Looking for a way to earn from China’s e-commerce giant? AliExpress affiliate marketing connects you directly to millions of products from one of the world’s largest online marketplaces.
Unlike other programs, AliExpress offers unique advantages with its vast selection of affordable items and global reach.
The commission structure rewards your promotion efforts without requiring specialized technical knowledge to begin.
Many content creators have found this particular platform valuable because of its distinctive position in the e-commerce ecosystem. So, in this guide, I’ll walk you through all you need to know.
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What is the AliExpress affiliate program?
The AliExpress Affiliate Program lets you earn money by promoting products from AliExpress on your website, blog, or social media. When someone clicks your special tracking link and buys something, you receive a commission from that sale.
Run by AliExpress, an online marketplace owned by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, this program connects content creators with millions of products. You can join through the AliExpress Portals platform after a simple application process.
For example, if you run a fashion blog, you might link to trendy AliExpress items in your posts. When readers buy from these links, you earn typically between 4-8% commission depending on the product category.
Besides monetary rewards, the program provides promotional tools like banners, product widgets, and a dashboard to monitor your performance.
Here’s how affiliates use it: they identify products relevant to their audience, create engaging content around those items, and strategically place their affiliate links.
The payment threshold is usually $16, and you can receive funds via PayPal or wire transfer.
Unlike some affiliate programs, AliExpress doesn’t require you to have massive traffic before joining. This makes it accessible for beginners while still offering enough features for experienced marketers.
Why consider affiliate marketing with AliExpress?
AliExpress affiliate marketing offers several advantages that make it worth considering for your online monetization strategy.
The program connects you to one of the world’s largest e-commerce platforms with millions of products across virtually every category imaginable.
The barrier to entry is remarkably low. You don’t need a large following or website traffic to get started. The application process is simple, and approval typically comes quickly. This accessibility makes it ideal if you’re just beginning your affiliate marketing journey.
For example, many new content creators start with AliExpress because they can join without meeting strict follower requirements that other programs impose.
The product selection is another compelling reason to consider the AliExpress affiliate program. With millions of items available, you can find products that align perfectly with your niche.
Whether you focus on tech gadgets, fashion, home decor, or beauty products, AliExpress has relevant merchandise to promote.
Besides that, the commission structure is relatively competitive. Rates typically range from 4% to 8% depending on the product category. While not the highest in the affiliate marketing world, these rates combined with AliExpress’s affordable pricing can lead to decent earnings.
Here’s how the payment system works: once you reach the minimum threshold of $16, you can withdraw your money via PayPal or bank transfer. This low payout threshold means you don’t have to wait long to access your commissions.
The tracking cookie duration is 30 days, giving you a fair window to earn from referrals. This means if someone clicks your link but purchases within the next month, you still get credit for the sale.
Challenges of AliExpress affiliate marketing
Promoting AliExpress products through affiliate marketing comes with several challenges you should be aware of before diving in.
The long shipping times pose one of the biggest obstacles. Products from AliExpress often take 2-4 weeks to arrive, which can lead to customer dissatisfaction and potential refund requests. This extended delivery period may result in higher cart abandonment rates compared to local retailers.
For example, if you use AliExpress affiliate marketing to promote seasonal items, you need to account for these shipping delays in your content calendar. So, you should recommend winter products in early fall rather than mid-winter.
Product quality inconsistency creates another significant challenge. Since AliExpress hosts thousands of different sellers with varying standards, the actual items customers receive might not always match the product images or descriptions.
This inconsistency can damage your credibility if followers purchase products based on your recommendations that turn out to be disappointing.
Besides that, the language barrier can complicate your marketing efforts. Many AliExpress sellers are Chinese businesses with product descriptions that contain translation errors or unclear information. You’ll often need to thoroughly research products yourself before promoting them.
Here’s how the commission structure presents challenges: the rates typically range from 4-8%, which is lower than many Western affiliate programs. Combined with the generally low product prices on AliExpress, this means you need higher sales volume to generate meaningful income.
AliExpress affiliate marketing: how to get started
Ready to promote products and earn commissions from AliExpress? Here is a step-by-step guide on how to get started.
Sign up for the AliExpress affiliate program
The AliExpress Affiliate Program (also called AliExpress Portals) is the official platform where you’ll register, generate links, and track your performance.
Creating an account requires basic information about yourself and your promotional methods.
Here’s how the registration process for AliExpress affiliate marketing works: visit portals.aliexpress.com, click “Join Now,” and complete the application form. You’ll need to specify how you plan to promote products—whether through a website, social media, or other channels.
Be truthful about your promotion methods, as this helps AliExpress match you with appropriate resources. After submission, approval typically takes 1-3 business days, during which they verify your information to ensure compliance with their terms.
Choose your niche
A niche is a specialized segment of a market that caters to a particular audience with specific interests or needs.
Selecting the right niche helps you select what products you’ll promote, who your target audience will be, and how much competition you’ll face.
The best niches for AliExpress affiliate marketing combine your personal interests with market demand and profitability.
Using the AliExpress dashboard, you can explore commission rates across different categories. Look for product categories that strike a balance between adequate commission rates (preferably 5% or higher) and sufficient consumer demand.
For instance, home improvement gadgets might offer a 6% commission rate and have growing demand as more people take on DIY projects.
This combination makes it a potentially lucrative niche compared to highly saturated markets like generic smartphone accessories, which might have lower commissions and fierce competition.
For more details, check out my post on affiliate marketing niches.
Create your marketing platform
Your marketing platform is where you’ll showcase products and place your affiliate links. This could be a website, blog, social media account, or YouTube channel—each with distinct advantages and challenges.
A dedicated website gives you complete control over your content and branding, making it ideal for in-depth product reviews and comparisons. Websites also allow you to capture email addresses, enabling direct communication with potential customers.
When building a website, consider user experience factors like page load speed, mobile responsiveness, and clear navigation, as these affect both visitor engagement and search engine rankings.
Social media platforms offer different advantages for affiliate marketing with AliExpress: Instagram and Pinterest work well for visually appealing products, while YouTube excels for demonstrations and reviews.
Each platform has unique audience demographics and content formats, so choose based on where your target audience spends their time and what content type best showcases your chosen products.
To learn more, check out this post on affiliate marketing channels.
Generate and place affiliate links
Affiliate links are the tracking mechanism that credits sales to your account. These specialized URLs contain your unique affiliate ID, allowing AliExpress to identify you as the referral source when someone makes a purchase.
The AliExpress affiliate program’s dashboard provides various tools for generating these links. The basic link generator lets you create standard text links, while more advanced options include banner ads, product widgets, and store showcases.
When creating links, you can customize parameters like the destination URL, display format, and call-to-action text.
The Product Links Generator is particularly useful because it offers multiple formats to integrate products into your content naturally.
For example, you might use a simple text link when mentioning a product within a blog post, but choose a visual banner with price information when featuring it as a recommended item.
The system automatically tracks clicks, conversions, and commissions for each link, giving you valuable performance data.
Track your performance
Effective tracking allows you to identify what’s working, what needs improvement, and where to focus your efforts. The AliExpress affiliate dashboard provides comprehensive analytics to monitor your business performance.
Key metrics to watch out for when doing affiliate marketing with AliExpress include click-through rate (percentage of viewers who click your links), conversion rate (percentage of clicks that result in purchases), and earnings per click (average commission earned per click).
These metrics help you understand the effectiveness of your content and promotional strategies.
The dashboard also shows which products generate the most revenue and which traffic sources drive the most conversions. This information is invaluable for refining your approach.
For instance, if you discover that detailed product reviews convert at twice the rate of general list articles, you might shift your content strategy accordingly.
To know more, check out this post on the top affiliate marketing KPIs to track.
Final thoughts on affiliate marketing with AliExpress
Starting an affiliate marketing journey with AliExpress takes patience and consistent effort. Remember that success doesn’t happen overnight—it builds gradually as you learn what products resonate with your audience.
Focus on creating helpful content that solves real problems rather than pushing products aggressively. Your credibility matters more than quick commissions. As you grow, keep analyzing your AliExpress affiliate marketing performance data to understand which strategies work best.
Adjust your approach based on what you learn from these insights, whether that means focusing on different products or changing your content style. The flexibility of AliExpress’ massive product catalog gives you room to pivot when needed.
With persistent effort and a genuine desire to help your audience make good purchasing decisions, you can build a sustainable affiliate marketing business that grows over time.
Did I miss anything? Did you try these tips to get started with the AliExpress affiliate program? Do you have any questions or comments? Share your thoughts below in the comments section.
