> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getbonde.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Referral program

> Set up customer referrals to drive word-of-mouth growth.

A referral program turns your customers into advocates by rewarding them for bringing in new customers.

## How it works

1. Each customer gets a unique referral code and link
2. Customer shares their link via social media, email, or direct message
3. Friend clicks the link and browses your store
4. Friend adds products to cart (referral code is automatically attached)
5. Friend completes purchase
6. After a configurable delay, referrer receives store credit
7. Optionally, friend receives a discount on their first order

***

## Configuration

Go to **Rewards > Referrals** to configure your program.

### Referrer (advocate) rewards

Configure what the referring customer earns:

| Option          | Description                                                             |
| --------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Reward type** | Fixed amount per referral or percentage of the friend's order           |
| **Expiration**  | Store default, custom period, or never expire                           |
| **Cap**         | Maximum credit per period (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, or lifetime) |

### Friend (referee) rewards

Optionally give the friend an incentive to complete their purchase:

| Option                   | Description                                                    |
| ------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Enable friend reward** | Toggle on to give friends a discount on their first order      |
| **Discount type**        | Fixed amount off (e.g., \$5 off) or percentage (e.g., 10% off) |

<Note>
  Friend discounts may require additional setup with Shopify discount codes or automatic discounts.
</Note>

***

## Fraud prevention

The referral system includes protections against fraud:

| Option                   | Description                                                        |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Processing delay**     | Wait time before referral rewards are issued (default: 60 minutes) |
| **Require new customer** | Only first-time customers count as valid referrals                 |
| **Minimum order value**  | Minimum order amount for the referral to count                     |

***

## Program status

| Status       | Description                                                    |
| ------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Draft**    | Program is being configured. Referral tracking is disabled     |
| **Active**   | Program is live. Customers can share and earn rewards          |
| **Paused**   | Program is temporarily stopped. Existing referrals are honored |
| **Archived** | Program is retired                                             |

***

## Sharing options

When you add the Referral Widget to your theme, customers can share their link via:

* **Copy link**: Copies the referral URL to clipboard
* **Native share**: Uses the device's share menu (mobile-friendly)
* **Facebook**: Opens Facebook with a pre-filled share post
* **Twitter**: Opens Twitter with a pre-filled tweet
* **Email**: Opens email client with a pre-filled message

The referral link looks like: `yourstore.com?ref=ABC123`

***

## Tracking

The system tracks:

* **Clicks**: How many times the referral link was clicked
* **Conversions**: How many clicks resulted in purchases
* **Earnings**: Total store credit earned from referrals

Customers see their stats in the Referral Widget. You can view aggregate stats in the Bonde admin.

***

## Referral lifecycle

<Steps>
  <Step title="Click">
    When someone clicks a referral link, the code is stored in their browser for 30 days.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Cart">
    When they add items to cart, the referral code is automatically attached as a cart attribute.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Checkout">
    The referral code travels through checkout with the order.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Order placed">
    After purchase, the system detects the referral code and creates a pending referral.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Processing delay">
    The system waits for the configured delay period.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Validation">
    The system verifies: order meets minimum value, customer is new (if required), referrer hasn't exceeded caps.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Reward issued">
    Store credit is added to the referrer's account.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Example configurations

### Generous referral program

* **Referrer reward**: \$15 fixed amount
* **Expiration**: 90 days
* **Cap**: \$150 per month
* **Friend reward**: 15% off first order
* **Delay**: 60 minutes
* **Require new customer**: Yes
* **Minimum order**: \$25

### Conservative referral program

* **Referrer reward**: 5% of order value
* **Expiration**: 30 days
* **Cap**: \$50 per month
* **Friend reward**: Disabled
* **Delay**: 1440 minutes (24 hours)
* **Require new customer**: Yes
* **Minimum order**: \$50