Setting the referral URL variable

In affiliate marketing, accurately tracking referrals is crucial for rewarding affiliates and measuring campaign success. The referral URL variable in AffiliateWP is the parameter added to your site’s URLs to identify them as referral URLs associated with specific affiliates. By default, AffiliateWP uses ref as the referral variable, but you have the flexibility to customize it to suit your needs.

This documentation will guide you through the process of setting the referral URL variable, provide best practices, and highlight important considerations to avoid conflicts with WordPress reserved terms.

What is a Referral URL Variable?

The referral URL variable is a parameter added to URLs on your site to identify them as referral URLs linked to a specific affiliate. It helps track affiliate referrals accurately by distinguishing which affiliate referred a visitor to your site.

Default Referral URL Variable

AffiliateWP uses ref as the default referral URL variable. A typical URL with this variable looks like this:

https://yoursite.com/?ref=422

In this example, 422 is the ID of the affiliate the URL belongs to. In addition, your affiliates can use any of the following affiliate URLs.

Setting the Referral URL Variable

To set the referral URL variable:

1. Navigate to AffiliateWP » Settings » Affiliates.
2. In the settings, specify your preferred referral URL variable in the appropriate field.
3. Save your changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

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That’s it! Setting the referral URL variable in AffiliateWP is a straightforward yet essential task to ensure accurate tracking of affiliate referrals. By customizing the referral variable, you can tailor your tracking to better fit your site’s structure and preferences.