Commission-only affiliate software for Shopify

Attribloom is commission-only affiliate software for Shopify with native, server-side paid-order attribution. Start with affiliate discount codes: this released path needs no storefront code or theme edit. Link attribution is an optional second path for more reach, and it requires a small theme change. There is no base fee, and the connector does not rely on a browser pixel to confirm the order.

Path 1 (no code): affiliate discount codes

Connect the store, approve an affiliate, then copy the affiliate's referral code from their detail page. Create a Shopify discount with that exact code and give it to the affiliate. No storefront or theme.liquid change is required. When the code is used at checkout, Shopify includes it in the paid order and Attribloom matches it to the affiliate.

Attribloom calls this a validated discount code: a Shopify checkout code that exactly matches an affiliate referral code already recorded in Attribloom. Commission uses the post-discount merchandise subtotal, excluding tax and shipping.

Path 2 (optional, more reach): link attribution

Use link attribution when you want to credit a visit without requiring the shopper to enter a discount code. This needs a developer or an AI assistant because your storefront must read ?ref=<affiliate referral code> and save it on the cart. The exact theme.liquid change is below.

Connect Shopify

1. 1

   Connect your store

   Enter the canonical lowercase .myshopify.com address, meaning Shopify's official permanent store address written in lowercase. Complete Shopify OAuth, the permission screen where you authorize Attribloom to read the store events it needs.

2. 2

   Start with the no-code path

   Create a Shopify discount whose code exactly matches the referral code shown on the affiliate's Attribloom detail page. No storefront change is needed.

3. 3

   Optionally add link attribution

   Have a developer or AI assistant add the recipe below so a custom landing URL with ?ref= can preserve the referral on the cart.

4. 4

   Shopify reports paid orders

   Shopify sends HMAC-signed ORDERS_PAID and REFUNDS_CREATE webhooks. These are paid-order and refund notifications with a cryptographic signature that lets Attribloom reject tampered messages.

5. 5

   Refunds reconcile automatically

   Full and partial refunds reverse the matching commission on the same double-entry ledger, a balanced accounting record where each money movement has an equal opposite entry.

What it does not do

Attribloom is not a Shopify App Store listing or a human-affiliate marketplace. It does not recruit partners or publish their content. Merchants connect their store, approve their own affiliates, and give those affiliates links or codes to promote.

Exact theme change for optional link attribution

This step needs a developer or an AI assistant. Add the snippet below to theme.liquid, Shopify's main theme layout file, before </body>. It reads ?ref= and writes a Cart AJAX attribute, extra cart metadata set through Shopify's cart API. Shopify later copies that value to a note attribute, an extra key-value field saved on the order. The Attribloom /r/<code> redirect does not add ?ref=, so use a landing URL that already contains it.

{% comment %}Place before </body> in theme.liquid.{% endcomment %}
<script>
  (() => {
    const ref = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search).get("ref");
    if (!ref || !/^[A-Za-z0-9_-]{1,128}$/.test(ref)) return;
    fetch(window.Shopify.routes.root + "cart/update.js", {
      method: "POST",
      headers: { "content-type": "application/json" },
      body: JSON.stringify({ attributes: { ref } }),
      credentials: "same-origin",
    }).catch(() => {});
  })();
</script>

Verify a paid test order

1. 1

   Confirm the connected store

   Use the canonical lowercase .myshopify.com address, Shopify's official permanent store address in lowercase, and approve the OAuth permission screen.

2. 2

   Choose one attribution signal

   Use the affiliate's validated Shopify discount code, or open a storefront URL with ?ref=<affiliate referral code> and confirm the cart has an attribute named ref.

3. 3

   Place a paid test order

   Use Shopify's test payment configuration and complete the order until Shopify emits orders/paid. An unpaid draft does not exercise the released paid-order handler.

4. 4

   Observe attribution

   Confirm the Conversions page shows the order for the expected affiliate. The commission base is the post-discount merchandise subtotal, excluding tax and shipping.

5. 5

   Refund and close the loop

   Create a full or partial line-item refund, then confirm the corresponding share of commission is clawed back.

Primary Shopify sources

Shopify documents app webhooks and the Cart Ajax API, including cart attributes. Sources checked 2026-07-14.