Access modes let you control how new affiliates join your program. Choose between open enrollment, manual approval, or invitation-only access depending on how much control you need.
The Three Access Modes
Public
New affiliates sign up through your portal and are automatically approved. They get their tracking links immediately and can start promoting right away.
Best for: Programs that want to grow quickly and are open to any affiliate.
Private
Affiliates can still sign up through your portal, but they won't receive tracking links or be able to start promoting until you manually review and approve them. This gives you full control over who represents your brand while keeping the door open for new applicants.
How it works:
- An affiliate signs up through your portal as usual
- They appear in your Affiliates Dashboard with a Pending status
- You review their profile and decide whether to approve or reject them
- Once approved, they receive their tracking links and can start promoting
Best for: Programs that want to vet affiliates before giving them access, while still allowing anyone to apply.
Invite Only
Portal signup is disabled for new affiliates. You control exactly who joins by inviting them yourself. There are two ways to invite affiliates:
Via the Dashboard (recommended):
- Go to your Affiliates Dashboard
- Click "Invite Partner"
- Fill in their details and send the invitation
- The affiliate receives an email invitation to join your program
Learn more about inviting affiliates
Via the API: You can also create affiliates programmatically using the Create Affiliate endpoint. Note that affiliates created via the API do not receive an invitation email automatically — you'll need to share the portal login with them separately.
In both cases, the invited affiliate can log in to the portal normally after being added.
Best for: Exclusive programs, strategic partnerships, or when you want to hand-pick every affiliate.
How to Change Your Access Mode
- Go to Affiliate Program Settings
- Find the Access Mode section
- Select the mode you want
- Click Save Changes
The change takes effect immediately.
Plan Requirements
- Public mode is available on all plans
- Private and Invite Only modes require the Growth plan or higher
Not sure which mode to start with? Most programs start with Public to build their affiliate base, then switch to Private once they want more control over quality.
