AI SkillBuild Referral ProgramMarketing
Referral Program — Turn Customers Into Growth — Claude Skill
A Claude Skill for Claude Code by Corey Haines — run /referral-program in Claude·Updated Apr 10, 2026·v1.1.0
Design a referral or affiliate program that turns customers into growth channels
- Design two-sided referral incentives that motivate both referrer and referee
- Build affiliate program structure with commission tiers and payout logic
- Write referral email templates, sharing copy, and in-app prompts
- Define the referral flow from share to signup to reward fulfillment
- Set up tracking requirements and fraud prevention rules
Who this is for
Growth Marketer
You run experiments, optimize funnels, and own the numbers from signup to revenue. These skills handle the audit, analysis, and testing setup — so you spend time on strategy, not spreadsheets.
See skills for this roleProduct Marketer
You own positioning, launches, and the buyer journey. These skills help you write copy that converts, price for growth, and launch products people actually want.
See skills for this roleDemand Generation Manager
You own pipeline generation — paid ads, email sequences, lead magnets, and form optimization. These skills plan campaigns, write sequences, and optimize every conversion point.
See skills for this roleWhat it does
Launching a customer referral program
Designs the full referral program: incentive structure, sharing mechanics, email templates, and in-app placement strategy
Building an affiliate program for partners
Structures the affiliate program with commission rates, cookie window, creative assets, and onboarding process for new affiliates
Reviving a referral program with low participation
Diagnoses why the current program isn't working and recommends incentive, copy, and placement changes to drive adoption
How it works
1
Describe your product, customer base, and what type of program you want
2
Share existing program details and performance data if iterating
3
Skill recommends incentive structure and program mechanics
4
Writes referral copy, email templates, and sharing prompts
5
Delivers a launch checklist and tracking setup requirements
Metrics this improves
Lead Generation
Referral programs generate high-quality leads through trusted peer recommendations
MarketingReferral Rate
A well-designed referral program directly increases the percentage of customers who refer others
MarketingViral Coefficient
Referral mechanics with compelling incentives drive viral growth by making every customer a channel
MarketingCPA
Referred customers typically have lower acquisition cost than paid channels, reducing blended CPA
MarketingWorks with
Want to use Referral & Affiliate Programs?
Choose how to get started.
Run in Claude Code
Free. Open source.
Install and run this skill locally on your computer.
1
Install Claude Code
Open a terminal on your computer and paste this command:
2
Install the skill
This downloads the skill with all its files to your computer:
Add -g at the end to make it available in all your projects.
3
View source on GitHub Run it
Start Claude Code, then type the command:
then
Referral & Affiliate Programs
You are an expert in viral growth and referral marketing. Your goal is to help design and optimize programs that turn customers into growth engines.
Before Starting
Check for product marketing context first:
If .agents/product-marketing-context.md exists (or .claude/product-marketing-context.md in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.
Gather this context (ask if not provided):
1. Program Type
- Customer referral program, affiliate program, or both?
- B2B or B2C?
- What's the average customer LTV?
- What's your current CAC from other channels?
2. Current State
- Existing referral/affiliate program?
- Current referral rate (% who refer)?
- What incentives have you tried?
3. Product Fit
- Is your product shareable?
- Does it have network effects?
- Do customers naturally talk about it?
4. Resources
- Tools/platforms you use or consider?
- Budget for referral incentives?
Referral vs. Affiliate
Customer Referral Programs
Best for:
- Existing customers recommending to their network
- Products with natural word-of-mouth
- Lower-ticket or self-serve products
Characteristics:
- Referrer is an existing customer
- One-time or limited rewards
- Higher trust, lower volume
Affiliate Programs
Best for:
- Reaching audiences you don't have access to
- Content creators, influencers, bloggers
- Higher-ticket products that justify commissions
Characteristics:
- Affiliates may not be customers
- Ongoing commission relationship
- Higher volume, variable trust
Referral Program Design
The Referral Loop
Trigger Moment → Share Action → Convert Referred → Reward → (Loop)
Step 1: Identify Trigger Moments
High-intent moments:
- Right after first "aha" moment
- After achieving a milestone
- After exceptional support
- After renewing or upgrading
Step 2: Design Share Mechanism
Ranked by effectiveness:
- In-product sharing (highest conversion)
- Personalized link
- Email invitation
- Social sharing
- Referral code (works offline)
Step 3: Choose Incentive Structure
Single-sided rewards (referrer only): Simpler, works for high-value products
Double-sided rewards (both parties): Higher conversion, win-win framing
Tiered rewards: Gamifies referral process, increases engagement
For examples and incentive sizing: See references/program-examples.md
Program Optimization
Improving Referral Rate
If few customers are referring:
- Ask at better moments
- Simplify sharing process
- Test different incentive types
- Make referral prominent in product
If referrals aren't converting:
- Improve landing experience for referred users
- Strengthen incentive for new users
- Ensure referrer's endorsement is visible
A/B Tests to Run
Incentive tests: Amount, type, single vs. double-sided, timing
Messaging tests: Program description, CTA copy, landing page copy
Placement tests: Where and when the referral prompt appears
Common Problems & Fixes
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Low awareness | Add prominent in-app prompts |
| Low share rate | Simplify to one click |
| Low conversion | Optimize referred user experience |
| Fraud/abuse | Add verification, limits |
| One-time referrers | Add tiered/gamified rewards |
Measuring Success
Key Metrics
Program health:
- Active referrers (referred someone in last 30 days)
- Referral conversion rate
- Rewards earned/paid
Business impact:
- % of new customers from referrals
- CAC via referral vs. other channels
- LTV of referred customers
- Referral program ROI
Typical Findings
- Referred customers have 16-25% higher LTV
- Referred customers have 18-37% lower churn
- Referred customers refer others at 2-3x rate
Launch Checklist
Before Launch
- Define program goals and success metrics
- Design incentive structure
- Build or configure referral tool
- Create referral landing page
- Set up tracking and attribution
- Define fraud prevention rules
- Create terms and conditions
- Test complete referral flow
Launch
- Announce to existing customers
- Add in-app referral prompts
- Update website with program details
- Brief support team
Post-Launch (First 30 Days)
- Review conversion funnel
- Identify top referrers
- Gather feedback
- Fix friction points
- Send reminder emails to non-referrers
Email Sequences
Referral Program Launch
Subject: You can now earn [reward] for sharing [Product]
We just launched our referral program!
Share [Product] with friends and earn [reward] for each signup.
They get [their reward] too.
[Unique referral link]
1. Share your link
2. Friend signs up
3. You both get [reward]
Referral Nurture Sequence
- Day 7: Remind about referral program
- Day 30: "Know anyone who'd benefit?"
- Day 60: Success story + referral prompt
- After milestone: "You achieved [X]—know others who'd want this?"
Affiliate Programs
For detailed affiliate program design, commission structures, recruitment, and tools: See references/affiliate-programs.md
Task-Specific Questions
- What type of program (referral, affiliate, or both)?
- What's your customer LTV and current CAC?
- Existing program or starting from scratch?
- What tools/platforms are you considering?
- What's your budget for rewards/commissions?
- Is your product naturally shareable?
Tool Integrations
For implementation, see the tools registry. Key tools for referral programs:
| Tool | Best For | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Rewardful | Stripe-native affiliate programs | rewardful.md |
| Tolt | SaaS affiliate programs | tolt.md |
| Mention Me | Enterprise referral programs | mention-me.md |
| Dub.co | Link tracking and attribution | dub-co.md |
| Stripe | Payment processing (for commission tracking) | stripe.md |
| Introw | Channel partner programs with tiers, deal registration, QBRs | introw.md |
| PartnerStack | Enterprise partner and affiliate programs | partnerstack.md |
Related Skills
- launch-strategy: For launching referral program effectively
- email-sequence: For referral nurture campaigns
- marketing-psychology: For understanding referral motivation
- analytics-tracking: For tracking referral attribution
Reference documents
Affiliate Program Design
Detailed guidance for building and managing affiliate programs.
Contents
- Commission Structures
- Cookie Duration
- Affiliate Recruitment
- Affiliate Enablement
- Tools & Platforms (Referral Program Tools, Affiliate Program Tools, Choosing a Tool)
- Fraud Prevention (Common Referral Fraud, Prevention Measures)
Commission Structures
Percentage of sale:
- Standard: 10-30% of first sale or first year
- Works for: E-commerce, SaaS with clear pricing
- Example: "Earn 25% of every sale you refer"
Flat fee per action:
- Standard: $5-500 depending on value
- Works for: Lead gen, trials, freemium
- Example: "$50 for every qualified demo"
Recurring commission:
- Standard: 10-25% of recurring revenue
- Works for: Subscription products
- Example: "20% of subscription for 12 months"
Tiered commission:
- Works for: Motivating high performers
- Example: "20% for 1-10 sales, 25% for 11-25, 30% for 26+"
Cookie Duration
How long after click does affiliate get credit?
| Duration | Use Case |
|---|---|
| 24 hours | High-volume, low-consideration purchases |
| 7-14 days | Standard e-commerce |
| 30 days | Standard SaaS/B2B |
| 60-90 days | Long sales cycles, enterprise |
| Lifetime | Premium affiliate relationships |
Affiliate Recruitment
Where to find affiliates:
- Existing customers who create content
- Industry bloggers and reviewers
- YouTubers in your niche
- Newsletter writers
- Complementary tool companies
- Consultants and agencies
Outreach template:
Subject: Partnership opportunity — [Your Product]
Hi [Name],
I've been following your content on [topic] — particularly [specific piece] — and think there could be a great fit for a partnership.
[Your Product] helps [audience] [achieve outcome], and I think your audience would find it valuable.
We offer [commission structure] for partners, plus [additional benefits: early access, co-marketing, etc.].
Would you be open to learning more?
[Your name]
Affiliate Enablement
Provide affiliates with:
- Unique tracking links/codes
- Product overview and key benefits
- Target audience description
- Comparison to competitors
- Creative assets (logos, banners, images)
- Sample copy and talking points
- Case studies and testimonials
- Demo access or free account
- FAQ and objection handling
- Payment terms and schedule
Tools & Platforms
Referral Program Tools
Full-featured platforms:
- ReferralCandy — E-commerce focused
- Ambassador — Enterprise referral programs
- Friendbuy — E-commerce and subscription
- GrowSurf — SaaS and tech companies
- Mention Me — AI-powered referral marketing
- Viral Loops — Template-based campaigns
Built-in options:
- Stripe (basic referral tracking)
- HubSpot (CRM-integrated)
- Segment (tracking and analytics)
Affiliate Program Tools
Affiliate networks:
- ShareASale — Large merchant network
- Impact — Enterprise partnerships
- PartnerStack — SaaS focused
- Tapfiliate — Simple SaaS affiliate tracking
- FirstPromoter — SaaS affiliate management
Partner Relationship Management (PRM):
- Introw — Full PRM with deal registration, commissions, tiers, QBRs, and partner engagement tracking (integration guide)
Self-hosted:
- Rewardful — Stripe-integrated affiliates
- Refersion — E-commerce affiliates
Choosing a Tool
Consider:
- Integration with your payment system
- Fraud detection capabilities
- Payout management
- Reporting and analytics
- Customization options
- Price vs. program scale
Fraud Prevention
Common Referral Fraud
- Self-referrals (creating fake accounts)
- Referral rings (groups referring each other)
- Coupon sites posting referral codes
- Fake email addresses
- VPN/device spoofing
Prevention Measures
Technical:
- Email verification required
- Device fingerprinting
- IP address monitoring
- Delayed reward payout (after activation)
- Minimum activity threshold
Policy:
- Clear terms of service
- Maximum referrals per period
- Reward clawback for refunds/chargebacks
- Manual review for suspicious patterns
Structural:
- Require referred user to take meaningful action
- Cap lifetime rewards
- Pay rewards in product credit (less attractive to fraudsters)
Referral Program Examples
Real-world examples of successful referral programs.
Contents
- Dropbox (Classic)
- Uber/Lyft
- Morning Brew
- Notion
- Incentive Types Comparison
- Incentive Sizing Framework
- Viral Coefficient & Metrics (Key Metrics, Calculating Referral Program ROI)
Dropbox (Classic)
Program: Give 500MB storage, get 500MB storage
Why it worked:
- Reward directly tied to product value
- Low friction (just an email)
- Both parties benefit equally
- Gamified with progress tracking
Uber/Lyft
Program: Give $10 ride credit, get $10 when they ride
Why it worked:
- Immediate, clear value
- Double-sided incentive
- Easy to share (code/link)
- Triggered at natural moments
Morning Brew
Program: Tiered rewards for subscriber referrals
- 3 referrals: Newsletter stickers
- 5 referrals: T-shirt
- 10 referrals: Mug
- 25 referrals: Hoodie
Why it worked:
- Gamification drives ongoing engagement
- Physical rewards are shareable (more referrals)
- Low cost relative to subscriber value
- Built status/identity
Notion
Program: $10 credit per referral (education)
Why it worked:
- Targeted high-sharing audience (students)
- Product naturally spreads in teams
- Credit keeps users engaged
Incentive Types Comparison
| Type | Pros | Cons | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash/credit | Universally valued | Feels transactional | Marketplaces, fintech |
| Product credit | Drives usage | Only valuable if they'll use it | SaaS, subscriptions |
| Free months | Clear value | May attract freebie-seekers | Subscription products |
| Feature unlock | Low cost to you | Only works for gated features | Freemium products |
| Swag/gifts | Memorable, shareable | Logistics complexity | Brand-focused companies |
| Charity donation | Feel-good | Lower personal motivation | Mission-driven brands |
Incentive Sizing Framework
Calculate your maximum incentive:
Max Referral Reward = (Customer LTV × Gross Margin) - Target CAC
Example:
- LTV: $1,200
- Gross margin: 70%
- Target CAC: $200
- Max reward: ($1,200 × 0.70) - $200 = $640
Typical referral rewards:
- B2C: $10-50 or 10-25% of first purchase
- B2B SaaS: $50-500 or 1-3 months free
- Enterprise: Higher, often custom
Viral Coefficient & Metrics
Key Metrics
Viral coefficient (K-factor):
K = Invitations × Conversion Rate
K > 1 = Viral growth (each user brings more than 1 new user)
K < 1 = Amplified growth (referrals supplement other acquisition)
Example:
- Average customer sends 3 invitations
- 15% of invitations convert
- K = 3 × 0.15 = 0.45
Referral rate:
Referral Rate = (Customers who refer) / (Total customers)
Benchmarks:
- Good: 10-25% of customers refer
- Great: 25-50%
- Exceptional: 50%+
Referrals per referrer:
Benchmarks:
- Average: 1-2 referrals per referrer
- Good: 2-5
- Exceptional: 5+
Calculating Referral Program ROI
Referral Program ROI = (Revenue from referred customers - Program costs) / Program costs
Program costs = Rewards paid + Tool costs + Management time
Track separately:
- Cost per referred customer (CAC via referral)
- LTV of referred customers (often higher than average)
- Payback period for referral rewards
Quality tested— 6 tests, 36 assertions verified