{"id":33927,"date":"2026-10-29T14:25:54","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T08:25:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wcaffiliate.com\/blog\/?p=33927"},"modified":"2026-10-29T14:25:57","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T08:25:57","slug":"set-up-a-referral-program-in-woocommerce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wcaffiliate.com\/blog\/set-up-a-referral-program-in-woocommerce\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Set Up a Referral Program in WooCommerce(2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Your best customers already tell their friends about your store. A referral program gives that habit a link, a reward, and a way to track the sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This guide shows you how to set up a referral program in WooCommerce from start to finish. You’ll choose a reward, decide who can refer, share links, and confirm that every sale is tracked. The steps use WC Affiliate, but the planning sections apply to any plugin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is a WooCommerce Referral Program?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"What<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A WooCommerce referral program rewards people for bringing new customers to your online store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Participants receive unique referral links or codes they can share with others. When someone makes a qualifying purchase through one of those referrals, the participant earns a reward based on your program rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, imagine you sell WordPress themes for $100.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You offer a 10% referral commission. A customer shares their referral link with a friend, who purchases a theme using that link.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The referrer earns $10, assuming the full $100 qualifies for commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of paying for clicks that may never become customers, you’re rewarding a completed sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Referral Program vs Affiliate Program: Which Do You Need?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

People trust people. In Nielsen’s 2021 trust study, 89% of people<\/strong><\/a> said they most trust recommendations from people they know. That’s why referrals convert well. The real question is who you want doing the recommending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A referral program usually targets your existing customers. An affiliate program is open to anyone, including bloggers, YouTubers, and newsletter writers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/td>Referral program<\/strong><\/td>Affiliate program<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Who refers<\/td>Existing customers<\/td>Anyone you approve<\/td><\/tr>
Typical reward<\/td>Discount, store credit, or points<\/td>Cash commission<\/td><\/tr>
Main goal<\/td>Repeat sales and word of mouth<\/td>New audiences and reach<\/td><\/tr>
Tracking<\/td>Personal link or code<\/td>Referral link, coupon, or shortlink<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The line blurs fast. A customer who earns a 10% commission for every friend they bring is, technically, an affiliate. WC Affiliate treats both the same way, so one plugin can run a customer program and a creator program side by side. You can also promote existing WordPress users to affiliates without creating new accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want the wider picture, our WooCommerce affiliate marketing guide<\/a><\/strong> covers the affiliate side in depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before You Start: Decide Four Things<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A few choices shape everything else. Settle them first and the setup itself is quick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. Who can refer?<\/strong> You can limit the program to customers or open it to anyone. A customers-only program is small and low-risk. Opening it to creators brings more reach, but you’ll want to approve each applicant. If that’s your plan, here’s how to get more affiliates for your WooCommerce store<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. What does the referrer earn?<\/strong> The usual options are a cash commission, store credit, or a discount on their next order. WC Affiliate pays commissions, either a fixed amount or a percentage of the sale. If you’d rather give points or store credit, a loyalty plugin is a more direct fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. What does the friend get?<\/strong> A reward for the friend gives them a reason to click. In WC Affiliate Pro, the Referral Discounts feature lets affiliates offer a discount on their links. In the free version, you can run a regular WooCommerce coupon for new customers instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. How long does a referral last?<\/strong> When someone clicks a referral link, a cookie remembers who sent them. The cookie duration sets how long that credit lasts. A 30-day window is a reasonable start for low-priced items. Use a longer one for products people think about before buying.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

How to Set Up a Referral Program in WooCommerce<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You can build a working referral program in six steps using WC Affiliate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The process starts with installing the plugin and ends with tracking successful referrals and paying your participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 1: Install and Activate WC Affiliate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First, install WC Affiliate on your WordPress website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard. Navigate to Plugins \u2192 Add New Plugin<\/strong>. Then, Search for WC Affiliate<\/strong>. Click Install Now<\/strong>, then Activate<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"wc-affiliate-install-screenshot\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Open WC Affiliate from your WordPress dashboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After activation, WC Affiliate provides a setup wizard to help configure your program. You can follow the wizard immediately or return to it through WC Affiliate \u2192 Setup Wizard<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"WC<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The wizard allows you to create an affiliate dashboard, configure commissions, set referral tracking duration, and manage email notifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a complete walkthrough, follow the WC Affiliate setup wizard guide<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 2: Configure Your Referral Program Settings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Next, decide how people can join your referral program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Go to: WordPress Dashboard \u2192 WC Affiliate \u2192 Settings \u2192 Basic Settings<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Basic<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the General section, configure the pages participants will use to register, log in, and access their dashboards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pay particular attention to these settings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n