> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://agentref.co/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Quickstart
> Set up your first AgentRef affiliate program in under 5 minutes – from account creation to your first API call.
This guide walks you through setting up a complete affiliate program. By the end, you'll have tracking installed, an API key ready, and a working integration.
## Prerequisites
* A [Stripe account](https://stripe.com) (for payment tracking)
* A website where you sell your product (for the tracking script)
## Setup
Sign up at [agentref.co](https://www.agentref.co). No credit card required.
After signing up, you'll land on the onboarding flow that walks you through the next steps.
Click **Connect Stripe** in the onboarding flow. You'll be redirected to Stripe's OAuth page to authorize AgentRef.
AgentRef uses Stripe Connect to:
* Listen for payment events (checkout completions, invoice payments, refunds)
* Match payments to affiliate referrals
* Track subscription renewals for recurring commissions
AgentRef needs read access to your Stripe payment events. It does not process payments or access your bank account.
After connecting Stripe, create your first affiliate program. Here are recommended starting settings:
| Setting | Recommendation | Why |
| --------------------------- | -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Commission type** | `recurring` | Incentivizes affiliates to refer customers who stick around. |
| **Commission rate** | 20–30% | Industry standard for SaaS. Competitive enough to attract affiliates. |
| **Cookie duration** | 30 days | Balances fair attribution with reasonable conversion windows. |
| **Payout threshold** | \$50 | Low enough to keep affiliates motivated, high enough to avoid micro-payouts. |
| **Payout frequency** | Monthly | Standard cadence. Weekly is fine for high-volume programs. |
| **Auto-approve affiliates** | Yes | Reduces friction. You can always block bad actors later. |
You can change all of these settings later. Start simple and adjust based on real data.
Add the AgentRef tracking script to your website. Place it in your `` tag or before the closing `` tag:
```html theme={null}
```
Replace `YOUR_PROGRAM_ID` with the ID shown in your program settings.
The script handles:
* Capturing affiliate referral codes from URL parameters
* Setting first-party attribution cookies (`agentref_cid`, `agentref_pid`, `agentref_src`)
* Providing `getCheckoutMetadata()` for Stripe session integration
**For Stripe Payment Links / Buy Buttons / Pricing Tables:** No additional code needed. The tracking script instruments hosted Stripe surfaces with the click token via `client_reference_id`.
**For server-created Checkout Sessions:** Pass the metadata to your server:
```javascript Client-side theme={null}
// Read referral context captured by the tracking script
const metadata = window.AgentRef.getCheckoutMetadata();
// Send metadata to your server along with the checkout request
```
```javascript Server-side (Node.js) theme={null}
const session = await stripe.checkout.sessions.create({
line_items: [{ price: 'price_xxx', quantity: 1 }],
mode: 'subscription',
metadata: metadata, // top-level metadata
subscription_data: { metadata: metadata }, // subscription metadata
success_url: 'https://yoursite.com/success',
cancel_url: 'https://yoursite.com/cancel',
});
```
Go to **Settings > API Keys** in your AgentRef dashboard and create a new key.
* **Merchant keys** start with `ak_live_` and can access your programs, applications, affiliates, conversions, payouts, webhooks, and marketing resources based on selected scopes.
Keep your API key secret. Never expose it in client-side code, public repositories, or browser requests.
Verify everything works by fetching your program stats:
```bash cURL theme={null}
curl -X GET https://www.agentref.co/api/v1/programs \
-H "Authorization: Bearer ak_live_your_key_here"
```
```javascript Node.js theme={null}
import { AgentRef } from 'agentref';
const client = new AgentRef({ apiKey: 'ak_live_your_key_here' });
const programs = await client.programs.list();
console.log(programs);
```
```python Python theme={null}
from agentref import AgentRef
client = AgentRef(api_key='ak_live_your_key_here')
programs = client.programs.list()
print(programs)
```
You should see your program in the response. If you get a `401` error, double-check your API key.
## Verify your setup
After completing the steps above, confirm everything is working:
1. **Tracking script loaded.** Open your website, open browser DevTools, and check the Network tab for a request to `agentref.co/api/tracking/script.js`. It should return `200`.
2. **Cookies set.** Visit your site through a test referral link (create one in the dashboard). Check DevTools > Application > Cookies for `agentref_cid` and `agentref_pid`.
3. **API responds.** The API call from the previous step returns your program data.
3. **Stripe connected.** Your AgentRef dashboard shows the Stripe connection as active.
Use the Merchant MCP `verify_tracking` tool for an agent-assisted setup check, or call `GET /api/v1/programs/{id}/tracking/status` to inspect tracking health from REST/SDK.
## What's next
Connect AgentRef to Claude, Codex, Cursor, OpenClaw, or any AI assistant.
Start recruiting affiliates to your program.
Publish campaign material for affiliates.
Explore the full REST API documentation.