Implementing affiliate tracking software: a step-by-step guide for SaaS companies
May 22, 2025
Implementing affiliate tracking software is important for SaaS companies that want to increase reach and grow through partner and referral programs.
By automating the tracking of referrals, managing commissions and ensuring accurate attribution, you can just focus on scaling.
FirstPromoter is a reliable solution built for subscription-based businesses, so it’s an excellent choice for SaaS companies.
Key Takeaways
- 1Affiliate tracking helps SaaS companies grow faster through referrals and partnerships.
- 2FirstPromoter is a great tool for SaaS, with easy setup and useful features.
- 3Avoid common mistakes like missing tracking scripts.
Why you need an affiliate management tool
Running an affiliate program without a tool can get messy. It’s hard to track who referred who, manage payouts, or spot fraud. As your SaaS grows, doing this manually takes too much time and can lead to mistakes.
An affiliate tool like FirstPromoter helps by:
Tracking referrals and sales automatically
Making payouts easier
Showing which affiliates bring the most value
Protecting against fake signups and fraud
It saves you time and lets you grow your program the right way.
When should a SaaS company implement affiliate tracking?
SaaS companies should consider setting up affiliate tracking when they:
Have a stable product-market fit and are ready to scale
Want to grow through partnerships and bring in more users
Want to reward customers for bringing new users
Want to automate and track referrals and payouts the right way
Step-by-Step guide to implementing affiliate tracking with FirstPromoter
Choose the right tool
FirstPromoter is created for SaaS businesses, offering seamless integration with billing platforms like Stripe, Paddle, Recurly, Braintree, and Chargebee. Its features include customizable referral links, real-time reporting and fraud protection.
Integrate with your billing platform
Stripe integration:
Navigate to your FirstPromoter dashboard.
Go to Settings > Integrations.
Under Third-party Integrations, select Stripe and click Setup
Connect your Stripe account.
PayPal integration:
While FirstPromoter primarily integrates with billing platforms like Stripe, you can manage payouts to affiliates via PayPal. Ensure that your affiliates provide the necessary tax forms (e.g., W9/W8-BEN) if required.
Set up referral links and coupons
Create campaigns within FirstPromoter.
Generate unique referral links for each affiliate.
Assign coupon codes to affiliates, allowing them to offer discounts to their referrals
Affiliates can customize their referral links and track performance.
Test conversion tracking
Use incognito mode to test referral links and ensure that clicks are being tracked
Complete a test purchase to verify that sales are correctly attributed to the referring affiliate
Check the FirstPromoter dashboard to confirm that the referral and sale are recorded accurately
Common pitfalls to avoid
Incorrect implementation: Make sure all tracking scripts are correctly implemented on your website. Missing or incorrect scripts can lead to untracked referrals
Delayed attribution: Check that your billing platform integration is functioning correctly. Delays in data synchronization can affect commission calculations
Neglecting mobile optimization: Test referral links and tracking on mobile devices to ensure a seamless user experience across all platforms.
Overlooking fraud protection: Implement measures to detect and prevent fraudulent activities, such as self-referrals or fake sign-ups
Conclusion
Implementing affiliate tracking software like FirstPromoter can help by automating referral tracking, managing commissions, and providing valuable insights into affiliate performance.
