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How to set up and manage store affiliates

WooDonkey is a SaaS platform located at app.woodonkey.com. While shoppers complete purchases on your WooCommerce store, the WooDonkey Companion plugin manages tracking, shortcodes, pages, coupons, and the My Account tab. This documentation describes your store’s own partner program, which is distinct from the WooDonkey SaaS partner program at https://woodonkey.com/affiliate-register/.

What it is

The Store Affiliates feature allows you to create and manage a referral program for your store. Access it from the WooDonkey dashboard sidebar by clicking Advanced Tools, then Store Affiliates (which may have a New pill next to it). The page title is Store Affiliates, with the subtitle: Let influencers and partners promote your store with a referral link and a coupon. This is separate from the WooDonkey partner program.

The interface has three tabs: Settings, Partners, and Commissions. On a phone, these tabs appear in an unlabeled menu. The WooDonkey Companion plugin version 1.375.0 or higher is required for full functionality. The program uses shortcodes like [woodonkey_affiliate_register] and [woodonkey_affiliate_account] to create dedicated pages on your store, and adds an Affiliates tab to your store’s My Account section for partners.

How it helps you

A store affiliate program expands your reach by enabling partners to promote your products using unique referral links and coupon codes. These codes track referred orders, with a default zero percent discount for shoppers unless you choose to offer one. You pay commissions only on attributed orders that are processing or completed, and not on self-purchases.

What is included

  • The Settings tab controls the overall program:
    • Program section: The Enable store affiliates switch (off by default) activates the program, creating registration and account pages on your store and starting referral tracking. The Auto-approve new partners switch (off by default) determines if new applications require manual approval.
    • Commissions and coupons section: Set the Default commission (%) (10% by default), Partner coupon discount (%) (0% by default, creating a tracking-only code), Cookie lifetime (days) (30 days by default, range 1-365), and Hold before payout (days) (14 days by default, range 0-90). Switches for Exclude shipping from commission (on by default) and Exclude tax from commission (on by default) are also available.
    • Partner payouts section: Choose between Manual (bank transfer, cash) (default) or PayPal as the payout method. If PayPal is selected, you can Connect PayPal to link your PayPal Business account for direct payouts, or Disconnect PayPal if already connected.
    • Store pages section: WooDonkey automatically creates Become an Affiliate ([woodonkey_affiliate_register]) and My Affiliate Account ([woodonkey_affiliate_account]) pages when the program is enabled. Click Copy shortcode to copy. You can also paste the shortcodes on other pages.
    • A Save button applies all changes made on the Settings tab.
  • The Partners tab manages your affiliates:
    • A search field allows you to find partners by name or email.
    • A status filter lets you view partners by All, Pending, Approved, Paused, or Rejected status.
    • The Add partner button opens a dialog to manually add new partners, specifying their full name, email, referral code, commission rate, website, promotion methods, and payout details. New partners added from the dashboard are automatically Approved.
    • The partner list displays Partner (name and email), Code, Status, Clicks, Orders, Rate, Payout details, and Available commission.
    • The Edit action (pencil icon on desktop, Edit button on mobile) opens a dialog to modify a partner’s code, rate, status, and payout details. You can also Delete a partner from this dialog.
  • The Commissions tab tracks earnings:
    • A status filter allows viewing commissions by All, Pending, Available, Paid, or Clawed back status.
    • The commission list shows Partner (name and code), Order number, Amount, and Status.
    • For Available commissions, you can Mark as paid after manual transfers. If PayPal is the chosen payout method and connected, and the partner has a PayPal email, a Pay with PayPal button is available to send direct payments.
  • The WooDonkey Companion plugin provides storefront functionality:
    • The [woodonkey_affiliate_register] shortcode displays a registration form for new partners, collecting their details and the payout field that matches your Payout method. Logged-in users skip name, email, and password fields.
    • The [woodonkey_affiliate_account] shortcode and the Affiliates tab in the store’s My Account section display a partner’s referral link, coupon code, performance statistics (clicks, orders, pending, available, paid commissions), and allows them to update their payout details.
  • Attribution and commission rules:
    • Referrals are tracked using a first-touch cookie named wd_saf.
    • If a shopper uses a partner’s coupon, the coupon takes precedence over the cookie for attribution.
    • Commissions accrue when an order reaches ‘processing’ or ‘completed’ status.
    • Self-purchases (by the partner’s WordPress user or billing email) do not generate commissions.
    • Commissions move from Pending to Available after the set Hold before payout (days).
    • Commissions are Clawed back (status changes to Clawed back) if the associated order is refunded, cancelled, or fully refunded, provided the commission was still Pending or Available.
  • Partner email automations:
    • Five default email automations are available in Site Settings > Emails & Automations: ‘We received your partner application’, ‘Your partner application was approved’, ‘Your partner application was declined’, ‘We sent you a partner payment’, and ‘Your partner account was removed’. These send when Automated email sending is on and Test mode is off.

How to turn on and manage each capability

Open Store Affiliates

  1. Log in to app.woodonkey.com.
  2. From your WooDonkey dashboard sidebar, click Advanced Tools.
  3. Click Store Affiliates.

Turn the program on

  1. On the Settings tab, switch Enable store affiliates to on.
  2. Click Save.

Set commission, coupon, cookie, and hold

  1. On the Settings tab, adjust the values for Default commission (%), Partner coupon discount (%), Cookie lifetime (days), and Hold before payout (days) as needed.
  2. Configure the switches for Exclude shipping from commission and Exclude tax from commission.
  3. Click Save.

Choose payout method and connect PayPal

  1. On the Settings tab, under Partner payouts, select your preferred Payout method: Manual (bank transfer, cash) or PayPal.
  2. If you choose PayPal, click Connect PayPal and follow the prompts to sign in to your PayPal Business account and approve WooDonkey.
  3. Click Save.

Add a partner from the dashboard

  1. Go to the Partners tab.
  2. Click Add partner.
  3. Fill in the partner’s Full name, Email address, and optionally a custom Code. Provide their Website, How they will promote, and their PayPal email or Bank account / notes.
  4. Click Add partner.

Review applications and edit partners

  1. Go to the Partners tab.
  2. Use the status filter to view Pending applications.
  3. Click the pencil icon or Edit next to a partner’s entry to open the Edit partner dialog.
  4. Change the Status to Approved, Paused, or Rejected as appropriate.
  5. Click Save.

Pay commissions

  1. Go to the Commissions tab.
  2. For commissions with an Available status:
    • If your payout method is Manual, transfer the money outside WooDonkey, then click Mark as paid for the commission row.
    • If your payout method is PayPal and it is connected, and the partner has a PayPal email, click Pay with PayPal to send the payment directly from your connected PayPal account.

Show registration and account on the store

  1. After enabling the program on the Settings tab and clicking Save, WooDonkey automatically creates the Become an Affiliate and My Affiliate Account pages on your store. On the Settings tab, in Store pages, click Copy shortcode if you want to paste the shortcodes yourself.
  2. You can also manually add the shortcodes [woodonkey_affiliate_register] and [woodonkey_affiliate_account] to any WordPress page or post to display the registration form or partner account area.

Turn on partner emails

  1. Navigate to Site Settings, then Emails & Automations.
  2. Ensure Automated email sending is on and Test mode is off for partner emails to be sent.

How partners promote and how orders attribute

  1. Partners promote your store by sharing their unique referral link (e.g., https://store.example/?ref=CODE) or their unique coupon code.
  2. The system uses a first-touch cookie (wd_saf) for attribution. If a shopper uses a partner’s coupon, the coupon takes precedence over the cookie for commission attribution.
  3. Commissions are generated for orders that reach ‘processing’ or ‘completed’ status.

What to know before you start

  • The store affiliate program is off by default. You must switch Enable store affiliates to on and click Save to activate it.
  • New partner applications are not auto-approved by default. You must switch Auto-approve new partners to on if you want to skip manual approval.
  • Partner emails are configured by default but will not send until Automated email sending is on and Test mode is off in Site Settings > Emails & Automations.
  • You can manually add partners from the dashboard using the Add partner button on the Partners tab.
  • The partner list on the Partners tab is capped at 200 partners.
  • The WooDonkey Companion plugin version 1.375.0 or higher is required for the Store Affiliates page to function correctly and to add partners from the dashboard.
  • The default commission rate for partners is 10%.
  • The default partner coupon discount is 0%, meaning it acts as a tracking-only code without offering a discount.
  • The default cookie lifetime for referral tracking is 30 days.
  • Commissions are held for 14 days by default before becoming available for payout.
  • Commissions automatically exclude shipping and tax by default.
  • The default payout method is Manual (bank transfer, cash).
  • The referral link query parameter (ref) is not editable in the user interface.
  • There is no CSV export functionality for partners or commissions.
  • Only percentage-based commissions are supported. Fixed-amount commissions are not available.
  • There are no specific row buttons to Approve, Reject, or Pause partners. Status changes are made within the Edit partner dialog.

Problems you may hit, and how to fix them

  • The affiliate registration form on my store says ‘The affiliate program is currently off.’: You need to enable the program. Go to the Settings tab, switch Enable store affiliates to on, and click Save.
  • The Store Affiliates page shows ‘Companion update required’ or ‘Store affiliates need companion 1.375.0.’: Your WooDonkey Companion plugin is outdated. Open the WooDonkey sidebar Settings and update the plugin on your store to version 1.375.0 or higher.
  • When I try to Add partner, I see the toast ‘Update the companion plugin to add partners from the dashboard.’: Your WooDonkey Companion plugin is outdated. Open the WooDonkey sidebar Settings and update the plugin on your store to version 1.375.0 or higher.
  • When adding a partner, I see the toast ‘This email is already a partner.’: Each store customer can only be associated with one partner account. If the email is already in use by an existing partner, you cannot add it again.
  • The ‘Pay with PayPal’ button is disabled for commissions: This can happen for a few reasons:
    • Your chosen Payout method in Settings is not PayPal.
    • You have not connected your PayPal Business account in the Partner payouts section of the Settings tab.
    • The specific partner does not have a PayPal email saved in their profile on the Partners tab.
  • PayPal payouts are failing, or I receive an error about PayPal Payouts not being enabled: Ensure that PayPal Payouts are enabled within your PayPal Business account settings. This is a setting within your PayPal account, not WooDonkey.
  • A partner’s application is stuck as ‘Rejected’ and I cannot approve it: To change a rejected partner’s status, go to the Partners tab, click the pencil icon or Edit for that partner, change the Status to Approved in the Edit partner dialog, and click Save.
  • The ‘Become an Affiliate’ or ‘My Affiliate Account’ pages are not appearing on my store: These pages are created automatically when the program is enabled. Go to the Settings tab, switch Enable store affiliates to on, and click Save.
  • A partner’s coupon code offers 0% discount: This is by design. A 0% discount coupon still functions as a valid tracking code, attributing sales to the partner without providing a shopper discount.
  • A partner made a purchase on my store but did not receive a commission: Commissions are not paid for self-purchases, meaning orders made by the partner’s own WordPress user account or billing email address.
  • A commission was for an order that was partially refunded, but the commission was not clawed back: Partial refunds do not trigger a clawback. Commissions are only clawed back if the order is refunded, cancelled, or fully refunded.
  • I cannot see all my partners in the list on the Partners tab: The partner list displays a maximum of 200 partners. Use the search field to find specific partners within this limit.
  • Partner emails are not being sent: Ensure that Automated email sending is on and Test mode is off in Site Settings > Emails & Automations.
  • I am confused about the WooDonkey SaaS affiliate program versus this store affiliate program: This documentation describes the program for partners promoting your store. The WooDonkey SaaS partner program is a separate program for promoting WooDonkey itself, found at https://woodonkey.com/affiliate-register/.
  • I added a new partner from the dashboard, but they don’t know their password to log in to their affiliate account on my store: If the email used for the new partner account did not previously exist as a customer on your store, WooCommerce creates a new customer account. The partner can use the Lost password link on your store’s login form to set their password.

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