Skimlinks Network · Full Dataset Analysis

I Analyzed 28,844 Affiliate Programs on Skimlinks. Here’s What Most Affiliates Get Wrong.

Two-thirds appear inactive or immaterial. The median EPC is $0.14. Commission rate is the wrong thing to optimize — EPC is. A full data breakdown of every program on the Skimlinks network.

28,844 programs 21 verticals 9,356 with performance data February 2026

Key Takeaways Two-thirds of listed programs have no click data, suggesting they’re inactive or immaterial on the network. Commission rate alone is misleading — EPC (which captures basket size and conversion rate) is a better lens. The EPC distribution is massively skewed: two-thirds of programs with data earn less than $0.25 per click, and just 5.7% break $1.00. The same two paths to high EPC — big basket or high conversion rate — hold across all 21 verticals.

Most Programs Are Dead Weight

Of 28,844 listed programs, 19,191 have no click data — no EPC, no conversion rate, no basket size — suggesting the program is inactive or immaterial on the Skimlinks network. Some may be new listings or programs primarily active on other networks, but even with generous assumptions, the actual pool is far smaller than the catalog.

Programs With vs Without Performance Data

The actual pool is much smaller than the catalog When you browse a network directory and think “there’s so much opportunity here” — roughly two out of every three listings have no click data. The pool of programs generating real earnings is closer to 9,600.

The EPC Distribution Is Brutal

Of the 9,356 programs with a measurable EPC, the distribution is massively right-skewed. Two-thirds earn less than $0.25 per click. Most programs cluster between $0.01 and $0.25.

EPC Distribution Across 9,356 Programs with Non-Zero EPC

The “goldmine” is about 530 programs out of 28,844 Two-thirds of programs with data earn less than $0.25 per click. Only 531 (5.7%) break the $1.00 threshold. Just 9 programs in the entire network exceed $5.00 — Akind DE ($15.41), ZenBusiness ($12.40), GuestReady ($9.25), RajaniMD ($9.10), Ivim Health ($7.94), Misha and Puff ($7.35), smava ($7.33), Cloud Water Filters ($6.64), and WECREAT TECH ($6.19). Every one of them got there through either a massive basket or an unusually high conversion rate — not commission rate.

Commission Rate Is the Wrong Metric

Commission rate ignores basket size and conversion rate. EPC (earnings per click) = commission × basket × CVR. It captures the full picture in one number.

Average EPC by Vertical (21 verticals, cross-network classification)

Show commission rate vs EPC scatter →

Commission Rate vs Average EPC by Vertical (bubble size = basket size)

Two equations that produce high EPC 1. Big basket × modest commission — Finance & Insurance ($1,277 basket, 12.2%), Travel & Accommodation ($612, 6.4%). You don’t need a high commission when someone books a $1,700 hotel stay at 5%.
2. High commission × high CVR — Pets ($112 basket, 8.1%, 6.1% CVR), Food & Drink ($92, 9.5%, 5.5% CVR). Volume compensates.
The trap is the middle: verticals with moderate everything that look decent on paper but don’t stand out on any axis. Software & Technology has the highest commission rate of any vertical (31.6%) and the lowest EPC ($0.22) because almost nobody converts (2.1% CVR).

Full Vertical Breakdown

All 21 verticals classified using cross-network category matching against CJ, FlexOffers, Impact, Awin, and others, with manual review. Click column headers to sort.

Vertical	Avg EPC	Med EPC	Avg Comm %	Avg Basket	Avg CVR	Reversal %	Programs	Driver

Showing all 21 verticals. 9,323 of 9,356 programs classified (100%).

The 20 Highest-Earning Programs

Ranked by EPC. Note the pattern: high EPC almost always comes from massive baskets or unusually high conversion rates — rarely from commission rate alone.

#	Program	Vertical	EPC	Commission	Basket	CVR

This is just the top 20. Get the full top 1,000 programs ranked by EPC ↓

The Full Directory Is Live

This analysis covered Skimlinks alone. We’ve since expanded to 62,000+ programs across 10 networks — CJ, Impact, ShareASale, Rakuten, Awin, and others — with the same data-first approach. Real performance metrics: EPC, basket size, conversion rates, reversal rates, commission structures.

Browse 62,000+ programs →

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No spam. Just the data file and future analyses.

Methodology

Dataset: 28,844 programs from the Skimlinks network. Of these, 9,653 had at least one non-zero performance metric → 9,356 had non-zero EPC → 9,323 could be classified into verticals. EPC/basket/CVR averages use non-zero values only. Reversal rates averaged across all programs in the vertical, including zeros.

Vertical classification used cross-network category matching against CJ, FlexOffers, Impact, Awin, and others, with Skimlinks categories and manual review as fallback. All 9,323 programs with non-zero EPC classified into 21 verticals.

“No click data” means no EPC, no commission rate, no basket size, and no conversion rate reported. Some of these may be new listings or programs primarily active on other networks. The absence of data does not confirm the program is permanently inactive, but it does mean there is no evidence of conversions on this network.

Data sourced from the Skimlinks affiliate network · 28,844 programs analyzed · February 2026