Affiliate
The Affiliate API supports two ways to associate a shopper’s purchase with affiliate tracking: a partner-supplied affiliate link (BYO) or Firmly-managed tracking created during the shopping session. If the shopper later completes an eligible order, Firmly can report the conversion to the configured affiliate network.
In plain terms
Publishers such as media sites, blogs, and creators may earn commission when a shopper purchases through an eligible link. Affiliate attribution connects the original link interaction to a later order.
Firmly keeps that attribution in the authenticated shopping session and uses it when an eligible order is completed.
Attribution models
Firmly configures one of these models during partner onboarding. Start Journey is used only for BYO attribution. Firmly-managed attribution is used when the partner does not have its own affiliate-network relationship.
| Mode | How tracking starts | Affiliate-network account | Conversion reporting |
|---|---|---|---|
| BYO (Bring Your Own Link) | Shopper clicks an affiliate link supplied by the partner; Firmly resolves and stores the click. | The partner’s own account and network credentials | Firmly reports through the partner’s network account. |
| Firmly-managed | Used when the partner has no affiliate-network relationship; Firmly creates and stores tracking for the shopping session. | Firmly’s existing affiliate relationships and accounts | Firmly reports through its own account and settles the partner’s commission according to the agreement. |
Both models can lead to conversion reporting when the partner, merchant, and affiliate-network rules allow it. Partners with an existing affiliate business typically choose BYO; partners new to affiliate marketing typically start with Firmly-managed.
What Firmly provides
- Link resolution — follows the affiliate link supplied by the partner, then identifies the merchant page and available attribution.
- Session continuity — keeps attribution associated with the authenticated device session while the shopper moves through checkout.
- Conversion reporting — submits eligible completed orders using the reporting method configured for the partner and merchant.
- Checkout independence — if affiliate tracking fails, the shopper can still browse and complete checkout. The order may simply not be linked to an affiliate.
Business boundaries
- Attribution is scoped by merchant within the authenticated device session. Start Journey does not connect attribution across separate device sessions.
- Direct use requires partner enablement and access to the merchant reached by the supplied URL.
- The partner and merchant must be configured for affiliate reporting before a conversion can be submitted.
- For the same merchant and device session, a later successfully resolved journey replaces the previously stored attribution. Call Start Journey once for each qualified landing; replaying the same request may register the click more than once.
Where it fits
- Establish a device session with Browser Session.
- For BYO only, a partner integration enabled by Firmly sends the affiliate link itself, once and before cart building. Managed attribution does not call Start Journey.
- Continue shopping without making browsing or checkout conditional on attribution success.
- Complete the order. If the partner, merchant, and attribution are eligible, Firmly reports the conversion using the configured integration.
Supported networks
Firmly can resolve links from Impact, Awin, CJ, Rakuten, Pepperjam, and Partnerize. Links from supported content-monetization services may resolve through one of these networks.
Network availability and conversion reporting depend on the partner’s commercial setup and the merchant’s affiliate-program configuration. Contact Firmly to confirm eligibility before implementing the endpoint directly.