The rules, requirements, and restrictions that govern publisher participation in an affiliate program, covering permitted promotional methods, commission policies, compliance requirements, and program management rights. Affiliate program terms and conditions (also called program rules or publisher guidelines) are the operational manual for publisher-brand relationships within a program. Key sections: Permitted promotional methods: explicit list of approved traffic sources and promotional tactics (content publishing, email to opt-in lists, paid search with brand keyword restrictions, social media promotion); explicit prohibited methods (adware, toolbars, pop-unders, incentivized traffic, co-registration, cookie stuffing, unauthorized paid search on brand terms). Commission policies: qualifying conversion definition, returns and cancellation handling, commission calculation basis, validation period, payment schedule, and minimum payment threshold. Compliance requirements: FTC disclosure obligations (specific disclosure language or minimum standards); brand asset usage requirements (logo, trademark, image usage); prohibited claim language (specific statements the publisher may not make about products); brand safety requirements (contexts the publisher may not appear in). Program management rights: right to modify terms with notice; right to reject or reverse commissions that fail to meet program criteria; right to terminate publishers for cause or with notice. Difference from publisher agreement: program terms and conditions are typically published publicly on the brand's website or affiliate network program page and apply to all publishers; the publisher agreement (separately executed) may supplement program terms for specific publisher relationships, particularly Tier 1 publishers with custom arrangements. Updating program terms: significant changes to commission rates, qualifying conversion definitions, or prohibited methods should be communicated with at least 30 days' notice; publishers who don't accept the updated terms may be transitioned out of the program.
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