Triggers: How They Work and How to Use Them

A Trigger is a condition that decides when a Payout fires. Triggers are the matching logic of the Terms system: when an order comes in on the Katalys network, each Trigger looks at that order (and the customer and click behind it) and answers a single yes/no question — does this match? If every Trigger on a Payout answers yes, the Payout pays.

This page explains where Triggers fit, how to configure them, and gives an explanation and worked example for every Trigger type.

1. Where Triggers fit

as a reminder, we use terms to define relationships templates:

Term (a reusable template) → contains one or more Payouts → each Payout is gated by one or more Triggers

The mental model has three nested objects:

• A Term is the reusable pay-logic template you apply to partners.

• A Payout is a single pay rule carrying a Payout dollar value (and a Commission value where allowed).

• A Trigger is a condition on a Payout. It does not pay anything on its own — it only decides whether its Payout is eligible to fire.

2. Configuring a Trigger

When you add a Trigger to a Payout, the Configure Trigger panel opens and asks you to pick a Trigger type and set its conditions. Types are grouped into three families:

Pick the type that matches the question you're trying to answer, set its conditions, and save. Add more Triggers to the same Payout to narrow it further (remember: all must match).

3. Trigger reference

Order Details

Match All

What it does: Checks whether the order is attributable on the Katalys network. It is the broadest Trigger — it matches any qualifying order without looking at line items, value, or customer history.

When to use it: As the default/catch-all Payout for a Term, so every attributable order pays something even if no more specific Trigger matches.

Example: A publisher Contract pays a flat $40 on any attributable order. The Payout uses a single Match All Trigger, so it fires on every qualifying sale regardless of what was purchased.

Line Item

What it does: Checks whether one or more matching line items appear in the order — typically by SKU or product. This is the most common Trigger for product- or category-specific payouts.

When to use it: When the payout should depend on what was bought, not just that a sale happened.

Example (canonical GLP1 / NAD+ scenario): A telehealth advertiser pays different amounts per product:

• Payout A: $80, gated by a Line Item Trigger matching SKU = GLP1.

• Payout B: $50, gated by a Line Item Trigger matching SKU = NAD+.

Coupon

What it does: Checks whether the customer used any of the specified coupon codes on the order.

When to use it: For coupon-attributed or influencer/creator deals where a specific code identifies the partner or campaign, and for excluding or rewarding promo-driven orders.

Example: An influencer is given code SAVE20. A Payout of $25 is gated by a Coupon Trigger listing SAVE20, so the influencer is credited only when their code is used at checkout.

Order Value

What it does: Checks whether the order subtotal meets a condition (e.g. greater than, less than, or between set amounts).

When to use it: For threshold-based incentives — paying more on larger baskets, or only paying above a minimum order size.

Example: A Payout of $60 is gated by an Order Value Trigger set to subtotal ≥ $200, rewarding partners who drive higher-value carts. Smaller orders fall through to a lower default Payout.

Customer Details

New to File

What it does: Checks whether this is the first time the customer has purchased on your site — i.e. a genuinely new customer.

When to use it: For new-customer acquisition bounties, where you only want to pay for first-time buyers.

Example: A Payout of $100 is gated by a New to File Trigger. A returning customer's order does not fire it, so the bounty is reserved for true new acquisitions.

First Conversion

What it does: Checks whether the conversion resulted from the customer’s first attributed click with the advertiser on the Katalys network. In other words, the order must be credited to the earliest click ever recorded for that customer. If the customer clicked multiple times before converting, only the conversion attributed to the very first click matches this Trigger.

When to use it: For programs that want to reward partners specifically for generating the customer’s initial engagement, rather than later re-engagements or last-touch interactions. This is useful when the advertiser values introducing a customer to their brand more than driving subsequent clicks.

Example: An advertiser wants to pay a premium for customers who convert directly from their first interaction. A Payout of $75 is gated by a First Conversion Trigger. If a customer clicks a partner’s link for the first time and later converts from that same first click, the Payout fires. If the customer clicks again before purchasing and the order is attributed to that later click, the Trigger does not match.

Recurring Action

What it does: Matches an order placed outside the cookie/attribution window that is attributed only to customer-recurring behavior (e.g. a subscription renewal that follows an original attributed sale).

When to use it: For subscription or recurring-revenue programs where you want a (usually smaller) payout on renewals that happen after the attribution window has closed.

Example: The first subscription order pays $80 via a Line Item Trigger. Each later renewal — placed after the window has expired — pays $10 via a Recurring Action Trigger.

Repeat Customer

What it does: Checks whether this customer has converted previously (at any point), regardless of attribution window.

When to use it: To pay differently for repeat purchasers vs. new ones — for example a loyalty/retention payout, or to suppress paying full new-customer rates on repeat buyers.

Example: A Payout of $30 is gated by a Repeat Customer Trigger to reward partners who bring back existing customers, while New-to-File orders route to the higher acquisition Payout.

Repeat Customer vs. Recurring Action: Repeat Customer asks "has this person ever converted before?" Recurring Action specifically targets renewals attributed to recurring behavior outside the attribution window. They overlap but are not the same — use Repeat Customer for general loyalty logic and Recurring Action for subscription renewals.

Browsing Behavior

Click Attributes

What it does: Checks whether the click that led to the order matches the specified filters (attributes of how the customer arrived).

When to use it: For traffic-source or campaign-level differentiation — paying differently based on properties of the originating click.

Example: A Payout is gated by a Click Attributes Trigger so that only clicks matching a defined campaign attribute are credited at the premium rate.

4. Combining Triggers on one Payout

Because Triggers on a Payout combine with AND, you can stack them to express precise rules:

Pay $120 only when a new customer buys GLP1 on an order over $150.

One Payout, three Triggers — New to File + Line Item (SKU = GLP1) + Order Value (subtotal ≥ $150). All three must match.

If instead you want either of two conditions to pay, do not stack them — create two Payouts, each with its own Trigger.

5. Worked example: Telehealth Term

A telehealth advertiser wants:

1. $80 on GLP1 purchases → Payout A, Line Item SKU = GLP1.

2. $50 on NAD+ purchases → Payout B, Line Item SKU = NAD+.

3. A $40 fallback on any other attributable order → Payout C, Match All.

4. No double-paying repeat purchases inside the 45-day window → handled by repeat-purchase prevention alongside the Repeat Customer / recurring settings.

This single Term is then applied to many partners as Contracts. Forbes and WebMD can carry partner-specific overrides on their Contracts while the base logic stays reusable.

Term: "Telehealth – Base", three Payouts:

How the fallback resolves (precedence)

Payout precedence is first-match-only. A Term evaluates its Payouts in priority order and pays the first one whose Triggers all match; every later Payout is skipped. So the fallback solves itself with ordering — put the specific Payouts first and Match All last:

Outcome:

6. Best practices and common pitfalls

• Start broad, then specialize. Give a Term a Match All fallback Payout so no attributable order pays nothing, then layer specific Line Item / Order Value Payouts on top.

• Remember AND, not OR. Multiple Triggers on one Payout all have to match. Splitting alternatives across Payouts is the usual mistake to avoid.

• Don't confuse customer Triggers. New to File (first ever), Repeat Customer (has converted before), and Recurring Action (renewal outside the window) answer different questions.

• Line Item depends on clean SKU/product data. Triggers can only match what the order actually reports — confirm the advertiser's SKUs before building.

• Triggers can't be deleted while in use. A Trigger referenced by an active Contract generally can't be removed (delete-vs-archive behavior is still being finalized). Plan reuse accordingly.