Launch with Confidence
Launching an affiliate program is one of the highest-leverage growth activities you can do, but it involves many moving parts. From legal compliance to technical tracking, missing a single step can lead to tracking errors or brand damage.
This Affiliate Program Launch Checklist is designed to be your command center. It breaks the overwhelming launch process into four manageable phases: Strategy, Setup, Assets, and Launch.
Legal Safety
Ensure you have your Terms & Conditions and Fraud Prevention rules in place before you invite people to promote you.
Asset Preparation
Don't make affiliates guess. Preparing logos and swipe copy in advance increases the likelihood of them actually posting.
Activation Strategy
A program with no active partners is useless. Our checklist includes steps to recruit and activate your first 50 partners.
The 4 Phases of a Successful Launch
Before you install any code, you need to decide on your numbers. What is your commission rate? (Standard is 20-30% for SaaS). What is your cookie window? (30 days is standard). Are you paying cash or credits?
If you use Stripe, this is easy. Connect your account to a tool like Referello, install the tracking script on your site, and run a test transaction to verify that clicks and conversions are recording correctly.
Create a public "Affiliates" page on your website. This page should sell the *program* to potential partners. List the benefits, commission rates, and include a clear "Join Now" button.
The "If you build it, they will come" fallacy kills affiliate programs. You must actively recruit. Start by emailing your customer list, then move to cold outreach for influencers in your niche.