How Do People Actually Make Money with ClickBank

By: Alex David Du Updated: Side Hustle 125 2 0
Person at a laptop checking ClickBank earnings dashboard for affiliate marketing income

Alright, so before we talk money, let’s clear up what ClickBank actually is. If you have ever searched for it, you have probably seen a mix of “get rich fast” and “this is a scam,” which tells you nothing useful.

Here’s the real deal: ClickBank is a marketplace where people sell and promote products. Most of them are digital, some are physical too. You will find ebooks, online courses, fitness programs, and also things like supplements and beauty products. ClickBank handles payments, tracking, and payouts for everyone involved.

There are two main roles:

  • Vendors: create products and want help selling them.

  • Affiliates: promote those products using a unique link and earn a commission on each sale.

If you promote a $100 product that pays 50 percent, you get $50 when someone buys through your link. No payment pages to build and no shipping to manage.

How the Money Part Works

The core idea is simple: send people to a product with your affiliate link, and if they buy, you get paid. Behind the scenes there are a few moving parts.

A typical flow looks like this:

  1. Pick a product to promote. The ClickBank marketplace has thousands of offers across health, self‑help, relationships, and finance. Some pay one time, some pay recurring commissions.

  2. Get your affiliate link. ClickBank calls it a hoplink. It tracks who referred the buyer.

  3. Drive traffic to that link. Use YouTube, a blog, short videos, email, TikTok, Reddit, Quora, Pinterest, or paid ads. The goal is interest, clicks, and sales. If YouTube is your lane, a simple Faceless YouTube Setup lets you publish consistently without being on camera. Short-form works too; if TikTok is your channel, here is how to Turn TikTok Time Into Money without spamming links.

  4. Earn the commission. ClickBank processes the order and credits your account automatically.

Doing this well depends on choosing the right offer, reaching the right audience, and giving people a clear reason to click.

Three Common Approaches

1) Promote other people’s products

Most people start here. You pick an offer, then get traffic. Paid ads can move fast but cost money and carry risk. Free traffic takes time but keeps costs low. Be helpful first, then share a link where it fits naturally. Dropping raw links in random comments gets you banned and ignored.

Some creators build simple posts or landing pages that can rank in search. It is slower, but those pages can produce sales for months once they stick.

2) Create and sell your own product

If you can teach a useful skill or solve a problem, you can package it into a guide, a mini course, or a toolkit. List it on ClickBank so affiliates can promote it for you. It takes effort to create, but when it is done you can earn even when you are not marketing.

3) Do both at the same time

Learn by promoting existing offers, then add your own product later. That gives you short‑term income and long‑term growth.

What Real People Report

Reddit threads show a mixed picture, which is normal.

  • Quick wins exist. Someone earned about one hundred dollars in three days on a recurring offer using small ad tests. It required upfront spend and results were not guaranteed.

  • Small tests help. People who start with tiny budgets, measure results, and scale slowly tend to avoid big losses.

  • Platform risks are real. A few users reported account issues after payouts, so choose offers carefully and follow the rules.

  • Offer quality varies. Some products look outdated or overly pushy. You must be selective.

What You Can Realistically Earn

Results depend on niche, offer quality, traffic, and conversion.

  • A small win: $10 to $20 from a single sale.

  • A steady week: $100 to $200 with consistent traffic and a solid offer.

  • Higher ticket or recurring: $50+ per sale and potential monthly commissions.

Nothing is promised. You can spend on ads and lose money, or post useful content and still miss sales. The people who succeed treat this like a real project and keep testing.

What You Actually Need to Start

  • A product to promote. Start with an existing ClickBank offer you understand and can stand behind.

  • A way to get traffic. Choose one channel to learn first, such as short videos, search content, or a single ad platform.

  • A simple landing page. A one-page explainer is enough. If you plan to build a list, focus the page on one promise and one opt-in: this guide on Collect Emails People Want to Share shows low-friction approaches that convert.

  • Basic tracking. Use ClickBank reporting and a link shortener to see what gets clicks.

  • Patience. Expect to learn for a while before results become steady.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Expecting fast results. Most wins come after weeks of testing, not days.

  • Picking weak offers. If the page looks shady or outdated, skip it.

  • Spamming links. Be helpful, then link where it makes sense.

  • Doing everything at once. Start with one channel, build skill, then expand.

  • Ignoring tracking. If you do not know what worked, you cannot improve.

Is ClickBank Legit?

Yes. ClickBank has been around since 1998, it pays out, and many creators use it. That said, it is not easy money. You still need a real audience, a quality offer, and a clear message.

If you treat it like work and keep your process simple, it can become a steady side income over time. If you treat it like a shortcut, it will likely disappoint you.

Bottom Line

ClickBank is not magic, it is a marketplace and a set of tools. Pick a solid offer, send the right traffic, measure results, and keep refining. If you want something real that can grow slowly and honestly, this model is worth trying.

About the author

Alex david du Selfie

Alex David Du

I’m Alex. I’m 28, born in Brazil, studied computer science, and writing is how I communicate best. I cover gaming, tech, simple ways to make money online, and other things I find interesting. I also love coding and building projects that bring ideas to life.

Languages
Portuguese, English
Work Mode
Freelancer - Remote
Country
Brazil
Email
hello@byalexdavid.com

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