--- title: Create a Program in Siren description: Step-by-step instructions on how to create your first program using Siren. section: getting-started order: 10 subsection: Build Your Programs draft: false updatedDate: 2026-04-09T00:00:00.000Z --- > **Prefer AI-guided setup?** [Beacon](/integrations/mcp-server/) is our free AI assistant that can design and generate a complete program configuration for you. Just describe what you want and it'll create a recipe you can install with one click. [Connect Beacon](/documentation/beacon/introduction) to get started. > **Just want the fastest path?** The [quick start](/documentation/getting-started/quick-start) guide installs a recipe in about ten minutes and skips most of the configuration walkthrough below. ## What is a program? A [program](/documentation/general/what-are-programs) is the rule set that defines how collaborators earn rewards. It controls which actions get tracked, how commissions are calculated, and which parts of a transaction count toward the payout. Every incentive you run in Siren starts here. To create one, hover over Siren in the WordPress sidebar, click Programs, then click Add New. ## Basic settings Give your program a name and optional description. A handy convention is including the commission rate in the name (like "Affiliate Program 15%") so you can tell programs apart at a glance. Set the status to Active and pick your payout currency. If you've already created a [program group](/documentation/general/what-are-program-groups), assign this program to it. If not, leave it as "No Group" and revisit after reading about [program groups](/documentation/getting-started/multiple-affiliate-programs-using-sirens-program-groups). ## Expiration time The expiration time (in days) is how long a [collaborator's](/documentation/general/what-is-a-collaborator) engagement stays valid. If the customer doesn't convert inside the window, the collaborator won't get credit. Thirty days is a reasonable starting point for a standard affiliate program. A shorter window like seven days creates a conversion-focused incentive. You can run two programs together: a high-commission short-window program for conversions and a lower-commission long-window program for lead generation. ## Program structure The [program structure](/documentation/general/what-are-programs) decides which collaborator wins when a conversion happens. Siren offers five: - **[Newest engagement wins](/documentation/program-structures/top-score-wins)** rewards the most recent engagement. This is the "last click wins" model most affiliate programs use, and it's the right default if you're unsure. It also handles coupon codes naturally. - **[Oldest engagement wins](/documentation/program-group-structures/oldest-engagement-wins)** does the opposite and rewards whoever first brought the customer in. - **Shared engagement pool** splits the commission evenly among every collaborator who engaged the customer. - **[Performance weighted pool](/documentation/program-structures/performance-weighted-pool)** splits by points rather than equal shares, rewarding sustained effort. - **[Top score wins](/documentation/program-structures/top-score-wins)** pays the full commission to whoever accumulated the most points. For most affiliate programs, pick newest engagement wins. If you want a single sale to credit a collaborator's upline or downline across multiple layers (a tiered or sales-override structure), bind this program to a [collaborator group](/documentation/general/what-are-collaborator-groups) on the program's Group tab and use a [cascade calculation strategy](/documentation/general/what-is-a-cascade). See [Configure cascade payouts](/documentation/getting-started/configure-cascade-payouts) for the full walkthrough. ## Engagement tracking events [Engagement tracking events](/documentation/general/what-is-an-engagement) are the actions Siren measures on the path to a conversion. Enable the ones that matter for your program: - **[Site visited](/documentation/general/site-visited)** fires when a customer arrives through an affiliate link. Standard affiliate tracking. - **[Coupon code used](/documentation/general/coupon-code-used)** fires when a customer applies a coupon assigned to a collaborator. See [Coupon Code Tracking](/documentation/general/coupon-tracking) for integration support. - **[Blog post visited](/documentation/general/blog-post-visited)** fires when a customer reads a post authored by a collaborator. Useful for content-driven programs. - **[Collaborator product sold](/documentation/general/collaborator-product-sold)** fires when a product owned by a collaborator is purchased. The foundation of royalty programs. - **[Course completed](/documentation/general/course-completed)** and **[lesson completed](/documentation/general/lesson-completed)** are LMS-specific and reward instructors when students finish their material. For a simple affiliate program, enable site visited and coupon code used. Point values only matter if you're using a point-based structure like performance weighted pool or top score wins. ## Incentive structure The incentive structure decides how rewards are calculated: - **[Percentage of transaction](/documentation/incentive-structures/percentage-of-transaction)** pays a percentage of the transaction total. Standard for affiliate programs. - **[Fixed per transaction](/documentation/incentive-structures/fixed-per-transaction)** pays a flat amount per sale regardless of value. Common for high-ticket products or referral bonuses, like hosting companies paying $200 per signup. - **[Fixed per product](/documentation/incentive-structures/fixed-per-product)** pays a flat amount for each qualifying product in the cart. Useful for targeted promotions on specific inventory. For percentage-based programs, you can credit conversions for sales, renewals, or both. Sales covers initial purchases. Renewals covers recurring subscription charges. Whether to include renewals depends on whether this program rewards acquisition or retention. You can always create a separate renewal-focused program later. Auto-approving completed transactions approves [obligations](/documentation/general/what-are-obligations) the moment an order completes. Leave it unchecked if you'd rather review each one manually. ## Commission pool settings These control which parts of a transaction feed the commission calculation. **Line items** should almost always be checked. They're the actual products purchased. **Discounts** should usually be checked too. When checked, Siren subtracts discounts before calculating. A $120 product with a $20 coupon calculates on $100 rather than $120. **Fees** covers things like WooCommerce signup fees or subscription fees. Include them if they're part of what you want to pay commission on. **Shipping** and **taxes** should almost never be checked. You don't want to pay commission on tax owed to the government or pass-through shipping costs. When you check line items, filtering options appear. You can restrict the program to specific product categories (by slug), SKUs, or product types like subscriptions versus simple products. There's also a collaborator-owned filter for royalty programs. See [Line Item Filters](/documentation/general/line-item-filters) for a full reference. Once everything is set, click Create. Your program is live and ready for [collaborators](/documentation/getting-started/managing-collaborators-affiliates) to start earning. ### Concepts Discussed in this Video - [What Is An Affiliate Program](/documentation/core-concepts/what-is-an-affiliate-program) - [What Are Programs](/documentation/core-concepts/what-are-programs) - [What Is A Collaborator](/documentation/core-concepts/what-is-a-collaborator) - [What Is An Engagement](/documentation/core-concepts/what-is-an-engagement) - [What Are Transactions](/documentation/core-concepts/what-are-transactions) ### Program Structures - [Newest Engagement Wins](/documentation/program-group-structures/newest-engagement-wins) - [Top Score Wins](/documentation/program-structures/top-score-wins) - [Oldest Engagement Wins](/documentation/program-group-structures/oldest-engagement-wins) - [Shared Engagement Pool](/documentation/program-structures/shared-engagement-pool) - [Performance Weighted Pool](/documentation/program-structures/performance-weighted-pool) ### Engagement Tracking Events - [Site Visited](/documentation/engagement-tracking-events/site-visited) - [Coupon Code Used](/documentation/engagement-tracking-events/coupon-code-used) - [Course Completed](/documentation/engagement-tracking-events/course-completed) - [Lesson Completed](/documentation/engagement-tracking-events/lesson-completed) - [Collaborator Product Sold](/documentation/engagement-tracking-events/collaborator-product-sold) - [Blog Post Visited](/documentation/engagement-tracking-events/blog-post-visited) ### Incentive Structures - [Percentage Of Transaction](/documentation/incentive-structures/percentage-of-transaction) - [Fixed Per Transaction](/documentation/incentive-structures/fixed-per-transaction) - [Fixed Per Product](/documentation/incentive-structures/fixed-per-product)
Transcript The video walks through creating a simple affiliate program from start to finish. It covers naming the program (with a tip about including the commission rate in the name), setting status and currency, and the expiration time window that controls how long a collaborator's engagement stays valid. From there it explores the five program structures, recommending newest engagement wins as the right default for most affiliate programs. It then walks through the available engagement tracking events, enabling site visited and coupon code used for the simple case, and explains when you'd reach for blog post visited, collaborator product sold, or the LMS-specific events. Finally, it configures a percentage-of-transaction incentive at 15%, credits conversions for sales only, leaves auto-approve on, and sets the commission pool to include line items, discounts, and fees while leaving shipping and taxes off. The video closes by clicking Create and confirming the new program appears in the list.