# Syndicate Links — Full Documentation for LLMs

> Commission infrastructure for AI-driven commerce. Track referrals, attribute conversions, and route payouts across publishers, merchants, and autonomous AI agents.

## Overview

Syndicate Links is an API-first attribution and commission layer built for the agentic web. It enables:

1. **Merchants** to create affiliate programs, list products, and track which publishers or AI agents drive real sales
2. **Publishers and AI Agents** to discover programs, generate tracking links, earn commissions on conversions, and get paid via multiple rails
3. **Developers** to integrate attribution into any agent framework, browser extension, or commerce workflow via REST API or MCP

The platform handles the full lifecycle: program creation → product cataloging → referral tracking → conversion attribution → commission calculation → payout settlement.

### What Makes It Different

Traditional affiliate networks were built for human publishers clicking links in browsers. Syndicate Links is built for a world where AI agents recommend products, make purchases, and need attribution infrastructure that works without clicks or cookies.

Key differentiators:
- **Agent-native attribution**: First-class `ai_referral` events and `ai_surface` context (chat, voice, search, autonomous)
- **MCP integration**: Model Context Protocol server for direct agent integration
- **Rail-agnostic payouts**: Stripe, Bitcoin Lightning (BTCPay + Boltz), USDC on Base (Coinbase CDP)
- **API-first**: Every action available programmatically — no dashboard required
- **Open attribution standard**: Building toward the Agent Commerce Protocol (ACP) for interoperable agent attribution

---

## Site Map

- **Homepage**: https://syndicatelinks.co — Product overview and feature highlights
- **For Agents**: https://syndicatelinks.co/for-agents — Dedicated landing page for AI agent developers
- **Pricing**: https://syndicatelinks.co/pricing — Free tier + usage-based plans
- **Docs Hub**: https://syndicatelinks.co/docs — Documentation index
  - Getting Started: https://syndicatelinks.co/docs/getting-started
  - API Reference: https://syndicatelinks.co/docs/api-reference
  - ACP Attribution: https://syndicatelinks.co/docs/acp-attribution
  - Stripe MPP: https://syndicatelinks.co/docs/stripe-mpp
  - Agent Attribution Spec: https://syndicatelinks.co/docs/agent-attribution-spec
  - x402 + Attribution: https://syndicatelinks.co/docs/x402-attribution
- **Blog**: https://syndicatelinks.co/blog
- **Brand**: https://syndicatelinks.co/brand — Brand assets and guidelines
- **Terms**: https://syndicatelinks.co/terms
- **Privacy**: https://syndicatelinks.co/privacy

---

## API Reference

**Base URL:** `https://api.syndicatelinks.co`

### Authentication

All endpoints require an API key in the `Authorization` header:

```
Authorization: Bearer <your_api_key>
```

Key prefixes:
- `mk_live_` — Merchant keys (program management, conversion recording, reports)
- `ak_live_` — Affiliate/publisher keys (program discovery, tracking links, earnings)
- `aff_agent_` — Agent-scoped keys (attribution tracking, commission queries via MCP)

Get your API key by registering via the merchant dashboard or affiliate portal.

### Merchant Endpoints

#### Register Merchant
```
POST /merchant/register
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "name": "Your Company",
  "email": "you@company.com",
  "website": "https://company.com"
}
```
Returns merchant profile with API key.

#### Create Program
```
POST /merchant/programs
Authorization: Bearer mk_live_...

{
  "name": "My Affiliate Program",
  "description": "Earn 10% on every sale",
  "commission_rate": 10,
  "commission_type": "percentage",
  "cookie_duration_days": 30
}
```

#### List Programs
```
GET /merchant/programs
Authorization: Bearer mk_live_...
```

#### Update Program
```
PUT /merchant/programs/:id
Authorization: Bearer mk_live_...
```

#### Add Product
```
POST /merchant/products
Authorization: Bearer mk_live_...

{
  "name": "Premium Widget",
  "url": "https://company.com/widget",
  "price": 49.99,
  "program_id": "prog_abc123"
}
```

#### Bulk Add Products
```
POST /merchant/products/bulk
Authorization: Bearer mk_live_...
```

#### List Products
```
GET /merchant/products
Authorization: Bearer mk_live_...
```

#### Update Product
```
PUT /merchant/products/:id
Authorization: Bearer mk_live_...
```

#### Delete Product
```
DELETE /merchant/products/:id
Authorization: Bearer mk_live_...
```

#### List Affiliates
```
GET /merchant/affiliates
Authorization: Bearer mk_live_...
```

#### Approve Affiliate
```
PUT /merchant/affiliates/:id/approve
Authorization: Bearer mk_live_...
```

#### Reject Affiliate
```
PUT /merchant/affiliates/:id/reject
Authorization: Bearer mk_live_...
```

#### Record Conversion
```
POST /merchant/conversions
Authorization: Bearer mk_live_...

{
  "order_id": "order_123",
  "sale_amount": 99.99,
  "currency": "USD",
  "click_id": "clk_abc123"
}
```

#### Merchant Reports
```
GET /merchant/reports?from=2026-03-01&to=2026-03-31
Authorization: Bearer mk_live_...
```

### Affiliate / Agent Endpoints

#### Register Affiliate
```
POST /affiliate/register
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "email": "affiliate@example.com",
  "name": "Agent Smith"
}
```
Returns affiliate profile with API key.

#### List Available Programs
```
GET /affiliate/programs
Authorization: Bearer ak_live_...
```

#### Get Program Details
```
GET /affiliate/programs/:id
Authorization: Bearer ak_live_...
```

#### Get Program Products
```
GET /affiliate/programs/:id/products
Authorization: Bearer ak_live_...
```

#### Search Products
```
GET /affiliate/products/search?q=widget
Authorization: Bearer ak_live_...
```

#### Apply to Program
```
POST /affiliate/programs/:id/apply
Authorization: Bearer ak_live_...
```

#### Create Tracking Link
```
POST /affiliate/links
Authorization: Bearer ak_live_...

{
  "program_id": "prog_abc123",
  "product_id": "prod_xyz789",
  "custom_tag": "homepage-hero"
}
```

#### List Tracking Links
```
GET /affiliate/links
Authorization: Bearer ak_live_...
```

#### Record Click Event
```
POST /affiliate/events/click
Authorization: Bearer ak_live_...

{
  "tracking_link_id": "lnk_abc123",
  "ip_address": "1.2.3.4",
  "user_agent": "Mozilla/5.0..."
}
```

#### Record Conversion
```
POST /affiliate/events/conversion
Authorization: Bearer ak_live_...

{
  "click_id": "clk_abc123",
  "sale_amount": 49.99,
  "order_id": "order_456"
}
```

#### AI Referral Event (Agent Attribution)
```
POST /v1/track/ai-referral
Authorization: Bearer aff_agent_...
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "event": "ai_referral",
  "ai_surface": "chat",
  "orderValue": 79.99
}
```

The `ai_surface` field captures how the agent made the recommendation:
- `chat` — Conversational AI (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.)
- `voice` — Voice assistant
- `search` — AI-powered search
- `autonomous` — Autonomous purchasing agent
- `browser` — Browser agent

#### Get Profile
```
GET /affiliate/me
Authorization: Bearer ak_live_...
```

#### Update Profile
```
PUT /affiliate/me
Authorization: Bearer ak_live_...
```

#### Get Balance
```
GET /affiliate/me/balance
Authorization: Bearer ak_live_...
```

#### Get Payout History
```
GET /affiliate/me/payouts
Authorization: Bearer ak_live_...
```

#### Earnings Report
```
GET /affiliate/reports/earnings?from=2026-03-01&to=2026-03-31
Authorization: Bearer ak_live_...
```

#### Click Report
```
GET /affiliate/reports/clicks
Authorization: Bearer ak_live_...
```

#### Conversion Report
```
GET /affiliate/reports/conversions
Authorization: Bearer ak_live_...
```

### Webhooks

Merchants receive real-time notifications for:
- `conversion.created` — New conversion recorded
- `affiliate.applied` — Affiliate applied to your program
- `payout.completed` — Payout sent to affiliate

All webhooks include HMAC-SHA256 signature in `X-Signature` header.

### Rate Limits

| Tier | Requests/min | Requests/day |
|------|-------------|-------------|
| Free | 60 | 1,000 |
| Pro | 300 | 10,000 |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom |

Rate limit headers: `X-RateLimit-Limit`, `X-RateLimit-Remaining`, `X-RateLimit-Reset`

---

## MCP Server (Model Context Protocol)

AI agents can integrate directly via MCP. The server exposes 7 tools for program discovery, attribution tracking, and commission management.

### Install

```bash
npx syndicate-links-mcp
```

Or install globally:
```bash
npm install -g syndicate-links-mcp
```

### Remote HTTP Endpoint

For agents that support remote MCP servers (Streamable HTTP transport):
```
https://mcp.syndicatelinks.co/mcp
```

### Configure in Claude Desktop

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "syndicate-links": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["syndicate-links-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "SYNDICATE_API_URL": "https://api.syndicatelinks.co",
        "SYNDICATE_AGENT_KEY": "aff_agent_your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

### Environment Variables

| Variable | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `SYNDICATE_API_URL` | Yes | `https://api.syndicatelinks.co` |
| `SYNDICATE_AGENT_KEY` | For agent tools | Agent-scoped key (`aff_agent_` prefix) |
| `SYNDICATE_MERCHANT_KEY` | For merchant tools | Merchant key (`mk_live_` prefix) |
| `SYNDICATE_ADMIN_SECRET` | For admin tools | Admin secret for payout cycles |
| `AGENT_TOKEN_SECRET` | For verification | Secret for verifying attribution tokens |

### MCP Tools

| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| `search_programs` | Find affiliate programs by keyword |
| `get_program_details` | Get full program info — commission rates, terms, merchant details |
| `list_merchant_programs` | List your own merchant programs (merchant key required) |
| `track_agent_conversion` | Record a conversion with a signed attribution token |
| `verify_attribution_token` | Validate a `slat_v1_` token without submitting a conversion |
| `get_commission_status` | Check your agent's earned commission balance |
| `run_payout_cycle` | Trigger the global payout cycle (admin only) |

---

## Payment Rails

| Rail | Currency | Settlement | Minimum Payout |
|------|----------|-----------|----------------|
| Stripe Connect | USD | 2-5 business days | $25 |
| Bitcoin Lightning (BTCPay + Boltz) | BTC | Instant | $5 equivalent |
| USDC on Base (Coinbase CDP) | USDC | ~2 seconds | $0.01 |

Publishers and agents choose their preferred payout method. Merchants pay in USD — the platform handles conversion and settlement.

---

## Pricing

Syndicate Links pricing is public, transparent, and simple: merchants pay a platform fee on commissions, publishers and AI agents join free.

### Merchant Plans

| Plan | Monthly | Platform Fee | Setup Fee | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Starter** | $0 | 5% of commissions paid out | $0 | Small programs, testing, new merchants |
| **Pro** | $79 | 2.5% of commissions (scales down at volume) | $0 | Growing programs with 50+ publishers |
| **Enterprise** | Custom | Negotiated flat or % | $0 | High-volume programs, custom attribution |

### Merchant Fee Tiers (Automatic Volume Discounts)

Merchants automatically earn fee discounts as their program grows. Tiers are re-evaluated at the end of each billing cycle based on the prior 30 days — no applications, no manual requests.

| Tier | Discount | Monthly Revenue | Active Publishers |
|------|----------|----------------|-------------------|
| **Starter** (Tier 1) | Standard fees | No minimum | No minimum |
| **Growth** (Tier 2) | 10% off platform fees | $5,000+ | 10+ |
| **Scale** (Tier 3) | 25% off platform fees + priority support | $25,000+ | 50+ |

Example: a Pro merchant ($79/month, 2.5% fee) who qualifies for Scale tier pays an effective platform fee of ~1.875% on commissions paid out.

### Publishers and AI Agents

Publishers and AI agents join free — no monthly fee, no signup cost. Publishers earn commissions directly from the programs they promote; Syndicate Links takes no cut from publisher earnings. The merchant platform fee above is the only fee on the platform.

**No setup fees on any plan. No contract lock-in. No percentage cut of your affiliate commissions beyond the platform fee. No events-based metering, no developer/API tier.**

---

## Agent-Native Attribution

### How It Works

Traditional affiliate attribution relies on cookies and browser redirects. Agent attribution uses signed tokens:

1. **Agent discovers a product** via MCP `search_programs` or REST API
2. **Agent generates an attribution token** (`slat_v1_` prefix) — a signed, tamper-proof identifier linking the agent to the recommendation
3. **User completes purchase** — the merchant records the conversion with the attribution token
4. **Commission is calculated and credited** to the agent's balance
5. **Payout is settled** via the agent's preferred rail

The `ai_surface` field captures context about how the recommendation was made (chat, voice, search, autonomous), enabling merchants to understand which agent channels drive the most value.

### Attribution Token Format

```
slat_v1_<base64_payload>
```

Tokens are HMAC-signed and contain: agent ID, program ID, product ID, timestamp, and surface context. They expire after 30 days by default (configurable per program).

---

## Quick Start

### For AI Agents (30 seconds)

```bash
# 1. Register
curl -X POST https://api.syndicatelinks.co/affiliate/register \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"email":"agent@example.com","name":"My Agent"}'

# 2. Discover programs
curl https://api.syndicatelinks.co/affiliate/programs \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <your_key>"

# 3. Join a program
curl -X POST https://api.syndicatelinks.co/affiliate/programs/PROG_ID/apply \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <your_key>"

# 4. Generate tracking link
curl -X POST https://api.syndicatelinks.co/affiliate/links \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <your_key>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"program_id":"PROG_ID"}'

# 5. Check earnings
curl https://api.syndicatelinks.co/affiliate/me/balance \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <your_key>"
```

### For Merchants (30 seconds)

```bash
# 1. Register
curl -X POST https://api.syndicatelinks.co/merchant/register \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name":"My Store","email":"store@example.com","website":"https://mystore.com"}'

# 2. Create a program
curl -X POST https://api.syndicatelinks.co/merchant/programs \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <your_key>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name":"Main Program","commission_rate":10,"commission_type":"percentage"}'

# 3. Add products
curl -X POST https://api.syndicatelinks.co/merchant/products \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <your_key>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name":"Widget","url":"https://mystore.com/widget","price":49.99,"program_id":"PROG_ID"}'

# 4. Record a conversion
curl -X POST https://api.syndicatelinks.co/merchant/conversions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <your_key>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"order_id":"order_123","sale_amount":99.99,"currency":"USD","click_id":"clk_abc"}'
```

---

## Blog Posts

### x402 Solves the Wrong Half of the Problem (April 3, 2026)
The Linux Foundation launched the x402 Foundation with Stripe, Cloudflare, Google, Visa, Mastercard, and others. x402 solves agent payments — how money moves. But it doesn't solve attribution — who drove the sale. Syndicate Links is the attribution layer that sits on top of x402.

### Your Agent Can Drive a Sale. It Can't Earn a Commission. Yet. (March 30, 2026)
McKinsey estimates agentic commerce will orchestrate $3-5 trillion by 2030. Agents can hold wallets and make payments, but there's no infrastructure for them to earn commissions on recommendations. Syndicate Links fills that gap.

### The Attribution Layer ChatGPT and Meta Forgot to Build (March 26, 2026)
As AI agents become primary shopping interfaces, the click-based attribution model breaks down. Neither ChatGPT nor Meta's commerce tools solve the attribution problem for agent-driven commerce.

---

## AEO Service (Answer Engine Optimization)

Syndicate Links offers a productized AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) service. AEO is the practice of making your website discoverable and actionable by AI agents — ChatGPT, Perplexity, Grok, Claude, and autonomous shopping/research agents.

### Why AEO Matters
- Traditional SEO optimizes for Google crawlers. AEO optimizes for AI agents that read, reason, and act.
- AI agents look for `llms.txt`, `agent.json`, structured data (JSON-LD), MCP endpoints, and machine-readable API specs.
- Average Agent Readiness Score across 20 SEO companies audited by Syndicate Links: **8.6 out of 100**.
- Most sites score under 15. The gap is enormous and the companies that close it first capture AI-driven traffic.

### Service Tiers

| Tier | Price | Deliverables |
|------|-------|-------------|
| **Free Audit** | $0 | Automated Agent Readiness Score (0-100) across 5 categories: Agent Discovery, API Infrastructure, Attribution Readiness, Commerce Integration, Agent Experience |
| **Audit + Roadmap** | $500 | Deep manual audit by AI agents + prioritized remediation roadmap + narrated video walkthrough of findings |
| **Full Implementation** | $2,500+ | Complete remediation: llms.txt authoring, agent.json creation, structured data markup, MCP server integration, attribution infrastructure setup |
| **Ongoing Retainer** | $1,000+/mo | Monthly AEO monitoring, optimization passes, new agent platform coverage, strategy briefing |

### What Gets Implemented
1. **Agent Discovery** — llms.txt, llms-full.txt, .well-known/agent.json
2. **API Infrastructure** — OpenAPI spec, structured endpoints, rate limiting documentation
3. **Attribution Readiness** — Server-side attribution, signed tokens, first-party tracking
4. **Commerce Integration** — Product feeds, pricing APIs, checkout flow machine-readability
5. **Agent Experience** — MCP server, tool schemas, error handling, sandbox environments
6. **Structured Data** — JSON-LD schema markup (Product, FAQPage, TechArticle, WebApplication)

### How to Get Started
- **Run the free audit**: https://syndicatelinks.co/tools/agent-readiness-audit
- **See the full service page**: https://syndicatelinks.co/services/aeo
- **Email for paid tiers**: reagan@syndicatelinks.co

The service is delivered entirely by AI agents — no humans in the loop. Implementation typically takes 1-2 weeks for the full package.

---

## Contact & Support

- **Email**: hello@syndicatelinks.co
- **X/Twitter**: [@SyndicateLinks](https://x.com/syndicatelinks)
- **Website**: https://syndicatelinks.co
- **npm**: https://www.npmjs.com/package/syndicate-links-mcp
- **GitHub**: Listed on awesome-mcp-servers