`build-queue/done/50-affiliate-research.md`

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# AbramsEgo task 50 — RESEARCH high-commission affiliate programs (engine 2) — TK-10132

Single-purpose research node. Do ONLY this; do not draft the registry or the memo (that is task 52).

GOAL: find real affiliate/referral programs that fit AbramsEgo's audience — solo operators /
agencies who run AI-agent fleets, self-host dashboards, do design/creator work — with
GENUINELY HIGH commissions, and VERIFY the numbers instead of trusting marketing copy.

AUDIENCE-FIT categories to mine: cloud/VPS hosting, uptime/log monitoring, AI-tool/API
platforms (LLM, TTS, image), dev tooling, domains/DNS, design marketplaces & asset stores,
no-code/automation, email/CRM. Aim for ~15-20 candidates spanning ≥5 categories.

For EACH candidate capture (leave a field null if you cannot verify it — never invent):
- slug, label, category
- program name + JOIN URL (the actual affiliate/partner signup page)
- commission: rate (% or flat $), whether recurring vs one-time, and the SOURCE URL you read it from
- cookie/attribution window (days)
- payout threshold + method
- approval type: instant / manual-review
- trust note: how established the program is; any red flags
- why_fit: one line on why this suits the AbramsEgo audience

RAILS (hard):
- READ-ONLY web research. NEVER create an account, submit a form, or sign up for anything.
- Metered web/Exa research is capped at $0.50 total for this task — stop when you hit it.
  Log the spend to the cost-tracker skill (~/.claude/skills/cost-tracker/log.js) and print the
  running total. Prefer local reasoning; use paid search only to verify real numbers.
- Do NOT touch affiliates.json, the ads engine, AD_NETWORK_PUB_ID, pm2, or git history beyond
  the one commit below.

OUTPUT: write all candidates as one JSON object per line to `data/affiliate-research.jsonl`
(create it). Then `git add data/affiliate-research.jsonl && git commit -m "research: candidate
affiliate programs w/ verified commissions (engine 2, TK-10132)"` (author steve@designerwallcoverings.com).
Print a short table of what you found + total research $ spent.