Amazon Affiliate Cookie Duration Explained

Amazon's 24-hour cookie (up to 90 days for cart adds), how attribution works, and why the cookie creates an EU/UK consent obligation.

The Amazon affiliate cookie is one of the most asked-about details in affiliate marketing, partly because Amazon’s window is short compared with many programs. Understanding it clarifies both how you earn and why affiliate cookies carry privacy obligations. This is educational and not affiliated with Amazon.

How long the cookie lasts

• Standard window: 24 hours. When someone clicks your Amazon affiliate link, a cookie is set for roughly 24 hours. Qualifying purchases in that window earn you a commission.
• Added to cart: up to 90 days. If the visitor adds an item to their cart within the 24-hour window, the attribution for that item generally extends until they check out or the cart empties — commonly up to 90 days.
• No cross-device tracking guarantee. The cookie lives in one browser on one device; a purchase completed elsewhere may not be attributed to you.

Why the cookie creates a privacy duty

An Amazon affiliate cookie is an advertising/attribution cookie. For visitors in the EU and UK, that means it is a non-essential tracking cookie requiring consent before it is set. In practice, if your affiliate links or Amazon’s scripts set cookies for EU/UK users, you should gate them through a consent mechanism — see cookie consent management.

Practical implications

• Focus on purchase-intent traffic, since the window is short.
• Encourage add-to-cart behavior, which extends attribution.
• Remember that ad blockers, privacy browsers, and consent refusals can prevent the cookie from being set.
• Keep your disclosure in place regardless of how tracking performs.

Note that Amazon can change its rates and cookie terms; confirm current details in your Associates account.

Last reviewed July 2026. This page is general educational information, not legal or tax advice.