# Affiliate links and earning

> How products.ai affiliate links work: commission never picks the product, every link is flagged, and how your app can earn where a merchant runs a program.

> **Preview:** Earning through products.ai comes with MCP or API access, which opens by request. This page describes how it works at launch. The terms for your app are set per affiliate program and in your agreement.

Commission never picks the product. Pius Bot chooses the product on fit and the shop on stock, delivery and returns first; affiliate links are added only after that, and every one is flagged. Where a merchant runs an affiliate program, a sale through that link can earn your app a share of the commission.

## Does commission change which product Pius Bot picks?

No. The links come last, so they have nothing to push on. This is the order every answer follows:

1. **Pius picks the product on fit.** What it's for, what you can't do without, and your budget. No shop has been looked at yet.
2. **Pius finds where to buy it.** A shop that has the exact product in stock, delivers to you and is clear about returns.
3. **Affiliate links are added.** Only where a merchant runs a program, and only after steps 1 and 2 are done.

You can see it in the headphones example. Pius picked the Sony WH-1000XM5 on fit, then named bol.com because it had the XM5 in stock and delivered in 1–2 days. Whether a shop runs an affiliate program played no part in either step.

## Can shops pay to be recommended?

No. A shop gets named by having the exact product in stock, delivering to you quickly and making returns easy.

Nothing a shop pays can change that. A shop that wants to be named has one way to get there: have the product, deliver it well and make returns easy.

## How are affiliate links flagged?

Every affiliate link is flagged, wherever it shows up.

- **In products.ai chat**, a flagged offer carries an **Affiliate link** label next to its **Go to store** button.
- **Over MCP or the API**, the flag travels with the offer in the data, so your app knows which links can earn. The exact field will be named in the API docs; until then, see the [API overview](https://products.ai/docs/api).

Offers from merchants without an affiliate program carry no affiliate link. They're weighed exactly the same way, and they can be the shop Pius Bot names.

> **Note:** When you click through to a shop from products.ai, we record the click with your IP address stored only as a hash, so commission can be matched to it and fake clicks filtered out. [Privacy and data](https://products.ai/docs/privacy-and-data) has the details.

## Can your app earn from the answers?

Yes, where a merchant runs an affiliate program. A sale through a flagged link can earn your app a share of the commission. Terms vary per program: the rate and the conditions differ from one merchant to the next.

To set it up, request access through the [access form](https://products.ai#access) and choose **Earn commission**, or email api@products.ai. A person in Amsterdam reads every request, and the details for your app are agreed with your access.

## What must you disclose in your app?

You must tell your users when a link can earn you money. Consumer protection rules in many countries require it, and your users deserve to know.

What works well:

- **Put the disclosure next to the link**, not only on a terms page nobody opens.
- **Use plain words**, such as "We may earn a commission if you buy through this link."
- **Keep the reasons visible.** Show why the pick fits and why Pius Bot named that shop.
- **Don't re-sort offers by commission.** Your users trust the pick because money didn't choose it. Reorder by payout, and sooner or later your users notice.

More on how Pius picks the shop is in [Where to buy](https://products.ai/docs/where-to-buy).