> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.bloop.plus/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.bloop.plus/getting-started/how-bloop-works.md). # How Bloop Works Bloop is a Shopify app that grows your store through word-of-mouth — from loyal customers and the external partners you recruit. It runs two programs in one dashboard: a **referral program** that rewards existing customers for inviting friends, and an **affiliate program** that pays external partners a commission on the sales they drive. You set the rules and rewards; Bloop tracks every share, click, and order and calculates who earned what. This page is the high-level map — what the two programs are, why they live together, and how growth happens through each one. When you're ready to build, [Getting started with referrals](/quick-start/getting-started.md) and [Getting started with affiliates](/quick-start/getting-started-1.md) walk through the setup. ### Two programs, one dashboard Most stores need both kinds of word-of-mouth, and they pull on different relationships: * A **referral program** turns happy customers into advocates. A customer shares a personal link or code with friends; when a friend buys, both sides earn a reward. Trust does the selling, because the recommendation comes from someone the new customer knows. * An **affiliate program** turns external promoters into a pay-for-performance sales channel. Creators, bloggers, and publishers promote you with their own link and earn a commission on the orders they bring in. Running them together means one place to manage rewards, track revenue, and see what is working. You can launch one first and add the other later, or run both from day one. > **Best practice:** Think of referral as your *depth* channel and affiliate as your *reach* channel. Referral compounds loyalty among people who already buy from you; affiliate opens access to new audiences. The strongest programs use both. For the full comparison, see [referral program vs affiliate program](https://bloop.plus/blog/referral-program-vs-affiliate-program/). ### How referral growth happens Referral growth is a loop. A customer shares, a friend redeems, that friend becomes a customer, and the cycle continues. Every Bloop referral is **two-sided** and reward-on-purchase: the referrer earns nothing for a share alone, only after their referee completes a qualifying order. This keeps the program tied to real revenue rather than empty clicks. You control three levers that decide how fast the loop spins: * **Who can refer** — any customer, logged-in customers, or a tagged segment. See [Set your referral target audience](/referral-program/target-audience.md). * **What each side earns** — a referee discount to lower the barrier, plus a referrer reward (discount, store credit, or cash) to thank the advocate. See [Set up referrer and referee rewards](/referral-program/rewards.md). * **How customers share** — a unique link, a short code, or both, surfaced on your storefront. See [Choose a referral sharing method](/referral-program/referral-methods.md). For the customer-side experience of this loop, read [The referral journey](/getting-started/the-referral-journey.md). ### How affiliate growth happens Affiliate growth is a recruitment-and-reward cycle. You enlist partners, give each a unique link (and optionally a discount coupon), and pay a commission only on the orders they drive. Because cost scales with revenue produced, it is one of the lowest-risk ways to expand reach. The mechanics: * A **campaign** sets the commission structure and the **cookie window** — how long after a click a purchase still counts for the affiliate. See [Affiliate campaigns and commissions](/affiliate-program/campaigns.md). * **Affiliates** join by manual invite or self-registration, and you approve who gets in. See [Managing affiliates](/affiliate-program/affiliates.md). * When a customer buys through an affiliate's link, Bloop records a **sale** and calculates the commission. You review and approve sales, then pay out. See [Affiliate sales tracking](/affiliate-program/sales.md) and [Affiliate payouts](/affiliate-program/payouts.md). For the partner-side experience, read [The affiliate journey](/getting-started/the-affiliate-journey.md). ### What Bloop tracks for you Across both programs, manual work is minimal because tracking is automatic. Bloop attributes each order to the right referrer or affiliate, calculates rewards and commissions from your rules, holds anything suspicious for review, and surfaces results as activity and analytics. Your focus stays on the decisions that matter — the offer, who is in, and paying reliably. ### Where to go next * New to the customer side? Read [The referral journey](/getting-started/the-referral-journey.md). * New to the partner side? Read [The affiliate journey](/getting-started/the-affiliate-journey.md). * Unsure of a term? Check the [glossary](/getting-started/glossary.md). * Want a tour of the dashboard? See [Platform navigation](/getting-started/platform-navigation.md). --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. 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