Affiliate Links in Email Rules: Stay Within Policy
The main email providers allow affiliate links, but not affiliate-only emails. The affiliate links in email rules come down to three things: the links must sit inside your own content and fit your niche, they must be clearly presented as someone else's offer with your commission disclosed, and they must not point to blocked domains or banned categories. Break those and a provider can suspend your account. Your affiliate program has its own rules too, and those can be stricter than your email provider's. Policies change, so check both before you send.
Provider policies below were checked on September 27, 2026. They change, so confirm the current version before relying on them.
Affiliate links vs affiliate marketing: the distinction providers draw
Providers draw a line between using affiliate links and running an affiliate marketing business through their service. That distinction is what most of the rules hang on.
Mailchimp's help article about affiliate links (read on September 27, 2026) states it directly: "Affiliate marketing as an industry is prohibited under our Terms of Use", but "affiliate links are usually fine to use in Mailchimp emails." The difference is whether you have your own content and brand, with the occasional recommendation, or whether the email exists to push other companies' offers.
For a content site, that is usually good news. A blog newsletter that sends a new guide each week and sometimes recommends a tool falls on the allowed side. A list built to forward whatever pays the highest commission this week does not.
Affiliate links in email rules at three providers
Each provider words it differently. Here is how three widely used providers compare, based on their published pages on the date above.
| Provider | Affiliate links allowed? | Key conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Mailchimp | Usually yes | Ads for another company "should appear under your branding, be in your voice, and be relevant to your contacts"; no denylisted URLs |
| Kit | Yes, with limits | About 70 to 80 percent of email content about you and your own work, around 20 to 30 percent affiliate; some categories banned outright |
| MailerLite | Yes, with limits | Links "clearly presented as offers from another company" that fit your brand; pure commission-driven promotion of many third-party links is prohibited |
Kit
Kit's help article, What type of affiliate marketing is and isn't allowed at Kit? (updated June 29, 2026, read on September 27, 2026), gives the most concrete guideline. It says you are fine if "70-80% of your email content is about your own products, services, and information about who you are and what you do, and only around 20-30% of your content is related to affiliate marketing." It adds that "you should always mention that the link will redirect your subscribers to another site" and that you "should avoid making your audience believe that these are your products or services."
Kit also bans affiliate links in some categories regardless of your business: education, loans, online pharmacies and "get rich quick" software, explaining that this content "is often used in spam emails."
MailerLite
MailerLite's Terms of Use (effective September 22, 2026, read on September 27, 2026) prohibit "the promotion of multiple referral links from various third-party companies purely to generate commission-based income," while allowing affiliate links "provided they are clearly presented as offers from another company." Its own example: a travel blog can share travel gear or booking platforms with affiliate links, but furniture links unrelated to travel, sent "with the sole purpose to generate commission," would not be allowed. The terms warn that emails containing blacklisted links "may result in suspension or termination of your account."
Mailchimp
Beyond the branding, voice and relevance requirement, Mailchimp says its system "automatically scans email content for denylisted URLs." It suggests checking a domain's reputation with services such as Google Safe Browsing, SURBL, URIBL, Spamcop and Spamhaus before you link to it.
If you use a different provider, look for its acceptable use policy and any help article that mentions affiliate links. The same three questions usually apply: is it your content, is the link relevant, is the destination clean?
How to disclose affiliate links in an email
Provider rules are only half of it. Disclosure rules apply wherever you recommend something you earn from, including email. This is general information, not legal advice.
The FTC's Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking (read on September 27, 2026) is written mostly with websites and social media in mind, but its principles carry over. It says "The closer the disclosure is to your recommendation, the better," and gives example wording: "I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post." It also warns that "Consumers might not understand that 'affiliate link' means that the person placing the link is getting paid."
In an email, that points to a few practical habits:
- Put the disclosure next to the recommendation, not only in the footer. A short line right before or after the link is clearest.
- Say it in plain words. "I earn a commission if you buy through this link, at no extra cost to you" is clearer than a bare "affiliate link" label. Only say "no extra cost" if it is true for that program.
- Make it visible without scrolling or clicking. Small gray text at the bottom is easy to miss.
- Keep the tone of the recommendation honest. Say who the tool is for and who should skip it.
Rules differ outside the US. If your readers are in several countries, or you are unsure what applies to you, a lawyer familiar with advertising and marketing rules is the right person to ask.
Check your affiliate program's rules too
Your email provider is one set of rules. Each affiliate program has another, and the two are separate. A program may limit where its links can appear, including email, or ask for specific disclosure wording. Read the program's operating agreement or terms for anything about email, newsletters or "offline" promotion before you send. If it is unclear, ask the program's support team in writing and keep the answer.
Link format: cloaked, shortened or direct?
Many bloggers use redirect links on their own domain, such as yoursite.com/go/toolname. How to set these up on WordPress is covered in our guide to affiliate link cloaking on WordPress, and one plugin option is discussed in our Pretty Links review.
For email, a redirect on your own domain has a practical upside: the link shows your domain, and if a program changes, you update one redirect instead of every old email. Two cautions:
- Be careful with public link shorteners. Shared shortener domains are used by many senders, good and bad, so their reputation is outside your control. A redirect on your own domain keeps that in your hands.
- Do not use a redirect to hide what the link is. Kit's policy already asks you to say the link goes to another site. A tidy redirect plus a clear disclosure is fine. A redirect used to disguise an offer is not.
A pre-send checklist for emails with affiliate links
Run through this before any email with an affiliate link goes out.
- Is most of this email my own content? A guide, a note, a lesson. The affiliate link should support it, not replace it.
- Is the product relevant to what this list signed up for? Would a subscriber be surprised to see it?
- Is the disclosure next to the link, in plain words?
- Does the link go to a clean domain? Check the destination and any redirect you use.
- Is the product in a category my provider bans? Check the provider's current policy if you are unsure.
- Does my affiliate program allow email links?
- Would I recommend it without the commission? If you would not, leave it out.
The last question matters more than it looks. Readers who trust a newsletter's recommendations keep opening it. The same honesty that goes into avoiding lifetime deal red flags when you buy software applies when you recommend it.
What happens if you get flagged
Providers usually say what they may do rather than what they will do. MailerLite's terms mention suspension or termination. If a provider pauses your account or holds a campaign, read the message carefully, reply through official support, and explain your content and how you use affiliate links. Keep a copy of your list and your email content somewhere outside the provider so you are not stuck if the account is closed.
FAQ
Are affiliate links allowed in email newsletters?
Usually yes, with conditions. Mailchimp, Kit and MailerLite all allow affiliate links in some form, but none allows a list that exists only to promote other companies' offers. The links should fit your content and be clearly disclosed.
How much affiliate content can an email have?
Kit gives the clearest guideline: roughly 70 to 80 percent of your content about you and your own work, and around 20 to 30 percent related to affiliate marketing. Other providers judge it by relevance and branding rather than a ratio.
How do I disclose an affiliate link in an email?
Put a plain-language line right next to the link, such as "I get commissions for purchases made through links in this email." A footer-only disclosure or a bare "affiliate link" label may not be clear enough to readers.
Can I use Amazon or other affiliate links in email?
It depends on the program. Some programs limit where their links can appear, so read your program's current terms before you send. Your email provider's rules apply as well.
Should I cloak affiliate links in emails?
A redirect on your own domain is a reasonable choice and keeps you off shared shortener domains. Always disclose the link clearly; a redirect should keep links tidy, not hide what they are.
