Monetization · Affiliate

How affiliate income works with broker listings

How broker listings, public submissions, and your tracking links work together; what you can earn; and what actually drives profit (with realistic expectations).

How affiliate works (visual)

WordPress does not store commissions. Your site sends clicks; the broker’s partner program attributes signups and pays you when their rules are met.

Who earns affiliate income?

You (site owner / publisher) earn when visitors use your reviews or comparisons, click your tracking link, and the broker’s program credits a qualified signup, deposit, or trading activity. Money is governed by the broker’s official affiliate, IB, or partner program — not by WordPress itself.

Brokers that submit a listing want visibility and new clients. They do not receive “affiliate commissions” from your review site; they acquire traders. Keeping those roles separate makes your strategy and disclosures clearer.

Step-by-step (same as the diagram)

  1. Traffic arrives

    Organic search, social, or ads land users on your broker review or compare pages.

  2. Tracked click

    The user clicks “Visit broker” (or similar). The URL includes your affiliate ID or token from the partner portal.

  3. Conversion on broker side

    Signup, verification, first deposit, or minimum lots — exactly as that program’s terms describe.

  4. Reporting & payout

    Commissions show in the broker’s partner dashboard; WordPress only hosted the click. You withdraw per the program’s payout rules.

How broker submission fits in

Visitors can suggest brokers through the public form. After you moderate and publish, the listing joins your directory, which grows topical coverage and comparison depth.

  • Submitting a broker does not auto-enroll you in that broker’s affiliate program — you still apply and get approved separately.
  • For each live broker post, paste your tracking URL in the Visit / affiliate link field.
  • With Visit broker enabled in plugin settings, cards and single broker pages use that URL for outbound CTAs.

Common commission models

Model How it is calculated Notes
CPA (cost per acquisition) One-time fee per qualified new client Often requires first deposit or minimum volume
Revenue share Percentage of spread or commission the client generates Can compound for years with active traders
Hybrid CPA plus rev share Varies widely by program
Sub-IB / tiers Smaller share from partners you recruit More complex; scales if you build a network

Realistic profit ranges

No one can promise a fixed income. Earnings depend on geo, program rates, traffic quality, conversion rate, and trader behavior. The bands below are illustrative market-style ranges — your results will differ.

  • Early stage

    With a few thousand quality visits and solid content, the first months are often zero to modest commission while trust and rankings build.

  • Mid traffic

    Consistent SEO, comparison tables, and updated reviews can yield several qualified signups per month. Under CPA, payouts per qualified client sometimes reach low–mid three figures USD — always subject to program rules.

  • Scale

    Brand, email, compliant paid acquisition, and multi-language content raise volume. Rev share can pay over multiple years from the same active traders.

Important: No broker or plugin guarantees income. Forex and CFD trading carry high risk; give readers clear risk warnings and honest pros and cons.

Growing traffic and conversion

  • Niche down — e.g. low-spread ECN, specific regulators, beginner-friendly accounts — to attract higher-intent visitors.
  • Honest reviews with real pros, cons, fees, and slippage build trust and click-through.
  • Comparison pages let users evaluate multiple brokers in one session.
  • Track campaigns with sub-IDs in the partner portal to see which URLs perform best.
  • Disclose affiliate relationships where laws and platforms require it.