When the user wants to create, optimize, or analyze a referral program, affiliate program, or word-of-mouth strategy.

MITAuto-check passedMarketing & SEO

Install Referrals

skills CLI
$ npx skills add coreyhaines31/marketingskills --skill referrals -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install coreyhaines31/marketingskills referrals --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/referrals .claude/skills/referrals && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
referrals
GitHub stars
54k
Used in
2 other repos
Token cost
~2.6k tokens
SKILL.md length
992 words
Files
9 (incl. references)
Skills in repo
21
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

When the user wants to create, optimize, or analyze a referral program, affiliate program, or word-of-mouth strategy.

  • Works in 7 steps: Program Type → Current State → Product Fit → …
  • Wants to create
  • SKILL.md covers Before Starting, Should You Engineer Virality…, Referral vs. Affiliate and Referral Program Design, plus 5 more sections
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Referrals is an agent skill from coreyhaines31/marketingskills. When the user wants to create, optimize, or analyze a referral program, affiliate program, or word-of-mouth strategy. Also use when the user mentions 'referral,' 'affiliate,' 'ambassador,' 'word of mouth,' 'viral loop,' 'refer a friend,' 'partner program,' 'referral incentive,' 'how to get referrals,' 'customers referring customers,' 'affiliate payout,' 'get more reviews,' 'G2 reviews,' 'review campaign,' or 'respond to a bad review.' Use this whenever someone wants existing users or partners to bring in new…

Its SKILL.md is about 2.6k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 10 other files, including reference files (for example `evals/evals.json`, `references/affiliate-operations.md` and `references/affiliate-programs.md`).

It sits in Marketing & SEO, covering Referral and retention marketing. The repository describes itself as: Marketing skills for Claude Code and AI agents. CRO, copywriting, SEO, analytics, and growth engineering. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Wants to create
  • Analyze a referral program
  • Affiliate program
  • Word-of-mouth strategy

Example prompts

  • “referral,”
  • “affiliate,”
  • “ambassador,”
  • “/referrals”

Workflow steps

7 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

  1. Program Type
  2. Current State
  3. Product Fit
  4. Resources
  5. Identify Trigger Moments
  6. Design Share Mechanism
  7. Choose Incentive Structure

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 1efedbc. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Referrals loads about 2.6k tokens when it runs, and up to ~13k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 144 tokens; SKILL.md has 992 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~144
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~2.6k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~13k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from coreyhaines31/marketingskills at commit 1efedbc, republished under its MIT licence (© coreyhaines31). 992 words, ~2,594 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/referrals/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 8 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
referrals
description
When the user wants to create, optimize, or analyze a referral program, affiliate program, or word-of-mouth strategy. Also use when the user mentions 'referral,' 'affiliate,' 'ambassador,' 'word of mouth,' 'viral loop,' 'refer a friend,' 'partner program,' 'referral incentive,' 'how to get referrals,' 'customers referring customers,' 'affiliate payout,' 'get more reviews,' 'G2 reviews,' 'review campaign,' or 'respond to a bad review.' Use this whenever someone wants existing users or partners to bring in new customers. For launch-specific virality, see launch.
metadata.version
2.2.0

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.md exists (or .claude/product-marketing.md, or the legacy product-marketing-context.md filename, 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?

Should You Engineer Virality First?

Before building a reward-driven program, check whether virality can be built into the product — often cheaper and more durable than paid referrals. But don't force virality where it doesn't naturally fit.

Place the product on the Viral Potential Spectrum:

  • Natural (build for it): collaboration tools, communication tools, user-facing outputs — every use exposes the product to non-users.
  • Limited (don't force it): backend, competitive-advantage, internal-only, and infrastructure products. Invest in referral programs, content, and partnerships instead.

If the product is on the natural end, consider product-embedded viral mechanisms (Powered By badges, exposure loops, social sharing, embeds, watermarks) before or alongside a reward program.

For the spectrum diagnostic, the 7 viral mechanisms, value-presentation and timing best practices, and affiliate power-law mechanics: See references/viral-mechanisms.md


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

For partner recruitment/activation, cohort economics, executable terms, reconciliation, and measured incremental growth, load the operating playbook. This expands the existing affiliate branch instead of creating an overlapping skill.

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:

  1. In-product sharing (highest conversion)
  2. Personalized link
  3. Email invitation
  4. Social sharing
  5. 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

Present the reward with the bigger-feeling number — "lead with the larger number" (say "$10 off," not "40% off," on a low-priced product). Reward at the aha moment or milestone, not signup. Reduce friction: one-click share, pre-written messages.

For examples and incentive sizing: See references/program-examples.md

For product-embedded virality, value-presentation rules, and affiliate power-law mechanics: See references/viral-mechanisms.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

Show full SKILL.md (407 more words)Show less
Common Problems & Fixes
ProblemFix
Low awarenessAdd prominent in-app prompts
Low share rateSimplify to one click
Low conversionOptimize referred user experience
Fraud/abuseAdd verification, limits
One-time referrersAdd 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

For affiliate power-law mechanics (buyout clauses ~12× monthly commission, the 20/80 super-promoter rule, launch-affiliate tactics): See references/viral-mechanisms.md


Review Programs

Reviews are the other half of customer advocacy. For review-request programs, responding to reviews, reputation triage, and reusing testimonials with permission (G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, Google, app stores), see references/review-programs.md. Platform rules differ, so check references/review-platform-rules.md before proposing incentives or automation.

Task-Specific Questions

  1. What type of program (referral, affiliate, or both)?
  2. What's your customer LTV and current CAC?
  3. Existing program or starting from scratch?
  4. What tools/platforms are you considering?
  5. What's your budget for rewards/commissions?
  6. Is your product naturally shareable?

Tool Integrations

For implementation, see the tools registry. Key tools for referral programs:

ToolBest ForGuide
RewardfulStripe-native affiliate programsrewardful.md
ToltSaaS affiliate programstolt.md
Mention MeEnterprise referral programsmention-me.md
Dub.coLink tracking and attributiondub-co.md
StripePayment processing (for commission tracking)stripe.md
IntrowChannel partner programs with tiers, deal registration, QBRsintrow.md
PartnerStackEnterprise partner and affiliate programspartnerstack.md

  • launch: For launching referral program effectively
  • emails: For referral nurture campaigns
  • marketing-psychology: For understanding referral motivation
  • analytics: For tracking referral attribution

© coreyhaines31, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 8 other files (references) in skills/referrals of coreyhaines31/marketingskills.

  • SKILL.md
  • evals/evals.json
  • references/affiliate-operations.md
  • references/affiliate-programs.md
  • references/program-examples.md
  • references/review-platform-rules.md
  • references/review-program-operations.md
  • references/review-programs.md
  • references/viral-mechanisms.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 1efedbc

Used in 2 other repositories

We found 4 copies of this SKILL.md (exact, near-identical or edited) in other folders, from 2 other GitHub owners. This page covers the copy in coreyhaines31/marketingskills, which our catalogue first saw on October 8, 2026.

Compare with similar skills

Referrals next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Referrals compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Referrals this skillcoreyhaines31/marketingskills54k2 repos~2.6kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Referral Programfreekmurze/dotfiles1k17 repos~1.8kAutomated safety check: PassNone
Churn Preventionrongxinzy/RongxinAI1543 repos~2.6kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
100m Leadsgetagentseal/founder-playbook729—~2.3kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Churn Preventionfreekmurze/dotfiles1k13 repos~4.4kAutomated safety check: PassNone
Email Sequence Designeraaron-he-zhu/aaron-marketing-skills2.9k2 repos~4.2kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0

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Categories

Questions about Referrals

What does Referrals do?

When the user wants to create, optimize, or analyze a referral program, affiliate program, or word-of-mouth strategy. Referrals is an agent skill from coreyhaines31/marketingskills. When the user wants to create, optimize, or analyze a referral program, affiliate program, or word-of-mouth strategy.

When should I use Referrals?

Referrals fits situations like: wants to create; analyze a referral program; affiliate program; word-of-mouth strategy.

How do I install Referrals in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add coreyhaines31/marketingskills --skill referrals -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/referrals in coreyhaines31/marketingskills) into .claude/skills/referrals in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Referrals in Codex?

Run `npx skills add coreyhaines31/marketingskills --skill referrals -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/referrals in coreyhaines31/marketingskills) into .agents/skills/referrals in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Referrals in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add coreyhaines31/marketingskills --skill referrals -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/referrals, .gemini/skills/referrals, .github/skills/referrals and .opencode/skills/referrals in your project.

What does Referrals need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Referrals is instructions for the agent only.

Does Referrals access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Referrals safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Referrals use?

Referrals is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Referrals use?

About 2.6k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 10k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 10k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Referrals?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Referrals: Referral Program (freekmurze/dotfiles, 1k stars), Churn Prevention (rongxinzy/RongxinAI, 154 stars), 100m Leads (getagentseal/founder-playbook, 729 stars) and Churn Prevention (freekmurze/dotfiles, 1k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Referrals?

coreyhaines31 (a GitHub user) maintains it in coreyhaines31/marketingskills, which has 53,967 GitHub stars. The repository holds 21 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 8, 2026.

Source: coreyhaines31/marketingskills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.