> 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/referral-program/getting-started.md).

# Getting Started

A referral program turns your happiest customers into a sales channel: they recommend you to people who trust them, and you reward both sides for it. Bloop programs are **two-sided** — a referrer shares a link or code, a referee uses it to claim a discount, and once the referee completes a qualifying purchase, the referrer earns their reward. Nothing is paid out for a share alone; the program only rewards real revenue.

> **Best practice:** Launch with a generous, simple offer rather than a complex one. Launch with a simple flat reward first — a clear "give a discount, get a discount" message spreads fastest. Once your program has traffic, consider [tiered rewards](/referral-program/tier-rewards.md) to give your best referrers a reason to keep sharing. See [referral program best practices](https://bloop.plus/blog/referral-program-best-practices/) before you decide on numbers.

### 1. Enable the app embed

Bloop displays its referral widget through a Shopify theme app embed, so the program appears on your live storefront without editing theme code.

1. In your Shopify admin, open **Online Store → Themes** and click **Customize** on your live theme.
2. Open **App embeds** in the theme editor and toggle on **Bloop Referral**.
3. **Save**. The referral widget now renders on your storefront so customers can join and share.

### 2. Create a campaign

A campaign holds the rules that decide who can refer, what rewards are issued, and when. Think of it as the single contract behind your program.

1. In the Bloop dashboard, open the **Campaign** tab and create a new referral campaign.
2. Under **Target audience**, choose who can become a referrer — any customer, logged-in customers only, customers with specific tags, or customers with prior orders.
3. Give the campaign a clear name so you can find it later.

For the full reasoning behind each audience choice, see [Set your referral target audience](/referral-program/target-audience.md).

### 3. Set the referrer and referee rewards

Each side of the referral gets its own reward, and the balance between them is what makes a program convert.

* **Referee reward** — the incentive a new customer receives for using a referral link or code (typically a discount on their first order).
* **Referrer reward** — what the existing customer earns after their referee makes a qualifying purchase. Choose one of three types:

| Reward type   | How it works                                              |
| ------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| Discount code | A Shopify discount code, fixed amount or percentage       |
| Store credit  | Credit applied directly to the customer's Shopify account |
| Cash          | Tracked in Bloop; you process the payout manually         |

You can also require a minimum order value, a minimum number of items, or a referee threshold before a referrer reward is issued. For how each option behaves, see [Set up referrer and referee rewards](/referral-program/rewards.md).

### 4. Choose a sharing method

Decide how referrers pass their reward to friends. The right method depends on where your customers naturally talk about you.

* **Referral link** — a unique URL containing the referrer's share code; best for email, chat, and social sharing.
* **Referral code** — a short code the referrer can type or say; useful for word-of-mouth and offline channels.

You can offer both. Every referrer is assigned a unique 8-character share code automatically. See [Choose a referral sharing method](/referral-program/referral-methods.md) to decide.

### 5. Launch

When your campaign, rewards, and sharing method are set:

1. Review the campaign settings one last time.
2. Set the campaign status to **active** to start tracking referrals.
3. Confirm the widget appears on your live storefront.

Your referral program is now live. New referrals, rewards, and activity will appear in the Bloop dashboard as customers start sharing — use that data to refine your offer over time.


---

# 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. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.bloop.plus/referral-program/getting-started.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.