What Happened to Google AdSense Referrals (and What to Use Now)

Google adsense referrals let bloggers earn a commission when visitors signed up for products like Firefox, Picasa or AdSense itself. In July 2008 Google announced it was retiring the program. This post explains what AdSense referrals were, what happened to them, and what publishers use instead today.

Quick answer: Google closed the AdSense referrals program in the last week of August 2008 and asked publishers to remove all referral code from their sites. Its suggested replacement, Google Affiliate Network, was itself shut down in 2013. Today Google has no referral or affiliate program for AdSense publishers, so most sites combine AdSense display ads with affiliate programs from other companies.

What were AdSense referrals?

AdSense referrals were cost-per-action (CPA) ad units. Instead of earning per click like normal AdSense ads, you earned a fixed amount when a visitor completed an action, such as installing a product or signing up and meeting a target. Google used them to promote its own products and some third-party advertisers.

I have fond memories of the program. I wrote about how AdSense referrals could earn $5, $250 and a $2000 bonus, and I still remember my first $250 referral commission. Google also expanded the product inventory in 2007, before it began limiting referrals for most international publishers and cutting payouts in early 2008.

How Google retired AdSense referrals in 2008

Google announced the closure on its official AdSense blog and also emailed publishers. The key points were:

• The program would close during the last week of August 2008.
• Publishers were asked to remove all referral code from their sites before then.
• Publishers were told to save their referral reports to keep their campaign data.
• Google invited publishers to join the new Google Affiliate Network, built on the DoubleClick Performics affiliate business that Google had bought in 2008.

We had limited success with referrals ourselves, but many publishers had optimized them well and earned a lot, so the closure hurt.

What happened to Google Affiliate Network

Google Affiliate Network paid publishers for advertiser-defined actions, much like referrals. It never became part of AdSense, and Google announced in April 2013 that it was shutting the network down. Since then Google has not run an affiliate program for publishers.

Alternatives to adsense referrals in 2026

If you liked earning per sign-up or sale, these are the common options now:

• Amazon Associates: earn a commission on qualifying purchases from product links.
• CJ Affiliate: a large network with many brand advertisers.
• impact.com: a partnership platform used by many software and retail brands.
• Direct affiliate programs: many hosting, software and SaaS companies run their own programs. Check the footer of a product’s website for an “Affiliates” or “Partners” link.

You can run affiliate links alongside AdSense, but make sure AdSense doesn’t show ads for the same products you promote. Our guide on how to block AdSense ads of your affiliate products shows how. For more ways to grow ad income, see our complete collection of AdSense tips and tools.

Clean up old referral code

If your blog is old, search your theme files, widgets and posts for leftover referral code. It no longer shows anything useful and just adds clutter to your pages.

FAQ

Does Google AdSense still have a referral program?

No. AdSense referrals closed in August 2008 and Google has not brought back a referral program for publishers.

When did Google Affiliate Network close?

Google announced in April 2013 that it was closing Google Affiliate Network, its replacement for AdSense referrals.

Can I use affiliate links and AdSense on the same page?

Yes, as long as you follow AdSense program policies and the affiliate program’s own rules, and don’t make links look like ads.

What can I use instead of AdSense referrals?

Affiliate programs such as Amazon Associates, CJ Affiliate, impact.com or a company’s own affiliate program pay per sale or sign-up, much like referrals did.