Q: I'm launching my first affiliate program next month. What do I do in the first 30 days?

Q: I'm launching my first affiliate program next month. What do I do in the first 30 days?

Resist the urge to mass-recruit on day one. Here's the sequence that prevents a messy launch:

— Week 1: Lock your terms. Commission rate, cookie window, payout threshold, what counts as a valid sale, and your reversal policy for refunds. Write it down before anyone signs.
— Week 1: Set up tracking and run three test conversions yourself end to end. Confirm the postback fires and the sale attributes correctly.
— Week 2: Hand-pick 5 to 10 partners you already trust. A small, high-quality cohort surfaces tracking bugs without exposing you to fraud.
— Week 3: Watch their first results. Fix attribution gaps, clarify confusing terms.
— Week 4: Open wider recruiting only after the core works.

The caveat: don't offer a launch bonus you can't sustain. A temporary boost is fine, but partners anchor to whatever they earn first, and clawing it back later costs you trust.

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