely believe in. Readers can tell the difference between an honest recommendation and a Commission-chasing endorsement. Your long-term reputation depends on which one you build.