Managing partner applications

Who is this article for?

This article will be useful to you if are a company on PartnerStack looking to use application forms to control who can join your program.

Applications overview

Application forms give you full insight and control over who you are partnering with. Use them to vet applicants and collect essential partner data before they join, ensuring every partnership is a great fit.

Enabling application forms

Application forms are group-specific. This means you can customize your applications based on the partners you would like to invite to each group.

To enable applications for a group

1. Click on the Groups tab in your left-hand menu
2. Select the specific group you would like to create an application form for
3. If applications have not yet been enabled for this group you can choose to create a new application and click "Continue", or you can copy an application from an existing group by selecting the group before clicking "Continue"
4. If the group previously had an application but the application was turned off, reenable the group's application by clicking on the red toggle

If you'd like to have application forms for multiple groups in your program, you'll need to enable an application for each group.

Customizing your application form

Example 
Title: Become a {company_name} partner today! 

Description: As a {company_name} partner, you'll gain access to exclusive resources, have the opportunity to connect with the {company_name} team, and earn commissions for successful referrals, Apply today to become a {company_name} partner!

Application fields

The First name, Last name, Email, and Business name fields are mandatory for each application and cannot be deleted. You can reorder them by clicking and dragging the dotted icon on the left.

To gather additional partner data, you can customize the application by adding additional form fields.

Application form field types

• Input: a small text field
• Text area: a larger text field
• Drop-down: create a list of options the partner can choose from
• Checkbox: a toggle option
• Country: creates a dropdown list of all countries to be selected from
• Region: a small text field that can be used to collect state/province/city
  • Only available if "country" field is used
• Date: A date entry field
• Currency: a currency entry field
• Number: A number entry field
• URL: A valid URL entry field

To create a new application form field

1. Click "+ Add form field" at the bottom of your application's form fields
2. In the drawer view that opens select the field type
3. Enter your type label, this is the question partners will see when filling out your application
4. For Drop-down had Checkbox types, enter the options you would like to present to your partners
5. If you would like to save an answer as a default answer, select "Set a default value"
6. Under "Additional Settings" you can select if you would like this form field to be required or hidden:
   • Required: The application form cannot be submitted without being filled out.
   • Hidden: The field is not visible on the partner side of the application form, but it is visible when reviewing applications and can be filled out then. Hidden fields can be used to pass information into your CRM if you are integrated with one.

You can view, create, edit, and delete all application response fields across your application forms in the Application properties tab. For more information, see our support guide Application properties.

Editing your application form

Once enabled and created, applications can be edited and updated at any time. From your Group's Application tab, you can click on application form fields to update them, add new form fields, or delete existing form fields.

Editing an application will update the application for new applicants. Partners that have already applied to or been approved into your program will not be prompted to fill out the new application. 

Sharing your application form

There are two ways to share your application form with partners:

1. Share a group join link - partners will land on your company page
2. Share the application form URL - partners will land directly on your group's application 

Sharing your group join link

To access a group join link, open your desired Group click into the Group settings tab and under Public program page, click "Copy" next to the page URL.

You can also preview your group page anytime by clicking "Preview Page". If you would like to update this page, see our Customizing your PartnerStack Marketplace listing and landing pages support guide.

If you have an application form enabled on your Default group and you are listed in the Marketplace, any partners joining from the Marketplace will be prompted to fill out your Default group application form first.

This link will break if you change the group name at any time. Be sure to check you are sharing an updated link.

Sharing your group application form URL

If you want your partners to land straight on the application form, you can get the URL for the application form in your Group's Application tab. Click "Preview Live form" to open your application, then copy the URL of the form and share it with partners directly.

Reviewing applications

Once you have created and shared your application(s), it's time to review your applicants! You can easily review your applications in your Applications tab. Until a partner's application has been approved, they will not appear in your All Partners tab.

At the top of your applications tab, you will see three sub-tabs:

• Pending: The number of applications you have awaiting your review where the partner has not been flagged as potentially fraudulent.
• Flagged: The number of applications that have been flagged as potentially fraudulent. In this tab, you will be able to view the application and see the reason for the flag.
  • For more information on fraud management, check out our Fraud Management support guide.
• Declined: Declined applications will be moved to this tab. If you have declined a partner's application by accident, you can approve the application from this tab. 

Filtering applications

In each of the application tabs, you can click the Filter button to select your desired field responses and quickly sort through your applications.

Applications can be filtered by any field or response included in your forms. All eligible applications will automatically be displayed in the main view once your filters are applied.

Want to view your oldest application first? Click on your "Applied on" column to view applications by "New to Old" or "Old to New".

Network badges

Network badges make it easier to identify & recruit partners who apply from the PartnerStack Network. 

Network Approved Partners: Partners who have been approved by PartnerStack's Network Team based on profile details, web domain authority and business description

Rising Star Partners: Approved partners that are showing rapid progress in driving clicks, signups and revenue within the last 3 months.

Top Partners: Approved partners that consistently drive clicks, signups, revenue and commissions across multiple programs in the PartnerStack Network.

Viewing Network badges

For more information on a partner, hover over their badge to view their join date, the number of programs they are currently active in, and at-a-glance stats. 

Approving or declining applications

1. Click on an application you would like to review
2. Review the partner's application, and look at the group they have applied to
3. Select ○ Approve or ○ Decline and click "Approve application" or "Decline application"
   • When approving an application, you can apply them to a group, assign them a partner manager, and add tags
   • When declining an application, you can provide a rejection reason for the partner to review and/or block the applicant from reapplying
4. Select "Open next application" or "Prev" or "Next" to quickly move between applications

Have questions on a partner's application?

You can easily message an applicant by clicking "Message (name)" at the top of the partner's application. This will take you to your Messages tab where you can contact the partner. 

Partners with pending applications will not receive any email campaigns from your program until after approval, but they do receive emails about their application status, and any messages you send them directly.

To bulk approve or decline applications

1. Select the checkbox next to each application you would like to bulk approve/decline
2. Click "Approve ✓" or "Decline ✕"
3. Select ○ Approve or ○ Decline and click "Approve" or "Decline"
   • You can apply them to a group, assign them a partner manager, and add tags during this process
   • 
   • When declining an application, you can provide a rejection reason for the partner to review and/or block the applicant from reapplying

Approve a previously declined partner

Accidentally declined a partner? You can easily restore them by updating their status in the "Declined" tab.

1. Click on the "Declined" applications tab
2. Search for and click on the partner you would like to approve
   • In the partner detail view you can see who declined the partner, and the date they were declined
3. Select the checkbox next to the partner's application and click "Approve ✓"
   • You can apply them to a group, assign them a partner manager, and add tags during this process

Declined partners remain in your default group but are restricted from accessing referral links, offers, and program details. They are not automatically removed from your program. 

Once you have approved or declined the application, the partner will receive an automated email from PartnerStack. If the application was declined, the decline reason will be provided in the email and the partner's dashboard.

At this time, PartnerStack does not send automated notifications for new applications. Contact your Customer Success Manager if you are interested in custom integration options for these alerts.

Blocking and unblocking partner applications

When declining a partner application, you can select the "block this applicant from applying again" checkbox if you would like to prevent the partner from reapplying. If you would like to unblock a previously blocked partner, this can be done from your "Declined" tab.

To unblock a blocked partner, locate the partner's application in your Applications > Declined tab, click into the partner, click "Unblock" and confirm you would like to unblock the partner. 

Unblocking a partner from applying will email the partner letting them know they can reapply to your program.

Viewing actioned applications

You can view an application after it has been actioned either from the Applications > Declined tab if the application was declined, or from the All Partners tab > Partner detail view if the application was approved.

If an approved partner joined your program through an application, you can view their application following the steps below.

To view a partner's application after approval:

1. Navigate to your All Partners tab, search for and click on the partner
2. If the partner joined through an application, you will see an "Application" field
3. Click on "Application" to open a side window
4. In the side Application review window that opens you will see the partner's old application, and the application approval date

Hosting your application form outside of PartnerStack

If you would like to host your application form externally, you can use a form builder such as Typeform or Formstack or your own custom-made form.

The Create Partnerships API can be used to create partnerships from the information provided in the externally hosted application form. This would require some developer lift from your team.

The application experience for partners

Applying through the Marketplace

Partners that apply to your program through the PartnerStack Marketplace must first apply and be approved to the PartnerStack Network. For more information on the Network application, see the Joining the PartnerStack Network support guide.

While their Network application is pending, they can fill out applications to other programs in the Marketplace. These applications are placed on "hold" until the partner's Network application is reviewed.

• If Network application is approved, their held program applications are automatically submitted.
• If Network application is declined, their held program applications are not submitted.

This ensures you only receive applications from Network-approved partners. 

Applying through an external application, or after Network approval

After submitting an application, partners are prompted to sign in or create a PartnerStack account at dash.partnerstack.com/handshake. They will receive a confirmation email and can monitor their application status within their dashboard.

While their application is pending, partners can access their Application and Messages tabs but cannot view program details, referral links, or offers. 

• If approved, the partner will need to log into their PartnerStack account and accept your program's Terms of Service to gain full dashboard access.
• If declined, the partner will see your provided reason and the option to re-apply, but they remain restricted from program details. 

We recommend testing this flow yourself to experience the partner's perspective.