How to generate affiliate QR codes in WordPress

Start with the affiliate’s actual referral link, not the ordinary product or home-page URL. It may contain a query parameter such as ?ref=123 or use a pretty path such as /ref/123. The affiliate system uses that identifier to assign the visit and any later conversion to the right partner. AffiliateWP documents both query-string and pretty referral URL formats.

If the code should open a particular product or landing page, create the referral URL for that destination first. Do not copy the destination URL by itself, or the QR code will open the page without affiliate attribution.

Use UTM parameters when you want to distinguish printed materials or locations in your analytics. For example, add utm_source=poster, utm_medium=qr, and utm_campaign=summer_event to the affiliate URL. Keep the affiliate identifier and the UTM parameters in the same final URL. Google Analytics recommends using source, medium, and campaign parameters for campaign URLs.

Use a separate campaign value for each flyer, event, shop, or affiliate placement you need to compare. Check that your affiliate system still receives its own referral parameter after you add the UTM values.

Paste the complete tracked URL into a QR code generator that can export a PNG or SVG image. A WordPress plugin is not required for a static code because the QR image only stores the URL; the affiliate platform does the tracking when the scan opens that URL.

Choose a high-resolution export, keep strong contrast between the code and its background, and leave clear space around the outside. Do not edit the encoded URL after generating the image. If you change the referral link, generate a new QR code.

Scan the finished image with a phone in a private browser window. Confirm that it opens the intended page, retains the affiliate information, and does not produce a 404 error. If your affiliate platform has a visits or clicks report, check for the test visit before printing hundreds of copies.

For AffiliateWP pretty links that return a 404, visit Settings » Permalinks and save the existing settings without changing them, then clear relevant caches and test again. This refreshes WordPress rewrite rules.

If scans open the page but visits or referrals are missing, check caching, CDN, consent tools, ad blockers, and JavaScript errors. Affiliate tracking normally depends on a referral cookie, so a cache or optimisation layer that strips or mishandles tracking data can break attribution. AffiliateWP specifically warns that caching and script optimisation can interfere with its tracking cookies.

Test while logged out and use a clean browser session. Do not assume a successful page load means the affiliate visit was recorded.

The fast way is to use AffiliateWP Affiliate QR Codes if your site already runs AffiliateWP. It creates a QR code from each affiliate’s referral link and makes the code available from the affiliate dashboard, so you do not have to copy links and generate images by hand for every partner.

This is worth using when several affiliates need their own print-ready codes or when you want the QR image tied directly to the referral-link workflow. The manual route is fine for a small number of static codes; the add-on is more practical for a growing programme.