What is an affiliate dashboard and what should I check each week?
What the dashboard shows
Most dashboards list clicks, orders, conversion rate, pending commissions and approved commissions. Some also show which links or pages drove each sale. Pending money can take time to clear, and some sales are reversed after returns.
Dashboards differ by program. Some update in near real time, while others update daily. Note the difference so you do not panic over short-term gaps.
- Clicks and sales by link or page
- Pending versus approved commissions
- Reversals and returns
- Payout history and threshold
A simple weekly check
Look at which pages brought in clicks and which turned those clicks into sales. If a page has many clicks and no sales, the link placement or offer may need work. If a program's commissions look too low, compare them with the terms.
Keep a simple log of changes you make so you can tell what worked. Check for tracking gaps, such as sales that never appeared, and contact the program if a pattern repeats. Over time, these weekly notes make it much easier to see which offers deserve more of your effort.
- Compare clicks to sales per page
- Check pending and reversed commissions
- Log the changes you make
- Report missing sales with order details
Common mistakes
- Treating pending commissions as final money before the program approves them.
- Ignoring reversed commissions, which can make earnings look higher than they are.
- Never comparing dashboard numbers with the program's own payout report.
