Key Concepts

Understanding the core terms and components you’ll encounter while using Affelios will help you navigate setup, reporting, and operations more confidently.

Core Terminology

Term	Definition
Affelios Identity	A unified login used by both affiliates and program operators. One identity can belong to multiple programs.
Program	A branded space managed by a business (operator). Inside a program you configure commission plans, trackers, branding, traffic sources, and payout rules.
Affiliate	A partner who joins programs, drives traffic or conversions, and earns commissions. Affiliates use tracking links, creatives, and reporting tools.
Operator (Brand)	The business or organization that creates and manages an affiliate program: defines rules, approves affiliates, issues payments, etc.

Features & Settings

Concept	Purpose / Use
Commission Plan	Defines how affiliates are rewarded. Can be CPA, revenue share, or a customized hybrid. You can assign different plans for different affiliates.
Tracking Link / Tracker	A URL that allows Affelios to attribute clicks, conversions, and traffic to affiliates. Includes parameters like clickKeys (e.g. `clickId`, `btag`).
Traffic Source	The origin of traffic: websites, social media profiles, promotional content, etc. Programs may require verification of traffic sources (DNS or meta-tag).
ClickKey	The query parameter that carries a click-identifier in affiliate tracking links. Configurable per program to match affiliate / traffic source needs.

Financial & Compliance Concepts

Term	Description
Payout Method	How affiliates receive their earnings. May include bank transfer, PayPal, cryptocurrency, etc. Affiliates can add multiple methods and set a default.
Invoice & VAT / Tax	Affelios handles automatic invoice generation and VAT calculation to ensure compliance across regions.
Clean Slate / No-Negative Carryover	A policy setting in programs that resets affiliate balances at the end of each period so negative balances don’t carry forward.

Relationships & Flows

Here’s how the pieces fit together in practice:

An operator creates a program, configures its branding, commission plans, traffic sources, etc.
An affiliate uses their Affelios Identity to join the program.
The affiliate sets up trackers and promotes via verified traffic sources.
When conversions happen, they are tracked via the tracker, attributed to the affiliate.
Earnings accumulate; at payout time the affiliate is paid via their chosen payout method. An invoice is generated, VAT/tax handled.
If “Clean Slate / No-Negative Carryover” is enabled, balances reset (negatives cleared) each period.

Getting Started Tips

When you first set up a program, decide up front on a clickKey that works for all your affiliates.
Require traffic source verification if you want to maintain data quality and reduce fraud.
Set up at least two payout methods for affiliates in case one fails or isn’t supported.
Think about whether “Clean Slate” policy suits your business model (some programs prefer to let negative balances carry over).

What’s Next

🌟 Platform benefits: Benefits - See the advantages of running your program on Affelios
⚡ Get started: Quickstart Guide - Choose your onboarding path and get up and running fast
⚙️ For operators: Setup Guide - Complete program configuration and management
👥 For affiliates: Affiliate Onboarding Guide - Join programs and start earning
🧩 Platform integrations: Shopify Integration - Connect your e-commerce platform
👩‍💻 Developer resources: Developer Overview - API documentation and integration guides

Overview

Getting Started

For Operators

For Affiliates

Data Management

Troubleshooting & FAQ

Core Terminology

Features & Settings

Financial & Compliance Concepts

Relationships & Flows

Getting Started Tips

What’s Next

​Core Terminology

​Features & Settings

​Financial & Compliance Concepts

​Relationships & Flows

​Getting Started Tips

​What’s Next

Core Terminology

Features & Settings

Financial & Compliance Concepts

Relationships & Flows

Getting Started Tips

What’s Next