How To Sell Affiliate Products On Shopify: A Complete Guide

Affiliate marketing is a booming industry, expected to reach $15.7 billion globally by 2024. With Shopify’s flexibility, you can tap into this growing market by selling affiliate products directly through your store. 

This guide will walk you through the two main ways to sell affiliate products on Shopify, the apps you’ll need, and key considerations to ensure your success. Whether you’re a content creator, blogger, or entrepreneur, setting up an affiliate-based Shopify store can be a profitable and scalable business model. 

What is selling affiliate products?

Selling affiliate products means promoting and listing products from other brands on your Shopify store. Instead of handling inventory, fulfillment, or customer service, you earn a commission whenever someone purchases through your affiliate links. This model allows you to generate revenue without the overhead costs of stocking products.

Affiliate selling on Shopify typically works in two ways:

• Hybrid store: You sell both affiliate products and your own inventory.
• Affiliate-only store: Your store is purely dedicated to affiliate products, serving as a curated marketplace.

Both approaches offer unique advantages, depending on your business goals. A hybrid store lets you diversify revenue streams, while an affiliate-only store is ideal for content creators who want to monetize their audience without managing physical products.

2 popular ways to sell affiliate products on Shopify

There are two main ways to sell affiliate products on Shopify: running a hybrid store or creating an affiliate-only store. Each approach serves different business models and requires specific Shopify packages and tools.

#1 – Hybrid store

A hybrid store combines affiliate products with your own inventory. This model is ideal for businesses that want to expand their product offerings without increasing stock costs.

In this model, you list both your own products and affiliate products on your Shopify store. When a customer buys an affiliate product, they are redirected to the merchant’s website via your affiliate link, and you earn a commission if they complete the purchase.

A good example of a hybrid store is Best Buy.

• Own Inventory: Best Buy also sells its own stock of electronics, appliances, and accessories, which they warehouse and ship directly to customers.
• Affiliate Products: Best Buy partner with other business and it earns commissions by directing customers to partner website. Some third-party products listed on Best Buy’s marketplace are sold and shipped by other retailers.

Best Shopify package: Shopify’s Plan for small team ($49/month) is enough to support hybrid stores. You only need third-party apps to add affiliate links to your product listings.

#2 – Affiliate-only store

An affiliate-only store operates purely as a curated marketplace with no physical inventory. It is ideal for bloggers, influencers, and content creators who want to monetize their traffic through affiliate links.

Your Shopify store serves as a product showcase. Customers browse products, but when they click to buy, they are redirected to the original seller’s website via your affiliate link. This model relies on strong content marketing and SEO to attract visitors.

Best Shopify package: Since no transactions happen on Shopify, the Basic plan ($19/month) or Shopify plan ($49/month) is sufficient. These plans allow you to create a storefront and add product listings with affiliate links.

#1 – Setting up a hybrid store on Shopify

A hybrid store combines traditional eCommerce with affiliate marketing, allowing you to sell your own products while also earning commissions from affiliate sales. This approach is ideal if you want to maximize revenue, offer a wider range of products, and reduce inventory risks.

How hybrid store works?

Your store will feature both products that you fulfill yourself and affiliate products that redirect customers to external sites.

• If a customer buys your in-house product, Shopify processes the order as usual, and you handle fulfillment.
• If they click on an affiliate product, they are redirected to a third-party retailer through your affiliate link. If they complete the purchase, you earn a commission.

You earn profit from selling your own products and commissions from affiliate referrals.

This model allows you to build a brand identity while expanding your catalog with minimal risk.

What to prepare for running a hybrid products store on Shopify?

Before launching a hybrid store, you need to ensure that your Shopify setup supports both physical/digital product fulfillment and affiliate product redirections.

1. List out relevant products

Having a list of relevant products means choosing and displaying products that match your store’s niche and audience. In an affiliate store, relevance is key because people visit with specific expectations.

For examples, you are a band selling workout gear (resistance bands, water bottles), the suitable affiliate products are protein powders, pre-workout supplements

Vet affiliate partners to ensure you are promoting reputable products that won’t damage your brand’s credibility.

2. Finding partner networks or partner programs

A partner network is a platform or system where brands connect and collaborate to promote each other’s products or services. It helps businesses reach new customers by sharing audiences, co-marketing, and running joint promotions.

Here are some main types that you can think of:

• Local Business Networks: Small businesses in the same area team up for cross-promotion (e.g., a local gym partners with a health food store). I have seen local businesses cross-promote and showcase each others in a tourist destination.
• Cross-Industry Networks: Companies from different industries collaborate to offer bundled services or co-market products (e.g., a travel agency partnering with a luggage brand). There are many Facebook groups or Reddit threads where brands meet!
• One-way Affiliate Partnerships – Businesses sign up to promote and sell another company’s products for a commission. (e.g., websites promoting Amazon products).

Each types offer distinguished benefits.

3. Managing partnerships

In a partner network, each brand typically has its own system, which means:

• You may need to create an account in their system to access data, track referrals, or manage orders.
• Likewise, they might need to sign up on your platform if they are promoting or selling your products.

You need to learn about the basic on affiliate management and affiliate commission payment. For example, how commissions are paid (flat rate, percentage-based, recurring, etc.). Some affiliate programs only credit sales within a certain time frame (e.g., 30 days after a click) . Besides, you should know the minimum payout limits and payment frequency of each affiliate network.

To manage a hybrid store partnership (selling both own and affiliate products), businesses can use different types of software, like BixGrow.

4. Transparency & compliance

Clearly state when a product is an affiliate link to comply with FTC guidelines and maintain customer trust. Ensure your store maintains a seamless user experience across both your own and affiliate products.

Apps to use

To integrate affiliate products into your Shopify store, you’ll need apps that allow you to embed affiliate links into product listings while maintaining a cohesive store layout.

Here are some top Shopify apps for hybrid stores:

• BixGrow: A complete affiliate tracking solution that lets you add affiliate links to product listings and track commissions in just a few clicks. 
• Outlink External Links Button: Helps add external “Buy Now” buttons for affiliate products.
• Affiliatly: Tracks affiliate sales and provides analytics on which products perform best.

Tips for running a hybrid store

Running a hybrid store requires careful planning to ensure a smooth shopping experience and maximize conversion rates.

• User experience & navigation: Clearly differentiate between your own products and affiliate products. Ensure external links open in a new tab to keep users on your store longer. Use consistent branding to maintain customer trust.
• SEO & traffic strategy: Optimize product pages with SEO-friendly descriptions to rank for relevant keywords. Write blog content related to your affiliate products to drive organic traffic. Leverage email marketing to highlight new affiliate products alongside your own offerings.
• Customer trust & retention: Set clear return and refund policies (your own vs. affiliate partners). Build relationships with returning customers by offering loyalty programs and discounts on your own products.
• Regular optimization: Monitor performance analytics to identify high-converting high-performing affiliate products and focus on promoting them.

A hybrid store is an excellent way to diversify your revenue while maintaining control over branding and customer experience.

#2 – Setting up an affiliate-only store on Shopify

An affiliate-only store is a Shopify store that does not sell any in-house products. Instead, it serves as a curated storefront where visitors browse products but are redirected to external sites for purchasing. You earn commissions from each sale made through your affiliate links.

This model is ideal if you:

• Want to avoid inventory management and fulfillment
• Prefer a low-risk business model with minimal upfront investment
• Have strong marketing skills to drive traffic and conversions

How affiliate-only store works?

Your Shopify store showcases affiliate products just like a regular eCommerce store, with product images, descriptions, and categories. Instead of an “Add to Cart” button, each product has a “Buy Now” or “View Product” button that links to the retailer’s website via your affiliate link.

If the customer completes the purchase on the external site, you earn a commission based on the affiliate program’s terms.

Since Shopify itself does not process payments for affiliate products, your primary role is to drive traffic and encourage conversions

“This is why I’m broke” is an example of selling affiliate products. They are focus on product-discovery phase and target at trending, unusual, goofy products.

What to prepare?

Before launching an affiliate-only store, you need to set up your Shopify store for affiliate integration and marketing.

1. Choose a niche & affiliate programs

Pick a niche where you have expertise or a strong audience (e.g., tech gadgets, home decor, fashion). Find affiliate programs that align with your niche, such as Amazon Associates, ShareASale, CJ Affiliate, or individual brand affiliate programs. Compare commission structures to prioritize programs that offer the best earnings potential.

2. Design a storefront optimized for affiliate sales

Use high-quality images and compelling product descriptions to drive clicks.

Ensure your product listings provide value-driven content (e.g., benefits, comparisons, reviews) to increase conversions. Implement a clear call-to-action (CTA) on each product page, such as “Get This Deal” or “View on Amazon.”

3. Plan your traffic strategy

Unlike traditional eCommerce stores, where paid ads can drive direct sales, affiliate stores require a content-driven marketing approach to attract and retain visitors.

• SEO & Content marketing: Optimize product pages and blogs to rank for relevant keywords. Write blog posts, buying guides, and comparison articles to educate your audience.
• Social promotion: Leverage Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube to promote affiliate products.
• Affiliate marketing: In most case, the profit margin driven from an affiliated store is not enough for sponsorships (e.g. influencer marketing), but you still can run affiliate programs as it is no beforehand cost required.
• Email marketing: Build an email list to nurture leads and drive repeat visits.
• Traffic from soical media: As SEO game is being more volatile due to the A.I’s dominance recently, some top affiliates transfer to driving traffic to from social media. Niche Site Lady is one of those and she shared a blogpost on how to drive traffic from Facebook.

Apps to use

Since Shopify doesn’t have built-in affiliate product functionality, you’ll need apps to convert product listings into affiliate links. Here are some useful apps:

• Outlink External Links Button: Lets you add external “Buy Now” buttons to products.
• BixGrow: Useful if you want to track and manage affiliate link performance.
• Amazon Associate Connector: Helps integrate Amazon affiliate products into your Shopify store.

These apps ensure your store functions seamlessly as an affiliate-based business while maintaining a professional storefront.

Considerations for running an affiliate-only store

1. Choose the suitable platform

Don’t mistake a affiliate store to a blog doing affiliate marketing. The first on focus on store-like experience, and the second focus on product discovery.

An affiliate-only store can work effectively as a blog-store hybrid, where content plays a major role in driving traffic and conversions. Instead of focusing solely on product listings, this model mixes in guides, reviews, and recommendations to engage visitors and naturally lead them to affiliate links.

Before choosing a platform, decide how you want your affiliate store to function:

• Store-Like experiences: A structured shop with product pages and minimal blog content. In this case Shopify is optimal.
• Content-driven blog: A blog-style site with affiliate links embedded in articles, reviews, and guides. If you choose this strategy, a blog-optimized platform like WordPress is enough.
• Hybrid (Both Store & Blog): A mix of product listings and content to drive traffic. We suggest to use Shopify.

2. Seasonal products

An affiliate-only store isn’t locked into a fixed product catalog. It can adapt to trends and seasonal demand, switching product types throughout the year. This flexibility is key to maintaining and growing traffic.

• Seasonal Demand: Some products only sell during certain months (e.g., winter jackets in December, beach gear in summer).
• Trends: Trending products (e.g., viral gadgets, holiday gifts or even a viral product on TikTok) can spike in demand, making them great short-term opportunities.

Updating content regularly keeps your store relevant, ensuring steady search rankings and traffic.

3. Affiliate Disclosure

Since an affiliate-only store earns through commissions, transparency is key. The FTC requires clear disclosure that links may generate revenue. Here’s where to place it:

1. Site-Wide Notice – A short disclosure in the footer or header ensures visitors always see it.
2. Product Pages – Add a line near the buy button (e.g., “We may earn a commission if you purchase through this link.”).
3. Checkout Redirect Notice – Since users are sent to another site, inform them before they leave.
4. Dedicated Disclosure Page – A full explanation linked in the footer covers compliance thoroughly.

Check this examples of affiliate disclosure in Moneysavingexpert

4. Conversion optimization

In a pure affiliate store, you don’t have to worry about making products or managing inventory. Instead, you can focus on improving sales and marketing.

Try different buttons (like “Buy Now” vs. “View Product”) to see which gets more clicks. Use tracking tools to find where visitors leave your site and make changes. Adding reviews and customer photos helps build trust before sending people to buy from another site.

Since success depends on good marketing, testing and improving is the key to growing your store

5. Sustainability & growth

An affiliate store can make money for a long time if you keep traffic steady and update products often. Many think it only works for trends, but that’s not true if you add new products on time.

New products bring quick earnings, while older ones give steady income. Since commissions change, don’t rely on just one program—try subscription-based products like SaaS or subscription boxes for recurring commissions.

To keep making money, add fresh content to attract visitors. An affiliate-only Shopify store is low-cost and easy to manage, but you need good marketing and traffic to succeed.

Conclusion

Selling affiliate products on Shopify is a flexible and scalable way to generate income without the complexities of inventory management. Whether you choose a hybrid store that combines your own products with affiliate offerings or run an affiliate-only store, the key to success lies in strategic product selection, effective marketing, and user-friendly store design.

A hybrid model allows you to diversify revenue streams while maintaining control over branding and customer experience. Meanwhile, an affiliate-only store is low-risk and cost-effective, making it ideal for content creators and marketers who excel at driving traffic.

Regardless of your approach, success in affiliate marketing on Shopify depends on choosing the right affiliate programs, using the right apps, and implementing strong traffic strategies such as SEO, content marketing, and social media. With the right setup and ongoing optimization, you can build a profitable Shopify store that generates passive income through affiliate commissions.