Help & Documentation

The Dashboard is your home base after logging in. It provides a quick overview of your account:

• Onboarding checklist — Follow the guided steps to set up your first site, affiliate network, product, and box style.
• Quick counts — See how many sites, affiliates, products, styles, and tables you have at a glance.
• Shortcuts — Jump directly to adding a new site, product, or table.
• Warnings — Any warnings about your account or your product database will be shown on the dashboard. 

The AffiliateBoxes browser extension lets you add products from any retailer with a single click while you browse the web.

Install for your browser:

Chrome installation:

1. Visit the Chrome Web Store listing and click Add to Chrome.
2. Confirm by clicking Add extension in the popup.
3. The AffiliateBoxes icon will appear in your toolbar.

Firefox installation:

1. Visit the Firefox Add-ons listing and click Add to Firefox.
2. Confirm by clicking Add in the popup.
3. The AffiliateBoxes icon will appear in your toolbar.

Edge installation:

1. Visit the Edge Add-ons listing and click Get.
2. Confirm by clicking Add in the popup.
3. The AffiliateBoxes icon will appear in your toolbar.

Pinning the extension for quick access:

• Click the puzzle piece icon in the toolbar, then click the pin icon next to AffiliateBoxes.

Connecting to your account:

1. Click the AffiliateBoxes extension icon in your toolbar.
2. Click Connect — this will open AffiliateBoxes in a new tab.
3. Log in (if not already) and click Allow to authorize the extension.
4. The extension is now connected and ready to use.

Connecting automatically creates and uses an API key. You can manage your API keys from your Profile settings.

The extension can capture product data from the following retailers:

• Amazon — any product page on amazon.com or a regional Amazon domain
• Walmart — any product page on walmart.com

For each retailer, you need a corresponding Affiliate Network of that type set up in AffiliateBoxes. 

Contact us if you'd like to request support for additional vendors.

Use the browser extension to add Amazon products to your AffiliateBoxes account with a single click.

Steps:

1. Navigate to any product page on amazon.com (or your regional Amazon site).
2. Click the AffiliateBoxes extension icon in your browser toolbar.
3. The extension will detect the product and show its title, images, and price.
4. Select the site you want to add the product to from the dropdown.
5. Click Add Product.

The product will be created in your AffiliateBoxes account with:

• Product title and description
• Product images
• Current price and availability
• Your Amazon affiliate link (using your partner tag)
• ASIN for automatic price updates

You can then edit the product from Your Products to add pros/cons, extra links, or customize other details.

Use the browser extension to add Walmart products to your AffiliateBoxes account with a single click.

Steps:

1. Navigate to any product page on walmart.com.
2. Click the AffiliateBoxes extension icon in your browser toolbar.
3. The extension will detect the product and show its title, images, and price.
4. Select the site you want to add the product to from the dropdown.
5. Click Add Product.

The product will be created in your AffiliateBoxes account with:

• Product title and description
• Product images
• Current price and availability
• Your Walmart affiliate link
• Walmart ID for reference

You can then edit the product from Your Products to add pros/cons, extra links, or customize other details.

The Your Sites page lists all your connected WordPress websites.

The quickest way to connect a Wordpress website is by installing the Wordpress Plugin and clicking the Connect button from your Wordpress admin. Normally only non-wordpress sites are added manually. 

Site details:

• Name — A friendly label for your reference. This name is only used internally. 
• URL — The domain name of your website.
• Default Style — The box style applied to all products on this site unless a product has its own style override.

Click any site in the list to edit its settings. To delete a site, open the edit page and use the delete button at the bottom.

To display your affiliate boxes on WordPress, you need to install the AffiliateBoxes plugin.

Steps:

1. In the WordPress admin, go to Plugins → Add Plugin and upload the plugin zip file.
2. Activate the plugin.
3. Go to Affiliate Boxes in your WordPress admin.
4. Click the Connect button.
5. Click Allow.

Once connected, any changes you make to styles, products or tables in AffiliateBoxes will be synced to your WordPress site automatically when you save.

Each site can have a default style that controls how all product boxes on that site look.

Style inheritance:

1. Site default style — Applied to all products on the site.
2. Product style override — Individual products can use a different style, overriding the site default.
3. Affiliate buttons override — Individual affiliate networks can override the button style for just their own links/buttons. 

To set a default style, edit the site and select a style from the dropdown. You can create new styles from the Box Styles page.

Affiliate networks connect your products to your affiliate programs, enabling tracked purchase links and Amazon API access.

Creating an affiliate network:

1. Go to Affiliate Networks from the sidebar.
2. Enter a name (e.g., "My Amazon US").
3. Select the program type (Amazon, Walmart, etc.).
4. Optionally assign it to a specific site.
5. Click Add.

After creating the network, edit it to add your API credentials and partner tag.

To use Amazon product search and automatic data updates, you need to configure Amazon API credentials.

Required credentials:

• API Key — Your Amazon Creators API access key.
• API Secret — Your Amazon Creators API secret key.
• Partner Tag — Your Amazon Associates partner/tracking tag (e.g., mysite-20).
• Amazon URL — The regional Amazon domain (e.g., www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk).

Getting credentials:

1. Sign up for the Amazon Associates Program.
2. Navigate to the Creators API section to obtain your API key and secret.
3. Enter these credentials in your affiliate network's edit page.
4. Use the Test Connection button to verify your credentials work.

Regional URLs:

Use the Amazon domain for your target market:

• US: www.amazon.com
• UK: www.amazon.co.uk
• DE: www.amazon.de
• FR: www.amazon.fr
• CA: www.amazon.ca
• And other supported Amazon marketplaces.

The Priority field controls the order in which an affiliate network's buttons appear when a Box Style is set to order buttons by Affiliate Network Priority.

• Lower numbers appear first. For example, priority 1 appears before priority 5.
• When multiple networks have the same priority, the product-level order (set by drag-and-drop on the product edit page) is used as a tiebreaker.
• Priority only takes effect when the Box Style's Button Order is set to By Affiliate Network Priority.

Box styles control the visual appearance of your product boxes.

Creating a style:

1. Go to Box Styles from the sidebar.
2. Enter a name and click Add.
3. Use the visual editor to customize colors, fonts, borders, and more.

Customizable properties:

• Colors — Background, text, border, ribbon, and button colors.
• Typography — Font family, size, and weight for titles and text.
• Borders — Style, width, radius, and color.
• Ribbons — Background color, text color, and custom text.
• Buttons — Background, text color, prefix/suffix text, and overflow behavior.
• Layout — Content display options, element visibility toggles.

Changes are previewed in real-time as you edit.

Styles follow an inheritance chain that lets you set defaults while allowing overrides:

1. Site default style — Set on the site's edit page. All products on this site use this style by default.
2. Product style override — Set on the product's edit page. This overrides the site's default style for this specific product.

This means you can create a consistent look across your site while still customizing individual products when needed.

Tip: Create a base style for each site, then duplicate it and tweak for specific products that need a different look.

The Button Order setting (under Buttons in the style editor) controls how affiliate link buttons are ordered in a product box.

• By Product setting — Buttons appear in the order set by drag-and-drop on each product's edit page. This is the default.
• By Affiliate Network Priority — Buttons are ordered by the Priority field set on each Affiliate Network. Lower numbers appear first. If two networks share the same priority, the product-level drag-and-drop order is used as a tiebreaker.

There are several ways to add products to your account:

1. Amazon Search

If you have Amazon API credentials configured on an affiliate network, you can search Amazon's catalog directly. Select a site (that has an affiliate network with Amazon API credentials), type a search query, and browse results. Click Add to import a product with all its data.

2. ASIN Import

If you already have an Amazon ASIN, paste it into the ASIN field. The system will fetch the product data from Amazon automatically.

3. Manual Entry

Enter a product title, select a site, and click Add. You can then fill in all the details manually on the edit page.

4. Browser Extension

Use the browser extension to add products while browsing any retailer website.

5. CSV Import

Bulk import products from a CSV file. Go to the Products page and use the Import button.

The product edit page lets you manage all aspects of a product:

Basic Info

• Title — The product name displayed in the box.
• Description — A rich-text description with formatting support.
• Ribbon — An optional badge/label (e.g., "Best Seller", "Editor's Pick").
• Ranking — A numeric rank for comparison purposes.

Images

Add multiple images by URL. Drag and drop to reorder them. The first image is the primary display image.

Affiliate Links

Add purchase links for different retailers. Each link can have a name, URL, price, savings amount, savings percentage, and availability status. Links are associated with your affiliate networks.

Extra Links

Add supplementary links like "Read our review" or "View on manufacturer site".

Pros & Cons

Add bullet-point pros and cons that display in the product box.

Product Identifiers

Store identifiers like ASIN, UPC, GTIN, ISBN, EAN, and Walmart ID for tracking and Amazon API updates.

AffiliateBoxes supports bulk import and export of products.

Exporting

On the Products page, use the Export dropdown to download your products as:

• CSV — Spreadsheet-compatible format for editing in Excel or Google Sheets.
• JSON — Structured data format for programmatic use.

Importing from CSV

1. Prepare a CSV file with columns matching the product fields (title, asin, description, etc.).
2. Go to the Products page and click Import.
3. Upload your CSV file and select the target site.
4. The import runs with real-time progress updates.

Tip: Export your existing products first to see the expected CSV format.

Products linked to Amazon (via ASIN) can have their data automatically updated.

What gets updated:

• Current price and savings
• Availability status
• Product images
• Rating and review count

How it works:

A scheduled cron job periodically checks products with ASINs and updates their Amazon data. The amazon_updated_at timestamp shows when the last update occurred.

You can also manually refresh a product's Amazon data from the product edit page.

Note: Amazon API access requires valid credentials configured on your affiliate network. The system uses the Amazon Creators API.

Comparison tables let you display multiple products side-by-side for easy comparison.

Creating a table:

1. Go to Tables from the sidebar.
2. Enter a name and select a site.
3. Click Add.

Configuring a table:

• Add products — Select from your existing products to include in the table. Drag to reorder.
• Define rows — Each row is a comparison field. Choose from product fields (title, price, rating, etc.) or create custom rows with per-product values.
• Template — Select a display template (advanced, base, or table layout).

Tables are synced to WordPress just like individual products.

Table rows define what information is compared across products.

Row types:

• Product field — Pulls data directly from each product's stored fields (e.g., title, price, description, rating).
• Custom — Define a custom label and enter unique values for each product in the table.

Managing rows:

• Drag rows to reorder them.
• Click a row to edit its label or type.
• For custom rows, enter a value for each product in the table.

The AffiliateBoxes WordPress plugin displays your product boxes and comparison tables on your WordPress site.

Installation:

1. Download the plugin from your site's edit page in AffiliateBoxes, or search "AffiliateBoxes" in the WordPress plugin directory.
2. Install and activate the plugin.
3. Go to Settings → AffiliateBoxes in WordPress.
4. Enter your site's API key (found on the site's edit page in AffiliateBoxes).
5. Click Save.

When you save a product or table in AffiliateBoxes, it's automatically synced to the connected WordPress site.

How syncing works:

• Product data (title, images, links, prices, etc.) is pushed to WordPress via the REST API.
• Table structure and product assignments are synced alongside product data.
• The WordPress plugin stores this data locally, so boxes display even if AffiliateBoxes is temporarily unavailable.

Manual sync:

You can trigger a full sync from the WordPress plugin settings page, or via the API endpoint.

Once synced, you can embed product boxes and tables anywhere in your WordPress content.

Product boxes:

Use the WordPress block editor or shortcode to insert a product box. The plugin provides a dedicated block for easy insertion.

Comparison tables:

Similarly, insert comparison tables using the provided block or shortcode. Tables automatically pull in the latest product data.

Boxes and tables are responsive and adapt to your site's layout automatically.

Manage your subscription from the Subscription page (click your plan name in the sidebar).

Available actions:

• Upgrade — Move to a higher plan for more quotas. Prorated billing applies.
• Downgrade — Switch to a lower plan. Takes effect at the end of your current billing period.
• Cancel — Cancel your subscription. You keep access until the end of your billing period.
• Reactivate — If you've cancelled, reactivate before your period ends to keep your plan.

Payments are processed securely through Stripe. You can update your payment method from the subscription page.

API keys let external tools (like the browser extension or custom integrations) access your AffiliateBoxes account.

Managing API keys:

1. Go to Edit Profile (click your name in the sidebar).
2. In the API Keys section, click Create API Key.

You can delete API keys at any time. Deleted keys immediately stop working.

Important: API keys grant full access to your account. Never share them publicly or commit them to version control.

All API requests require authentication using an API key.

Obtaining an API key:

Create an API key from your Edit Profile page. Each key is a unique token tied to your account.

Authentication methods:

Include your API key in requests using either method:

# Authorization header (recommended)
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" https://affiliateboxes.com/api/sites.php

# Query parameter
curl https://affiliateboxes.com/api/sites.php?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY

Error responses:

• 401 — Missing or invalid API key.
• 429 — Rate limit exceeded. Wait and retry.

API requests are rate-limited per user to ensure fair usage.

The rate limit depends on your subscription plan. If you exceed the limit, you'll receive a 429 Too Many Requests response.

Rate limit quotas reset periodically. Plan your API usage accordingly, especially for bulk operations.

Tip: Use the bulk endpoints (list all products/tables) instead of individual lookups when possible to minimize API calls.

Retrieve all sites in your account.

Request:

GET /api/sites.php
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "data": [
    {
      "slug": "my-blog",
      "name": "My Blog",
      "url": "https://myblog.com"
    }
  ]
}

Retrieve all affiliate networks in your account.

Request:

GET /api/affiliates.php
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

# Optional: filter by site
GET /api/affiliates.php?site=my-blog

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "data": [
    {
      "slug": "amazon-us",
      "name": "Amazon US",
      "program": "amazon",
      "partner_tag": "mysite-20",
      "site_slug": "my-blog"
    }
  ]
}

Create, read, update, and delete products via the API.

List all products:

GET /api/products.php
GET /api/products.php?site=my-blog  # Filter by site

Returns: slug, title, ASIN, UPC, GTIN, ISBN, EAN, Walmart ID, site info.

Get a single product:

GET /api/products.php?slug=product-slug

Returns: Full product data including images, affiliate links, extra links, and attributes.

Create a product:

POST /api/products.php
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "title": "Product Name",
  "site": "my-blog",
  "asin": "B08N5WRWNW",
  "description": "Product description...",
  "images": ["https://example.com/image1.jpg"],
  "affiliate_links": [
    {
      "name": "Buy on Amazon",
      "link": "https://amazon.com/dp/...",
      "price": "29.99"
    }
  ]
}

Required fields: title, site (slug). Returns 201 with the new product slug.

Update a product:

PUT /api/products.php?slug=product-slug
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "title": "Updated Product Name",
  "description": "Updated description..."
}

Delete a product:

DELETE /api/products.php?slug=product-slug

Performs a soft delete (sets deleted_at timestamp). Returns 200 on success.

Create, read, update, and delete comparison tables via the API.

List all tables:

GET /api/tables.php
GET /api/tables.php?site=my-blog  # Filter by site

Returns: slug, name, site info, and product list.

Get a single table:

GET /api/tables.php?slug=table-slug

Returns: Table data, products with sort order, rows with field definitions, and custom values.

Create a table:

POST /api/tables.php
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "name": "Best Laptops 2026",
  "site": "my-blog",
  "template": "advanced",
  "products": ["product-slug-1", "product-slug-2"],
  "rows": [
    {"field_type": "product_field", "label": "Price"},
    {"field_type": "custom", "label": "Our Rating"}
  ]
}

Required fields: name, site (slug). Returns 201 with the new table slug.

Update a table:

PUT /api/tables.php?slug=table-slug
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "name": "Updated Table Name",
  "products": ["slug-1", "slug-2", "slug-3"]
}

Delete a table:

DELETE /api/tables.php?slug=table-slug

Performs a soft delete. Returns 200 on success.

Trigger a full sync of products and tables to a connected WordPress site.

Request:

POST /api/?api_key=SITE_API_KEY

Note: This endpoint uses the site API key (found on the site's edit page), not your user API key.

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "site": "my-blog"
}

This sends all products and tables associated with the site to the connected WordPress installation. Rate limited — returns 429 if called too frequently.