> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://blog.affiliatly.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Methods for tracking affiliated users - URL: https://blog.affiliatly.com/methods-tracking-affiliated-users/ - Published: 2015-05-05T07:15:44.000Z - Updated: 2015-05-05T07:15:44.000Z - Author: over coder - Tags: tutorials, #Migrated-1794053199186, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-11-07 12:06 Hello, in this blog post I will try to explain the different methods for tracking affiliated users in Affiliatly. Currently there are three different tracking methods available in your affiliate admin panel 1. [tracking by link](#by-link) 2. [tracking by coupon code](#by-code) 3. [tracking by QR code](#by-qr) 4. [tracking by SKU](#by-sku) 5. [tracking by E-mail](#by-email) ## 1\. Tracking by link This is the default method for tracking users. When your affiliate registers, he gets a unique numerical ID. By adding this ID to some of your store URLs, your partner can refer potential clients. If your store URL is *http://your\_store.com* and your product is *http://your\_store.com/product-page-one* the affiliated links for partner with ID 1 are goting to be: *http://your\_store.com?aff=1* *http://your\_store.com/product-page-one?aff=1* Taking these links, the affiliate can share them on his website, post them on IM (Skype, Viber, iMessage) and/or Social media (Facebook, Twitter). When someone clicks on them, they will go to your store and this visit will be associated with the affiliate with ID 1. If the referred user makes a purchase, the associated affiliate (in the example affiliate with ID 1) will be credited for that purchase. You can set the commission which the affiliate will get in your admin panel, page "Settings". **Note:** if the visitor has installed tracker/JavaScript blocking plugin in his browser, his visit will not be tracked by the app as the plugin will stop the execution of our code. ## 2\. Tracking by coupon code This tracking method is ideal for offline tracking i.e. partners without websites. To enable it, go to Settings > Tracking in your Affiliatly's admin panel, locate "Methods for tracking affiliated users" and mark the checkbox next to "Tracking by Coupon code". After that hit "Save" at the bottom of the page. After the page reloads you will see that you have a new button in the Settings page, called "Coupon code settings". By clicking on it, you will go to a page, where you can set the default commission, that the affiliates will get and choose the commission type - percentage (fixed percentage from the order total, excluding shipping) and flat (flat amount for each purchase). Just bellow these options, you will see table with your affiliates, here you must set a code for each affiliate, the codes must be unique for each affiliate. Also you will have the chance to set custom commission for the affiliates. After you have set each affiliate with custom code, you must create the same codes in your store otherwise the clients which are going to use this code, wont get discount (its up to you, if you want to give them discount, but this will encourage clients to use the code) So, to explain how this method works. The affiliate shares his personal discount code with his friends/colleague/followers by sending them a online message via IM, Social media, email or he can print the code. When someone enters this code on your store, they get the discount you have set for that coupon code and when the order is placed, Affiliatly checks to see if a code is used and if its true, then the affiliate with that coupon code is credited. **Note:** this feature may not be available (or not yet made available) for your integration, if you don't see it in your Settings page, please contact us. ## 3\. Tracking by QR code This is another method suited for partners without a website. To enable it, go to Settings > Tracking in your Affiliatly's admin panel, locate "Methods for tracking affiliated users" and mark the checkbox next to "Tracking by QR code". After that hit "Save" at the bottom of the page. When your partners logs into theirs Affiliatly's panel, in the "Information page" they will see and will able to download a unique QR code. Again the can share it online or print it for offline use. When someone scans the QR code with their phone, they will be taken to your store, but the visit will be tracked by Affiliatly and it will be associated with the affiliate. Again when the referred user makes a purchase, the affiliate, who referred them will be credited. The commissions are the same as the ones set for Tracking by link. **Note:** if the visitor has installed tracker/JavaScript blocking plugin in his browser, his visit will not be tracked by the app as the plugin will stop the execution of our code. ## 4\. Tracking by SKU This tracking can be used for tracking only specific products from your stores. When you enable it and open the "SKU tracking settings" page, you have: - the ability to allow/disable certain products from getting commission. This is done by adding the selected product's SKU in section "Allow or Disable commission for selected SKU only." - setting different commission for each products. This can be done by entering the SKU and setting the custom commission in section "Set different commission for specific SKU" of page "SKU tracking settings". Setting different commission will change the commission only for the set products. For example, the normal commission is 5%, and a client has bought product A (price $10) and product B (B is product with custom commission of 20%, price $20). The final commission that the affiliate will get is $0.5 (for A) and $4 (for B) = $4.5 total - associate SKU with specific affiliates. Doing this, the affiliates will receive commission on each sale of the product (referred or not). You can use this feature if you need to pay royalties to your affiliates. This feature is available only for Shopify, BigCommerce and some custom integrations. ## 5\. Tracking by E-mail This is the newest tracking method and with it, you can associate certain client's email with given affiliate and on EVERY purchase of that client (as long as he is using the same email), the sale will be associated with the affiliate. You can use this tracking if you have subscription based product and wish to credit the affiliate each time the client pays his subscription. This feature is available only for Shopify and BigCommerce integrations. ## Notes You can use all of the tracking methods or just one of them. **Note:** Different tracking methods, have **different priority**. - **SKU tracking/settings overrides all other tracking methods** - if some SKU are set as disabled, no matter what method is used, the affiliate will not get commission for them - if certain SKU are set as allowed the affiliate will get commission only for them - if you have set custom commission for product, no matter the tracking method commission (code commission, link commission), the custom commission will be used \- **coupon code tracking overrides email/link/qr tracking** - even if the client has come via the referred link of affiliate A, if he uses the code of affiliate B, that purchase will be associated with affiliate B. \- **E-mail tracking overrides link/qr tracking** - if the client's email is associated with affiliate A, on made purchase he will be always associated with affiliate A, even if he has used the coupon code of affiliate B or visited your site via the referral link of affiliate C \- **QR tracking and link tracking are on the same level** - it depends which method was used the first time the client entered your store - referred link or QR code. The commission rates is the same for both methods.