> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://doc.trackrev.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Launch an affiliate programme in a day

> From zero to a live, branded programme accepting partners — a practical checklist.

You can stand up a real affiliate programme in an afternoon. This guide is the practical order of
operations. It assumes you've already [connected your revenue](/revenue-attribution/connect-stripe)
— commissions are computed from real charges, so revenue sync comes first.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Brand your affiliate pages">
    Go to **Affiliate program → Configuration → Branding** and set your **subdomain**
    (`yourbrand.trackrev.io`), **logo** and **accent colour**. For a full white-label, connect a
    [custom domain](/link-tracking/custom-domains). See
    [Partner portal & branding](/affiliate/partner-portal).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create the programme">
    **Affiliate program → Program → New campaign.** Choose cash or credit rewards, an approval mode,
    and set the commission (default 20%), recurring policy, cookie window (default 60 days) and
    minimum payout. See [Create a programme](/affiliate/create-program).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Decide recurring vs one-time">
    For subscription products, **lifetime** or **N-month** recurring commissions are the norm — they
    reward partners for customers who stay. See [Commission structures](/affiliate/commissions).
  </Step>

  <Step title="(Optional) turn on multi-tier">
    To let partners recruit partners, enable **Multi-tier commissions** and set the pool (default
    30%) and tier-1 rate (default 10%). See [Multi-tier](/affiliate/multi-tier).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Write the pitch and welcome message">
    Fill the programme **description** (shown on the signup page) and **welcome message** (greets new
    partners in their portal). These do a lot of the recruiting for you.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add an email kit">
    Create one **email kit** so partners have a ready-made, correctly-tracked email to send. See
    [Messaging & email kits](/affiliate/messaging-and-email-kits).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Recruit your first partners">
    Share your public signup link, and **invite** a handful of known partners directly. Approve
    applications as they arrive. See [Recruit & approve partners](/affiliate/recruiting).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Prepare payouts">
    Confirm your accepted [payout methods](/affiliate/payouts) and ask partners to complete their
    payout details and [tax form](/affiliate/tax-forms) before your first month-end batch.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Check>
  Your programme is live: partners can sign up, share tracked links, and earn commissions computed
  from real Stripe charges — with refunds reversing automatically.
</Check>

<Tip>
  The first week decides retention. Send a welcome, give partners their email kit, and message your
  top few directly — most programmes lose affiliates in the gap between "approved" and "first
  sale."
</Tip>