> 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/referral-methods.md).

# Referral Methods

A referral program only spreads through the channels your sharing method fits — link or code is really a choice about *where* your customers talk about you: inboxes and group chats, or face to face. Bloop offers both, set from the **Referral method** section of your [campaign](/referral-program/campaign.md). At least one must stay on — turning off both disables the program.

> **Best practice:** Turn on both methods unless you have a specific reason not to. Forcing every customer through one channel loses the shares from people who'd only ever recommend you their own way.

### Referral link vs referral code

|                              | Referral link                                         | Referral code                      |
| ---------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
| How it works                 | Friend visits the link, enters email, gets a discount | Friend enters the code at checkout |
| Friction                     | One extra step (email)                                | None                               |
| Captures the referee's email | **Yes** — enables follow-up emails                    | No                                 |
| Works offline / spoken aloud | Poorly — it's a long URL                              | **Yes** — short and memorable      |
| Best channels                | Email, DMs, social, chat                              | In-store, phone, podcasts          |

The email a link captures is valuable — it lets you convert a friend with a follow-up sequence even if they don't buy on the first visit. Lead with the link where follow-up matters (subscriptions, considered purchases); the code is what travels when the recommendation happens out loud.

### What tends to work

Adding social proof to the share prompt (what the friend gets, how many people have joined) can meaningfully lift results. And [word of mouth is the most trusted channel you have](/referral-program/target-audience.md#why-the-referrers-trust-is-the-whole-point) — the less friction in your sharing method, the more of that trust converts, which is the case for enabling both.

### Turn a method on or off

1. Open **Campaign → Referral method**.
2. Turn on **Referral link**, **Referral code**, or both.
3. Save.

> Turning off the referral code also deactivates its underlying Shopify discount. Turning off both stops the program entirely.

### Set a code prefix

Codes default to the `BLOOP` prefix (e.g. `BLOOP-A1B2C3-1042`) but you can set your own brand prefix — short, letters-only, and easy to say out loud (`LUNA-A1B2C3-1042` reads as "from Luna").

### How sharing is tracked

Every referrer gets a unique 8-character share code automatically, and Bloop tracks shares by both link and code so you can see which channel actually drives conversions in [Referral analytics](/referral-program/analytics/analytics.md) — a real signal for which one to push harder. This also captures word-of-mouth that would otherwise go untracked as "direct traffic": because the reward is only earned through the trackable option, customers have a reason to use it even for a spoken, in-person recommendation.

### A worked example

*Illustrative, not measured data.* A homeware brand sells online and through two physical stores. Online customers share in DMs, so the **link** fits (and captures an email for follow-up); in-store customers recommend at the counter, where the branded **code** works better. The brand turns on both — links drive most online conversions, codes punch above their weight from the physical stores. Turning either off would have cut a real source of referrals.

### Common mistakes to avoid

* **Picking one method to "keep it simple."** Enabling only one silently loses the shares that would only have happened the other way.
* **Leaving the generic prefix.** A branded prefix reinforces who the referral is from; the default tells the friend nothing.
* **Never reading the channel split.** Both methods are tracked — check which one converts before you turn anything off.

### Next steps

* Set what each side earns in [Referrer and referee rewards](/referral-program/rewards.md).
* Decide who can refer in [Target audience](/referral-program/target-audience.md).


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