Affiliate Program Operations Reference
This is the complete operator reference for affiliate and partner modules.Program owner operation areas
Main control areas:- programs
- partners
- groups/segments
- categories
- referrals
- partner comments/notes
- enrollments/applications
- commissions
- payouts
- invoices
- customers and campaigns (affiliate context)
- fraud and activity logs
- discounts
- bounties
- automation rules
- messaging
Program-owner module matrix
| Module | Primary purpose | Typical output |
|---|---|---|
| Programs | Define partner offer and eligibility | Enrollable, policy-complete program |
| Partners | Manage partner lifecycle | Approved, segmented, and governed partner base |
| Enrollments | Process applications/invites | Controlled acceptance funnel |
| Groups | Segment partner cohorts | Targetable groups for policy/messaging |
| Commissions | Approve and audit earnings | Settlement-ready commission ledger |
| Payouts | Execute disbursement cycles | Paid/failed/cancelled payout outcomes |
| Invoices | Period close and reconciliation | Finance-ready records |
| Discounts | Coupon/offer governance | Trackable partner discount performance |
| Bounties | Incentive task workflows | Reviewed and approved bounty outcomes |
| Automation | Rule-driven lifecycle handling | Reduced manual operations workload |
| Messages | Partner communications | Traceable operational communication history |
| Fraud | Risk and abuse review | Reduced invalid payouts and safer partner quality |
| Activity log | Audit visibility | Operator accountability and incident traceability |
Partner onboarding paths
Partners can enter through:- marketplace discovery/application
- direct program invite
- private enrollment workflows
- owner-issued invite lifecycle
- partner acceptance/decline handling
- enrollment status transitions with audit visibility
Partner status operations
Common partner states include review, approval, active operation, and restricted/blocked states. Common enrollment/partner lifecycle states include:- pending
- approved
- rejected
- invited
- declined
- deactivated
- banned
- archived
Commission lifecycle
Typical lifecycle:- qualifying conversion arrives
- commission is generated
- commission is reviewed/approved
- commission moves to payout-ready status
- pending
- approved
- invoiced
- paid
- rejected/fraud/cancelled/refunded/duplicate
Payout lifecycle
Typical lifecycle:- payout batch is created
- payout method checks pass
- payout is processed
- payout status is finalized and logged
- pending
- processing
- sent or processed
- completed
- failed or canceled
Messaging and engagement
Available operations include:- direct partner messages
- bulk/broadcast messaging
- marketplace and invite follow-up
Groups, discounts, and bounties
Partner groups
Use groups to:- segment partner cohorts
- apply group-specific program operations
- simplify partner targeting in campaigns and reviews
Discounts
Use discount workflows to:- issue partner-linked discount structures
- manage flat vs percentage discount behavior
- track discount usage in affiliate context
- validate discount eligibility behavior before campaign launch
- run discount validation checks against partner/program constraints
- run discount validate checks before activating live partner promotions
Bounties
Use bounties for:- submission-based partner tasks
- performance-based goal incentives
- review/approval workflows for submissions
Referrals
Referral views help operators:- track referral relationships and invited growth loops
- attribute program growth to partner referral behavior
- identify high-performing partner acquisition sources
Categories
Categories are used to:- classify programs and partner opportunities
- improve marketplace filtering and discovery
- align internal reporting across similar partner types
Partner comments and notes
Comment workflows support:- internal review context on partners/applications
- audit trail for approval or rejection rationale
- collaboration between affiliate managers and finance/risk operators
Marketplace controls
Program owners can control:- listing visibility
- application requirements
- eligibility criteria
- partner-facing positioning
Automation controls
Automation rules can be used to:- auto-approve or reject partner flows under defined conditions
- assign partners to groups
- issue operational notifications
- create deterministic handling for repetitive program operations
Messaging and invitation operations
Use invitations and messaging together to manage funnel quality:- invite targeted partners directly
- track pending, accepted, and expired invite outcomes
- send onboarding and policy reminders
- broadcast updates for payout windows and program changes
Fraud and compliance controls
Fraud tooling supports:- partner and customer anomaly checks
- suspicious-source pattern detection
- payout risk gating
- case/group-based fraud review
Activity logs and operator audit trail
Activity-log surfaces help teams:- review partner/program state changes over time
- audit who changed commission/payout/enrollment states
- investigate unexpected operational behavior quickly
Invoices and financial close
Use invoice views for:- payout period reconciliation
- partner-facing settlement records
- internal finance handoff before disbursement
Operational best practices
- set clear approval criteria before enabling marketplace
- keep commission policy explicit and versioned
- require payout profile completeness before approval
- review fraud dashboard before each payout cycle
/user-guides/manual/ecosystem/affiliates-and-partners/user-guides/manual/ecosystem/partner-portal-reference/user-guides/manual/data/conversions-customers/user-guides/manual/data/exports-and-operational-checks