Webmaster — this term has two meanings: a general one and one used in traffic arbitrage. In the general sense, it refers to someone who creates websites, maintains them and promotes them. The word comes from English: webmaster — «website owner».
Webmaster in traffic arbitrage
In affiliate programs, a webmaster is any affiliate who drives traffic to offers and receives payouts for it. They don't necessarily need to have their own website. A webmaster can:
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buy advertising on Facebook, Google, TikTok and other networks;
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manage social media accounts and direct users to links;
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bring users from their own Telegram channel, YouTube blog or website;
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send email campaigns to their subscriber list.
The affiliate network doesn't care where the traffic comes from, as long as it's allowed under the offer's rules. That's why everyone who brings in users is considered a webmaster. They're also called affiliates (from the English word affiliate — «partner») or simply partners.
Webmaster, affiliate marketer and media buyer — what's the difference?
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Webmaster — a general term for anyone who drives traffic to an affiliate network, regardless of the method used.
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Affiliate marketer — a webmaster who earns money from the difference between the cost of acquiring traffic and the amount they receive for it.
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Media buyer — a specialist who purchases paid advertising, usually working as part of a team and using its budget.
This means that, from an affiliate network's perspective, every affiliate marketer and media buyer is a webmaster, but not every webmaster is an affiliate marketer. For example, a blogger who promotes an offer on their own channel without buying any advertising is also a webmaster.
Webmaster in advertising networks
In advertising networks such as Google AdSense, teaser networks or push ad networks, a webmaster is a website owner who displays third-party advertising on their site and earns money from it. They don't buy traffic but sell advertising space on their website. Such webmasters are also called publishers.
Many advertising networks work with both sides: website owners sell advertising space through them, while affiliate marketers and advertisers purchase impressions and clicks.
Important: when registering with an advertising network, choose the correct account type. If you want to buy traffic, you need an advertiser account (Advertiser), not a webmaster account (Publisher). Otherwise, you'll end up in a dashboard designed for website owners and won't be able to find where to launch advertising campaigns.
