As the second half of 2026 steps in, new performance marketing trends are causing big transformations in the EU market. For affiliates, this is a favorable time. However, these trends also come with new demands and potentially leveraged or missed opportunities, depending on how well you can fit those requirements.
For both affiliates and advertisers, partnering with the highest-paying European affiliate programs does not automatically lead to revenue growth – you also have to continuously refine your affiliate marketing strategy to stay relevant and cost-effective.
But, of course, before you can focus on the most important affiliate marketing metrics and KPIs to optimise your performance, you have to know what’s changed, is changing, and about to change in the near future in the European affiliate marketing landscape.
Here’s Why Affiliate Marketing Is Booming in 2026
In 2026, as advertising costs are rising and it is becoming harder to acquire customers, European brands tend to rely on their affiliate partners more than ever. In the second half of the year, many merchants are planning to increase their affiliate investments, which is good news for publishers.
Google Search Mechanisms Are Evolving
Some of the biggest shifts connected with Google traffic include AI-generated responses, the increasing role of user intent and entities, and more personalised search results.
Now, when a user enters a query in Google Search, an AI-generated answer pops up first, making it harder for businesses to drive organic traffic directly from SERPs. Instead, affiliates try to optimise content for AI and be among the top brands it recalls when providing answers.
Also, Google has become “smarter” in understanding the meaning and intent of content. While keywords were the main focus of SEO in the past, nowadays, Google can easily identify the gist of an article, so you don’t necessarily have to include keywords as long as you cover the user’s intent.
Influencer Affiliate Marketing Is Gaining Momentum
Likewise, as mentioned, big and small European companies operating in the most profitable affiliate niches are actively investing in influencer marketing, with around 72% of EU companies planning to increase their influencer marketing spending in 2026.
The rise of influencer marketing is quite natural – people trust who they follow and start to follow who they think they can trust – but it’s also because of conventional advertising’s poor reputation.
Niche companies also partner with influencers who may have a smaller audience but extensive expertise – micro-influencers are becoming increasingly popular. Usually, smaller influencers do not change as much as bigger influencers while providing higher engagement.
Growth of Cross-Border Partnerships
Affiliate marketing blurs the boundaries. Marketers from all over the world join European affiliate programs. And over the last decade, the number of overseas partners has grown significantly despite strict regulatory requirements for digital marketing in Europe.
But at the same time, the European marketplace constitutes a single infrastructure with a defined set of rules. And this is one of the most attractive features for affiliates outside the EU. This allows marketers to expand into multiple countries faster.
European Data Protection Changes
In 2026, regulatory compliance is more important than ever. Affiliates collect data when managing traffic, and this could entail certain legal risks. This matter is subject to the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Publishers joining European affiliate programs must be familiar with the Digital Omnibus Regulation proposal of 2025. The proposal amended certain obligations set out in the GDPR.
The main changes relate to:
- The definition of Personal Data and its use
- Cookie consent (e.g., no user consent is required for low-risk cookies)
- Data subject access requests (DSARs)
- Data protection impact assessments (DPIAs)
- Reduced burdens for small and medium-sized establishments
Best European Affiliate Programs To Join in 2026
Make sure you don’t overlook the following European affiliate programs:
| Program | Suitable for | Commissions |
| Awin | Their programs fit affiliates in different niches – retail, finance, travel, telecom services, and more. | Commissions vary significantly depending on the industry (typically from 3% to 40%). There are also recurring commissions. |
| Admitad | It best fits those who promote digital products or operate in the finance sector. Also, it might work well for affiliates focusing on retail businesses. | Typical commission rates are 3%–10%. But affiliates in the financial sector may earn €100+ for promoting financial services and selling subscriptions. |
| TradeDoubler | It is suitable for partners working in the retail and finance sectors, as well as for those who promote various services. | Usually between 3% and 10%, but for some brands, the payouts can be as high as 15%. |
| Skimlinks | It works for all bloggers because it automatically converts links in articles into affiliate links. Thus, publishers don’t have to manage programs manually. | Since it is not a typical affiliate program, there are no fixed commissions. Instead, affiliates get a share of the commission earned from merchants. |
| Webgains | This is the best fit for those focusing on retail and e-commerce. There are also SaaS and finance products. | Payouts are usually within the range of 5%–15%. However, SaaS products and subscriptions can yield as much as 40%. There are also recurring commissions. |
| TradeTracker | It is a big hub of retail programs, so it might best work for affiliates focusing on e-commerce. | Rates are normally 4%–10%, although some subscription-based programs may pay up to €100 per conversion. |
What To Expect Next?
The first half of 2026 has brought many changes to the industry, including shifts in SEO, interactions of users with publishers, and how advertisers acquire customers. But it might just be the beginning of a bigger shift towards an attention-driven market headed by AI.
Without a doubt, European affiliate marketing will get even bigger, affiliate networks will reach even more customers, and influencers will become even more profitable and possibly also more expensive.
At the same time, it might happen that the creator economy market might start shifting towards quality in all its aspects, with meaningful interactions gaining more significance in the coming years.
