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This guide walks you through setting up a complete affiliate program. By the end, you’ll have tracking installed, an API key ready, and a working integration.

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Prerequisites

  • A Stripe account (for payment tracking)
  • A website where you sell your product (for the tracking script)

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Setup

1

Create your account

Sign up at agentref.co. No credit card required.After signing up, you’ll land on the onboarding flow that walks you through the next steps.
2

Connect Stripe

Click Connect Stripe in the onboarding flow. You’ll be redirected to Stripe’s OAuth page to authorize AgentRef.AgentRef uses Stripe Connect to:
  • Listen for payment events (checkout completions, invoice payments, refunds)
  • Match payments to affiliate referrals
  • Track subscription renewals for recurring commissions
AgentRef needs read access to your Stripe payment events. It does not process payments or access your bank account.
3

Create your program

After connecting Stripe, create your first affiliate program. Here are recommended starting settings:
SettingRecommendationWhy
Commission typerecurringIncentivizes affiliates to refer customers who stick around.
Commission rate20–30%Industry standard for SaaS. Competitive enough to attract affiliates.
Cookie duration30 daysBalances fair attribution with reasonable conversion windows.
Payout threshold$50Low enough to keep affiliates motivated, high enough to avoid micro-payouts.
Payout frequencyMonthlyStandard cadence. Weekly is fine for high-volume programs.
Auto-approve affiliatesYesReduces friction. You can always block bad actors later.
You can change all of these settings later. Start simple and adjust based on real data.
4

Install the tracking script

Add the AgentRef tracking script to your website. Place it in your <head> tag or before the closing </body> tag:
<script
  src="https://www.agentref.co/api/tracking/script.js?pid=YOUR_PROGRAM_ID"
  defer
></script>
Replace YOUR_PROGRAM_ID with the ID shown in your program settings.The script handles:
  • Capturing affiliate referral codes from URL parameters
  • Setting first-party attribution cookies (agentref_cid, agentref_pid, agentref_src)
  • Providing getCheckoutMetadata() for Stripe session integration
For Stripe Payment Links / Buy Buttons / Pricing Tables: No additional code needed. The tracking script instruments hosted Stripe surfaces with the click token via client_reference_id.For server-created Checkout Sessions: Pass the metadata to your server:
// Read referral context captured by the tracking script
const metadata = window.AgentRef.getCheckoutMetadata();
// Send metadata to your server along with the checkout request
5

Get your API key

Go to Settings > API Keys in your AgentRef dashboard and create a new key.
  • Merchant keys start with ak_live_ and have full access to your programs, affiliates, conversions, and payouts.
  • Onboarding keys start with ak_onb_ and are limited to setup flows like program creation and Stripe connection.
Keep your API key secret. Never expose it in client-side code, public repositories, or browser requests.
6

Make your first API call

Verify everything works by fetching your program stats:
curl -X GET https://www.agentref.co/api/v1/programs \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ak_live_your_key_here"
You should see your program in the response. If you get a 401 error, double-check your API key.

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Verify your setup

After completing the steps above, confirm everything is working:
  1. Tracking script loaded. Open your website, open browser DevTools, and check the Network tab for a request to agentref.co/api/tracking/script.js. It should return 200.
  2. Cookies set. Visit your site through a test referral link (create one in the dashboard). Check DevTools > Application > Cookies for agentref_cid and agentref_pid.
  3. API responds. The API call from Step 6 returns your program data.
  4. Stripe connected. Your AgentRef dashboard shows the Stripe connection as active.
Use the verify_tracking tool via the MCP server or API to run an automated check on your tracking setup. It checks click stats, domain status, and surfaces actionable warnings.

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What’s next

Agent Setup

Connect AgentRef to Claude, Codex, Cursor, OpenClaw, or any AI assistant.

Invite Affiliates

Start recruiting affiliates to your program.

API Reference

Explore the full REST API documentation.