LifterLMS affiliate tracking pays your affiliates when a visitor they referred buys a course with LifterLMS. Ultimate Affiliate Pro records the referral when the order is created and approves it when the order is completed.
The visitor is linked to the affiliate through an affiliate referral link. The commission comes from the affiliate’s rank, and you can set a different rate for any course. LifterLMS coupons can be linked to an affiliate too.
Before you start
- LifterLMS is installed and active, and you sell courses with the LifterLMS checkout.
- The LifterLMS Tracking add-on is installed and active. See Pro Add-ons.
- Your affiliates have a rank with a commission rate.
How the commission is calculated #
The commission is the affiliate’s rank rate applied to the order total. A course rate, a Product Rate or an affiliate coupon can change it, as explained below.
- Order amount
- $149.00
- Affiliate rank
- Standard, 20%
- Referral
- $29.80
Turn on the LifterLMS affiliate integration #
Go to Ultimate Affiliate Pro›Integrations and find the LifterLMS card in the LMS / Online Courses group.
Turns LifterLMS tracking on. The card shows Enabled while it is on.
Default: Off
Opens the LifterLMS Tracking settings.
Set the source name #
Click Configure on the card. The settings screen explains the add-on, then shows its options.
The name of the referral source shown in the Referrals list and in the affiliate’s Affiliate Portal. Change it if you want affiliates to see, for example, “Online Courses”.
Default: LifterLMS
Click Save Changes.
Set a commission rate for a course #
Edit the course in LifterLMS and find the Affiliate Rate section in the course options. It has three fields:
How the course commission is calculated.
- Flat: a fixed amount for each sale of this course, in your affiliate currency.
- Percentage (%): a percentage of the order amount.
- Default Affiliate system Settings: no course rate; the affiliate’s rank rate and your Product Rates apply.
The flat amount or the percentage, depending on the type you chose.
Stops this course from generating referrals. It takes precedence over every other rate, so use it for free or internal courses.
Ultimate Affiliate Pro compares the course rate with the rank rate and any Product Rate, and uses the biggest amount. To use the lowest amount instead, change Which Rate should be used? in Ultimate Affiliate Pro›Settings›General Settings.
Manage all course rates in one place
You can also set course rates in Ultimate Affiliate Pro›Product Rates: choose Lifter LMS as the source and search for the course. See Commission rates per product.
Link a coupon to an affiliate #
Affiliates can also promote a LifterLMS coupon. Edit the coupon in LifterLMS and fill in the Affiliate Program – Static Coupon section:
The username or email of the affiliate who earns the commission when the coupon is used.
Flat or Percentage, for the commission paid on orders with this coupon.
Default: Flat
The flat amount or the percentage.
Keep it checked to track the coupon. Uncheck it to pause tracking.
Default: Checked
A referral link opened before the purchase takes priority over the coupon. Read more in Affiliate coupon tracking.
Add an affiliate tab to the LifterLMS Student Dashboard #
Students who are also affiliates can open their Affiliate Portal from the LifterLMS Student Dashboard, without visiting a separate page. On the same settings screen, scroll to the LifterLMS Student Profile box.
Adds a new tab to the LifterLMS Student Dashboard menu of every student.
Default: Off
The tab title students see.
Default: Affiliate Dashboard
The position of the tab among the other Student Dashboard tabs. Lower numbers appear first.
Default: 5
What affiliates see when they open the tab.
- Show Affiliate Portal: the Affiliate Portal opens inside the tab, so the student stays in LifterLMS.
- Redirect to Affiliate Portal Page: the tab links to your Affiliate Portal page.
Default: Show Affiliate Portal
Shows the tab to students who are not affiliates yet, with the custom content below instead of the Affiliate Portal.
Default: On
A short message for students who are not affiliates. The default text invites them to join and includes the [uap-user-become-affiliate] shortcode, which shows a button that makes the student an affiliate.
Click Save Changes.
Check the referrals #
Go to Ultimate Affiliate Pro›Referrals. LifterLMS referrals show the order number in the Reference column.
The Source Custom Name, LifterLMS by default.
The LifterLMS order number. The description shows the order amount.
The commission for the course sale.
Follows the order status, as shown in the table below.
| Course order | Referral status |
|---|---|
| New order | Pending |
| Order completed | Approved |
If Keep Referral Status as Pending is on in Ultimate Affiliate Pro›Settings›Admin Workflow, automatic approval is turned off, and you approve referrals yourself.
Test it #
- Open a private browser window and visit your site through an affiliate link, for example
yourstore.com/?ref=emma.collins. - In the same window, buy a course with the LifterLMS checkout, logged in as a student who is not the affiliate.
- In Ultimate Affiliate Pro›Referrals, check that a new LifterLMS referral was created for the affiliate.
- Complete the order in LifterLMS and check that the referral changes to Approved.
See Test your affiliate program for a complete test routine. The LifterLMS documentation explains how to set up course sales.
Frequently asked questions #
Can I pay a different commission for each LifterLMS course?
Yes. Set a Referral Rate Type and a Referral Rate in the Affiliate Rate section of the course, or add a Product Rate for the course. The biggest amount is used by default.
Can affiliates promote a LifterLMS coupon instead of a link?
Yes. Edit the coupon in LifterLMS, enter the affiliate in Target Affiliate Username and check Status. Every completed order with that coupon pays the affiliate, even without a referral link.
How do I reject a referral after a refund?
Go to Ultimate Affiliate Pro›Referrals and use Mark as Rejected on the referral. Rejected referrals are not paid.
How do I stop a course from paying commissions?
Check Disable Referrals in the Affiliate Rate section of the course. It overrides every other rate.
Can students see their affiliate account in the LifterLMS dashboard?
Yes. Turn on Activate/Hold Affiliate Section in the LifterLMS Student Profile box, and a new tab appears in the Student Dashboard.
