How to gain approval from affiliate networks such as ShareASale or CJ
Get good ways to employ affiliate marketing to earn from it passively. Well, it does not lie as easy as putting up a pretty good account or an affiliate like CJ or ShareASale. You might just have opened up to this type of marketing. These networks carefully screen applicants by way of stringent criteria well laid down as an assurance of taking only the best quality publishers onboard.
Steps on How to Successfully Obtain Approval
Established Affiliates with Control Over Their Policies Related to
For quality traffic generation and real conversions, affiliate networks maintain high standards with their advertisers. Worldwide brands enjoy trust by these networks and they want to be associated with serious, legitimate publishers that can bring in sales and engagement.
Intensified Screening Process Prior to Website Approvals
1. Professional Website Creation
A well-built, professional website typically goes hand-in-hand with successful acceptance to any affiliate network, but only after such a website reflects necessary conditions in terms of what types it will distribute. Here˙s what your site should have:
Customized domain (no subdomains like yoursite.blogspot.com, free)
No nonsense, clean and mobile-friendly design
Substantial quality content (a minimum of 10-15 mouthwatering blog posts)
Clear niche (technology, finance, health, etc.)
Professional About Us and Contacts pages
Privacy Policy, Terms of Service
An air-tight proof website indicates your seriousness as an affiliate marketer. The better your website looks, the better your chances.
2. Utilize Original, High Quality Content
Since affiliate networks are looking for publishers who can drive good traffic and conversion, your content has to be informative and engaging and not only product reviews but also guides and tutorials and comparisons. Content must not be AI generated or copied because networks utilize tools to detect plagiarism.
It must also be SEO optimized (use relevant keywords, proper headings, and internal linking). It needs to be user-focused (neither promoting products nor touting themselves, but rather helping the visitors). They also consider whether your content satisfies your advertisers in terms of their needs for niche eligibility for further applications. Companies are much more likely, or at least, somewhat more likely to approve you.
3. Get Organic Traffic
Affiliate networks much prefer sites that receive real traffic. Less and less traffic on your website, and it may take a while to get accepted. This is how you can create traffic prior to applying:
SEO Optimization – Applying proper on-page and off-page SEO techniques to make it rise in search engines.
Social Media – Share it throgh Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.
Email Marketing – Starting in building an email list to send newsletters.
Guest Blogging – Write posts on other websites to build backlinks and increase authority.
Forums & Communities – Stay engaged on relevant communities and provide value for future visitors.
Try to hit at least 500-1000 monthly visitors before applying; anything more sure to attract a network to the potential of affiliate sales from your site.
4. Ensure Clean and Engaging User Experience
Affiliate networks check how well your website is structured. Your UX will get better by:
Making your site easy to navigate
Avoiding too many ads or pop-ups
Using fast-loading themes and imagery
Providing a clear call to action (CTA) in your articles
Optimizing for mobile users, as most traffic comes from mobile devices
This can lead to a much better user experience for your yearly engagement with the site, which is yet another attraction for affiliate networks.
5. Have a Monetization & Promotion Plan
ShareAsale and CJ want to know what you will do to promote their affiliate products. Prepare a simple monetization plan comprising:
Content Strategy – How you will naturally embed affiliate links into your posts
Promotion Methods – SEO, Social Media, Paid Ads, Email Marketing?
Target Audience – Who your readers are and why they will be interested in the products you are promoting.
With a well-laid out plan, networks will have assurances about you understanding affiliate marketing and that you'll not spam links.
6. Create Social Proof & Engagement
Before applying, establish an online presence. Some networks check if you have social media followers or an engaged audience. Consider:
Having active social pages with followers and engagement
Growing colleagues with people on the email subscriber list
Getting comments and shares on your blog posts
This could be good customer engagement proof and thus improves your chances to get approved.
7. Apply with Accurate Information
Filling the application form with the affiliate network.
Professional email (do not use Gmail or Yahoo; use your domain email like yourname@yoursite.com)
Accurate personal and business information
Clearly and professionally describe the aim of your website
State how you will promote the affiliate product.
Do not include information that is vague or incomplete. A well-filled application raises your chances of approval.
8. Avoid These Common Mistakes
A few mistakes to be avoided:
Applying with an incomplete website (no content, missing pages, or broken links)
Using free subdomains (always buy a custom domain)
Submission of duplicate or AI-generated content
Shortage of traffic (wait until you can easily complete 500-1000 monthly visits)
No compliance with the network guideline (read terms before you apply)
Many applications to such networks was rejected mostly due to this reason of haste because if you take time to settle all things in place, it will be a great deal of difference in getting approved.
9. Follow Up after Application
If you've applied and haven't heard from them in 7-14 days, follow up. You can:
Send an email to the support team asking for a status update
Check your spam folder for approval/rejection emails
Request feedback on rejections, and improve before reapplyingSome networks have a manual approval process, so being patient is key.
10. What to Do If You Get Rejected
If you receive a rejection email, don’t get discouraged. Here’s what you should do:
Review the rejection reason – Networks usually provide a reason.
Improve your website based on their feedback.
Increase your traffic and engagement.
Reapply after making necessary improvements.
Most networks allow reapplication after a certain period, so use this time to strengthen your site.
Conclusion
Getting approved for ShareASale and CJ requires preparation and patience. Focus on building a high-quality website, driving traffic, and creating original content. Once approved, be consistent in your efforts, and you’ll see long-term success in affiliate marketing.
By following these steps, you’ll have a much higher chance of getting accepted into top affiliate networks and growing your passive income. Good luck! 🚀
