Awin

What is Awin

Awin is a global affiliate marketing network that connects advertisers with publishers to facilitate mutually beneficial partnerships. Founded in 2000 in Germany as zanox and Affiliate Window, the companies merged and rebranded as Awin in 2017. As part of the Axel Springer group, Awin has grown into one of the largest and most reputable affiliate networks in the world, with a presence in numerous countries. The core purpose of the platform is to provide the technology and services for advertisers to run performance-based marketing programs and for publishers to monetize their online content. Advertisers list their products and commission offers, while publishers promote these products to their audience and earn a commission for every sale or lead generated through their unique affiliate links.

Awin Features

Awin offers a comprehensive set of features for both advertisers and publishers.

For Advertisers:

• Partner Discovery: Access a diverse network of over a million publishers to find the right partners for your brand.
• Advanced Tracking: Utilize robust cross-device tracking to accurately attribute sales and monitor campaign performance across desktop and mobile.
• Commission Management: Set flexible commission structures, including different rates for new vs. existing customers or by product category.
• Reporting & Analytics: Gain insights from detailed dashboards that show impressions, clicks, conversions, and commission data.
• Payment Processing: Awin handles all publisher payments, simplifying the financial administration of your program.

For Publishers:

• Advertiser Directory: Browse thousands of programs from leading global brands across various sectors like retail, travel, and finance.
• Link Generation Tools: Easily create trackable affiliate links. The Convert-a-Link tool automatically converts standard product links into affiliate links.
• Performance Dashboards: Track your earnings in real-time, monitor which links are performing best, and analyze trends to optimize your strategy.
• Reliable Payments: Receive timely and consistent payments for your earned commissions.

Awin Pricing Plans

Awin provides different plans tailored to the needs of advertisers, while publisher access is structured differently.

For Advertisers:

• Awin Access: An entry-level, self-managed plan designed for small businesses and startups. It offers a cost-effective way to launch an affiliate program without a long-term commitment.
• Awin Accelerate: A mid-tier plan for growing businesses that includes additional features and automation tools to help scale an affiliate program more efficiently.
• Awin Advanced: A premium plan for large enterprises that require data-driven solutions, bespoke reporting, and more sophisticated optimization capabilities.

For Publishers:

• Joining Awin as a publisher requires a small sign-up fee (e.g., $5 or €5) for verification purposes. This fee is credited back to your account and paid out with your first commission payment, making the platform effectively free to join for legitimate publishers.

Awin Free Plan

For advertisers, Awin does not offer a free plan. The Awin Access plan is the most accessible entry point for new businesses. For publishers, the platform is considered free to use. The initial sign-up deposit is fully refunded with the first earned commission, ensuring there is no long-term cost to access the network and its advertisers.

How to use Awin

Getting started with Awin involves a few simple steps depending on whether you are an advertiser or a publisher.

For Advertisers:

1. Choose a Plan: Select the Awin plan (Access, Accelerate, or Advanced) that best fits your business size and goals.
2. Set Up Your Program: Complete your company profile, upload promotional materials like banners and text links, and define your commission structure.
3. Invite & Approve Publishers: Use the Awin directory to find and invite relevant publishers to join your program, or review applications from publishers who want to promote you.
4. Track & Optimize: Monitor your performance dashboard to see which partners are driving sales and optimize your program for better results.

For Publishers:

1. Sign Up: Complete the publisher application form and pay the small verification deposit.
2. Get Approved: Once your application is reviewed and approved, you gain full access to the platform.
3. Find Advertisers: Search the advertiser directory by industry, product, or brand to find programs you wish to promote.
4. Get Links: Join an advertiser's program and use the link generation tools to get your unique affiliate links.
5. Promote & Earn: Place the links on your website, blog, or social media channels. When your audience clicks and makes a purchase, you earn a commission.

Pros and Cons of Awin

Pros:

• Vast Network: Access to a huge and diverse range of advertisers and publishers globally.
• Reputable and Trusted: Awin is a well-established company with a strong reputation for reliable tracking and payments.
• User-Friendly Interface: The platform is generally intuitive and easy to navigate for both beginners and experienced users.
• Helpful Tools: Features like Convert-a-Link simplify the process of monetizing content for publishers.
• Global Reach: Operates in many countries, making it ideal for international campaigns.

Cons:

• Publisher Sign-up Fee: The small verification fee can be a barrier for some new publishers, even though it is refundable.
• High Competition: Due to its popularity, competition among publishers for top programs can be intense.
• Support Varies: The level of dedicated support can vary depending on the size of your account or program.

Awin integrations

Awin's primary integration method is through its tracking technology, which can be incorporated into various platforms. It offers seamless integration with major e-commerce systems and marketing tools.

• Shopify Integration: Awin has a dedicated app in the Shopify App Store that simplifies the process of adding Awin tracking to a Shopify store.
• WooCommerce Integration: A plugin is available for WordPress/WooCommerce sites to enable easy tracking setup.
• Magento Integration: Awin provides extensions for Magento 1 and Magento 2 to integrate conversion tracking.
• Google Tag Manager: The Awin MasterTag can be easily deployed via Google Tag Manager for comprehensive site-wide tracking.
• Adobe Commerce: Offers solutions for businesses using the Adobe Commerce platform.

Awin Alternatives

• CJ Affiliate (Commission Junction): One of the largest and oldest affiliate networks, CJ is a direct competitor with a similar global reach and a large base of well-known brands.
• ShareASale: Owned by Awin but operated as a separate platform, ShareASale is particularly popular among small to medium-sized businesses and content bloggers. It is known for its user-friendly interface and large number of niche merchants.
• Rakuten Advertising: A leading affiliate network with a strong focus on retail and a premium list of advertisers. It is known for its robust analytics and global partnerships.
• Impact.com: A broader partnership automation platform that includes affiliate marketing. It offers more flexible tools for managing various types of partnerships beyond traditional affiliate models.

Awin API

Awin provides a comprehensive API for both publishers and advertisers. The API allows developers to programmatically access data and automate tasks, such as retrieving transaction reports, managing publisher applications, and fetching advertiser information. To get an API key, you must have an active Awin account. The key can typically be generated within your account settings under the 'API Credentials' or a similar section.

Here is a basic example of how to connect to the Publisher API using Python:

import requests

# Your personal API access token for publishers
access_token = 'YOUR_PUBLISHER_API_TOKEN'

# The publisher ID you want to query data for
publisher_id = 'YOUR_PUBLISHER_ID'

# API endpoint to get aggregated report
url = f'https://api.awin.com/publishers/{publisher_id}/reports/aggregated'

headers = {
    'Authorization': f'Bearer {access_token}'
}

params = {
    'startDate': '2023-01-01T00:00:00',
    'endDate': '2023-01-31T23:59:59',
    'timezone': 'UTC'
}

response = requests.get(url, headers=headers, params=params)

if response.status_code == 200:
    data = response.json()
    print(data)
else:
    print(f'Error: {response.status_code}')
    print(response.text)

Awin Affiliate Program

As an affiliate network itself, Awin does not have a traditional affiliate program to promote its own services. Instead, it operates a referral program. Existing publishers and advertisers on the platform can refer new clients to Awin. If a referred advertiser launches a program or a referred publisher starts earning commissions, the referrer receives a bonus or a commission. The specific terms, commission rates, and tracking links for the referral program are available within the user's Awin account dashboard. To participate, you must first be an approved member of the Awin network.