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Affiliate Program for WooCommerce

19 min read

Category: Getting Started #

Document: Introduction to the Affiliate Program #

The Affiliate Program for WooCommerce plugin is a robust and flexible solution that enables store owners to run and manage their own affiliate program. It helps you grow your store’s sales by allowing affiliates to promote your products and earn commissions on successful referrals.

Key Features:

  • Manage affiliate registrations and approvals
  • Track referrals and commissions
  • Generate affiliate links and coupons
  • Monitor performance reports
  • Enable secure withdrawal options

Category: Admin Settings #

Document: General Settings #

The General Settings section manages the foundational behavior of your Affiliate Program. These include mandatory setup options for commissions, registration control, affiliate link behavior, tracking, and leaderboard customization.

Enable Affiliate Program #

  • Description: This toggle activates or deactivates the entire affiliate program on your site.
  • Use case: If unchecked, all affiliate features will be disabled site-wide.

Required Settings #

These are essential settings that define how your affiliate commissions will work.

 

Commission Type #

  • Options: Fixed or Percentage
  • Function:
    • Percentage: Commission is calculated as a percentage of the order total.
    • Fixed: A flat-rate commission is applied to each eligible order.

Commission Amount #

  • Example: Enter 10 for a 10% or ₹10 commission, depending on the type selected above.
  • Function: Defines the actual value affiliates will earn per referral.

Max. No. of Commissions on Orders #

  • Example: Set to 1 if you only want to pay commission on the first order made by a referred customer.
  • Function: Limits the number of orders per customer that will generate affiliate commission.

Category: Additional Settings #

These are essential settings that define how your affiliate commissions will work.

 

Enable Affiliate Registration #

  • Example: Set to 1 if you only want to pay commission on the first order made by a referred customer.
  • Function: Limits the number of orders per customer that will generate affiliate commission.

Select Roles #

  • Function: Automatically assign affiliate capabilities to specific user roles.

Available Roles #

  • Administrator
  • Editor
  • Author
  • Contributor
  • Subscriber
  • Customer
  • Shop manager
  • Affiliate

Select Page #

  • Function: Define where visitors land when clicking on an affiliate referral link.
  • Recommended: Use the Shop page for maximum conversions.

Enable Auto-Approval #

  • Function: Automatically approves all affiliate registration submissions.
  • Benefit: Reduces manual work if you want to onboard affiliates quickly.

Affiliate Key Settings #

  • Affiliate Key Length: Default is 8. Controls the length of the unique affiliate code.
  • Affiliate Key Cookie (days): Duration (in days) the referral tracking cookie remains valid.
  • Affiliate Key Name: Parameter used in the referral URL, e.g., affiliate_code.

Example URL:
 https://developer.eplugins.org?affiliate_code=xyz12345

Text Above Affiliate Link #

  • Purpose: Custom message to encourage sharing the referral link.

  • Default: “Refer your friends and earn a commission on every purchase they make.”

Category: Tracking Settings #

Enable Conversion Tracking Script #

  • Function: Adds a script to track successful purchases made via affiliate links.
  • Uses: Detects conversions using cookies and order completion.

Enable Affiliate Click Tracking #

  • Function: Logs every click on affiliate referral links.

Click Log Retention (days) #

  • Default: 30 days

  • Function: How long affiliate click data is stored in your system.

Enable from Engagement Settings #

  • Function: Pulls configuration from the Engagement tab to avoid duplication.

Leaderboard Settings #

Leaderboard Criteria #

  • Options: Top Referrals (default)

  • Function: Ranks affiliates based on this metric.

Leaderboard Reset Period #

  • Options: Monthly, Quarterly, Annually

  • Function: Resets leaderboard standings at the chosen interval.

Leaderboard Display Limit #

  • Default: 10

  • Function: Controls how many top affiliates are shown in the leaderboard.

Withdrawal Settings #

Enable Withdrawal Requests #

  • Function: Allows affiliates to request a payout from their earned commissions.

Minimum Withdrawal Amount #

  • Default: 1

  • Function: Minimum earnings an affiliate must accumulate before requesting withdrawal.

Document : Social Sharing Settings #

The Social Sharing section allows affiliates to easily share their referral links across multiple platforms directly from their My Account page. Enabling these options helps promote your store through social media and messaging apps, enhancing affiliate-driven traffic and conversions.
Each platform adds a specific share button for convenience.

Facebook #

Enable Facebook Share Button #

  • Function: Adds a Facebook share button to the affiliate’s My Account page.
  • Use Case: Affiliates can directly post their referral link on Facebook with one click.
  • Benefit: Leverages Facebook’s vast user base for potential referrals.

Email #

Enable Email Share Button #

  • Function: Adds a Facebook share button to the affiliate’s My Account page.
  • Use Case: Affiliates can directly post their referral link on Facebook with one click.
  • Benefit: Leverages Facebook’s vast user base for potential referrals.

WhatsApp #

Enable WhatsApp Share Button #

  • Function: Adds a WhatsApp share button on the affiliate’s My Account page.
  • Use Case: Affiliates can instantly share their referral link through WhatsApp messages.
  • Benefit: High engagement via personal messaging, especially on mobile.

Document : PayPal Settings #

The PayPal Settings section allows you to configure how affiliate payouts will be processed via PayPal. You can choose between Live (Production) and Sandbox (Test) modes, depending on whether you’re operating on a live store or a testing environment.
These credentials are required to securely connect your site with PayPal’s payment gateway for processing affiliate withdrawals.

Production Mode (Live) #

Use this section to set up real transactions in your live store.

Live Client ID #

  • Enter your PayPal Live Client ID here.
  • This ID is generated from your PayPal Developer Dashboard.

Live Secret Key #

  • Enter your PayPal Live Secret Key here.
  • This key is used to securely authorize transactions.

Make sure these credentials are from your live PayPal account, not the sandbox/testing environment.

Sandbox Mode (Test) #

Use Sandbox Mode for testing purposes on a staging or development site.

Enable Test Mode #

  • Check this box to activate PayPal Sandbox Mode.
  • Use this setting only for testing, not on your live store.

Sandbox Client ID #

  • Enter your PayPal Sandbox Client ID from your PayPal Developer Dashboard.

Sandbox Secret Key #

  • Enter your Sandbox Secret Key for testing affiliate payouts.

Import Credential from WooCommerce #

  • Function: Automatically import your PayPal API credentials from your existing WooCommerce PayPal settings.

  • Benefit: Saves time and ensures consistency across your store and affiliate system.

Save Changes #

  • After entering all credentials and configuring the mode, don’t forget to click “Save changes” to apply your settings.

Document: reCAPTCHA Settings #

The reCAPTCHA Settings section helps protect your Affiliate Registration Form from spam and bot submissions. By enabling reCAPTCHA, you ensure that only genuine users can register as affiliates.

Enable reCAPTCHA on Affiliate Registration Form #

  • Function: Activates the reCAPTCHA validation on the affiliate registration form.
  • Benefit: Prevents automated bot signups and enhances the security of your affiliate program.

reCAPTCHA Version #

  • Option:choose between recapthca vo2 and v3
  • Note: Ensure you have registered your site on Google reCAPTCHA Admin Console to get your credentials.

reCAPTCHA Site Key #

  • Function: Enter your Site Key obtained from the Google reCAPTCHA dashboard.

  • Use: This key is used in the frontend (registration form) to render the reCAPTCHA widget.

reCAPTCHA Secret Key #

  • Function: Enter your Secret Key obtained from the Google reCAPTCHA dashboard.
  • Use: This key is used in the backend to verify the user’s reCAPTCHA response.

Document: Affiliate Shortcodes Reference #

Use these shortcodes to display various affiliate-related features anywhere on your WooCommerce site. Simply copy and paste them into WordPress pages, posts, or affiliate dashboards using any page builder like Elementor, Gutenberg, or WPBakery.
Tip: Perfect for creating a custom affiliate dashboard experience.

Affiliate Registration Form #

  • Shortcode :  [apf_affiliate_registration]
  • Function: Displays the affiliate registration form.
  • Use Case: Add this to a custom “Join Our Affiliate Program” page.

Affiliate Orders #

  • Shortcode : [apf_affiliate_orders]
  • Function: Shows the logged-in affiliate’s order history where they’ve earned commissions.
  • Use Case: Add to the affiliate dashboard so users can track their referrals’ purchases.

Affiliate Leaderboard #

  • Shortcode : [apf_affiliate_leaderboard]
  • Function: Displays a leaderboard ranking top-performing affiliates based on referral criteria.
  • Use Case: Add this on a leaderboard or competition page.

Referral Coupons #

  • Shortcode : [apf_referral_coupons]
  • Function: Lists referral coupon codes assigned to the logged-in affiliate.
  • Use Case: Useful on a page showing promotional tools or banners.

Referral Orders #

  • Shortcode : [apf_referral_orders]
  • Function: Displays orders made through the affiliate’s referrals.
  • Use Case: Place in the dashboard for affiliates to view order-level details.

Affiliate Campaign Links #

  • Shortcode : [apf_campaign_product_category_links]
  • Function: Shows a list of product and category-specific campaign links generated for affiliates.
  • Use Case: Allow affiliates to promote specific product/category campaigns.

Click Tracking Report #

  • Shortcode : [apf_click_tracking]
  • Function: Displays the number of clicks on affiliate links.
  • Use Case: Provide performance insights to your affiliates.

Affiliate Account Settings #

  • Shortcode : [apf_affiliate_setting]
  • Function:Displays account and payout settings for the affiliate.
  • Use Case: Let affiliates manage their PayPal ID, withdrawal method, etc.

Affiliate Tools (Banners, Text, Links) #

  • Shortcode : [apf_affiliate_tools]
  • Function: Equip your affiliates with ready-to-use marketing creatives.
  • Use Case: Let affiliates manage their PayPal ID, withdrawal method, etc.

Conversion Tracking Report #

  • Shortcode : [apf_conversion_tracking]
  • Function: Displays data on referral conversions.
  • Use Case: Help affiliates track how many of their referrals completed a purchase.

Document: Automatic Affiliate Coupons #

The Affiliate Coupons feature allows your store to automatically create unique referral coupon codes for each affiliate upon registration. These coupons can be used to attract new customers by offering them discounts, while still tracking affiliate referrals.

This section helps you control the type of discount, validity, and usage limitations of these auto-generated coupons

Enable Automatic Coupon Creation #

  • Function: Automatically generates a unique coupon code when a user registers as an affiliate.
  • Benefit: Saves time and effort by eliminating the need to manually create a coupon for every affiliate.

Discount Type #

Options:

      • Fixed Amount: A flat discount (e.g., ₹10 off).
      • Percentage: A percentage-based discount (e.g., 10% off).

Use Case: Choose based on the kind of promotion you want affiliates to offer.

Discount Value #

  • Example: Enter 2 for a ₹2 or 2% discount (based on the discount type).
  • Function: Defines the actual discount value for the coupon.

Expiry (in days) #

  • Example: Enter 1 to make the coupon valid for 1 day after creation.
  • Leave blank: The coupon will never expire.
  • Use Case: Useful for time-limited affiliate promotions.

Usage Limit (Total) #

  • Example: Set to 1 if you want the coupon to be used only once, regardless of who uses it.
  • Function: Sets a global usage cap for each coupon.

Usage Limit Per User #

  • Example: Set to 1 to allow each user to use the coupon only once.
  • Function: Prevents abuse by the same user using the coupon multiple times.

Coupon Name Format #

  • Default: aff_{user_id}
  • Function: Defines how the coupon code is named. You can use dynamic placeholders:
    • {user_id} – Inserts the affiliate’s user ID.
    • {username} – Inserts the affiliate’s username.

Example Output:

If a user with ID 45 signs up, the coupon could be: aff_45

Document: Affiliate Email Notifications #

This section allows you to customize the automated email notifications sent to affiliates at various stages — account activation, welcome, payout confirmation, and referral earnings. Each email can include dynamic tags to personalize the message based on affiliate data.

You can customize both the Email Subject and the Email Body Content using placeholders like {affiliate_name}, {payment_amount}, and more.

1. Affiliate Account Activation Email #

This email is sent to notify an affiliate that their account is now active.

  • Email Subject
     Your Affiliate Account is Now Active – Start Earning Today!

     

  • Email Content
     Write a welcome message and include dynamic variables as needed.

     

  • Available Dynamic Tags:

     

    • {user_login} – Affiliate’s username

       

    • {password} – Password (only available if created during registration)

       

    • {coupon} – Auto-generated referral coupon (if enabled)
    • {status} – Account status (e.g., Approved, Active)

2. Welcome Email #

This is the first email sent to a new affiliate after registration (usually after approval or account creation).

  • Email Subject
     Welcome to the Affiliate Program, {affiliate_name}!

     

  • Email Content
     Include an onboarding message, program overview, or useful links.

     

  • Available Dynamic Tags:

     

    • {affiliate_name} – Affiliate’s full name or username

       

    • {payment_amount} – Placeholder for example payouts or setup info
      {referral_name} – Optional referral partner name

3. Payout Confirmation Email #

This email is sent to the affiliate when a payout has been made.

  • Email Subject
     Payout Confirmation – You’ve Received {payment_amount}, {affiliate_name}!
  • Email Content
     Notify the affiliate of successful payment and any next steps.
  • Available Dynamic Tags:
    • {affiliate_name} – Affiliate’s name
    • {payment_amount} – Actual payout amount
    • {referral_name} – Referral’s name (if relevant)

4. Referral Notification Email #

This email notifies the affiliate when a new referral is recorded from their link or coupon.

  • Email Subject
     New Referral Earned – {referral_name} Just Made a Purchase!
  • Email Content
     Congratulate the affiliate and encourage more sharing.
  • Available Dynamic Tags:
    • {affiliate_name} – Affiliate’s name
    • {payment_amount} – Estimated commission or order value
    • {referral_name} – Name of the customer who made the purchase

Category: Affiliate Management #

Document: Affiliate Registration Fields #

This section allows you to customize the affiliate registration form by adding, editing, or removing fields based on the information you want to collect from affiliates. You can include standard fields like name and email, as well as custom fields like occupation, phone number, or a short bio.

 Tip: Custom fields help you qualify and better understand your affiliates during the signup process.

Add Field #

Click the Add Field button to create a new field. You’ll be able to configure:

  • Label: The field label shown on the form (e.g., “Phone Number”)
  • Field Name: The internal name or key used for storing the data
  • Type: Field input type (e.g., text, email, checkbox, dropdown, textarea, password)
  • Required: Whether the field is mandatory for submission
  • Enabled: Whether the field is visible/active on the form
  • Placeholder: Placeholder text shown inside the input box
  • Sort Order: Determines the order in which the fields appear (lower = higher up)

Actions #

  • Edit – Update label, field type, or configuration
  • Delete – Permanently remove the field from the registration form

Advanced Settings – Affiliate Registration Management #

To manage affiliate registrations and view affiliate details, navigate to:

WordPress Dashboard → Affiliate Reports → Affiliate Registration #

This section provides an admin panel-style table where you can view, filter, search, and manage all registered affiliates.

Search and Filter Options #

  • Search Orders: Use the search bar to filter affiliate entries by name, email, or status.
  • Select Bulk Action: Perform actions on multiple affiliates at once (if bulk actions are enabled).
  • Select All: Quickly select all entries in the list.

View/Edit Affiliate #

Click the “View” or “Edit” button in the Action column to:

  • Review full affiliate details
  • Update profile fields (like PayPal email or contact info)
  • Change account status (e.g., Approve, Reject, Pending)
  • View registration form entries

Category: Reports & Insights #

Document : Sales Report Dashboard Overview #

The Sales Report Dashboard gives you a quick visual overview of your affiliate program’s performance, helping you track orders, customers, sales progress, top sellers, and recent affiliate activity — all in one place.

To access this dashboard:

WordPress Dashboard → Affiliate Reports → Sales Report #

Key Metrics #

This section shows the overall performance of your affiliate program at a glance:

Metric Description
Orders Created
Total number of orders made via affiliate links. Example: 3
Customers Acquired
Number of unique customers referred by affiliates. Example: 2
Task Progress
Progress bar showing how close you are to a set goal (e.g., 100% of monthly target).
Sales Summary
Total revenue or commission amount generated via affiliates. Example: 70

Best Sellers #

Displays products that generated the most affiliate sales.

Recent Sales Activities #

 detailed table of affiliate users and their current performance:

  • Total Referred: Number of customers the affiliate referred.
  • Total Balance: Total earnings accumulated by the affiliate.
  • Available Balance: Earnings available for withdrawal.
  • Referral Link: The unique URL used by the affiliate to refer users.
  • Pay Button: Click the button to initiate the commission payment.

Document: CTR Report #

Analyze the click-through rate (CTR) of your affiliate links.

Columns:

  • Link
  • Clicks
  • Conversions
  • CTR (Click-through rate)

Category: Reports & Insights #

Document: Managing Creatives #

The Creatives section allows you to upload and assign marketing materials (like banners, text links, or videos) that your affiliates can use to promote your store. This helps maintain branding consistency and improves conversion rates.

To access this feature:

WordPress Dashboard → Affiliate Reports → Sales Report #

Add Creative #

Click on the “Add Creative” button to create a new promotional item.

You’ll be asked to provide the following details:

Field Description
Title
Name of the creative (e.g., “Summer Sale Banner”).
Type
Select the type of creative: Image, Text Link, Video, etc.
Description
Short explanation or message for the affiliate.
Expiry Date
(Optional) Set a date to automatically deactivate the creative.
Assign To
Choose whether this creative is for all affiliates or specific groups.
Users
Select specific affiliates (if not assigned to all).
Preview
Shows a live preview of the uploaded creative.
Coupon
Attach a coupon code that affiliates can promote along with the creative.

Actions #

In the Actions column, you can:

  • Edit: Update the content, title, or settings of the creative.
  • Delete: Remove a creative that’s no longer needed.

Category: Reports & Insights #

Document : Affiliate Dashboard (My Account Page) #

Once an affiliate logs in to their account, they can access a comprehensive Affiliate Dashboard from the My Account page. This dashboard provides a real-time view of their performance, earnings, referral data, and promotional tools.

Dashboard Overview #

The Affiliate Dashboard contains several key sections:

Metric Description
Total Earnings
The total commission earned (includes approved + pending).
Approved Commissions
Earnings that are approved and eligible for withdrawal.
Pending Commissions
Commissions waiting for approval.
Total Clicks
Number of times the affiliate link was clicked
Conversions/Sales
Choose whether this creative is for all affiliates or specific groups.
Most Clicked Product
The product that received the highest number of affiliate clicks
Most Clicked Category
The category that received the highest number of clicks

Affiliate Link #

The dashboard provides a unique Affiliate Referral Link:

Copy Edit

https://developer.eplugins.org?affiliate_code=7JF3LD2D

Affiliates can copy this link and share it across:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • WhatsApp

Every purchase made through this link earns them a commission.

Campaign, Product & Category Links #

Affiliates can generate links specific to:

  • Custom campaigns
  • Specific products
  • Product categories

This allows for targeted promotions and better tracking.

Name Affiliate URL
Example Campaign
https://example.com/product?affiliate_code=XXXX

Referral Orders #

A section to display all successful referral sales.

If no sales are made yet:

“You haven’t made any referral sales yet. Start sharing your link above to earn rewards!”

Referral Coupon Codes #

Affiliates may receive unique Referral Coupons to share with friends and followers.If no coupons are assigned, it will show:
 “You don’t have any referral coupon codes yet. Stay tuned!”

Affiliate Leaderboard #

A live Leaderboard showcasing top-performing affiliates.This motivates affiliates through friendly competition.

Dashboard Tabs #

Below are tabs or menu items accessible from the Affiliate Dashboard:

Tab Description
Dashboard
Overview of earnings, stats, and referral link.
Conversion
Details on click-to-sale conversion rate.
CTR (Click Through Rate)
Track how effective your links are in generating clicks.
Referred Orders
View a list of orders generated from referrals.
Creative
Access assigned banners, text links, or video creatives.
Report
In-depth performance reporting and date-wise stats.
Setting
Update payment details, profile, or affiliate preferences.
Withdrawal Log
History of payouts and payment statuses.

The CTR section provides a detailed analysis of how effectively your shared affiliate links are performing in terms of user engagement and conversion.

CTR (Click Through Rate) is a key metric to measure how many people clicked on your link and how many of those clicks led to conversions (sales).

Table Columns Explained: #

Field Description
Link
The specific affiliate link shared by the user (e.g., product, category, or campaign link).
Clicks
Number of times this link has been clicked by users
Conversions
Number of successful purchases (referrals) resulting from the clicks.
CTR (Click Through Rate) (Conversions ÷ Clicks) × 100
The percentage of clicks that converted into a sale. Calculated using:

Example: #

Link Clicks Conversions CTR
https://example.com/product-x?aff=ABC123
100
5
5%

In this case, 5 out of 100 people who clicked the link ended up making a purchase — giving a CTR of 5%.

Referred Orders #

The Referred Orders section allows affiliates to track all the orders made using their referral links or coupons. This helps them monitor their performance and earnings in real-time.

Features #

  • Order List: Displays all the orders referred by the affiliate.
  • Status Filter: Use the “All Statuses” dropdown to filter orders based on their current status (e.g., Pending, Approved, Rejected, Completed).

Apply Filters Button: Click this to apply the selected filter and update the displayed results.

Document: Creatives – Your Assigned Creatives #

The Creatives section provides affiliates with ready-to-use promotional materials assigned by the store admin. These materials help affiliates easily promote products and generate more referrals.

Features: #

  • Search by Title: Easily find a specific creative by entering its title.
  • Type Filter: Filter creatives by type:
    • Image
    • Video
    • Text
    • Or view All Types

Document: Settings #

The Payment Settings section allows affiliates to securely configure how they want to receive their earnings. Multiple payout options are supported for flexibility and convenience.

PayPal Payouts #

Affiliates can receive payments directly via PayPal.

  • Field: Enter Email – Provide the PayPal email address where you want to receive commissions.
  • Button: Submit – Save your PayPal email.

 Tip: Make sure the email is linked to a verified PayPal account.

Stripe Payouts #

For secure and automated payouts through Stripe:

  • Button: Connect with Stripe – Clicking this will redirect you to Stripe’s secure authorization page.

Once connected, your earnings can be deposited directly into your bank via Stripe.

Bank Transfer Details #

Prefer to receive payments via direct bank transfer? Fill in your banking information.

  • Bank Name: Enter the name of your bank.
  • Account Number: Enter your bank account number.
  • IFSC Code: Enter your bank’s IFSC code.

Button: Save Bank Details – Save your information securely.

Request Withdrawal #

When you’ve earned commissions, you can manually request a withdrawal from your available balance.

  • Available Balance: $0.00 (Shown dynamically based on your affiliate earnings)

     

  • Withdrawal Amount: Enter the amount you’d like to withdraw.

Button: Request Withdrawal

Category: FAQs #

Frequently Asked Questions #

Can I approve affiliates manually?

Yes, admin can approve/reject from the Requests tab under Affiliate Reports.

How do affiliates track their performance?

 Each affiliate gets a dashboard with referral stats, links, and commissions.

Can I assign unique commission rates per product?

 Absolutely! Use product-wise or category-wise campaign settings.

Is there support for PayPal/Stripe/Bank Transfers?

 Yes. Payments can be processed via PayPal or exported manually for other gateways.

Can I customize the affiliate registration form?

 Yes. You can add custom fields and control which roles can register.

Is coupon generation automatic?

If enabled, the system creates a unique referral coupon on affiliate sign-up.

How do I prevent spam registrations?

Enable reCAPTCHA under the reCAPTCHA Settings tab.