MerchantGuide

Merchant first-time setup

Complete the merchant onboarding flow and prepare the program for partner recruiting, payouts, and daily operations.

Last reviewed: Sep 15, 2026UI path: Shopify admin → Apps → Affilyn → Setup wizard

When to use this page

You just installed Affilyn or reopened an unfinished merchant onboarding flow.
You want the minimum merchant setup complete before inviting partners or reviewing payouts.

Before you start

Install Affilyn in your Shopify store.
Sign in with a merchant account that can manage the app.

Success looks like

The setup wizard is completed or intentionally skipped with remaining settings reviewed afterward.
Business details, commission, payout readiness, and email settings are understood before daily operations begin.
You know whether public applications and Theme Editor placement still need to be published.

Where to find it

Shopify admin → Apps → Affilyn → Setup wizard

Steps

Step 1

Open Affilyn from your Shopify apps list.

Step 2

On the first launch, the setup wizard can open automatically.

Merchant setup welcome with step navigation and the Start setup control — Setup wizard welcomeCurrent seven-step setup flow for the fictional Affilyn Demo store. No setup step was saved, skipped or completed.

View full-size image: Setup wizard welcome

Step 3

If you skipped it earlier, return from the dashboard and select Continue setup.

Merchant dashboard with navigation, header language menu, metrics and Continue setup — Merchant dashboard and navigationCurrent merchant dashboard with fictional counts, incomplete setup and empty activity. The app language menu is in the header; configuration Settings remains in navigation. No setup or account action was taken.

View full-size image: Merchant dashboard and navigation

Step 4

Move through each step in order, starting with your business details.

ScreenshotStep 4

Local image

Store and business profileCurrent business identity fields and partner-facing preview with fictional example.com details. The connected-store badge comes from a local fixture, not a live connection check. Save & continue was not used.

View full-size image: Store and business profile

Step 5

Set your default commission.

Setup Program Basics showing a standard tier name, commission field and earnings example — Partner program basicsCurrent tier-name and starting-commission fields with a sample 10% rate and earnings preview. This is an illustration, not a recommended rate; nothing was saved.

View full-size image: Partner program basics

Step 6

Review your payout method setup.

Setup payout-method choices and a fictional Manual / Other selection — Wizard payout-method choiceCurrent optional payout-method step with Manual / Other selected by the fictional fixture. Provider readiness is simulated; no method, connection or preference was changed.

View full-size image: Wizard payout-method choice

Step 7

Add your email settings.

Email settings stepThe current wizard Email Settings step with fictional sender details and reply-to address. The preview shows how those details appear; no settings or email were submitted.

View full-size image: Email settings step

Step 8

Review the subscription step, then use Plans & billing to compare free access with the four paid plans. Choose Monthly or Yearly, review the total charge, and approve the selected subscription through Shopify. An eligible merchant's first approved paid subscription includes a one-time 14-day trial. Every shop also retains the permanent Free Plan allowance of five active partners: four Standard Affiliates and one merchant-designated VIP with storefront access. Paid partner capacity is added on top of those five slots.

Setup wizard showing optional free access, paid plan comparison and billing interval controls — Wizard subscription comparisonCurrent subscription step with sample 14-day first-use trial offers and monthly plan comparison. No plan was selected or subscription changed. Check the live Plans & Billing page and Shopify approval screen for your actual offer.

View full-size image: Wizard subscription comparison

Step 9

On Choose Next Step, review the saved store profile, partner program, payout workflow, email settings, and subscription access. Choose whether to continue to the dashboard, invite your first partner, or fine-tune settings, then complete setup.

Completing onboarding does not publish storefront elements, invite partners, or send messages automatically.

Setup review and next stepThe current final wizard step showing a fictional setup summary and destination choices. Finish and open dashboard was not activated.

View full-size image: Setup review and next step

Where each final choice takes you

Choice	Destination	Best use
Open my dashboard	Merchant dashboard	Review total partners, active storefronts, pending commissions, attributed revenue, recent activity, setup progress, and quick actions.
Invite my first partner	Partners → Invite Partner	Search verified external candidates, open a candidate, add an optional personal message, and send an invitation to the current store.
Fine-tune settings	Settings → General	Review business identity, website, industry, reply-to email, and email logo before moving into tiers, payouts, applications, and other settings.

Step 10

Review the main settings pages before inviting partners.

Merchant Settings cards for program, assets, pricing, integrations and contracts — Merchant Settings overviewCurrent Settings categories with the merchant sidebar. This fictional sample has access to the shown controls; availability depends on the store plan. No setting was opened to save or connect a service.

View full-size image: Merchant Settings overview

Step 11

If you want public recruiting, open Settings → Application Settings to enable applications, then publish Partner Apply Button and Partner Application Modal from Shopify Theme Editor.

Partner Program application settingsCurrent Application Settings with applications enabled and a fictional notification address. Save settings was not used.

View full-size image: Partner Program application settings

Settings explained

Business details store your company name, website, industry, and reply information.
Default commission sets the base rate used when a partner does not have a custom rate.
Payout method helps you prepare merchant payout operations before partners request payouts.
Email settings control reply details and brand presentation for messages sent from the program.
Plans & billing is the source of truth for live plan prices, feature access, limits, subscription status, and Shopify billing actions.
Setup review summarizes the values saved by the wizard and lets you choose the first workspace to open after completion.
Continue setup returns merchants to the unfinished onboarding flow when it was dismissed earlier.
The final destination only controls which page opens next. Your setup is marked complete regardless of which destination you choose.

Example

A merchant finishes the setup wizard, opens Settings → Application Settings to enable applications, publishes the storefront application button in Theme Editor, and then reviews Pending Requests the next day to confirm public recruiting is live.

Tips and limits

The setup wizard is the fastest way to get moving, but it does not replace the full settings review.
You can leave the wizard and return later from the dashboard if setup is not finished in one session.
Invite my first partner opens the verified-candidate invitation workflow. Use Partners → Add New Partner instead when you already know the person and need to create their profile directly.
Check Settings → Payout Settings before approving any payout requests later.
Public applications are a two-step setup: enable them in Application Settings, then place the storefront CTA in Theme Editor.

Current behavior

Live subscription controls are available from Plans & billing; payout readiness is managed separately from Settings → Payout Settings.
Merchants can return to unfinished onboarding through Continue setup from the dashboard.

Limitations

Completing the wizard does not publish the storefront application button for you.
The wizard does not replace the full settings review for payouts, partner program rules, or long-term configuration.