How to Add Affiliate Links to YouTube Shorts

YouTube Shorts offer a golden opportunity to earn an income through affiliate marketing, but knowing exactly where and how to place your links can be confusing. Unlike long-form videos, the interface is different and viewer attention is measured in seconds, not minutes. This guide breaks down exactly where you can put your affiliate links in Shorts and how to create content that encourages viewers to actually click them.

Why Affiliate Marketing on YouTube Shorts is a Massive Opportunity

Before jumping into the "how," it's helpful to understand the "why." YouTube Shorts is not just a passing trend, it's a monetizable content powerhouse tapping into the massive consumer appetite for short, digestible videos. The platform draws billions of views daily, giving your content a phenomenal potential reach that's often harder to achieve with traditional long-form videos.

Here’s why it works so well for affiliate marketing:

• High Volume & Reach: The Shorts algorithm is designed for discovery. A single well-made short can go viral and reach hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of non-subscribers, putting your recommended product in front of a giant audience.
• Impulse Clicks: The fast-paced format is perfect for quick recommendations, reviews, and "must-have" product showcases. Viewers are primed for quick decisions, and a compelling Short can turn a moment of curiosity into an immediate purchase.
• Authentic Recommendations: Authenticity sells. Shorts let you talk directly to your audience in a casual, genuine way. Recommending a product you genuinely love in a 60-second clip can feel more like a tip from a friend than a slick advertisement, building trust that leads to conversions.

First Things First: Finding the Right Affiliate Programs

You can't add affiliate links if you don't have products to promote. The most successful affiliate marketers choose products that resonate with their content and audience. Pushing a random product just for a commission is a quick way to lose your viewers' trust.

Start by brainstorming products you already use and love that fit your niche. If you’re a gaming creator, what’s your favorite headset or keyboard? If you’re into home organization, what are the storage bins that changed your life? Authenticity is your most valuable asset.

Here are a few places to find great affiliate programs:

• Amazon Associates: This is the most popular starting point. With millions of products, you can find something relevant to almost any niche. The commission rates vary, but it's incredibly easy to use and widely trusted by consumers.
• Affiliate Networks: Platforms like ShareASale, CJ Affiliate (Commission Junction), and Rakuten Advertising host thousands of merchant programs under one roof. They often offer higher commission rates than Amazon and feature brands that might not have their own public programs.
• Direct Brand Programs: Many companies manage their own affiliate programs. Go to the website of a brand you love and look for a link in their footer that says "Affiliates," "Partners," or "Referrals." These often pay the highest commissions, as there's no middleman network taking a cut.

Where You Can Actually Place Affiliate Links on YouTube Shorts

This is where new creators often get stuck. Unlike Instagram Stories' "link sticker" or an easily clickable link in a TikTok bio, YouTube Shorts requires a slightly different approach. Here are the most effective places to put your links.

1. The Pinned Comment (Your Best Bet)

The pinned comment is, without a doubt, the most effective location for an affiliate link in a YouTube Short. When you pin a comment, it sits right at the top of the comment section, making it highly visible to anyone who engages with your video. Because Shorts are often viewed with comments open, the link is just a tap away.

How to Do It Step-by-Step:

1. Post Your Short: Upload and publish your Short as you normally would.
2. Go to the Comments Section: Immediately after posting, navigate to your video and open the comments.
3. Write Your Comment: Craft a simple, clear comment with your link. Be direct! Use an emoji to draw attention, like 📌 or 👇. For example: "Find the awesome gadget I used in this video here: [Your Affiliate Link]"
4. Pin the Comment: Tap the three-dot menu next to your comment and select "Pin."

Pro Tip: Use a link shortener like Bitly or TinyURL. Long, messy affiliate links with lots of tracking characters look spammy. A shortened link is cleaner, more trustworthy, and easier to manage.

2. The Video Description

While less visible than the pinned comment in the immediate Shorts feed, the video description is another standard spot for affiliate links. Viewers can access the description by tapping the three-dot menu (...) on the Short and selecting "Description." While it takes an extra step for the viewer, it's good practice to place your links here as well. Think of it as a secondary, "good-to-have" location.

Many viewers are conditioned to look for links in descriptions from watching long-form content, so covering both your pinned comment and description catches both types of users.

3. Your YouTube Channel Page

Your channel page allows you to add a primary clickable link in your bio section. While this is less direct, you can use it to send viewers to a single hub for all your favorite products. This is often done using a "link in bio" tool like Linktree, Beacons, or a dedicated landing page on your personal website.

You can then use a verbal call to action in your Short like, "You can find all my favorite camera gear through the link on my channel page!" This strategy is great for evergreen recommendations that you mention often across multiple videos.

4. Related Video Links (An underrated trick)

Since early 2024, YouTube allows creators to link a long-form video, another Short, or even a Live stream directly from a Short. This clickable link appears above your channel name and is extremely visible. While you can't link out to an external affiliate site here, you can link to a related long-form video of yours that contains a detailed review and a full list of affiliate links in its description.

For example, your Short could be "3 reasons I love this new coffee maker," with a Related Video link to your 10-minute "Full Review of the XYZ Coffee Maker." This leverages the massive discovery potential of Shorts to drive traffic to your in-depth, high-converting long-form content.

How to Create Shorts That Actually Drive Clicks and Sales

Simply posting a link is not a strategy. The magic happens in the content itself. Your Short needs to create curiosity, build trust, and solve a problem for the viewer. If it feels like an ad, people will swipe away instantly.

Be Authentic, Not Salesy

Share genuine experiences. The most converting affiliate content comes from real passion. Don't say, "You should buy this microphone." Instead, say, "My audio quality was terrible until I found this budget microphone. It sounds like this..." and give a demonstration. Frame it around your personal story and the value it brought you.

Show, Don't Just Tell

Video is a visual medium. Use it to your advantage!

• Fast-Paced Unboxing: Show the product in its packaging and your immediate reaction to it.
• Problem/Solution: Start with a common problem ("My desk is always a mess…") and show how the product elegantly solves it ("...until I got this simple organizer.").
• Before & After: This is incredibly powerful for home goods, cleaning products, fitness equipment, or beauty items. Show the transformation clearly.
• "Amazon Finds": A mega-popular format. Create short compilations like "5 Amazon Kitchen Gadgets You Didn't Know You Needed."

Craft a Powerful Call to Action (CTA)

This is the most critical piece of the puzzle. You have to explicitly tell your viewers what to do next. Don't assume they will hunt for the link.

Combine a verbal CTA with an on-screen text CTA for maximum effect:

Verbal CTA: At the end of your video, say something direct and friendly: "If you want to check it out for yourself, I put a link in the pinned comment below!" "I'll link this in my pinned comment so you can grab one too."

On-Screen Text CTA: As you say your verbal CTA, add text overlay that says:

• Link in Pinned Comment 👇
• Get it Here! (Link in comment)

This multi-channel reminder drills the message home and makes it effortless for an interested viewer to find your link.

The Golden Rule: Disclosure and Transparency

Always disclose that you're using affiliate links. It's not just a recommendation, it's a legal requirement from a governing body like the FTC in the U.S. and is required by YouTube's terms of service. More importantly, it maintains your audience's trust.

Honesty is always the best policy. Trying to hide an affiliate link makes you look untrustworthy. A simple and clear disclosure shows you're being upfront with your audience.

How to Disclose Properly:

• In the Pinned Comment: Add a simple note like "(affiliate link)" or "#ad" to the same comment where you post your link. For example: "Here’s that awesome organizer! [Your Link] #ad"
• In the Description: You have more space here, so you can include a clearer message at the top of the description, like: "Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase at no extra cost to you."

Final Thoughts

Monetizing your YouTube Shorts with affiliate links is a highly effective way to create an income stream from your content. By placing links strategically in pinned comments, leveraging on-screen call-to-actions, and creating authentic, value-driven videos, you can turn your viewership into a substantial source of revenue.

Perfecting your affiliate strategy means planning and staying consistent, which can be a lot to manage. That's why we built our social media management tool, Postbase, with a visual calendar that was made for this. You can plan your affiliate Shorts alongside your content for TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms to see your whole strategy at a glance. By scheduling everything predictably from one place, you can spend less time juggling apps and more time focusing on creating great content that converts.