Post Affiliate Pro - July´s improvements and bug fixes
Summer is in full swing, so we are bringing you some fresh improvements and bug fixes to improve your Post Affiliate Pro experience.
3 min read
AffiliateMarketing
SoftwareUpdate
+3
Available in:
Post Affiliate Pro , Post Affiliate Pro Ultimate , Post Affiliate Network
Overview
Post Affiliate Pro includes a comprehensive email notification system that keeps both merchants and affiliates informed about important events in your affiliate program. All email templates are fully customizable and support dynamic variables for personalized communication.
The email system covers:
- Automated notifications triggered by specific events (new sale, signup, payout, etc.)
- Customizable templates with HTML support and dynamic variables
- Mass email functionality for bulk communication
- Scheduled reports sent daily, weekly, or monthly
- Separate merchant and affiliate notifications with independent controls
Merchant Notifications
Merchants receive notifications about affiliate program activity. These can be enabled or disabled in Configuration > Email notifications.
Available Merchant Notifications
| Notification | Description | Template Name |
|---|---|---|
| New User Signup | Sent when a new affiliate registers | Merchant - New User Signup |
| New Sale/Lead | Sent when a new transaction is tracked | Merchant - New Sale / Lead |
| New Direct Link Request | Sent when an affiliate requests a direct link | Merchant - New DirectLink Notification |
| Affiliate Joined Campaign | Sent when an affiliate requests to join a private campaign | Merchant - New affiliate joined campaign |
| Commission Approved | Sent when a commission is manually approved | Merchant - On Commission Approved |
| Payout Details Changed | Sent when an affiliate updates their payout information | Merchant - On Change Payout Details |
| New IP Login | Sent when login occurs from a new IP address | Merchant - New IP Login |
| Affiliate Accepted Terms | Sent when an affiliate accepts terms and conditions | Merchant - Affiliate Accepted Terms |
| Affiliate Stopped | Sent when an affiliate stops their own account | Merchant - Affiliate Stopped |
| Transaction Deleted | Sent when a transaction is deleted | Merchant - Transaction Deleted |
| Payment Request | Sent when an affiliate requests a payout | Merchant - Payment request |
Merchant Report Notifications
Merchants can receive automated periodic reports with statistics:
| Report | Description |
|---|---|
| Daily Report | Summary of the previous day’s activity |
| Weekly Report | Summary of the previous week (configurable start day) |
| Monthly Report | Summary of the previous month |
Reports include statistics like impressions, clicks, sales, commissions, and affiliate signups.
Pay Day Reminder
A special notification that reminds merchants when it’s time to pay affiliates:
- Configurable day of month
- Configurable recurrence (every month, every 2 months, etc.)
- Includes list of affiliates ready for payment
Merchant Notification Settings
Notification Email: Set a specific email address to receive all merchant notifications, or leave empty to use the default account email.
Disable Zero Commission Notifications: Option to skip notifications for sales with zero commission value.
Notification Status Filter: Choose which transaction statuses trigger notifications (pending, approved, or all).
Affiliate Notifications
Affiliates receive notifications about their account and earnings. These can be configured globally by merchants and individually by affiliates in their profile.
Available Affiliate Notifications
| Notification | Description | Template Name |
|---|---|---|
| Signup Approved | Welcome email when affiliate account is approved | Affiliate - New User Signup Approved |
| Signup Before Approval | Confirmation when signup requires approval | Affiliate - New User Signup Before Approval |
| Signup Declined | Notification when signup is declined | Affiliate - New User Signup Declined |
| New Sale/Lead | Sent when affiliate earns a commission | Affiliate - New Sale / Lead |
| Commission Status Changed | Sent when commission status changes (approved/declined) | Affiliate - On change Sale / Lead status |
| Refund/Chargeback | Sent when a commission is refunded | Affiliate - New refund/chargeback |
| Status Changed | Sent when affiliate account status changes | Affiliate - On change affiliate status |
| Payout Processed | Sent when a payout is completed | Affiliate - On payout |
| Minimum Payout Reached | Sent when affiliate reaches minimum payout threshold | Affiliate - On minimum payout reached |
| Sub-affiliate Signup | Sent when a referred affiliate signs up | Affiliate - New Subaffiliate signup |
| Sub-affiliate Sale | Sent when a referred affiliate makes a sale | Affiliate - New Subaffiliate Sale / Lead |
| Direct Link Notification | Sent when direct link status changes | Affiliate - DirectLink Notification |
| Channel Created/Changed | Sent when tracking channel is created or modified | Affiliate - Channel Created/Changed |
| Inactivity Warning | Sent before account is deactivated for inactivity | Affiliate - Inactivity warning |
| Campaign Invite | Sent when affiliate is invited to a campaign | Affiliate - Invite affiliate to campaign |
| Campaign Approved/Declined | Sent when campaign membership status changes | Affiliate - Campaign status changed |
Affiliate Report Notifications
Affiliates can opt in to receive periodic performance reports:
| Report | Description |
|---|---|
| Daily Report | Daily performance summary |
| Weekly Report | Weekly performance summary |
| Monthly Report | Monthly performance summary |
Template Customization
All email templates can be customized in Configuration > Email templates.
Editing Templates
- Navigate to Configuration > Email templates
- Find the template you want to edit
- Click to open the template editor
- Modify the subject line and body
- Use the variable selector to insert dynamic content
- Preview the email to verify formatting
- Save your changes
HTML Support
All templates support HTML formatting, allowing you to:
- Create branded email designs
- Include images and logos
- Use custom fonts and colors
- Add buttons and links
- Structure content with tables
Plain Text Fallback
Each template includes both HTML and plain text versions. The plain text version is automatically used for email clients that don’t support HTML.
Template Variables
Template variables are placeholders that get replaced with actual data when the email is sent. They use the syntax {$variablename}.
Common Variables
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
{$date} | Current date |
{$time} | Current time |
{$affiliateLoginUrl} | URL to affiliate login page |
{$affiliateLoginLink} | HTML link to affiliate login |
{$merchantLoginUrl} | URL to merchant login page |
{$defaultCurrency} | Default currency symbol |
{$unsubscribeLink} | Link to unsubscribe from notifications |
Affiliate Variables
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
{$userid} | Affiliate ID |
{$firstname} | Affiliate first name |
{$lastname} | Affiliate last name |
{$username} | Affiliate username (email) |
{$password} | Affiliate password (only in signup emails) |
{$parentuserid} | Parent affiliate ID |
{$parent_firstname} | Parent affiliate first name |
{$parent_lastname} | Parent affiliate last name |
| Custom fields | All custom affiliate fields are available |
Transaction Variables
Available in sale/commission-related notifications:
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
{$commission} | Commission amount |
{$totalcost} | Total order value |
{$orderid} | Order ID |
{$productid} | Product ID |
{$status} | Transaction status |
{$type} | Transaction type |
{$campaignname} | Campaign name |
{$actionname} | Action type name |
{$tier} | Commission tier level |
{$firstclicktime} | First click timestamp |
{$lastclicktime} | Last click timestamp |
{$data1} through {$data5} | Custom data fields |
Statistics Variables
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
{$impressions->count->all} | Total impressions |
{$clicks->count->all} | Total clicks |
{$clicks->count->unique} | Unique clicks |
{$sales->count->all} | Total sales count |
{$sales->count->approved} | Approved sales count |
{$sales->commission->all|currency} | Total sales commission |
{$transactions->commission->approved|currency} | Approved commission total |
{$transactions->commission->pending|currency} | Pending commission total |
{$refunds->count->all} | Total refunds count |
{$actions->count->all} | Total actions count |
{$recurring->count->all} | Recurring commission count |
{$affiliates->count->all} | New affiliate signups |
Payout Variables
Available in payout notifications:
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
{$payment} | Paid amount |
{$payoutcurrency} | Payment currency |
{$payoutmethod} | Payout method name |
{$invoicenumber} | Invoice number |
{$affiliatenote} | Note from affiliate |
{$dateFrom} | Payout period start date |
{$dateTo} | Payout period end date |
{$commissionsList->list} | List of paid commissions |
Action Links
Merchant notifications include one-click action links:
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
{$new_user_signup_approve_link} | Approve new affiliate link |
{$new_user_signup_decline_link} | Decline new affiliate link |
{$sale_approve_link} | Approve transaction link |
{$sale_decline_link} | Decline transaction link |
{$affiliate_join_campaign_approve_link} | Approve campaign membership |
{$affiliate_join_campaign_decline_link} | Decline campaign membership |
Previous Period Variables
Report templates include comparison variables for the previous period:
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
{$salesPrevious->count->all} | Previous period sales count |
{$clicksPrevious->count->all} | Previous period clicks |
{$transactionsPrevious->commission->approved|currency} | Previous period commissions |
Mass Email Feature
Send bulk emails to affiliates directly from Post Affiliate Pro.
Accessing Mass Email
Navigate to Tools > Mass mail or Affiliates > Send mail.
Recipient Selection
Choose your recipients:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| All affiliates | Send to every affiliate in the system |
| Filtered affiliates | Use saved filters to target specific groups |
| Custom emails | Enter specific email addresses |
| Merchants | Send to merchant accounts (admin only) |
Creating a Mass Email
- Subject: Enter your email subject line
- Body: Compose your message using the rich text editor
- Variables: Insert dynamic variables for personalization
- Attachments: Upload files to include with the email
- Preview: View how the email will appear
- Send: Start the sending process
Processing
Mass emails are processed as a background task:
- Emails are queued and sent gradually to prevent server overload
- Progress is tracked and can be monitored
- Sending can be cancelled if needed
- Email rate limiting prevents spam triggers
Affiliate Broadcast
Affiliates can also send broadcast emails to their sub-affiliates (if enabled):
- Available in the affiliate panel
- Sends to affiliates in their downline
- Respects tier visibility settings
- Uses affiliate’s email as sender
Email Settings
SMTP Configuration
Configure your email delivery settings in Configuration > Email settings:
- SMTP Server: Your mail server address
- SMTP Port: Mail server port (typically 25, 465, or 587)
- SMTP Username: Authentication username
- SMTP Password: Authentication password
- Encryption: None, SSL, or TLS
- From Email: Default sender email address
- From Name: Default sender name
Delivery Options
- Send rate limit: Maximum emails per minute
- Batch size: Emails processed per batch
- Retry failed: Number of retry attempts for failed emails
Notification Configuration
Global Settings
Location: Configuration > Email notifications
Enable or disable notification types globally:
- Individual toggles for each notification type
- Set notification recipient email
- Configure report schedules
- Set transaction status filters
Per-Affiliate Settings
Merchants can configure notification preferences for individual affiliates:
- Navigate to Affiliates
- Open affiliate details
- Go to Email notifications tab
- Toggle individual notification preferences
Affiliate Self-Service
Affiliates can manage their own preferences:
- Log into affiliate panel
- Navigate to Profile > Email notifications
- Enable or disable preferred notifications
- Save changes
Unsubscribe Functionality
All notification emails include an unsubscribe link:
- One-click unsubscribe from that notification type
- Link is unique per recipient
- Respects email marketing best practices
- Unsubscribe is logged for compliance
The {$unsubscribeLink} variable adds this link to your templates.
Best Practices
Template Design
- Keep it branded - Include your logo and brand colors
- Mobile-friendly - Test on mobile devices
- Clear subject lines - Be descriptive and concise
- Personalize - Use affiliate name and relevant data
- Include CTAs - Guide recipients to take action
Notification Strategy
- Don’t over-notify - Too many emails cause fatigue
- Time appropriately - Send reports at logical intervals
- Be helpful - Include actionable information
- Test thoroughly - Preview before sending mass emails
Deliverability
- Configure SMTP properly - Use authenticated sending
- Use consistent sender - Build sender reputation
- Include unsubscribe - Required by law in many jurisdictions
- Monitor bounces - Keep your list clean
Related Features
- Affiliate Lifecycle Management - Automate affiliate status changes
- Performance Rewards - Send reward notification emails
- Webhooks & Callbacks - Trigger external systems on events
- Multi-Tier Commissions - Sub-affiliate notifications
