Affiliate Actions are the workflow steps that power your Affiliate Manager automations in Aesthetix CRM. Instead of manually onboarding referral partners, moving them between campaigns, crediting the patients they send you, or logging offline sales, you let a workflow do it the moment a trigger fires. Each action below lives in the same Affiliate category of the workflow builder and works on the contact (or affiliate) flowing through the workflow.
These actions require the Affiliate Manager to be enabled on your account. If you do not see the Affiliate category in the action list, turn on Affiliate Manager first, then build any campaigns you intend to reference.
Every Affiliate action is added to a workflow the same way:
Go to Marketing, then open Workflows.
Click Create Workflow, then choose Start from Scratch (or open an existing workflow).
Add or confirm a trigger so contacts can enter the workflow.
Click the + icon to add an action step.
Use the search field to find the action you need, then select it from the Affiliate category.
Give the action a clear, descriptive name and configure its fields (covered per action below).
Click Save Action.
When the whole workflow is ready, click Save, then Publish.
The sections below cover each Affiliate action: what it does, every field and option, the inputs it needs and the data it produces, when to reach for it with a med spa referral example, and the limits to watch for.
What it does: Adds the contact flowing through the workflow to your Affiliate Manager as an affiliate, with their status automatically set to Active. As soon as the workflow reaches this step, the contact becomes an active affiliate in your system, ready to start referring patients and earning commissions.
Configuration / fields:
Action Name: A descriptive label for this step, for example "Enroll New Referral Partner." This name only appears inside the workflow.
This action has no other required selectors. It simply promotes the current contact to an active affiliate at the account level. To place the affiliate into a specific campaign at the same time, follow this step with the Add to Affiliate Campaign action, or use that action on its own.
Inputs: The contact moving through the workflow (they must already exist as a contact).
Data / output: A new affiliate record in Affiliate Manager tied to that contact, with status set to Active.
When to use it: Use this whenever a new partner should be onboarded as an affiliate the instant they qualify, with no manual data entry. Pair it with a trigger such as a form submission, a tag being added, or a pipeline stage change.
Med spa example: A local hair salon owner fills out your "Become a Referral Partner" form to start sending clients for injectable consultations. A workflow triggered by that form submission runs the Add to Affiliate Manager action, so the salon owner is immediately an active affiliate with no delay in onboarding. You can then send them their welcome email and referral link automatically.
Notes and limits:
Affiliate Manager must be enabled on your account.
The contact must already exist before this step runs; this action promotes an existing contact, it does not create a new contact record.
Status is set to Active automatically. To deactivate later, use the Update Affiliate action.
What it does: Changes the status of an existing affiliate to either Active or Inactive. An inactive affiliate can no longer generate commissions or sales, which makes this the action you use to retire a partner or temporarily pause one.
Configuration / fields:
Action Name: A descriptive label, for example "Update Affiliate as Inactive."
Status: Choose the new status for the affiliate:
Active: The affiliate can generate referrals, sales, and commissions.
Inactive: The affiliate is retired or paused and can no longer earn commissions or generate new sales.
Inputs: A contact who is already an affiliate in Affiliate Manager.
Data / output: The affiliate's status field is updated to the value you selected.
When to use it: Use this to keep your affiliate list clean and accurate without manual edits, especially for offboarding partners who have left your program.
Med spa example: You maintain a referral network of local stylists, estheticians, and front-desk staff at partner businesses. You build an "Affiliate Exit Form" that a partner fills out when they want to leave the program. A workflow triggered by that form submission (filtered to the Affiliate Exit Form) runs Update Affiliate with the status set to Inactive, so the departing partner is immediately retired and stops accruing commissions.
Notes and limits:
Affiliate Manager must be enabled on your account.
The contact must already be an affiliate for the status change to apply.
Setting an affiliate to Inactive stops new commissions and sales but does not delete the affiliate record or their history.
What it does: Adds the contact to a specific affiliate campaign as an active affiliate. This is how you enroll existing contacts or patients into a particular campaign so they can begin promoting the products or services tied to it.
Configuration / fields:
Action Name: A descriptive label, for example "Enroll Affiliates in Spring Promo Campaign."
Affiliate Campaign: A dropdown listing your existing affiliate campaigns. Select the campaign you want to add the affiliate into. The campaign you choose determines the commission structure and referral link the affiliate receives.
Inputs: The contact moving through the workflow.
Data / output: The contact is added to the selected affiliate campaign as an active affiliate, with their own referral link for that campaign.
When to use it: Use this to convert interested contacts into campaign-specific affiliates automatically, for example after they signal interest with a tag or reply.
Med spa example: You run a seasonal "Summer Skin Refresh" affiliate campaign. When a patient or partner shows interest (you tag them "Affiliate"), a workflow triggered by that tag being added runs Add to Affiliate Campaign and selects the Summer Skin Refresh campaign. The contact becomes an active affiliate in that campaign and can immediately start sharing their referral link to earn commissions on bookings.
Notes and limits:
Affiliate Manager must be enabled and the target campaign must already exist before you can select it.
This action enrolls the contact into one specific campaign. To make someone an affiliate at the account level without a campaign, use Add to Affiliate Manager.
What it does: Removes an existing affiliate from a selected affiliate campaign. Once removed, the affiliate can no longer use their referral link for that campaign to drive sales or generate commissions.
Configuration / fields:
Action Name: A descriptive label, for example "Remove from Black Friday Campaign."
Affiliate Campaign: A dropdown listing your affiliate campaigns. Select the campaign you want to remove the affiliate from.
Inputs: A contact who is currently an affiliate in the selected campaign.
Data / output: The affiliate is removed from the chosen campaign; their referral link for that campaign stops crediting new sales.
When to use it: Use this to pull affiliates out of a campaign when it ends, when they opt out, or when they no longer qualify, without touching their participation in your other campaigns.
Med spa example: You ran a limited "Black Friday Membership Drive" affiliate campaign. Partners who want out fill in your "Affiliate Exit Form." A workflow triggered by that form submission (filtered to the Affiliate Exit Form) runs Remove from Affiliate Campaign and selects the Black Friday Membership Drive campaign, so the affiliate is pulled from that specific promotion and can no longer earn on it.
Notes and limits:
Affiliate Manager must be enabled on your account.
This removes the affiliate from one campaign only; it does not deactivate the affiliate overall or remove them from other campaigns. To deactivate the affiliate entirely, use Update Affiliate.
What it does: Assigns a contact (lead) to an affiliate and their associated campaign, making sure the affiliate is correctly credited for the referral. This is the action that connects a new patient lead to the partner who sent them. It offers three assignment methods so you can credit the right affiliate no matter how the lead arrived.
Configuration / fields:
Action Name: A descriptive label, for example "Credit Affiliate for New Consultation Lead."
Assignment Method: Choose how the lead is matched to an affiliate. The fields that appear next depend on this choice:
Manual: You pick the campaign and the affiliate yourself.
Affiliate Campaign: Select the campaign the lead belongs to.
Affiliate: Select the affiliate from the list of affiliates in that campaign.
Best for form submissions, internal routing, and admin decisions where you already know the affiliate.
Auto (Attribution via URL): The system assigns the lead automatically using the affiliate ID (am_id) passed in the page or form URL.
Attribution Method: Choose First click or Last click attribution. First credits the affiliate from the contact's first tracked interaction; Last credits the affiliate from the most recent one.
Requires that am_id is passed earlier in the funnel (for example on the form or landing page URL).
Best for hands-off crediting when affiliates share trackable referral links.
Custom Mapping: Use when the affiliate ID is stored in a custom field or passed in as a workflow value rather than in the URL.
Mapping Source: Choose whether to read the affiliate ID from a custom field or a workflow value. The system reads that value and assigns the lead to the matching affiliate.
Best for API pushes, third-party systems, and hidden fields on forms.
Inputs: The contact (lead) moving through the workflow, plus enough information to identify the affiliate: a chosen affiliate (Manual), an am_id in the URL (Auto), or a mapped field/value (Custom Mapping).
Data / output: The lead is recorded under the matched affiliate in the chosen campaign, crediting that affiliate for the referral so it counts toward their performance and any commissions.
When to use it: Use this to make sure every patient lead a partner sends you is tracked to the right affiliate automatically. It pairs naturally with the Lead Created trigger, which starts a workflow whenever a new lead is referred by an affiliate (and can be filtered to a specific campaign). From there you can email the affiliate, notify your front desk, and tag the lead for nurturing.
Med spa example: A partner gym shares its unique referral link for your "Member Glow-Up" campaign. A prospective patient clicks the link (carrying am_id) and submits your consultation form. A workflow set to Auto attribution runs Add Leads Under an Affiliate, credits the gym for the lead, and then sends the gym a "Congrats, you referred a new lead!" email while alerting your front desk to follow up. For walk-in or phone referrals where no link was clicked, you would instead use Manual to pick the affiliate by hand.
Notes and limits:
Affiliate Manager must be enabled on your account.
Auto attribution only works if am_id is actually present in the URL earlier in the funnel; without it, use Manual or Custom Mapping.
For Auto attribution, First attribution stays fixed on the contact's first interaction while Last attribution updates with each new session, so pick the method that matches how you want to credit partners.
What it does: Assigns a manual sale to a specific affiliate so they are credited and their commission is calculated, even when the sale was not tracked automatically by the system. Commissions are calculated using the campaign's default commission settings and assigned to the affiliate. This is how you reward affiliates for offline sales, recurring charges handled outside the platform, or non-standard contributions.
This action supports two modes, depending on whether you want the system to find the affiliate for you (with attribution tracking) or you want to choose the affiliate yourself (without attribution tracking).
You select the affiliate directly.
Configuration / fields:
Action Name: A descriptive label, for example "Log Offline Package Sale."
Affiliate Campaign: Select the campaign the sale belongs to. The commission is calculated from this campaign's default settings.
Affiliate: After choosing the campaign, this dropdown shows only the affiliates linked to that campaign. Select the affiliate to credit.
Revenue / Sales Amount: Enter the sale or revenue amount to record for the affiliate.
Additional details (optional): Add supporting information such as the event date and transaction ID.
The system finds the affiliate for you using the affiliate ID passed in the URL.
Configuration / fields:
Action Name: A descriptive label, for example "Log Tracked Online Sale."
Auto-Track Affiliate via Attribution: Toggle this on so the sale is automatically assigned to the correct affiliate based on the affiliate ID passed in the URL, rather than you choosing the affiliate manually.
Affiliate Campaign: Select the relevant campaign. The commission is calculated from this campaign's default settings.
Revenue / Sales Amount: Enter the sale or revenue amount.
Additional details (optional): Add the event date and transaction ID as needed.
With attribution on, the affiliate is resolved from tracking data. First Attribution captures the first time a contact interacted with the system (for example, filling out a form), while Latest Attribution records the most recent interaction (for example, making a purchase). The latest attribution updates with each new session, while the first attribution stays fixed.
Inputs: A campaign, a sale amount, and a way to identify the affiliate (a directly selected affiliate without attribution, or tracking data with attribution on).
Data / output: A manual sale recorded against the affiliate, with the commission calculated from the campaign's default commission settings and credited to that affiliate.
When to use it:
Automate recurring manual commissions: Periodically credit an affiliate for recurring sales the system does not track on its own, so partners consistently receive their commissions. For example, for memberships or service plans paid outside the platform, log the recurring sale and commission on a schedule.
Track offline sales: Capture commissions for sales that happen offline or through channels the system does not see, so every affiliate-driven sale is accounted for. For example, log a sale for a phone order or an in-clinic walk-in purchase.
Reward affiliate engagement: Recognize non-monetary contributions, such as training participation or high lead quality, by logging a manual sale as a reward.
Med spa example: A partner esthetician refers a patient who books a high-value treatment package over the phone, paid at the front desk outside any tracked link. You run a workflow with Add Manual Sales for an Affiliate (without attribution), select the campaign, pick the esthetician, and enter the package revenue. The commission is calculated from the campaign's default rate and credited to her automatically. For an online purchase where the patient clicked the partner's tracked referral link, you would instead toggle Auto-Track Affiliate via Attribution on and let the system credit the right partner.
Notes and limits:
Affiliate Manager must be enabled on your account.
Commissions always follow the selected campaign's default commission settings, so confirm those settings are correct before logging sales.
Without attribution, the affiliate dropdown only lists affiliates already linked to the chosen campaign; add the affiliate to that campaign first if they are missing.
With attribution, the affiliate is only credited if valid tracking data (the affiliate ID in the URL) exists for the contact; otherwise use the without-attribution mode and select the affiliate manually.
Do I need anything enabled before these actions appear? Yes. The Affiliate Manager must be enabled on your account. If the Affiliate category is missing from the action list, enable Affiliate Manager and create your campaigns first.
What is the difference between Add to Affiliate Manager and Add to Affiliate Campaign? Add to Affiliate Manager makes the contact an active affiliate at the account level with no campaign attached. Add to Affiliate Campaign enrolls them into one specific campaign so they get that campaign's referral link and commission structure.
How do I retire an affiliate who left my program? Use the Update Affiliate action and set the status to Inactive. They keep their record and history but can no longer earn commissions or generate new sales.
If I remove an affiliate from a campaign, are they removed everywhere? No. Remove from Affiliate Campaign only affects the one campaign you select. The affiliate stays active and remains in any other campaigns. To deactivate them entirely, use Update Affiliate.
Which assignment method should I use for Add Leads Under an Affiliate? Use Manual when you already know the affiliate (form routing, walk-ins, phone referrals). Use Auto (Attribution) when affiliates share trackable referral links that pass the affiliate ID in the URL. Use Custom Mapping when the affiliate ID lives in a custom field or workflow value, such as from an API or hidden form field.
What is the difference between First and Latest attribution? First attribution credits the affiliate tied to the contact's first tracked interaction and never changes. Latest attribution credits the affiliate from the most recent interaction and updates with each new session.
When should I add manual sales with attribution versus without? Use without attribution when you want to pick the affiliate yourself, which is ideal for offline or phone sales. Use with attribution (toggle Auto-Track on) when the sale came through a tracked referral link and you want the system to credit the correct affiliate automatically.
How is the commission amount calculated for a manual sale? The commission is calculated from the default commission settings of the campaign you select on the action. Confirm those campaign settings are correct before logging sales.
Why is my affiliate not showing in the affiliate dropdown? The affiliate dropdown only lists affiliates already linked to the campaign you chose. Add the affiliate to that campaign first, then they will appear.
If you need help building affiliate automations or configuring commission settings for a campaign, reach out to our support team. For more advanced or account-specific affiliate setups, submit a Custom Build Request so our team can scope the work with you.
