A product-discovery service may eventually earn money when someone follows a link and completes a purchase. That model can support a useful service without charging the shopper directly.
It also creates an obvious question:
Did this product appear because it fits me, or because the link may earn more?
A trustworthy experience must answer that question through product behavior, not a legal page nobody sees.
Disclosure belongs beside the recommendation
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s Disclosures 101 guidance says disclosures should be easy to see and understand, hard to miss, and placed with the endorsement itself. The FTC specifically warns that disclosures can be missed when they appear only on profile or “about” pages, at the end of content, or behind an extra click.
Laws and requirements vary by country and context, but the design principle travels well: material relationships should not be hidden from the person making the decision.
For Amatok, that means when an eligible affiliate relationship applies, it should be explained near the product and purchase action—not buried in general terms.
Clear language is better than clever language
A useful label should answer three questions:
- What is the relationship? Amatok may earn if a purchase is completed through the link.
- Does it change the shopper’s price? The disclosure should explain whether there is a separate added charge.
- Why is this product being shown? Recommendation relevance should remain distinct from commission economics.
Dense legal wording may technically exist while still failing the user. Plain language is part of the product.
Relevance should not be auctioned away
Amatok keeps product recommendations separate from retailer and affiliate relationships. This creates a clear foundation for future recommendations.
That approach supports an important principle:
recommendation relevance ≠ affiliate commissionCommission does not determine which Products enter today’s feed, and future relevance logic should remain separate from commission.
When an eligible affiliate relationship applies, a retailer or affiliate partner may pay Amatok for qualifying activity. Amatok adds no separate fee; the merchant controls the final transaction terms.
Amatok does not separately track every outbound click. Click and purchase reporting comes from retailers and affiliate partners and may be delayed.
What Amatok aims to show
The intended experience is:
- a visible affiliate label near the relevant product action;
- a short explanation available without leaving the discovery context;
- no claim that every product is independently reviewed;
- no separate charge added by Amatok for following the link;
- future recommendation logic centered on relevance, freshness, diversity, and exploration rather than commission size.
The exact wording will need to match the final affiliate programs and applicable requirements.
Trust also means preserving the shopper’s job
A recommendation is a candidate, not a guarantee.
Before purchasing, shoppers should still verify:
- the seller and retailer;
- current price and availability;
- shipping and return terms;
- dimensions, compatibility, and materials;
- whether independent reviews support the claim.
Amatok’s role is to improve discovery and make commercial relationships visible—not to make skepticism disappear.
If transparent discovery matters to you, join early access and help us test whether the labels are understandable in the moment.
Sources and further reading
- U.S. Federal Trade Commission, “Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers”. The guidance states that disclosures should be hard to miss, placed with the endorsement, and written in simple, clear language.
- Amatok, Affiliate Disclosure.