How to Do Affiliate Marketing on note

For those wondering, “Isn’t affiliate marketing prohibited on note?”

As an operator who has published 173 articles about anime and manga on note, I have summarized this while checking the original text of the terms of service and help pages.

Conclusion: You can do affiliate marketing on note

• What you can do: You can paste URL-style links issued by Amazon Associates, Rakuten Affiliate, A8.net, etc., into your articles.

• What you cannot do: You cannot use banner ads or JavaScript ad codes, and the official “note Affiliate (beta)” has also ended.

• How to start: Publish 10 or more free articles -> Register with an ASP -> Create a tracking ID for note -> Publish with links and PR disclosures included.

• Prohibited by terms: Writing that encourages purchases by disclosing sales or profits, and misleading expressions like “guaranteed to make money” are not allowed.

note affiliate marketing is a system where you paste ASP affiliate links into your note articles and receive a referral fee when readers buy products or register for services via those links.

📌 3 points covered in detail in this article: (1) Steps to verify if your tracking ID is attached to Amazon links (2) Relevant sections of the original note terms and help (verified October 4, 2026) (3) Examples of PR disclosures you can use as-is.

Can you do affiliate marketing on note? Is it prohibited? [Conclusion and Basis]

The note Terms of Service include a clause to the effect that if a creator has not set an affiliate ID, note may set an affiliate ID held by note. It is written with the premise that links will be included.

The note help page “EC platforms linked with note” also states that Amazon product page URLs will be displayed as cards, and that if there is no creator affiliate ID, a note tag will be automatically inserted.

I sometimes see the theory that “anything other than Amazon is prohibited,” but I cannot find any clause in the note Terms of Service that limits the ASPs you can use. The Rakuten Affiliate guidelines also explicitly state that note is a blog service that can be used. What you should be careful about is the other side; some ASPs or advertisers do not permit posting on note, so check the posting conditions before partnering.

The official “note Affiliate (beta)” has ended

“note Affiliate (beta)” was an official test project where people who bought paid articles could introduce those articles on their own blogs or social media and receive rewards (Amazon gift cards). The implementation period was July 22 to August 4, 2024, and its termination is clearly stated in the help section.

Pros and cons of note affiliate marketing [Differences from blogs]

Pros

• Start immediately for free: No server or domain required.

• Amazon product cards appear automatically: Just pasting the URL creates a card with an image.

• Read from both search and within note: Individual note articles rank high even for this keyword. There is also traffic via hashtags.

Disadvantages

• Limited ad formats: Only text links and cards are available.

• Low flexibility for tracking and styling: You cannot insert tracking tags or modify the design.

• Renting space: You are subject to any changes in terms or specifications.

Genres that work well with note

The best genres are those where the answer to the reader’s question is the product itself. Examples include manga/books (subsequent volumes), tools and gadgets (how to use/how to choose), and free trials for videos or unlimited reading services (how to watch). It is safer to avoid information products and financial products due to note’s terms of service.

Differences from other monetization methods besides affiliate marketing

note also offers paid articles, memberships, and subscription magazines. Affiliate marketing differs in that you earn commissions while keeping the article free. You can balance both by using affiliate marketing for free articles that attract search traffic and paid articles for in-depth know-how.

ASPs you can use with note and ads you cannot

• Amazon Associates: Pasting a product URL on a single line automatically creates a card. Note that Kindle book prices are not displayed.

• Rakuten Affiliate: Official guidelines explicitly state that note can be used. You paste links in URL format.

• A8.net: A8 officially provides instructions on how to paste URLs using the “copy link destination URL” feature. Banners are not allowed, and you must register your note site with A8.net in advance.

• afb: They officially provide “link codes for SNS/note”.

• Other ASPs: You can paste them if they can be issued in URL format. Check the posting conditions before partnering.

🔴 Things you cannot use or should avoid

• Ads that combine banner images with 1×1 pixel tracking (tracking tags do not work on note)

• Ad codes that use JavaScript or iframe embed tags

• Redirect links to information products (problematic under both note’s terms and Amazon Associates)

How to start note affiliate marketing [5 steps]

We will use Amazon Associates as an example.

Step 1: Publish at least 10 articles on note

According to the Amazon Associates help page “About the application review process,” the requirement is to have at least 10 original posts that are publicly available and not restricted by a paywall. Build up a collection of free articles before registering.

Step 2: Register with an ASP

For Amazon Associates, the review process begins once you have generated at least 3 qualifying sales within 180 days of your application. Your own orders do not count. Enter your note creator page URL as the site URL.

Step 3: Create a tracking ID for note

Open “Manage Tracking IDs” from the account name menu in the top right of Associates Central and add an ID for note. If you separate them by medium, you can tell where the clicks are coming from.

Step 4: Create links and paste them into note

note does not have a settings screen to register Amazon tracking at the account level (confirmed on the note settings screen on October 4, 2026). You must attach your ID to each link individually when pasting.

1. Log in to Amazon with your Associates account and open the product page you want to promote

2. Use the toolbar at the top of the page (SiteStripe) to select your tracking ID and get a text link. Alternatively, add “?tag=your-tracking-ID” to the end of the product URL

3. Open the note editor in a PC browser, paste only the URL on an empty line, and press Enter → It will convert into a product card (card conversion is not supported in the app)

4. If you want to insert it into the text, select the text and set the URL using the link button

🔴 If you paste a URL without a tag, note’s own tag will be inserted automatically. You will not receive credit for the results. After publishing, click it once to verify that your ID is in the URL.

Step 5: Include PR labeling and publish

Include a PR label at the beginning and the required Amazon disclosure text either within the article or in your profile before publishing. See the next chapter for how to write it.

How to write PR labels [Compliance with stealth marketing regulations]

Since October 1, 2023, displays that hide the fact that they are advertisements (stealth marketing) are regulated as unfair representations under the Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations. The note help guide for requested articles also recommends clearly stating the subject and benefits and using hashtags. Since affiliate articles can also be subject to this, I include it in all my articles.

📌 Labels you can use as-is

• At the beginning of the article (directly under the title): “*This article contains promotions (affiliate links such as Amazon Associates)”

• Within the article or in your profile: “As an Amazon Associate, [Your Name] earns income from qualifying sales.”

• Articles requested or provided with products by companies: Write the name of the requester and what you received (product, compensation, etc.) in the body text, and also add tags such as “#PR”.

The second statement is something that the Amazon Associates Program Operating Agreement requires you to clearly state so that it is conspicuous. It is separate from the PR disclosure, so include both.

Also, do not manually copy Amazon prices or inventory. Amazon’s terms assume that prices are displayed via Amazon-provided links or data, so leave it to the product card.

Things you must not do in note affiliate marketing

• Disclosing sales/profits to incite purchases: The note Terms of Service make disclosing sales or profits, “regardless of whether they are confirmed or unconfirmed,” to incite purchases a subject for account suspension.

• Expressions like “guaranteed to make money”: These are listed in note’s prohibited items as “expressions that significantly mislead users.”

• Buying from your own links: On Amazon, your own orders do not count as referral results.

• Unauthorized reproduction of official images or lyrics: In addition to copyright issues, Amazon also cites the posting of images without permission as a reason to refuse participation.

Why I don’t put Amazon links in paid areas

There is no explicit prohibition, but Amazon’s review process assumes public content not closed behind a paywall. Placing them where the reviewers cannot see them is not worth the risk, so I have not included them in the paid portion of this article either.

3 principles of “link placement” learned from managing 173 articles

1. Place it immediately after the answer: Place the link to the volume on the line after writing “Continue from volume X of the original work.” The location that matches the reader’s next action gets the most clicks.

2. One within the first 3 scrolls: People who come via search will only read the conclusion and leave.

3. Don’t make them choose: The more options you line up, the more confused they will be, so provide one link for one answer.

3 points to make your article readable

• Answer in the title and introduction: Put the searched terms in the first half of the title and answer the question in the first three lines.

• Include one personal experience: What you actually tried, counted, or compared is what differentiates your article from a summary article.

• Make search the axis: Use social media for announcements immediately after publication, and place the entry point for long-term readership in search.

Articles where links get clicked are those with “questions that have a single definitive answer”

What gets clicked more easily than a review is an article that provides one answer to a question. Since the next action follows immediately after the answer, the placement of the link becomes clear.

👀Example: Click here for an article on why Amazon Prime anime becomes paid halfway through

This article is a “reason-based” type. All patterns of these types and how to create titles are summarized in the paid section.

Frequently Asked Questions about note Affiliate Marketing

Can’t you make money with note affiliate marketing?

Results are not guaranteed. Amazon’s operating terms also state that they do not guarantee referral fees, etc. Referral rates also vary by product category; for example, Kindle books are 8%, paper books are 3%, and figures are 0.5% (as of the referral rate table in October 2026).

Can I do it with just a smartphone?

You can write articles on a smartphone. However, according to note help, the card display for product URLs is not supported on the app. It is safer to paste links you want to turn into cards from a PC browser.

Can I post links even before the review?

Yes, you can. The Amazon Associates program works by starting the review process only after you have generated 3 qualifying sales within 180 days via links created after your application.

Can I use Rakuten or A8?

Yes, you can. Rakuten Affiliate explicitly mentions the use of note in its guidelines, and A8.net officially provides instructions on how to paste links into note. Both use URL-style links.

Which is better, a blog or note?

If you want ease of starting, choose note; if you want freedom of advertising and asset value, choose a blog. I believe it is sufficient to solidify your article style on note before considering a blog.

Summary: Start note affiliate marketing “within the terms of service”

• You can do affiliate marketing on note. URL-style links can be used, and the official (beta) feature has ended.

• Always attach your own tracking ID to Amazon links and include both the PR disclosure and the specified wording.

• Do not hype by disclosing earnings. Place Amazon links within the free-to-read portion.

The design for writing in your favorite genre is summarized in another article.

👀For anime lovers’ note side hustle blueprint is here

Contents of the paid section

That is everything regarding “what you can and cannot do.” The paid section provides a complete set of tools for publishing one article every week. Any genre is fine.

• Chapter 1: 5 types of note article formats that get read via search: Includes 5 fill-in-the-blank title templates

• Chapter 2: Article structure template: An 11-item framework + an example of this article applied to it

• Chapter 3: Link placement template: How to differentiate between product sales and free trials, plus 5 lead-in sentences for links

• Chapter 4: Keyword judgment checklist: Evaluate whether you can aim for the top 3 spots using 7 criteria

• Chapter 5: Prompts to have AI write drafts: Full text for copy-pasting. Includes negative constraints to prevent it from writing lies

• Chapter 6: Pre-publication checklist: 13 items covering terms of service, stealth marketing, and copyright

• Chapter 7: Weekly routine to keep going: Tasks and time allocation for each day of the week

The free section of this article is also written according to the framework in Chapter 2. The order of Conclusion → Rationale → Procedure → Points of Caution → FAQ is the actual example itself.

🔴 People who should not read this: People looking for ways to earn large amounts of money quickly. This article contains no guarantees of earnings or records of monetary results.

🟢 People who should read this: People who want to keep writing useful articles on note / People who get stuck every time on “what and how to write” / People who want to avoid violating terms of service at all costs.