> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.the-meridian.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Program

Each app has one affiliate program. It holds the identity affiliates see, the link they share, and the **default commission rules** everything else inherits from.

## Identity and the tracked link

A **name**, and a **tracked link base URL**: a full `https://` URL that shared links append the referral code to (`?mref=<code>`).

The link has one requirement that decides whether the whole program works: it must point at **a page your app actually serves**. Shopify never passes `?mref=` through to your app from an App Store listing URL, so a link pointing there attributes nothing. Meridian refuses it at save time rather than letting you find out from a month of unattributed installs.

## The commission rules

| Rule | What it does |
| - | - |
| **Revenue share %** | A percentage of qualifying revenue, recurring per qualifying transaction |
| **Duration (months)** | The window from the affiliate's first commission. Empty means lifetime |
| **Install bounty** | A flat amount per referred install, minted at attribution time |
| **Signup bonus** | A one-off amount on the first eligible transaction |
| **Minimum plan value** | Skip installs on plans priced below this |
| **Pay on** | **Gross** revenue, or **net** (after Shopify's fees) |
| **Qualifying revenue** | Which components count: subscriptions, usage charges, one-time purchases. Leave all unchecked to include everything |

The default for a new program is a **30% lifetime revenue share on subscriptions**.

## Reading the rules before you commit

The overview shows an **earnings preview** computed from your real rules (what an affiliate would make on a given referral), so a percentage, a duration and a minimum plan value can be sanity-checked together rather than one at a time.

## Where rules can be overridden

The program rule is the floor. [Groups](/affiliate-groups) override it field by field for a tier of affiliates, and a single [member](/affiliate-members) can carry a custom rule. Resolution is most-specific-first: **member override → group → program default**.

## Joining

You can require approval to join, or let affiliates enroll directly. Pending applications show on [Members](/affiliate-members) as awaiting your decision.


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