Checkout inside AI Mode and Gemini doesn't make the affiliate link worthless

Google's Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) lets retailers offer checkout directly inside AI Mode in Search and in the Gemini app. That means a shopper in the United States can research and buy without ever visiting the store's website. For anyone who makes a living from affiliate marketing, the question is blunt: if the buyer never clicks the link, does the model survive?

The answer from the Ask an SEO column, published by Search Engine Journal on November 12, is yes: affiliate links still matter and should stay in use. The column compares the situation to Shopify and Google's direct checkout, which doesn't replace a merchant's own store but does call for protecting the business with multiple revenue streams and brand partnerships that go beyond the link.

Tracking has changed before

Affiliate marketing used to depend on a click that dropped a cookie, which followed the customer journey until the sale was credited to the partner. According to the column, that model became outdated years ago, when people started researching on their phones and buying on their computers. That gave rise to cross-device tracking, cart syncing for logged-in users and server-to-server tracking.

Today there are additional layers, such as IP hashing, alternative methods used by companies like TV Scientific and AudioHook, and custom codes. The warning is to keep those codes from leaking to coupon sites, browser extensions or AI answers shown to an audience the affiliate never referred.

Interception by third parties isn't new either. TikTok Shop and retailer apps inside ChatGPT, such as Walmart's, keep the purchase on the platform and cut out the link. On marketplaces, sales from third-party sellers often don't earn a commission, and the advice is to choose other programs.

Distrust and product demos

Another argument is that consumers don't trust AI. When faced with it, it's hard to tell whether the store and the ad are legitimate, and reviews get manipulated too. People who dislike AI Overviews tend to scroll down to the content, where they find the link.

AI Overviews also don't demonstrate products. For pricier items, such as bikes, software, computers and video games, people still look for content made by real people before they buy. The column suggests using the advertising disclosure required by the FTC to tell readers that their click supports the business of whoever created the content.

Cookie-clearing extensions, affiliates that overwrite the click and coupon sites that grab the credit at the last second remain risks. Even so, well-configured programs find the first click in many situations, and tools like ThoughtMetrics show every touchpoint in the journey. Without the link, the affiliate isn't even in the running for the credit.

For brand teams running an affiliate program, the takeaway is that the click is still the first line of defense for attributing referrals, with extra layers of more advanced tracking to cover what the cookie misses.