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Attribution, worked through

Practical explainers on attributing the conversions that matter, from App Store subscriptions to Shopify checkouts, and the pricing model behind commission-only.

App Store attribution

How to attribute App Store subscriptions to an affiliate

Tie an iOS subscription back to the affiliate who drove it using StoreKit 2 and App Store Server Notifications, with no receipt-validation SDK.

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App Store attribution

Why iOS affiliate installs are invisible to web attribution tools

Web affiliate tools rely on cookies and pixels at checkout. App Store purchases happen inside Apple's system, so those signals never fire.

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Shopify attribution

How to attribute Shopify sales to affiliates without third-party cookies

Key attribution to the affiliate link and confirm the order from Shopify's server-side webhooks, so it does not depend on third-party cookies.

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Pricing models

Commission-only vs revenue-share affiliate programs

Both pay on results, but commission-only means no fixed fee at all, so cost tracks revenue instead of a subscription plus a share.

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App Store attribution

How to validate App Store attribution before release

Validate the iOS attribution pipeline in sandbox before release, then confirm a real production purchase after the instrumented build is live.

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Payouts

How commission holds and clawbacks protect an affiliate program

Refunds and chargebacks are normal. Holds and clawbacks are what stop them from turning into money you paid out and cannot get back.

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iOS program launch

How to start an affiliate program for an iOS app

Start with a commission-only offer, then connect each referred account to StoreKit 2 so subscriptions and refunds can be attributed server-side.

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Shopify program launch

How to launch a Shopify affiliate program

Launch with commission-only software, a precise offer, and native paid-order attribution that reconciles refunds before payout.

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Program economics

Affiliate commission rates: 2026 benchmarks by industry and how to set yours

Commonly reported commission ranges by category, the models to choose from, and a margin-first method to set a rate you can actually afford. Includes iOS app subscription rates most guides omit.

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Program policy

Affiliate program agreement template (2026): full contract and clause guide

A complete, copy-and-adapt affiliate agreement with every standard clause, plus a clause-by-clause guide, commission and cookie benchmarks, FTC and AI-content rules, and a compliance checklist. Educational, not legal advice.

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Creator strategy

AI UGC vs human creators for affiliate marketing

Use AI UGC for controlled creative variants and human creators for lived experience and audience trust. Attribloom generates; you review and post.

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Custom attribution

How signed conversion postbacks and refunds work

Sign the exact request bytes, reuse a stable external conversion ID, and send refunds to the refund endpoint so commission reverses idempotently.

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App Store attribution

How to attribute App Store subscription renewals to an affiliate

Map the first paid transaction, every renewal, refunds, and cancellations to a single commission state using an appAccountToken and App Store Server Notifications v2.

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App Store attribution

RevenueCat affiliate attribution for iOS subscriptions: a server-side pattern

A server-side attribution layer can credit affiliates for RevenueCat-powered subscriptions while RevenueCat stays the source of truth for entitlements.

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App Store attribution

Affiliate-aware paywalls on iOS: pass referral context without fingerprinting

Show referred users the right offer and still attribute the sale deterministically, using an Apple-issued token and Apple-approved offer codes rather than device fingerprinting.

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App Store attribution

iOS affiliate tracking without an SDK: StoreKit 2, appAccountToken, and server notifications

Attribute iOS subscriptions to affiliates deterministically using only Apple APIs, with no third-party receipt SDK and no device fingerprinting.

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App Store attribution

SKAdNetwork vs affiliate attribution for iOS subscriptions

SKAdNetwork measures ad campaigns in aggregate. Affiliate attribution credits a specific partner for a specific subscription. Neither one replaces the other.

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Shopify attribution

How to run a Shopify affiliate program without editing your theme

Start with affiliate discount codes and native paid-order webhooks. No theme.liquid change is needed until you want link attribution.

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Shopify attribution

Shopify affiliate link tracking with cart attributes: a theme.liquid recipe

Read a ?ref parameter, save it as a Cart AJAX attribute, and let Shopify preserve it to the order so link visits attribute without a discount code.

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Compliance

FTC affiliate disclosure: the complete 2026 guide (rules, examples, placement)

What the FTC requires, the exact sentences you can use, where to put a disclosure on each platform, the penalty for getting it wrong, and the rules for AI and synthetic endorsers. Educational, not legal advice.

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Attribution concepts

What is deferred deep linking? A plain-English guide for attribution

Deferred deep linking sends a new user to a specific place inside an app even when the app is not installed yet, and preserves who referred them. Here is how it works and why it matters for attribution.

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