Affiliate Groups offer an easy way to organize your affiliates and create exclusive commission rates for the members within a group. By segmenting your partners, you can override the standard commission and issue a higher reward for the conversions they drive.
Why You Need Affiliate Groups
You should use this feature to acknowledge the efforts of a particularly active affiliate or if you've struck a deal to offer a higher commission rate.
Example: You have agreed with a top influencer that they will receive 20% commission instead of the default 10%. By creating a "VIP Group" and assigning them to it, you can guarantee they receive the higher payout without affecting any other partner.
What You Can Achieve with This Feature
Affiliate Groups are essential for managing a tiered and profitable partnership program.
Organization and Segmentation: Easily organize your affiliates for better management and communication.
Exclusive Commission Rates: Override the standard commission rate.
Product-Specific Rewards: Set unique rates for group members based on specific products or alternative conversion actions (e.g., higher commission for selling Software Licenses vs. Service Plans).
Example: Assigning a 20% commission rate to your "Gold affiliates" group within the overall program structure.
🔒 Note on Plan Availability: This feature is exclusively accessible through our Scale and Enterprise plans. For additional information on feature availability, kindly refer to our pricing page.
Setting up Affiliate Groups & their Commissions
Setting up your affiliate groups and assigning their custom rates is a two-step process: creating the group and assigning the commission rate.
Step 1. Create the Affiliate Group (Two Methods)
You have two options for creating a new group, depending on whether you prioritize organization or speed:
Method 1: Create Group Name First (Via Settings)
This method is best for program organization, as it establishes the group name before assignment.
Navigate to Programs → Affiliate groups in the left sidebar. (This is where you see the list of all existing groups and their Group IDs.)
Click the "+ Add affiliate group" button.
Enter the Title for your new group (e.g., "Gold Affiliates").
Click Save.
Your group is now created and ready to receive members.
Method 2: Create and Assign Immediately (Via Affiliates Page)
This method is best for speed when creating a new group specifically for affiliates you have just selected (Batch Action).
Go to the Affiliates overview page.
Check the box next to the affiliate(s) you wish to assign.
Click the "Set affiliate group" button located above the list.
In the pop-up, select the "Create a new affiliate group" option and enter the group name.
Click Set affiliate group to finalize and assign the selected affiliates to the new group instantly.
Step 2. Adding & Removing Affiliates from a Group
Once created, you assign or remove affiliates from the group using Batch Management on the Affiliates Overview page (as detailed in the section "Adding & Removing Affiliates from a Group").
Managing group membership is easy and can be done in bulk or individually.
Batch Management (Bulk): On your Affiliates Overview, check the boxes next to affiliate names. Click the "Set affiliate group" button and choose the new group to add them to.
Removing Affiliates: To remove an affiliate from a group, choose the "Default (no group)" option during Batch Management, or click the "x" on the group name field in the affiliate's side-panel
Step 3. Setting Your Affiliate Group's Commission Rate
If you've got your group created, it's time to set its commission rate.
Go to your Programs → Commission structure.
Click on the commission rule you’d like to edit.
In the window that opens, navigate to the "Affiliate group commission rates" section.
Click "Add affiliate group commission" rate, pick your existing group, and assign their new commission rate (e.g., 30%).
Click Save.
Affiliates in that group will now enjoy the higher commission rate on future conversions, effective immediately.
How to Delete an Affiliate Group
Before deleting an affiliate group, you must first ensure that no affiliates are currently assigned to it. Follow these steps to clear the group and remove it from your program:
View Group Members: Navigate to Programs → Affiliate groups. In the list, look for the group you want to delete and click on the number in the "Members" column (e.g., 1, 5, or 6).
Open Affiliate Details: This will redirect you to the Affiliates section, filtered by that specific group. Click on an affiliate's name to open their profile side-panel.
Remove from Group: In the affiliate's profile, find the Affiliate group field. Click the "X" next to the group name to remove them. Their status will change to None.
Repeat this for all members until the group is empty.
Delete the Group: Navigate back to Programs → Affiliate groups.
Final Action: Once the member count is 0, locate the group and click the Delete button (the pink button on the right side of the row) to permanently remove it.
Important Note: Removing an affiliate from a group will revert them to your program’s standard commission structure for all future conversions.
Advanced Use Cases & REST API Endpoints
For developers and advanced users, you can manage groups programmatically and use them for complex structures:
Multiple Tiers of Commission: Group settings are foundational for creating multiple tiers of commission (e.g., Bronze, Silver, Gold). Consult our dedicated guide for instructions on [Multiple tiers of commission use case guide].
REST API Endpoints: Developers can use the API to manage group assignments in bulk:
Still need help?
If you have any questions or if something in this guide is unclear, please don't hesitate to contact us at support@tapfiliate.com-we're happy to assist!
FAQ
❓Can I have multiple affiliate groups?
Yes, you can have multiple affiliate groups. Simply add them to the "Affiliate groups commission rates" section and set their respective rates.
❓Can I create a group and set a commission rate for one person only? Yes, you can create a group specifically for one person and set up their unique commission rate accordingly.
❓Do Affiliate group changes impact old conversions?
No, affiliate group changes do not affect old conversions. Past conversions will follow the rules set at the time those conversions were created. Changes made to the commission structure will always impact new conversions recorded after the setting was changed.
❓Where can I see a list of my affiliate groups?
You can find a list of your existing affiliate groups in your Settings → Affiliate groups tab. Here you will also find the affiliate group's API identifier, which is useful for REST API automation.
❓How do I quickly remove an affiliate from a group?
You can quickly remove an affiliate from a group by selecting the "Default (no group)" option when using the "Set affiliate group" button on the Affiliates Overview page.
❓ Why can't I see the delete button for my group?
If the delete button is not appearing or is inactive, ensure that all affiliates have been removed from the group first. Use the "Members" shortcut to quickly identify and clear any remaining partners in that segment.
Next Steps
How to Set Up Automated Tiered Commissions Using Webhooks and Triggers (Advanced Implementation Guide) Explore technical options for creating various commission tiers and learn how to automatically move affiliates between groups based on their real-time performance.
How to Communicate with Affiliates Learn how to use Tapfiliate’s communication tools to maximize engagement. This guide covers everything from direct, real-time messaging to setting up automated, event-driven emails.
How to Apply Performance Bonuses to Affiliates Go beyond standard rates by rewarding your top-performing partners with one-time or recurring performance bonuses to keep them motivated.