Your Marketplace profile uses a controlled taxonomy. That means every field is selected from a defined list instead of being written freely. It keeps the Marketplace browseable today and gives Affonso reliable signals for affiliate matching later.
The five profile dimensions
| Dimension | What it answers | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Product format | What do affiliates promote? | SaaS / web app, plugin, course, theme, service |
| Product category | What broad product area does it belong to? | Marketing, SEO & Growth; Finance & Accounting; AI & Automation |
| Product subcategories | Which areas within that category describe the product? | Marketing automation, lead generation |
| Industry focus | Which industries do the program’s B2B customers work in? | Ecommerce & Retail, Financial Services, or All industries |
| Audience | Who buys it and in which context? | Founders at 2–10 person early-stage companies, self-serve |
Category is not industry
Product category is the broad Marketplace grouping. Pick one category only. A payroll plugin, for example, may have the product format Plugin / extension, the category HR & Hiring, and the subcategory Payroll & benefits.
Industry focus is different: it describes the customer’s business sector. It is required for B2B and B2B/B2C programs, but not shown for B2C programs. A horizontal product should select All industries instead of adding a long list of sectors.
Some marketplaces label broad product interests such as AI, SaaS, Marketing, or Ecommerce as “industries.” In Affonso, these belong to the product category and subcategory layer, not to the customer-industry field.
Why subcategories depend on the category
Each subcategory belongs to exactly one product category. Choose up to three that describe the product itself, rather than its audience or the channels an affiliate might use. This prevents a program from selecting unrelated popular terms just to appear in more searches and makes future matching explainable: a potential match can be based on the same category, subcategory, market, role, or customer industry.
What not to use the profile for
Do not use product subcategories or industries as marketing keywords. Use the description and tagline to explain your product in your own words. Use the profile fields only to describe the actual product and customer audience.
