How to customize an affiliate dashboard in WordPress

Open the page assigned as the Affiliate Area in AffiliateWP » Settings. AffiliateWP normally creates this page automatically using the Affiliate Area block, which displays affiliate links, statistics, graphs, referrals, visits, creatives and settings after an affiliate logs in.

Check whether the page uses the block or the [affiliate_area] shortcode before changing it. Do not build a replacement page until you know which version is active, or you may leave the old dashboard assigned in the plugin settings.

For a simple branded page, edit the Affiliate Area page with the block editor and place headings, columns, introductory text and brand elements around the Affiliate Area block. If you use a page builder or the Classic Editor, create a page and add [affiliate_area] instead. Set that page as the Affiliate Area in AffiliateWP settings.

The shortcode route is useful when you need the standard dashboard in a custom page design. Its form settings, including which login or registration forms appear, apply to the shortcode version and not to the block version.

Use AffiliateWP settings to control the general affiliate experience, including the assigned Affiliate Area page, referral URL behaviour and registration form options. For deeper changes, AffiliateWP documents dashboard templates such as dashboard.php and separate files for URLs, statistics, graphs, referrals, visits, creatives and settings. Copy the relevant template into your child theme before editing it so plugin updates do not overwrite your work.

The manual template route is fine when you only need to hide, reorder or restyle existing sections and you are comfortable maintaining PHP templates. It becomes awkward when you want to arrange individual dashboard sections across several pages or repeatedly change the layout from WordPress admin.

Add your own explanatory copy, payout instructions, campaign guidance or support details to the page around the dashboard. Use your theme’s custom CSS area or child-theme stylesheet for colours, spacing, buttons, tables and responsive adjustments rather than editing AffiliateWP plugin files.

Keep affiliate-only information inside the Affiliate Area or another protected affiliate page. A public page containing ordinary text is not automatically protected just because it links to the dashboard.

Open the page while logged out, then test it with an approved affiliate account. Check that login works, referral URLs generate correctly, earnings and referrals belong to the current affiliate, creatives load, and the layout remains usable on a phone.

If the page shows stale data or referrals stop tracking, check page caching, cookie exclusions and optimisation settings. AffiliateWP recommends excluding the Affiliate Area, login and registration pages and its tracking cookies from caching; purge every cache after making changes. If pretty referral URLs return 404 errors, resave the WordPress permalink settings.

When you need a dashboard made from selected sections rather than the standard tabbed area, use AffiliateWP Affiliate Area Shortcodes. It provides shortcodes for areas such as statistics, graphs, referrals, payouts, URLs, visits, creatives and settings, so you can place several sections on one page or split them across protected pages.

Choose this route when affiliates need a branded view of earnings, referrals, payouts and creative assets without maintaining template files. You still need AffiliateWP active, the correct Affiliate Area page assigned for login redirects, and a test affiliate account before publishing the new layout.