Easy Digital Downloads × Affiliate program
Run an affiliate program on Easy Digital Downloads
Pay partners a commission on the Easy Digital Downloads sales they refer, tracked by link, coupon, or code and calculated the moment a download sells. Here is how it works on EDD, and the recipe to install it.
Free to start on the WordPress plugin. Installs from a recipe in one click.
Can you run an affiliate program on Easy Digital Downloads?
Yes. Install the Basic Affiliate Program recipe on a WordPress site running Easy Digital Downloads. Siren reads EDD order and license events natively and pays a percentage commission the moment a download sells. There is no external service, and it starts free on Lite.
“Exceptionally well-designed and built by someone who understands real-world affiliate program complexity.” Julian Foster · Digital Strategist
How affiliate program runs on Easy Digital Downloads
The same recipe everywhere. Here is the path a referral takes through Easy Digital Downloads.
A partner refers
They share a tracking link, or an assigned coupon code on Essentials.
A download sells
The customer buys a download or renews a license natively on your EDD store, with no redirect and no middleman.
Siren attributes it
Last-touch by link or code. The right affiliate is credited the moment the EDD order completes.
Commission is paid
As store credit redeemable at checkout, or real money via Stripe Connect on Plus.
What is specific to Easy Digital Downloads
The Easy Digital Downloads details that change how this program runs.
Events
Fires on EDD orders and licenses
New download sale, license or subscription renewal, and refund clawback, all read natively on the same WordPress site.
Tracking
Link, coupon, or manual credit
Give affiliates a tracking link on Lite, or assign a coupon code on Essentials, and every matching EDD checkout is attributed automatically.
Payouts
Store credit or real money
Pay as EDD store credit on Lite and Essentials, or real money via Stripe Connect on Plus.
What you can reward, and what counts
The reward options and the Easy Digital Downloads events that trigger them for this program.
Ways to reward
- Flat or percentage commission
- Per-product or per-category rates
- Recurring on license and subscription renewals (Essentials, with EDD recurring payments)
- Per-download or per-bundle bonuses
What counts on Easy Digital Downloads
- New download or sale on Easy Digital Downloads
- License or subscription renewal (with EDD recurring payments)
- Refund or clawback reversal
- Specific-product or bundle sale
Real ways teams run it
Licenses
Commission on every renewal
Pay the referring affiliate on the first sale and on a defined set of license renewals, not just the initial purchase.
Influencers
Track by coupon code
On Essentials, give an influencer a coupon instead of a link, and every EDD checkout that uses it is attributed automatically.
Clawbacks
Refunds reverse the commission
If a referred download is refunded inside your window, you can reject the commission so it is never paid out.
Basic Affiliate Program
Simple percentage commission on every referred download sale, with automatic attribution.
The exact configuration. Install it on your Easy Digital Downloads site in one click.
What you need
To run this on Easy Digital Downloads
- A WordPress site with Easy Digital Downloads active.
- The free Lite tier runs the Basic Affiliate Program out of the box.
- Essentials for renewal commissions (with EDD recurring payments). Plus for automatic real-money payouts via Stripe Connect.
- Nothing to integrate and no API keys. It is the same WordPress site.
Affiliate program on Easy Digital Downloads questions answered
Is the affiliate program free on Easy Digital Downloads?
Yes. The Basic Affiliate Program recipe runs on Siren Lite, which is free. It tracks EDD download sales out of the box. Upgrade later for license renewal commissions, automatic real-money payouts, and team features.
How are affiliates attributed on Easy Digital Downloads?
By tracking link, which is cookie-based and last-touch, or on Essentials by an assigned coupon code that credits whoever it belongs to whenever an EDD checkout uses it. You can also credit a referral manually from the Siren admin.
Can affiliates use coupon codes instead of links?
Yes, on the Essentials tier. Assign a coupon to a collaborator and every Easy Digital Downloads checkout that redeems it is credited to them. This suits creators and influencers who would rather share a memorable code than a tracking URL.
Can I pay commission on license or subscription renewals?
Yes, on Essentials and up with EDD recurring payments. The affiliate earns on the first download sale and on a chosen number of license or subscription renewals afterward, with the partner staying attributed across months.
Can I pay different rates for different downloads?
Absolutely. Siren sets commission rules by product, category, or specific offer, so flagship downloads and bundles can pay more while lower-margin or experimental products pay less, all inside one affiliate program.
How do affiliates get paid on Easy Digital Downloads?
As EDD store credit on Lite and Essentials, which partners redeem at checkout, or as real money through Stripe Connect on the Plus tier. Partners self-onboard Stripe Express and are paid automatically.
Other programs on Easy Digital Downloads
Same platform, different reward shape. Each has its own page and recipe.