How to open your AliExpress affiliate account

AliExpress pays you commission on the AliExpress products in your store. To set it up you need three things, and all three must come from the same AliExpress Portals account:

1. a Tracking ID,
2. a Keystring (also called the API Key or App Key),
3. an App Secret (also called the API Secret).

Step 1: Open your AliExpress affiliate account

Sign up at portals.aliexpress.com. If you already have an AliExpress shopping account, sign in with it and apply to the Affiliate Program. If not, click Register first.

AliExpress says to allow about 2 working days after you apply. Then sign in to Portals again to check you can create links.

Step 2: Create your Tracking ID

1. Log in to your AliExpress Affiliate Account.
2. Click the Account tab, then Tracking ID.
3. Copy an existing Tracking ID, or create a new one.

Step 3: Apply for your API keys

AliExpress needs your own API keys before it can track anything. You apply for them from the same account.

Step 1. Login to your AliExpress affiliate account. Click on Tools and then the API link

Then click the Apply Button

This will take you to another login page where you will use the same email and password that you used for your AliExpress affiliate account.

Then you can click on APP Console. The Profile link might take you to the same page but first click on APP Console.

Then you should see a few different options for the API. You need to make sure to select the Dropshipping/Affiliates Developer API option.

Then you need to fill out the form to apply for the AliExpress API Keys. Here are some example answers to help you get approved. Make sure you select your own country if you are not in the United States.

You will need to upload a picture of your Driver's Licence, Passport, or Identification card. You only need to pick one option. You can take a photo with your phone and email it to yourself for uploading.

Make sure to change the United States to your country if you are not in the USA.

That is all you need to do to apply for the AliExpress API keys. Approval can take a few days.

Getting approved

Approval is AliExpress's decision, and FreshStore cannot change it. Before you submit:

• Enter your full address, including city, postcode and country, exactly as it appears on the ID you upload.
• Choose your own country if you are not in the United States.
• Upload a clear photo of your ID. You only need one type of ID.

Step 4: Create your app

Once you are approved, go back to the API portal and click on App Console:

https://openservice.aliexpress.com/

Then click the blue Create button.

Fill in the required information. For the Callback URL, you can use your store's homepage URL.

FreshStore never uses the Callback URL. Your store's homepage address is fine, and so is any other address you own.

For the App Logo, you can upload any image. Your store logo works well, or you can use the FreshStore logo below (right-click and save to your computer):

After clicking submit, you will be taken to your newly created API keys.

Click the APPLY Online button and enter text similar to what you see in the image below.

After submitting, scroll down to find your API Key and the link to show your Secret Key. These are the two keys you need to enter into FreshStore, along with your Tracking ID.

If you don't see them straight away, visit the APP Console page and click Manage on the app you created.

Step 5: Add all three to FreshStore

You only need to do this once. It applies to all of your stores.

1. Go to my.freshstore.com/settings/aliexpress.
2. Paste your Tracking ID.
3. Paste your Keystring into API Key.
4. Paste your App Secret into API Secret.
5. Click Save and apply to my stores.

FreshStore then tests all three together by creating one tracked AliExpress link. It does not place an order. If the test passes, your stores get the details. If it fails, nothing is saved and you see a message telling you what to check.

Switch AliExpress on in your store

New stores start with AliExpress switched off. Your keys reach every store, but each store only shows AliExpress offers once you switch it on.

1. Open your store's dashboard.
2. Go to Settings > Affiliate Settings > AliExpress.
3. Turn on AliExpress Enabled and click save.

FreshStore tests your details again when you save. AliExpress stays off if the test fails, so a store never shows AliExpress links that pay nobody.

To use a different AliExpress account on one store, enter its Tracking ID, AliExpress Keystring and AliExpress App Secret on that same page. All three must still come from one account.

Getting Paid: Add Your Bank Account

AliExpress sends your affiliate commissions to the bank account saved in your affiliate portal.

1. Log in to your AliExpress Affiliate Account.
2. Open Payment, then Payment Information.
3. Click Add a bank account.
4. Choose your bank country or region and the payment currency.
5. Enter every field in English. Card Holder Name must match the account holder name on your bank records. BIC is your bank’s SWIFT or BIC code. Beneficiary bank name is the full official name of your bank. Enter the account and routing numbers exactly as your bank provides them.
6. Click Add.

Questions and Troubleshooting

It says "AliExpress could not be connected". What do I check?

Check these in order:

1. All three are from the same Portals account. A Tracking ID from one account will not work with keys from another. If you have more than one AliExpress account, sign in to the one that holds your app, and copy the Tracking ID from that account.
2. The Tracking ID is a short name, not an s.click.aliexpress.com link.
3. There are no spaces before or after any of the three values. Copying can pick up a space.
4. The Keystring and App Secret are from the same app. If you made more than one app, open Manage on the one you want and copy both from there.

Do I need a separate app or separate keys for each store?

No. One Tracking ID, one Keystring and one App Secret work for every store you own. Save them once at my.freshstore.com/settings/aliexpress and they reach all of your stores. If AliExpress only lets you create one app, that is all you need.

AliExpress's help says I need a webhook, a relay server or a callback. Do I?

No. That advice is for dropshipping apps. FreshStore only reads from AliExpress: categories, product details, search and links. It never uses your Callback URL and never receives messages from AliExpress.

It says "Create your first store before connecting AliExpress".

FreshStore tests your details by creating a link for one of your stores. Build a store first, then save your AliExpress details again.

I only saved my Tracking ID. Is that enough?

No. A Tracking ID on its own does not earn. AliExpress only adds it to a link when the request comes from your own account, which is what the Keystring and App Secret are for. Add all three.

AliExpress keeps rejecting my API application.

Approval is AliExpress's decision, and we cannot see or change it. The most common problem we see is an address that does not match the ID you uploaded. Enter your full address, with city, postcode and country, exactly as it appears on your ID.

My AliExpress account shows a penalty or "Site info expired".

That notice is on AliExpress's side, in your Portals account. Open it and read what it says you can do while it stands, for example updating your site information. FreshStore cannot change it for you. Any Amazon or eBay links you have set up keep earning in the meantime.

I switched AliExpress on, but some products only show Amazon.

That is normal. AliExpress does not sell a matching product for every Amazon product. Turning AliExpress on shows an AliExpress offer wherever a match exists. To add AliExpress products directly, go to Products > AI Tools > Product Finder and choose AliExpress as the source.

Related Guides

• 🔗 How to add your Affiliate Tracking IDs for Amazon, eBay, Walmart, AliExpress, Etsy, etc.
• 🔗 Product Finder: Feature Guide
• 🔗 How to open your eBay affiliate account