Perplexity testing affiliate links on Discover pages
Perplexity is currently conducting trials to incorporate affiliate links on their Discover pages. On select pages within the main Discover feed, product links can now be found at the conclusion of articles. For example, a specific article showcases widgets featuring buttons for swift checkout, enabling users to choose the quantity of items and make a purchase by clicking the Buy button. Following these widgets, users can access reviews and a compilation of pros and cons.
Furthermore, users have the option to explore different variations of these products and consider alternative items from a designated list. Upon clicking the Buy button, users are redirected to a separate page featuring a checkout form. This experiment conducted by Perplexity is intriguing. It holds the potential to allow content creators to include affiliate links in their posts as a means to monetize their content in the future. Nevertheless, the widespread availability or broader implementation of this feature remains uncertain.
Previously, Perplexity was working on integrating Shopify into their search functionality. This current feature or test is a significant step towards monetization. It has been known that Perplexity aims to monetize, either by following the Google model with ads or by adopting a different approach. This is likely an early experiment, and it will be interesting to see how users react. Opinions can be controversial, and some people may view affiliate links as ads and dislike them.
Perplexity is not pioneering the inclusion of advertisements in their outputs among AI companies. An example of this can be seen with Bing Copilot, which has long been presenting in-line ads, generating considerable excitement among its user community. The unfolding progression of this scenario presents an intriguing area of observation.