Agent skill

Referral Program

by OpenClaudia in OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills

Design referral programs and viral growth loops. An agent skill from OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills.

MITAuto-check passedMarketing & SEO

Install Referral Program

skills CLI
$ npx skills add OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills --skill referral-program -a claude-code

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

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills referral-program --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/OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/referral-program .claude/skills/referral-program && 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
referral-program
GitHub stars
711
Token cost
~2.6k tokens
SKILL.md length
848 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
74
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Design referral programs and viral growth loops. An agent skill from OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills.

  • Works in 8 steps: Referral Program Frameworks → Viral Coefficient Calculation → Referral Channels → …
  • Asked to create referral systems
  • SKILL.md covers 1. Referral Program Frameworks, 2. Viral Coefficient Calculation, 3. Referral Channels and 4. Referral Landing Page…, plus 3 more sections
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Referral Program is an agent skill from OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills. Design referral programs and viral growth loops. Use when asked to create referral systems, viral mechanics, word-of-mouth campaigns, or growth loops. Trigger phrases: "referral program", "viral loop", "refer a friend", "word of mouth", "viral coefficient", "referral incentive", "growth loop", "invite system", "ambassador program".

Its SKILL.md is about 2.6k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Marketing & SEO, covering Referral and retention marketing and Go-to-market strategy. The repository describes itself as: 77 open-source marketing skills for Claude Code, Codex, and other AI coding agents. SEO, content, email, ads, analytics, and growth. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Asked to create referral systems
  • Viral mechanics
  • Word-of-mouth campaigns
  • Phrases: referral program

Example prompts

  • “referral program”
  • “viral loop”
  • “refer a friend”
  • “/referral-program”

Workflow steps

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

  1. Referral Program Frameworks
  2. Viral Coefficient Calculation
  3. Referral Channels
  4. Referral Landing Page Template
  5. Case Studies
  6. Implementation Checklist
  7. Referral Email Sequences
  8. Measuring Success

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 28bf209. 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

Referral Program loads about 2.6k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 88 tokens; SKILL.md has 848 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~88
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~2.6k

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 OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills at commit 28bf209, republished under its MIT licence (© OpenClaudia). 848 words, ~2,614 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/referral-program/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
referral-program
description
Design referral programs and viral growth loops. Use when asked to create referral systems, viral mechanics, word-of-mouth campaigns, or growth loops. Trigger phrases: "referral program", "viral loop", "refer a friend", "word of mouth", "viral coefficient", "referral incentive", "growth loop", "invite system", "ambassador program".

Referral Program Design

Design effective referral programs and viral loops that drive sustainable growth.


1. Referral Program Frameworks

One-Sided Incentives

Only the referrer gets rewarded.

Best for:

  • Products with strong organic word-of-mouth
  • Low-friction signups where the referred user needs no extra motivation
  • Cost-sensitive businesses

Examples:

  • Uber: "$10 credit for every friend you refer"
  • Amazon Associates: Commission on referred purchases

Template:

Refer a friend and get [reward].
Share your unique link: [referral_url]
Two-Sided Incentives

Both referrer and referred user get rewarded.

Best for:

  • Products requiring activation effort from new users
  • Competitive markets where new users need a nudge
  • Subscription businesses

Examples:

  • Dropbox: Both get 500MB extra storage
  • Airbnb: Referrer gets $25 credit, friend gets $40 off first stay
  • PayPal: Both get $10 when friend makes first transaction

Template:

Give [friend_reward], get [referrer_reward].
Share your link and you both win: [referral_url]
Tiered Incentives

Rewards increase with number of successful referrals.

Example tier structure:

ReferralsReward
1Free month
3Exclusive feature unlock
5Premium plan for 3 months
10Lifetime premium access
25Cash payout or swag box

Best for:

  • Creating power referrers / ambassadors
  • Products with passionate user bases
  • Building a referral leaderboard culture

2. Viral Coefficient Calculation

The viral coefficient (K-factor) determines whether your referral loop is self-sustaining.

Formula
K = i * c

Where:
  i = number of invites sent per user
  c = conversion rate of each invite

If K > 1: viral growth (each user brings more than one new user)
If K < 1: referrals supplement but don't replace other acquisition
Example Calculation
Users send an average of 5 invites (i = 5)
15% of invites convert to signups (c = 0.15)
K = 5 * 0.15 = 0.75

With 1,000 initial users:
- Cycle 1: 1,000 * 0.75 = 750 new users
- Cycle 2: 750 * 0.75 = 563 new users
- Cycle 3: 563 * 0.75 = 422 new users
- Total after 10 cycles: ~3,570 additional users from referrals
Viral Cycle Time

The speed of the viral loop matters as much as K:

Effective growth = K / cycle_time

A K of 0.5 with a 1-day cycle > K of 0.8 with a 30-day cycle
How to Improve K
LeverAction
Increase invites (i)Make sharing frictionless, prompt at key moments
Increase conversion (c)Better landing page, stronger incentive, social proof
Reduce cycle timeInstant reward delivery, real-time notifications

3. Referral Channels

Email Referral

Pros: High conversion, personal, trackable Cons: Lower volume, requires email access

Template:

Subject: I thought you'd like [Product] -- here's [reward] to try it

Hey [Name],

I've been using [Product] for [time] and it's been great for [specific benefit].

I wanted to share my referral link so you can get [friend_reward]:
[referral_url]

[Your name]
Social Media Sharing

Pros: High reach, low effort, viral potential Cons: Lower conversion rate, less personal

Platform-specific templates:

Twitter/X:

I just [achievement/milestone] with @Product! If you want to try it,
use my link and we both get [reward]: [referral_url]

LinkedIn:

I've been using [Product] to [professional benefit] and the results
have been impressive: [specific metric].

If you're looking for [solution], here's my referral link
(we both get [reward]): [referral_url]

WhatsApp/SMS:

Hey! I've been using [Product] and really like it. They have a
referral deal -- we both get [reward] if you sign up through my link:
[referral_url]
In-App Referral

Pros: Highest intent, contextual, frictionless Cons: Only reaches existing users

Best practices:

  • Show referral prompt after a success moment (completed task, achievement, positive outcome)
  • Pre-populate sharing message
  • Show referral progress and rewards earned
  • Add referral widget to account/settings page
MethodProsCons
Unique linkFrictionless, works in any channelHarder to share verbally
Referral codeEasy to remember, shareable verballyExtra step at signup
BothMaximum flexibilityMore complex to implement

4. Referral Landing Page Template

The page a referred user sees when they click the referral link.

Structure
[Hero Section]
- Headline: "[Referrer's name] invited you to [Product]"
- Subheadline: "Sign up now and get [friend_reward]"
- CTA button: "Claim your [reward]"

[Social Proof]
- "[Referrer's name] and X others use [Product]"
- Logos of known customers
- Key metric: "Trusted by X users"

[Value Proposition]
- 3 key benefits with icons
- Brief product description

[How It Works]
- Step 1: Sign up (takes 30 seconds)
- Step 2: [Key activation action]
- Step 3: Enjoy [reward] + the product

[CTA Repeat]
- "Join [Referrer's name] on [Product]"
- Urgency: "This offer expires in [X days]"

[FAQ]
- When do I get my reward?
- What does [Product] do?
- Is there a catch?

5. Case Studies

Dropbox (2008-2010)
  • Mechanic: Two-sided -- both get 500MB extra storage
  • Result: 3,900% growth in 15 months (100K to 4M users)
  • Key insight: The reward (storage) was the product itself, making it self-reinforcing
  • Viral coefficient: Estimated ~0.6-0.7 (supplemental, not purely viral)
Airbnb (2014)
  • Mechanic: Two-sided -- $25 travel credit for referrer, $40 off first booking for friend
  • Result: 300% increase in bookings from referral program 2.0
  • Key insight: Redesigned referral page to feel like a gift, not spam. Personalized with referrer's photo and travel history
  • Viral coefficient: Low K but high LTV per referred user
PayPal (1999-2000)
  • Mechanic: Two-sided -- $20 per referral (later reduced to $10, then $5)
  • Result: 7-10% daily growth, reaching 1M users in first year
  • Key insight: Cash incentive drove massive initial growth, then reduced as network effects kicked in
  • Cost: $60-70M in referral bonuses, but each user was worth much more in LTV
Show full SKILL.md (332 more words)Show less
Robinhood (2014-2015)
  • Mechanic: Wait-list with move-up-the-line incentive + free stock for referrals
  • Result: 1M waitlist signups before launch
  • Key insight: Scarcity (waitlist) + social proof (your position) + tangible reward (free stock)

6. Implementation Checklist

Technical Setup
  • Generate unique referral links/codes per user
  • Build referral tracking (link clicks, signups, activations, rewards)
  • Set up attribution window (how long after click does signup count?)
  • Implement fraud detection (self-referral, fake accounts, VPN abuse)
  • Build reward fulfillment (automatic credit, manual approval, or hybrid)
  • Create referral dashboard for users (invites sent, pending, completed, rewards earned)
Fraud Prevention
  • Block self-referrals (same IP, same device, same email domain)
  • Require activation action before reward (not just signup)
  • Set daily/weekly referral limits per user
  • Flag suspicious patterns (bulk signups from same IP range)
  • Implement clawback for fraudulent referrals
Program Design Decisions
DecisionOptions
Reward typeCash, credit, product features, swag, charity donation
Reward timingOn signup, on activation, on first purchase
Reward amountTest multiple amounts; higher is not always better
ExpirationReferral links expire after X days? Rewards expire?
LimitMax referrals per user per month?
EligibilityAll users or only paid/active users?

7. Referral Email Sequences

Invite Reminder (to existing users)
Subject: You have [X] invites waiting

Hey [Name],

Did you know you can give your friends [reward] and get [reward] for yourself?

You've invited [0/N] friends so far. Share your link:
[referral_url]

Here's what [Product] users are saying:
"[Testimonial]" -- [Customer name]
Referred User Welcome
Subject: [Referrer] sent you a gift -- [reward] inside

Hey there!

[Referrer's name] thinks you'd love [Product], so they're giving you [reward] to try it.

[CTA: Claim your reward]

What is [Product]?
[1-sentence description]

What you'll get:
- [Benefit 1]
- [Benefit 2]
- [Benefit 3]
- Plus [friend_reward] from [Referrer's name]

This offer expires in [X] days.
Referral Success Notification
Subject: [Friend's name] just signed up -- you earned [reward]!

Great news, [Name]!

[Friend's name] accepted your invitation and signed up for [Product].
Your [reward] has been added to your account.

Keep sharing: you've referred [X] friends so far.
[referral_url]

[Show progress toward next tier if using tiered rewards]

8. Measuring Success

Key Metrics
MetricFormulaGood Benchmark
Participation rateUsers who share / total users15-25%
Shares per userTotal shares / participating users3-5
Click-through rateLink clicks / shares20-40%
Conversion rateSignups / link clicks10-25%
Viral coefficient (K)Invites * conversion rate0.3-0.7 typical
Viral cycle timeAvg days from invite to new user's first invite1-7 days
Referral revenueRevenue from referred usersTrack separately
CAC via referralReward cost / acquired usersCompare to paid CAC
A/B Tests to Run
  1. Reward amount ($10 vs $20 vs $50)
  2. Reward type (credit vs cash vs feature unlock)
  3. One-sided vs two-sided incentive
  4. Referral prompt timing (after signup vs after first success)
  5. Landing page copy (gift framing vs deal framing)
  6. Email subject lines for referral invites
  7. Social sharing copy variations

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

Files

Just SKILL.md in skills/referral-program of OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 28bf209

Compare with similar skills

Referral Program 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.

Referral Program compared with similar skills
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Referral Program this skillOpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills711—~2.6kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Partner and Affiliate Programstech-leads-club/agent-skills7k—~4kAutomated safety check: PassCustom licence
Loop Detectindranilbanerjee/digital-marketing-pro8551 repos~2.4kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Ecommerce Marketing Strategy BuilderLeoYeAI/openclaw-master-skills2.2k1 repos~4.6kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Growth Modelmenkesu/awesome-pm-skills429—~6kAutomated safety check: PassCustom licence
Shopify Marketingnexscope-ai/eCommerce-Skills1.1k—~3.8kAutomated safety check: PassMIT

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Categories

Questions about Referral Program

What does Referral Program do?

Design referral programs and viral growth loops. An agent skill from OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills. Referral Program is an agent skill from OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills. Design referral programs and viral growth loops.

When should I use Referral Program?

Referral Program fits situations like: asked to create referral systems; viral mechanics; word-of-mouth campaigns; phrases: referral program.

How do I install Referral Program in Claude Code?

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

How do I install Referral Program in Codex?

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

Can I use Referral Program 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 OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills --skill referral-program -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/referral-program, .gemini/skills/referral-program, .github/skills/referral-program and .opencode/skills/referral-program in your project.

What does Referral Program need to run?

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

Does Referral Program 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 Referral Program 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 Referral Program use?

Referral Program 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 Referral Program 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.

What are the alternatives to Referral Program?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Referral Program: Partner and Affiliate Programs (tech-leads-club/agent-skills, 7k stars), Loop Detect (indranilbanerjee/digital-marketing-pro, 855 stars), Ecommerce Marketing Strategy Builder (LeoYeAI/openclaw-master-skills, 2.2k stars) and Growth Model (menkesu/awesome-pm-skills, 429 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Referral Program?

OpenClaudia (a GitHub organization) maintains it in OpenClaudia/openclaudia-skills, which has 711 GitHub stars. The repository holds 74 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on September 18, 2026.

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