How affiliate attribution works

Each affiliate gets a unique link — usually your site URL with a tracking parameter, e.g. yoursite.com/?ref=jane. When a visitor clicks it, the ref value identifies the affiliate. Short, branded tracking links are easier to share and look more trustworthy than long query strings.

The reference needs to survive from the first click to the moment of payment. Two common approaches:

• Cookie / stored value: the ref is stored in the browser, then read again at checkout.
• Pass-through to payment metadata: at checkout, the ref is attached to the Stripe payment so it is recorded permanently with the transaction.

affilut uses the second approach — a one-line attribution snippet reads the ref and passes it into your Stripe checkout's metadata. There is no pixel or SDK to install.

Few people buy on the first visit. The attribution window (sometimes called a cookie window) is how long after the click a purchase still counts for the affiliate — commonly 30, 60, or 90 days. A longer window credits affiliates for sales that take time to convert; a shorter window reduces disputed credit. Pick one that matches your sales cycle.

When a referred customer pays, the affiliate reference is stored on the Stripe charge's metadata. affilut connects to Stripe read-only, reads that metadata, and attributes the conversion — then calculates the commission owed. Because the reference lives on the payment, attribution is durable and auditable: you can always see why a sale was credited.