How to Launch a WooCommerce Refer-a-Friend Program in 7 Steps

Step 1: Define Your Incentive Structure

Before installing anything, decide what rewards will drive sharing. A refer-a-friend program needs two incentives:

• For the referrer: A 10% commission on the referred sale (scalable) or fixed store credit (ideal for high-repeat purchases).
• For the new buyer: A 10 - 15% discount on their first order, applied automatically via the referral link or coupon.

Avoid complex tiers; simplicity increases participation. For example, a $10 store credit for the referrer and a 15% discount for the friend works well for most stores.

Step 2: Install and Run the Setup Wizard

1. Install Affiliate Engine from your WordPress dashboard (Plugins → Add New).
2. Activate the plugin and launch the setup wizard. Key decisions here:
   • Registration mode: Set to manual approval to ensure only real customers join.
   • Commission type: Choose percentage (e.g., 10% of the referred order) or fixed amount (e.g., $10 per referral).
   • Affiliate area location: Enable the dashboard in WooCommerce's My Account section for easy access.

The wizard handles 80% of the configuration in under 5 minutes.

Step 3: Configure the Registration Form

Create a dedicated page (e.g., yourstore.com/refer-a-friend) with:

• A 3-sentence explanation of the program (e.g., *