Affiliate ID

What is an affiliate ID?

An affiliate ID is a unique identifier assigned to an affiliate when they join an affiliate program. It allows the affiliate software or network to distinguish one partner from another and helps ensure that referrals, sales, and commissions are attributed to the correct affiliate.

An affiliate ID may appear inside a referral link, coupon code, tracking URL, or affiliate dashboard. However, an affiliate ID is not always the same thing as the tracking value that appears in a public referral link.

In LeadDyno, affiliates have internal IDs associated with their affiliate records. These IDs are useful for organizing affiliate data, reporting, API activity, and making sure each affiliate account is uniquely identified inside the system.

The affiliate ID is the core mechanism for tracking and attribution. It ensures that clicks, leads, and sales are accurately credited to the correct affiliate, guaranteeing they receive their earned commissions.

How an affiliate ID works

When someone joins an affiliate program, the affiliate platform creates a unique record for that partner. That record includes identifying information such as their name, email, commission group, payment details, affiliate code, and internal affiliate ID.

From there, the platform can connect affiliate activity back to the correct record. For example:

1. Sarah joins an affiliate program
2. LeadDyno creates an affiliate record for Sarah
3. That record has an internal affiliate ID
4. Sarah also has an affiliate code used in her referral link
5. A customer clicks Sarah’s referral link
6. LeadDyno uses the tracking code to associate the visit with Sarah
7. If the customer buys, the commission is credited to Sarah’s affiliate record

Affiliate IDs help keep affiliate accounts organized and accurate inside the platform. Affiliate codes help track referrals from public-facing links. Together, they support accurate attribution, reporting, and commission payments.

Affiliate ID vs. affiliate code

‍Affiliate IDs and affiliate codes are closely related, but they are not always the same.

An affiliate ID is the internal identifier for the affiliate record in the system. It helps the platform manage and distinguish affiliates behind the scenes.

An affiliate code is the tracking code used in the affiliate’s referral link. Depending on the setup, the affiliate code may also be customized by the merchant or affiliate, if permitted.

For example:

• Affiliate ID: the internal affiliate record ID in LeadDyno
• Affiliate code: m1 or sarah10 in yourstore.com/?afmc=sarah10

So while both help identify an affiliate, the affiliate ID is more system-facing, while the affiliate code is more referral-link-facing.