An affiliate marketplace is an online platform where merchants, businesses, and product creators can connect with affiliate marketers to promote their products or services in exchange for a commission. These marketplaces serve as intermediaries, facilitating partnerships between merchants with products or services to sell and affiliates who have the audience and marketing expertise to promote those offerings effectively.

In an affiliate marketplace, merchants list their products or services along with commission rates, promotional materials, and tracking links for affiliates to use. Affiliates, on the other hand, browse through the marketplace to find products or services that align with their audience and interests. They then apply to become affiliates for those offerings and, upon approval, receive unique tracking links to promote them.

Affiliate marketplaces typically provide tools and resources to help merchants and affiliates manage their partnerships, track sales and commissions, and optimize their marketing efforts. They may also offer features such as reporting and analytics, payment processing, and affiliate recruitment to facilitate the growth and success of affiliate marketing programs.

Overall, affiliate marketplaces play a crucial role in the affiliate marketing ecosystem by connecting merchants and affiliates, enabling mutually beneficial partnerships, and facilitating the promotion and sale of products and services online.