How to Build an Affiliate Program

Let other people sell for you - pay only when they bring a customer.

Best for

Products with a proven paid offer

Effort

Medium

Works best with

A focused launch

What to expect: Slow to start, then it compounds. Works once your offer converts at a known rate, so partners can trust the math and you can price the commission.

How to use this Affiliates guide

Let other people sell for you - pay only when they bring a customer. This Affiliates guide is designed for products with a proven paid offer. It covers 6 practical steps, what results to expect, and the mistakes that most often waste time.

Use this as a practical action plan, not a rigid checklist. Start with the setup, keep the recurring actions that fit your schedule, and use the community notes below to compare the playbook with what other founders actually experienced.

Action plan

1
Set a commission with margin - a recurring percent or a one-time bounty - and a cookie window (30-60 days) so partners trust the attribution.once
2
Pick how you track and pay (Rewardful, Tolt, or tracked links), and set a payout schedule, minimum, and a refund hold.once
3
Write a one-page partner brief: who it is for, the offer, the commission, the rules, and copy-paste disclosure wording partners must use (in the EU, tracking cookies need consent).once
4
Reach out to 5 potential partners whose audience overlaps your buyers.

Tips and traps

Do this

Recruit partners who already reach your buyers, not just anyone with a following.
Only scale affiliates once you know your conversion rate, or you cannot price the commission.

Avoid this

Paying for clicks instead of customers. Pay on real conversions only.
Letting partners make claims you cannot back. Give them approved copy.

What founders actually found

Real learnings from the community.

Useful experience only. This is not a place to market your product. Share what you tried, what happened, and numbers when possible. Promotional copy and links are not allowed; links are removed automatically.

Nothing here yet. If you have run this channel, you know something worth writing down.