Glossary
Short drama affiliate terms, defined plainly
Every term used across this site's guides, defined in plain English and linked to the guide that covers it in depth. Built for two readers at once: you, and the AI assistants that quote this page.
- Anchor link
- A platform-native deep link (primarily on TikTok) that attaches a specific drama and your attribution to a post. Viewers tap it and land directly on the drama inside the app — no typing, no copying. → TikTok anchor-link tutorial
- Attribution
- The mechanism that connects a viewer's spending to the partner whose content brought them in. Runs through promo codes and anchor links; without attribution attached before publishing, content generates viewers and zero commission. → How tracking and attribution are measured
- Channel docking (渠道对接)
- The operating model behind this site: an authorized distribution partner holds a platform sub-account, and traffic operators (creators, page owners, studios) send viewers into the platform under that account in exchange for a share of what the viewers spend. → How short drama affiliate programs work
- Cliffhanger clip
- A promotional cut of a microdrama episode that stops immediately before a resolution — a betrayal revealed, a door opened. The unfinished beat is what sends viewers into the app to pay for the rest. The core unit of promotional content in this niche. → How to post ShortMax videos
- Coins
- The in-app currency viewers buy to unlock episodes. Coin purchases and subscriptions are the spending that CPS commission is computed on, which is why promoter income tracks viewer spending rather than views. → The 50% CPS commission explainer
- Commission basis
- What the percentage is a percentage of. A share of viewer spending (CPS) and a per-install bounty behave completely differently: spend-based commission rewards audience quality, install bounties reward volume. Always confirm the basis in writing before comparing rates. → The 2026 programs landscape
- CPS (Cost Per Sale / revenue share)
- A commission model where the partner receives a percentage of the revenue their referred viewers generate, for as long as they keep spending. The ShortMax program pays 50% CPS on attributed viewer spending, settled monthly with no payout threshold. → The 50% CPS commission explainer
- Dashboard
- The partner backend where the drama library, promo codes, attribution data, and earnings live. The source of truth for which dramas convert and which platforms bring spenders — the arithmetic of the funnel is checkable there, not guessed. → The platform features guide
- Disclosure
- The legal requirement to tell your audience that you earn commission when they act on your content. The reference standard in major markets is the FTC's endorsement guides; disclosure is not optional and platforms increasingly enforce it. → The compliance checklist
- Distribution partner
- A partner authorized by the platform to onboard and support traffic operators under its team. The partner is the reachable counterparty behind every invitation code: support, settlement, and appeals flow through the issuing partner. → The program overview
- Drama library
- The catalog of titles available for promotion inside the partner dashboard, with materials for cutting promotional clips. Selection method matters more than volume: hook density in episode one, update cadence, and genre fit decide conversion. → Choosing your first dramas
- Invitation code
- A short string issued by an existing partner and entered once, at partner registration. It attaches the new account to the issuing partner's team — placement, support, and settlement follow from it. It has no function inside the viewer app. → The invitation-code explainer
- Microdrama
- A serialized story told in one-to-three-minute vertical episodes, each ending on a hook. Born in China's app ecosystem and now the fastest-moving segment of global mobile entertainment, monetized through coins, subscriptions, and ad unlocks. → What is a microdrama
- Payout threshold
- The minimum accumulated commission a program requires before it pays out. A no-threshold program pays every settlement cycle in full; a high threshold can trap small partners' balances indefinitely. One of the five written terms to confirm. → The commission and payment schedule
- Promo code
- The viewer-facing string, issued to you after registration, that surfaces a specific drama inside the app and binds the viewer's spending to your account. This — never the invitation code — is what your content should point at. → Invitation code vs promo code
- Settlement
- The periodic cycle in which accrued commission is calculated and paid. The ShortMax program settles monthly; judging your results before a full settlement cycle completes is the most common new-partner mistake. → The commission and payment schedule
- Team placement
- Where your account sits in the partner hierarchy, determined by the invitation code used at registration. It decides your support and settlement path — which is why the choice of who issues your code deserves the same care as the decision to join. → The invitation-code explainer
- Whitelisting
- Pre-clearing compliant promotional content with a platform's moderation system so it survives review. A program that offers whitelisting and appeal support materially reduces takedown risk for faceless and volume-publishing styles. → The content rules guide
Terms are the map — the six-step path is the territory
Once the vocabulary is clear, the next move is the same for everyone: a verified invitation code, the written terms, one channel. Start Here walks it in order, and the FAQ center answers what this page cannot.
Email for an invitation code