These are the Ultimate Affiliate Pro requirements: a self-hosted WordPress site running WordPress 5.4 or later and PHP 7.4 or later, with WP-Cron, outgoing connections (cURL) and WordPress email working. Most WordPress hosts meet them out of the box.
Check the list below before you install Ultimate Affiliate Pro, and again when you move your site to a new host. If you are new to the plugin, start with how Ultimate Affiliate Pro works.
Minimum Ultimate Affiliate Pro requirements #
A self-hosted WordPress site. We recommend the latest WordPress version, which Ultimate Affiliate Pro is tested with before each release.
PHP 8.x is recommended for speed and security. Your host can change the PHP version from its control panel.
The MySQL or MariaDB version that your WordPress version needs. See the WordPress server requirements.
Ultimate Affiliate Pro uses scheduled tasks to update affiliate ranks, update payout statuses, send periodic reports and remove affiliates who never verified their email. If WP-Cron is turned off on your server, ask your host to run it with a real cron job.
License activation and plugin updates connect your site to ultimateaffiliate.pro, and payout modules connect to PayPal or Stripe. The PHP cURL extension must be enabled and your firewall must allow these connections.
The PHP setting allow_url_fopen must be on. If it is off, Ultimate Affiliate Pro shows a Needs Attention! notice in your admin. Your host can turn it on.
All affiliate and admin emails are sent with the WordPress wp_mail() function. If your site does not send email reliably, install an SMTP plugin.
Referrals come from an integration, such as WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, Ultimate Membership Pro or Ultimate Learning Pro. See the full list in Ultimate Affiliate Pro›Integrations.
Check your WordPress and PHP versions #
WordPress shows everything you need in Site Health.
- In your WordPress admin, go to Tools›Site Health and open the Info tab.
- Expand WordPress to see your WordPress version.
- Expand Server to see the PHP version and the cURL version. If cURL is missing, ask your host to enable it.
- Back on the Status tab, check for warnings about scheduled events or loopback requests. They point to WP-Cron problems.
The WordPress documentation explains each value in the Site Health screen.
Hosting #
Ultimate Affiliate Pro runs on any WordPress host that meets the requirements above, including shared hosting, managed WordPress hosting and your own server. Hosts that handle large stores well are a good fit, because every click and referral is saved in your database. See our recommended hosting partners.
Page caching and referral links
Ultimate Affiliate Pro records a click when a page with the referral parameter (for example ?ref=) is loaded. If your host or cache plugin serves those pages from cache, set it to skip the cache for URLs that contain the parameter, or ask your host to do it.
Where Ultimate Affiliate Pro works #
Ultimate Affiliate Pro is a WordPress plugin. It cannot be installed on sites built with other platforms.
Clicks and referrals are tracked on the WordPress site where the plugin is active, for all the integrations you use there. You can run several integrations on the same site, such as WooCommerce and a membership plugin.
To credit affiliates for sales on a second WordPress site, use the External Referral Links add-on. See External Referral Links.
Activate the plugin on one site of the network, or network-activate it from the Network Admin. Each site gets its own affiliates, referrals and settings.
Running a network of sites? See WordPress Multisite and subdomains for network activation and how each site runs its own affiliate program.
Frequently asked questions #
Is my host supported?
Yes, if it runs WordPress 5.4 or later and PHP 7.4 or later, with WP-Cron, cURL and email working. Check your versions in Tools, Site Health, Info. If something is missing, your host can usually enable it.
Will Ultimate Affiliate Pro work on non-WordPress sites?
No. It is built for WordPress and works with WordPress plugins and themes. The site where you install it must be a WordPress site.
Can I install Ultimate Affiliate Pro on a separate website?
It tracks visits and referrals only on the site where it is installed, so install it on the WordPress site that takes your orders or signups. To promote a second WordPress site, use the External Referral Links add-on.
Does it work with WordPress Multisite?
Yes. You can activate it on a single site or for the whole network. Each site keeps its own affiliate program.
Do I need WooCommerce?
No. WooCommerce is one of many integrations. Easy Digital Downloads, Ultimate Membership Pro, Ultimate Learning Pro and other membership, course, form and booking plugins work too.
