Affiliate Pro Plugin - Usage Guide

This guide provides detailed instructions on how to configure and use the Affiliate Pro plugin for your e-commerce store.

Table of Contents

1. Admin Configuration
2. Managing Affiliates
3. Commission Management
4. Withdrawal Management
5. Marketing Tools
6. Reports and Analytics
7. Affiliate Dashboard Usage

Admin Configuration

Accessing Plugin Settings

1. Log in to your admin dashboard
2. Navigate to Settings > Affiliate Settings
3. Configure the following settings:

General Settings

• Default Commission Percentage: Set the default commission rate (e.g., 10%) that affiliates will earn on referred sales
• Cookie Lifetime (days): Define how long the affiliate tracking cookie remains active (e.g., 30 days)
• Minimum Withdrawal Amount: Set the minimum amount required for withdrawal requests (e.g., $50)
• Enable Affiliate Registration: Toggle to allow customers to register as affiliates
• Auto Approve Affiliates: Toggle to automatically approve new affiliate registrations
• Auto Approve Commissions: Toggle to automatically approve commissions when orders are completed

Category-Based Commission Settings

1. Enable Commission for Each Category to set different commission rates based on product categories
2. Click Add New to create a category group
3. Set the Commission Percentage for the group
4. Select the Categories that belong to this group
5. Add additional category groups as needed
6. Click Save to apply your settings

Managing Affiliates

Viewing Affiliates

1. Navigate to Affiliate Pro > Affiliates
2. View the list of all affiliate accounts with their status, balance, and performance metrics

Approving Affiliate Applications

1. Navigate to Affiliate Pro > Pending Requests
2. Review pending affiliate applications
3. Click Approve to accept an application or Reject to decline
4. Approved affiliates will receive an email notification and can begin promoting your products

Editing Affiliate Details

1. Navigate to Affiliate Pro > Affiliates
2. Click on an affiliate's name to view their details
3. Edit their information as needed
4. Click Save to update the affiliate's record

Commission Management

Viewing Commissions

1. Navigate to Affiliate Pro > Commissions
2. View all commission transactions with details on amount, order, and status

Approving Commissions

1. Navigate to Affiliate Pro > Commissions
2. Filter for commissions with "Pending" status
3. Click on a commission to view details
4. Click Approve to approve the commission
   • This will add the commission amount to the affiliate's balance
   • A transaction record will be created
   • The affiliate will be notified

Rejecting Commissions

1. Navigate to Affiliate Pro > Commissions
2. Click on a pending commission
3. Click Reject if the commission doesn't meet your criteria
4. Provide a reason for rejection
5. The affiliate will be notified of the rejection

Withdrawal Management

Viewing Withdrawal Requests

1. Navigate to Affiliate Pro > Withdrawals
2. View all withdrawal requests with their status and details

Processing Withdrawals

1. Click on a pending withdrawal request
2. Review the payment details provided by the affiliate
3. Click Approve to approve the withdrawal
   • This will deduct the amount from the affiliate's balance
   • The affiliate's total withdrawn amount will be updated
   • A transaction record will be created
   • The affiliate will be notified

Rejecting Withdrawals

1. Click on a pending withdrawal request
2. Click Reject if you need to decline the request
3. Provide a reason for rejection
4. The affiliate will be notified and the amount will remain in their balance

Marketing Tools

Managing Affiliate Coupons

1. Navigate to Affiliate Pro > Coupons
2. View all affiliate discount coupons
3. Click Create to generate a new coupon:
   • Select an affiliate
   • Set the discount amount and type (percentage or fixed)
   • Set an expiration date (optional)
   • Add a description
4. Click Save to create the coupon
5. The coupon will be available in the affiliate's dashboard

Promotional Materials

1. Navigate to Affiliate Pro > Materials
2. Add promotional banners and materials for affiliates to use
3. Upload banner images and set destination URLs
4. These materials will be available in the affiliate's dashboard

Reports and Analytics

Viewing Performance Reports

1. Navigate to Affiliate Pro > Reports
2. View comprehensive reports on:
   • Top performing affiliates
   • Commission trends
   • Conversion rates
   • Traffic sources
   • Product performance
   • Referral paths
   • Geographic distribution

Traffic Source Analysis

1. Navigate to Affiliate Pro > Reports > Traffic Sources
2. View detailed breakdowns of:
   • Referring websites
   • Social media platforms
   • Search engines
   • Direct traffic
   • Email campaigns
3. Filter data by date range, affiliate, or campaign
4. Export reports for further analysis

Dashboard Widgets

1. The admin dashboard includes widgets showing:
   • Recent affiliate registrations
   • Recent commissions
   • Recent withdrawals
   • Top performing affiliates

Affiliate Dashboard Usage

For Affiliates: Getting Started

1. Log in to your customer account
2. Navigate to Affiliate Dashboard
3. If not already an affiliate, click Register as Affiliate
4. Complete the registration form
5. Wait for approval (if auto-approval is not enabled)

Generating Affiliate Links

1. From the affiliate dashboard, locate the Your Affiliate Link section
2. Copy your main affiliate link to share on websites, social media, or emails
3. Use your affiliate code in offline promotions

Creating Short Links

1. Navigate to Short Links in your affiliate dashboard
2. Click Create Short Link
3. Choose a link type:
   • Product link: Select a specific product to promote
   • Homepage link: Create a link to the store homepage
   • Custom URL: Enter any URL on the store
4. Add a title for your reference
5. Click Create to generate the short link
6. Copy and share the generated link

Creating and Managing Coupons

1. Navigate to Coupons in your affiliate dashboard
2. View your existing coupons
3. Share coupon codes with potential customers
4. Track coupon usage and performance

Tracking Performance

1. The dashboard homepage shows key metrics:
   • Current balance
   • Total commission earned
   • Total withdrawn
   • This month's commission
   • Click statistics
   • Conversion rate

Requesting Withdrawals

1. Navigate to Withdrawals in your affiliate dashboard
2. Click Request Withdrawal
3. Enter the amount you wish to withdraw
   • Must meet the minimum withdrawal amount
4. Select your preferred payment method
5. Enter your payment details
6. Submit your request
7. Track the status of your withdrawal requests

Viewing Commission History

1. Navigate to Commissions in your affiliate dashboard
2. View all your commission transactions
3. Check the status of each commission
4. See details about the associated orders

Using Promotional Materials

1. Navigate to Promotional Materials in your affiliate dashboard
2. Browse available banners and marketing materials
3. Copy the HTML code for banners
4. Implement these materials on your website or marketing channels

Email Notifications

Managing Email Templates

1. Navigate to Affiliate Pro > Settings > Email Templates
2. View and edit available email templates:
   • Affiliate registration notification
   • Affiliate approval notification
   • Commission earned notification
   • Withdrawal status notification
   • Performance digest
3. Customize the content, subject, and formatting of each template
4. Use available variables to personalize emails

Configuring Notification Settings

1. Navigate to Settings > Affiliate Settings > Notifications
2. Enable/disable different types of notifications:
   • Admin notifications
   • Affiliate notifications
3. Set frequency for digest emails
4. Configure email sender information

API Integration

Accessing API Documentation

1. Navigate to Affiliate Pro > API > Documentation
2. View available API endpoints and methods
3. Read documentation on request/response formats
4. Test API calls directly from the documentation interface

Managing API Keys

1. Navigate to Affiliate Pro > API > Keys
2. Generate new API keys for third-party integrations
3. View existing API keys and their permissions
4. Revoke API keys that are no longer needed

Configuring Webhooks

1. Navigate to Affiliate Pro > API > Webhooks
2. Create new webhook endpoints for real-time notifications
3. Select events that trigger webhook calls:
   • New affiliate registration
   • Commission earned
   • Withdrawal requested/processed
4. Test webhook delivery to ensure proper integration

Best Practices for Affiliates

1. Use short links for cleaner, more professional-looking URLs
2. Create product-specific links for targeted promotions
3. Offer exclusive coupons to incentivize purchases
4. Regularly check your dashboard for performance insights
5. Optimize your marketing based on conversion data
6. Request withdrawals only when you've accumulated a significant amount
7. Use the provided promotional materials for professional marketing
8. Track which traffic sources convert best and focus your efforts there
9. Utilize UTM parameters to better understand your audience
10. Stay informed through email notifications about your performance