Create and manage an affiliate program
Affiliates help promote a product using tracked links. Use an affiliate program when partners should receive attribution or commission for sales they generate.
Affiliate program areas
| Area | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Program settings | Controls whether the product accepts affiliates. |
| Commission rules | Defines default or custom commission behavior. |
| Affiliate requests | Lets the seller approve or reject applicants. |
| Affiliate links | Tracks traffic and purchases by affiliate. |
| Sales monitoring | Shows affiliate-attributed performance. |
| Dispute review | Helps investigate attribution or commission questions. |
Decide if affiliates fit the product
| Good fit | Risky fit |
|---|---|
| Product has clear margins for commission. | Margins are too low for partner payouts. |
| Offer and checkout are already tested. | Product delivery is still unstable. |
| Seller can support more buyers. | Support team is not ready for extra volume. |
| Attribution rules are clear. | Multiple partners may claim the same sale without rules. |
Launch an affiliate program
- Confirm the product is active and delivery is tested.
- Decide the default commission.
- Enable or configure affiliate participation.
- Review affiliate requests.
- Approve or reject applicants.
- Set custom commission when a specific partner needs a different rule.
- Share or confirm affiliate tracking links.
- Monitor affiliate-attributed sales.
- Review disputes with link, UTM, and sale evidence.
Good checks
- Commission does not break product margins.
- Affiliates use their own links, not owner campaign links.
- Custom commission is documented.
- Sales reports can separate affiliate-attributed purchases.
- Support knows how to handle attribution disputes.
FAQ
Should every product have affiliates?
No. Use affiliates when the product is proven, margins can support commission, and the team can handle extra buyers and attribution questions.
Can one affiliate have a custom commission?
Yes, when the program supports it. Document why the partner has a custom rate so finance and support understand the difference.
How do I troubleshoot an affiliate dispute?
Review the affiliate link used, sale details, buyer path, UTMs, campaign timing, and whether another link or source was involved.