Run an affiliate program
Open your store's affiliate program, set its rate, and share the join page.
An affiliate program lets other people promote your store for a commission on each sale they send. Each store has its own program, with one rate that it offers new affiliates.
Affiliate programs are part of the Pro and Business plans. On Free, the console offers the upgrade when you try to open one; see Plans and billing.
Owners and admins run the program. Staff can see the affiliates and their ledgers but cannot change anything.
Open your program
- Select the store, then open Affiliates in the sidebar, under Sales.
- At the top, Your affiliate offer shows Closed while there is no program. Choose Open a program.
- Enter the Commission as a percentage.
- Choose Save.
The page says Your program is open to applications.
How commission is worked out
Commission is a share of the sale, after discounts and before tax. It is counted in the currency the buyer paid in, and balances in different currencies are kept apart.
A sale is credited to an affiliate in two ways:
- Their link. A buyer who arrives on an affiliate's link is credited to them for 30 days. If the buyer later arrives on someone else's link, the newer one wins.
- Their discount code. A discount code tied to an affiliate credits the sale to them, whichever link the buyer arrived on. You choose who a code credits when you set it up; see Discount codes.
A sale counts once the buyer has paid.
Share your join page
Your store has a join page at /affiliate on its address. It shows your rate and the terms, and a Sign in to apply button for applicants. They need a Sorai account to apply.
On Your affiliate offer, copy the join link, or choose Open join page to see it as an applicant does. Share it wherever your audience is.
Every application waits for you to approve it; see Manage your affiliates. You can also invite someone directly.
Change the rate or close the program
Choose Change rate on Your affiliate offer, enter the new Commission, and choose Save.
The new rate is what the join page advertises and what each new affiliate starts on. It never changes the rate of anyone who has already joined, and never changes commission already earned. To change an existing affiliate's rate, see Manage your affiliates.
To close the program, set the rate to 0. The join page then has nothing to offer, and the page says Your program is closed.