VerticalScope’s AI-powered shopping recommendations helped lift affiliate commerce revenue 29% across its network of more than 1,200 enthusiast forums.
Monthly active users fell to 76.8 million from 83 million as search traffic declined, while shopping commissions from existing community discussions grew.
VerticalScope signed data agreements with two frontier AI labs for content from its archive of more than 2 billion user-generated posts, with revenue expected to begin in the fourth quarter.
VerticalScope is using artificial intelligence (AI) to turn conversations across more than 1,200 online communities into shopping revenue, as declining search traffic puts pressure on its traditional advertising business.
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The Toronto-based company, which operates a Reddit-like network of enthusiast forums containing more than 2 billion user-generated posts, said in its Tuesday (Nov. 10) third-quarter 2026 results that its new AI-powered commerce experience contributed to a 29% increase in affiliate commerce revenue from a year earlier. The gains came even as its monthly audience shrank and overall revenue declined 11%.
VerticalScope’s members own the vehicles, equipment and products they discuss. The AI recommends products inside those discussion threads, and VerticalScope earns an affiliate commission when a reader follows a shopping link and completes a qualifying purchase.
The revenue has grown each quarter since the feature launched. By August, affiliate commerce revenue on the forums was up 13% from a year earlier and approaching a $1 million annual run rate, double the level the company gave in May, VerticalScope said on its second-quarter call.
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