Browse chapters
How to Launch a Program in PartnerDock
Step by step: set up your app, commission terms, signup page, and tracking, and go live in an afternoon.
PartnerDock Examples · ~6 min read
On this page
This is the practical, product-specific chapter. If you've read the framework and designed your commission, here's how to actually stand the program up in PartnerDock. It's an afternoon, not a project.
1. Add your app
Create your app and connect it so PartnerDock can see installs and revenue. Connecting the Shopify Partner API is what unlocks revenue-grade attribution — installs and charges flow in automatically.
2. Set your commission terms
Choose your model and rate — revenue share, fixed per-install, first-month, or recurring-for-N-months — as the program default. You can override terms for individual partners later when you negotiate.
3. Turn on your signup page
Your branded partner signup page is where partners apply and get their links. Set whether applications auto-approve or need review. Share this page in outreach.
4. Set up tracking
Partners get two link styles: a tracked redirect link, and a direct App Store link with their code (mref) for partners who prefer a clean App Store URL. For direct-link and snippet-based attribution to fire, follow the tracking setup guide — it's the difference between 'basic' and 'revenue-grade' coverage.
5. Recruit and enroll
Share your signup page, or add partners yourself from the dashboard. For partners who referred stores off-platform, you can assign those stores manually so they get credit.
6. Run the loop
From here it's the framework: onboard each partner, watch attribution land, pay via consolidated payouts with receipts, and read the analytics to see which partners drive durable revenue. Everything — partners, referrals, commissions, payouts, and analytics — lives in one place.
Practical checklist
- ✓App added and Shopify Partner API connected
- ✓Commission terms set as the program default
- ✓Signup page live, with approval mode chosen
- ✓Tracking setup completed for revenue-grade attribution
- ✓First partners invited or enrolled
Common mistakes
- ✕Sharing the signup page before the Partner API / tracking is connected
- ✕Leaving attribution on 'basic' click-tracking only
- ✕Forgetting to enable direct App Store (mref) links for agency partners
How this works in PartnerDock
This whole chapter is the PartnerDock use case — the platform is designed so a founder can go from zero to a live, trackable, payable partner program without stitching together a spreadsheet, a link shortener, and a payments tool.
Try PartnerDock FreeFAQ
How long does setup take?+
An afternoon for the core setup — app, terms, signup page, tracking. Recruiting partners is the ongoing work; the tooling is not the bottleneck.
Start your partner program with PartnerDock
Manage partners, attribution, commissions, and payouts in one place — free to start.
Start FreeRelated chapters
Getting Your First 10 Partners
A concrete, week-by-week plan to sign your first ten partners without a big budget or a team.
Commission Structures for Shopify Apps
Revenue share, fixed per-install, first-year vs lifetime, tiers — how to pick a structure that motivates partners without wrecking your margins.
Mantle Migration Lessons
What Shopify app founders learn moving off Mantle — attribution gaps, data hygiene, and what to check first.