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In-app purchase verification

Affiliate Tracking for Apphud Apps

Keep Apphud as your purchase source and add Insert Affiliate to credit each sale to the affiliate or creator who referred the user.

How it works

If your app runs on Apphud, you can add an affiliate or referral programme without changing how purchases are made. Apphud stays the purchase source, and Insert Affiliate works out which affiliate referred each sale.

Apphud setup is documented for the iOS (Swift) and Unity SDKs, and it needs a suitable Apphud plan. The setup guide says which.

This page covers what setup involves, how offers and short codes work with Apphud, and two limits to know about before you start.

Setting it up

  1. Step 1

    Check your Apphud plan

    The integration needs an Apphud plan with the right level of access. The setup guide says what is required, so confirm this before you start.

  2. Step 2

    Choose Apphud in Insert Affiliate

    In your Insert Affiliate settings, select Apphud as your in-app purchase verification.

  3. Step 3

    Add the Insert Affiliate SDK

    Install the Swift or Unity SDK next to the Apphud SDK. Each SDK guide has an Apphud section with the code changes.

  4. Step 4

    Test with a sandbox purchase

    Create a test affiliate, enter their short code or open their link on a test device, and make a sandbox purchase. The transaction should appear in your Insert Affiliate dashboard.

How it works with Apphud

A user arrives from an affiliate link or enters an affiliate short code, and your app remembers who referred them. When that user buys, Apphud confirms the purchase as it does today, and Insert Affiliate credits the sale to that affiliate and calculates the commission.

Nothing changes in how you sell. Your products and paywalls stay in Apphud.

Supported platforms and SDKs

Apphud setup is documented for two Insert Affiliate SDKs:

  • iOS (Swift)
  • Unity

Other platforms are not documented for Apphud yet. If your app is built with something else, get in touch and we can tell you where things stand.

Offers, promo codes and short codes with Apphud

You can attach an offer to an affiliate so that the people they refer see a discount or a free trial without typing a promo code. You set up the promotional product in App Store Connect, and your app shows it to referred users in place of the standard one. The docs include an offer guide for both iOS and Unity.

Affiliates can share a link, a short code, or both. A short code is a short string of letters and numbers that the user enters in your app, which suits video platforms where links cannot be clicked. For links, Insert Links are built in, and Branch and AppsFlyer also work alongside Apphud.

Limits to know about

  • Refunds are not handled automatically on this integration. When a customer is refunded, the affiliate commission for that sale is not reversed for you. You can report a refunded sale yourself, and the docs explain how.
  • Automatic referral rewards are not supported. The in-app Refer a friend screen works with Apphud, but free premium time cannot be given automatically. You reward referrers yourself, using the referral count Insert Affiliate reports.

What you get once it is connected

  • Each attributed transaction in your dashboard, against the affiliate who referred it.
  • Commission rates per affiliate, with the choice of whether renewals earn commission.
  • Payouts to affiliates through Stripe, one at a time or with automatic daily payouts, which are opt-in.
  • In-app referrals: a Refer a friend screen that gives each user a code and link, and a referral count you can reward.

For how the two products differ, see Apphud vs Insert Affiliate.

Frequently asked questions

Does Apphud have a built-in affiliate or referral programme?
Apphud does not track affiliate referrals, calculate commissions or run affiliate payouts. Insert Affiliate adds that on top, using Apphud as the purchase source.
Do I have to change how purchases work in my app?
No. Apphud stays your purchase source. You add the Insert Affiliate SDK next to it and choose Apphud in your Insert Affiliate settings.
How does Apphud attribution to an affiliate work?
A user arrives from an affiliate link or enters a code, and the app remembers who referred them. Apphud confirms the purchase and Insert Affiliate credits that affiliate.
Which platforms are supported with Apphud?
The docs cover Apphud setup for the iOS (Swift) and Unity SDKs. Other platforms are not documented for Apphud yet, so get in touch if you need one.
Can I give referred users a discount in an Apphud app?
Yes. You can attach an offer to an affiliate so referred users see a discount or free trial without typing a promo code.
Are refunds handled automatically with Apphud?
No. On the Apphud integration, commission is not reversed automatically when a sale is refunded. You can report a refunded sale yourself.

Documentation

Full setup instructions and code samples are in the docs.

How Apphud and Insert Affiliate differ

Read Apphud vs Insert Affiliate

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I want to help you setup your iOS or android affiliate scheme

Book a call with me and we can run through your ideas, get help with setup, or speak to me about your current affiliate situation

“I couldn't use affiliate marketing in my subscription app, so I built insert affiliate to solve this issue”
- Michael Butler, CEO
Michael Butler, CEO