// Sets up affiliate and referral program structures with commission tiers, terms and conditions, affiliate onboarding materials, and promotional asset guidelines. Use when a user wants to launch an affiliate program, needs to recruit partners to promote their product, or wants to create a referral incentive system for existing customers.
Writes high-converting ad copy for Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn with multiple creative variations, audience targeting suggestions, and optional ad graphics via Canva. Use when a user needs paid advertising copy, wants to launch ad campaigns, or needs creative variations for A/B testing across ad platforms.
Creates detailed ad creative briefs with visual direction, copy variants, dimensions, and platform specifications. Use when producing ads for any paid media channel.
Creates ad performance reporting templates with ROAS analysis, creative insights, and optimization recommendations. Use when you need structured ad campaign reports.
Calculates ad spend budgets based on revenue goals, conversion rates, and cost-per-acquisition targets. Use when planning how much to spend on ads to hit revenue targets.
Writes affiliate recruitment emails, landing pages, and onboarding materials to attract partners. Use when building or growing an affiliate program.
Creates affiliate program terms and conditions with commission rules, prohibited methods, and termination clauses. Use when launching or documenting an affiliate program.
| name | affiliate-program |
| description | Sets up affiliate and referral program structures with commission tiers, terms and conditions, affiliate onboarding materials, and promotional asset guidelines. Use when a user wants to launch an affiliate program, needs to recruit partners to promote their product, or wants to create a referral incentive system for existing customers. |
| allowed-tools | Read Write Glob |
| metadata | {"author":"matthewhitcham","version":"1.0"} |
Use this skill when:
DO NOT use for joint venture legal agreements, joining other people's affiliate programs, MLM structures, or internal employee commission plans.
EVERY AFFILIATE PROGRAM MUST PAY ENOUGH TO MOTIVATE PROMOTION BUT NEVER ENOUGH TO MAKE THE PRODUCT UNPROFITABLE -- THE COMMISSION STRUCTURE IS THE FOUNDATION, AND EVERY OTHER DECISION FLOWS FROM IT.
No brief, no program. Ask these questions in two groups, waiting for answers between each.
Group 1 -- Product and Economics (ask all at once):
Group 2 -- Program Goals (ask after Group 1): 5. Primary goal: revenue growth, brand awareness, or audience reach? 6. Who are your ideal affiliates? (influencers, bloggers, existing customers, industry partners) 7. What platform will you manage the program on? (ThriveCart, Gumroad, Rewardful, PartnerStack, manual) 8. Are affiliates bringing their own audience, or promoting to yours?
GATE: Do not proceed to Phase 2 until you have answers to at least questions 1, 2, 3, and 6. Default to ThriveCart (digital) or Rewardful (SaaS) and revenue growth if skipped.
| Type | Best For | Commission Model |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Affiliate | Courses, digital products, SaaS | Commission per sale |
| Referral Program | E-commerce, services, subscriptions | Reward for referrer + referred |
| Ambassador Program | Brands, coaching, communities | Ongoing commission + perks |
| Joint Venture | High-ticket courses, events | Revenue share (40-50%) |
Recommend one type. Do not present all four as equal options:
| Product Type | Default Rate | Model |
|---|---|---|
| Digital course ($100-997) | 30% per sale | One-time |
| Digital course ($1000+) | 20% per sale | One-time |
| SaaS/subscription | 20% recurring for 12 months | Recurring |
| Physical product ($35-100) | 15% per sale | One-time |
| Physical product ($100+) | 10% per sale | One-time |
| Service/coaching ($500+) | 15-20% per sale | One-time |
| Low-ticket digital ($10-99) | 40-50% per sale | One-time |
Tiered commissions (recommend for Ambassador programs): Base (0-10 sales/month): 25%, Silver (11-25): 30%, Gold (26+): 35%. Resets monthly.
CRITICAL: Run a profitability check before finalizing:
Sale price: $497
Commission (30%): -$149.10
Platform fees (~3%): -$14.91
Fulfillment cost: -$50.00
--------
Net per affiliate sale: $283.00
If net per affiliate sale drops below 20% of the sale price, reduce the commission rate.
| Product Type | Default Cookie |
|---|---|
| Impulse buy (under $50) | 30 days |
| Considered purchase ($50-500) | 60 days |
| High-ticket ($500+) | 90 days |
| SaaS/subscription | 90 days |
Default: $50 minimum payout, monthly (by the 15th), PayPal or bank transfer. Commissions on refunded sales are clawed back. Commissions held 30 days past the refund period before release.
Generate a terms document covering these 6 sections:
| Platform | Method |
|---|---|
| ThriveCart | Built-in affiliate center, auto-generated unique links |
| Gumroad | Unique discount codes per affiliate |
| Rewardful | Stripe-integrated referral links, auto-tracks recurring |
| PartnerStack | Full dashboard, auto-payouts |
| Manual | UTM parameters + spreadsheet |
GATE: Present the complete structure to the user. Do not proceed until they approve.
Sent immediately after approval. Must include: welcome (1-2 sentences), their unique link/code, commission rate and cookie duration, link to affiliate guide, link to promo assets, contact for questions, single CTA.
Example -- online course:
Subject: Welcome to the Freelance Mastery Affiliate Program
Hi Alex,
Welcome aboard -- you are officially a Freelance Mastery affiliate.
YOUR DETAILS:
Affiliate link: https://freelancemastery.com/?ref=alex-chen
Commission: 30% per sale ($149.10 per enrollment)
Cookie duration: 60 days
RESOURCES:
Affiliate Guide: [link] | Promotional Assets: [link]
Questions? Reply to this email -- I respond within 24 hours.
Start sharing your link today. Every enrollment earns you $149.10.
-- Jamie, Freelance Mastery
Example -- e-commerce referral:
Subject: You are in! Welcome to the Glow Lab Referral Program
Hi Priya,
Thanks for joining. Your friends save 15%, you earn $10 credit.
YOUR DETAILS:
Referral code: PRIYA15 (15% off for friends)
Your reward: $10 store credit per referral
Cookie: 30 days
RESOURCES:
Referral Guide: [link] | Share Graphics: [link]
Share your code on Instagram, in stories, or text it to friends.
-- The Glow Lab Team
Structure the guide with these sections:
Create all copy tailored to the user's specific product. Every piece must include FTC disclosure language.
3 email templates:
3 social posts:
2 story/reel scripts:
CRITICAL: Replace all bracket placeholders with the user's actual product details. Affiliates copy-paste exactly what you give them.
Tell the user what visual assets to prepare for affiliates: primary logo (PNG, transparent, 500px+), logo on white and dark backgrounds, hero product image (1200x1200), lifestyle image (1200x800), product mockup, Instagram banner (1080x1080), Facebook banner (1200x630), email banner (600x200), product thumbnail (300x300). All in a shared folder. No editable source files.
9 questions: name/email, website/social URL, platforms used, audience size, audience description, prior product experience, promotion plan, competing affiliates, motivation. Skip for open referral programs -- auto-enroll customers.
GATE: Present all materials for approval. Do not proceed until confirmed.
Write all components to this structure:
affiliate-program/
program-overview.md
terms-and-conditions.md
affiliate-guide.md
swipe-copy/
email-templates.md
social-posts.md
story-scripts.md
affiliate-welcome-email.md
application-form.md (curated programs only)
launch-checklist.md
Setup (Before Recruiting):
Recruitment (Week 1-2):
Ongoing:
Confirm delivery: "Your affiliate program has been saved to [path]. Here is what was created: [list files]. To launch: configure your platform with the commission structure, publish terms, and start recruiting."
User: "I sell a $497 course called Freelance Mastery. I want affiliates targeting coaches and educators. 85% margins. ThriveCart."
Phase 1: Standard Affiliate program (digital course + influencer targets). Phase 2: 30% commission ($149.10/sale), 60-day cookie, monthly payouts at $50 minimum. Profitability: $497 - $149.10 (commission) - $14.91 (fees) - $74.55 (fulfillment) = $258.44 net (52%) -- healthy. Phase 3: Welcome email with ThriveCart link, affiliate guide for educator audience, 8 swipe pieces focused on freelancer transformation, asset checklist with course mockup specs, 9-question application form. Phase 4: 8 files to affiliate-program/.
User: "I run Glow Lab ($35-65 products). I want existing customers to refer friends. 3,000 customers. Shopify."
Phase 1: Referral Program (low price + existing customers). Phase 2: $10 store credit per referral, 15% off for referred friend, unique codes (PRIYA15), 30-day cookie. Profitability on $50 avg: $50 - $7.50 (discount) - $10 (credit) - $22.50 (COGS) = $10 net (20%) -- acceptable given 3x LTV of referred customers. Phase 3: Auto-enrollment welcome email, simplified referral guide, 8 swipe pieces framed as sharing products they love, asset checklist with product photos. No application form. Phase 4: 7 files.