★ MIGRATION GUIDE · 8 JUN 2026

Migrate from AffiliateWP to Asteris Affiliates

Migrating from AffiliateWP to Asteris Affiliates is a one-CLI-command import that preserves your affiliates, referral history, and balances. Both plugins use the same self-hosted model — the move is data-only, no SaaS extraction, no DNS changes, and the legacy ?ref= tracking parameter keeps working via a compatibility redirect so links already in the wild don't break.

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Step-by-step migration

  1. 01

    Export from AffiliateWP

    In WordPress admin, go to Affiliates → Tools → Export/Import. Export affiliates as CSV. Then export referrals as CSV. Then export visits as CSV (if you want historical click data preserved beyond aggregate counts).

  2. 02

    Install Asteris Affiliates

    Install and activate Asteris Affiliates, then run the 4-step onboarding wizard.

  3. 03

    Map and import

    Use the importer to map AffiliateWP fields to Asteris Affiliates. Affiliates, referral history and balances are preserved.

  4. 04

    Reconcile and pay out

    Confirm balances against AffiliateWP, set commission rates, then run the first payout via PayPal or bank transfer.

Watch out for

  • AffiliateWP's Lifetime Commissions add-on data is exported separately — re-enable equivalent behaviour in Asteris Affiliates settings after import.
  • Custom referral statuses (e.g. add-on "deferred" state) map to "pending" by default — review the imported referral list before paying out.
  • If you use AffiliateWP's Recurring Referrals add-on, re-set the recurring commission schedule on the Subscriptions tab in Asteris after import.
  • Per-product commission rates from the Tiered Affiliate Rates add-on need to be re-set on each WC product's Asteris tab (Asteris ships this in core, so the rates carry over per product rather than per affiliate-product pair).

What's actually preserved when you migrate from AffiliateWP

The AffiliateWP migration is the most-tested migration path in Asteris because it's the most common one. Roughly 60% of our customers came from AffiliateWP. Here's what the WP-CLI importer (wp asteris-aff import --source=affiliatewp --csv=/path/to/export.csv) does, in order:

  • Affiliates: ID, email, username, payment_email, account_email, default rate (percentage or flat), rate_type, payment_method preference, status (active / inactive / pending), date_registered, and any custom user_meta fields you've added. All preserved with the same affiliate ID so historical referral attribution stays attached.
  • Referrals (commissions): visit ID, affiliate ID, reference (order ID or invoice ID), amount, currency, description, context (which integration generated it — WooCommerce, EDD, Gravity Forms, etc.), campaign tag, status (pending / unpaid / paid / rejected), date. All preserved verbatim. Status maps 1:1 to Asteris's equivalent states.
  • Visits: affiliate ID, URL, referrer, campaign, IP, date. By default we preserve up to 12 months of visit history (configurable with --visits-since=2024-01-01 or similar). Earlier history collapses into per-affiliate aggregate counts to avoid bloating the visits table.
  • Payouts: historical payout records preserved as a read-only audit trail so affiliates can see their lifetime payout history in their Asteris portal.
  • Creatives (banners, swipe-copy): banner image URLs and creative metadata preserved; the creative library carries over with its existing categorisation.

The legacy referral parameter

AffiliateWP attributes referrals via a URL parameter (commonly ?ref=123 where 123 is the affiliate ID). Asteris registers a compatibility filter at activation time that catches the ?ref= parameter, looks up the corresponding Asteris affiliate ID via the imported user_meta mapping, and credits the referral as if it had been generated by Asteris's native tracking. The result: every affiliate link your affiliates have already published — in emails, on websites, in social posts — continues to track and credit the right affiliate. You can keep this filter enabled indefinitely, or disable it once you've migrated affiliates to the new /go/{handle} vanity URLs.

The recommended migration sequence

  1. Install Asteris alongside AffiliateWP. The two plugins don't conflict — Asteris uses its own wp_asteris_* tables and its own settings namespace. AffiliateWP keeps tracking new referrals while you set up Asteris.
  2. Run the export from AffiliateWP (Affiliates → Tools → Export/Import). Save all three CSVs (affiliates, referrals, visits) to your local machine.
  3. Run the import in Asteris via WP-CLI: wp asteris-aff import --source=affiliatewp --affiliates=affs.csv --referrals=refs.csv --visits=visits.csv. The import takes a few minutes for typical stores (under 5K affiliates).
  4. Verify spot-check 5–10 affiliates in Asteris admin. Confirm balances match. Confirm referral history is complete. Confirm payout history shows.
  5. Switch tracking to Asteris. Deactivate AffiliateWP's tracking by going to AffiliateWP settings and disabling "Process new referrals" (don't deactivate the plugin yet — leave it installed for the safety-net period). Asteris is now the live system.
  6. Email affiliates their new dashboard URL (typically yourdomain.com/affiliates/) plus their new vanity URL (typically yourdomain.com/go/their-handle). The legacy ?ref= links still work via the compatibility redirect.
  7. After 30 days of clean Asteris operation (one full payout cycle, no commission discrepancies), deactivate and delete AffiliateWP. Drop the wp_affwp_* tables only after you've confirmed Asteris has every affiliate, every referral, and every payout preserved.

What if I'm using AffiliateWP add-ons?

The most common AffiliateWP add-ons and how they map:

  • Multi-Level Affiliates (MLM) → Asteris ships MLM in core. Re-enable two-tier on Settings → Commissions → Two-tier and set your tier-2 rate.
  • Tiered Affiliate Rates (per-product) → Asteris ships per-product rates in core. The rates carry over per-product after import.
  • Direct Bank Transfer (bank-CSV payouts) → Asteris ships AU + US bank-CSV export. Go to Payouts → Settings → Bank Transfer to configure.
  • PayPal Payouts (batch payouts) → Asteris ships OAuth2 + Payouts API in core. Go to Payouts → Settings → PayPal API and authenticate.
  • Affiliate Dashboard Sharing (impersonation) → Asteris ships "View as" impersonation in core. Click the impersonate icon on any affiliate row.
  • Lifetime Commissions → Asteris doesn't ship a dedicated lifetime-commissions module; the equivalent is handled by setting recurring commission rates on subscription products.
  • Recurring Referrals (subscription commissions) → Asteris ships subscription-renewal commissions natively if you run WooCommerce Subscriptions. Configure on Settings → Commissions → Recurring.

If you hit any add-on whose behaviour doesn't have an obvious Asteris equivalent, email support@asterisaffiliates.com with the add-on name — we'll either point you at the equivalent Asteris setting or flag it as a roadmap item.

Pro and Agency licences include migration assistance: we'll run the import for you, validate balances, and stay on the line until your first clean payout. Email your licence key and a brief description of your AffiliateWP setup. AffiliateWP vs Asteris comparison →

FAQ

Will I lose my affiliates or history?

No. You export affiliates and referral history and import them into Asteris Affiliates, preserving balances.

How long does migration take?

Most stores migrate in well under a day; the steps above cover the whole flow.

What if I get stuck?

Pro + Agency tier customers get migration assistance from us. Email support@asterisaffiliates.com with your licence key.

Ready to migrate?

14-day money-back guarantee. If migration doesn't fit your store, refund — no questions.

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