Referral Program
- 770 installs
- 787 repo stars
- Updated June 9, 2026
- kostja94/marketing-skills
referral-program is a Claude Code marketing skill that plans, implements, and optimizes SaaS referral programs with clearer unit economics than paid acquisition alone for developers and growth engineers.
About
referral-program is version 1.0.1 in kostja94/marketing-skills for AI and SaaS referral strategy covering refer-a-friend flows, referral codes, rewards, tracking, and viral loops. The readme cites benchmark economics: 3%-5% referral conversion versus 1%-2% for ads, CAC 50%-70% lower, referred user LTV 30%-50% higher, and retention 20%-30% higher. Developers and growth teams reach for referral-program when designing incentive structures and tracking rather than writing frontend grid CSS. For referral landing page copy, the skill points to landing-page-generator. It treats referral as a necessity in competitive SaaS markets where paid channels alone underperform.
- Structured referral vs affiliate vs influencer comparison
- Initial assessment: product type, user base size, signup vs purchase goals
- Benchmarks cited: 3–5% conversion vs ads, lower CAC, higher LTV for referred users
- Pairs with landing-page-generator for referral landing copy
- Reads .claude or .cursor project-context.md when present
Referral Program by the numbers
- 770 all-time installs (skills.sh)
- +6 installs in the week ending Jul 25, 2026 (Skillselion tracking)
- Ranked #95 of 853 Sales & Marketing skills by installs in the Skillselion catalog
- Security screen: LOW risk (skills.sh audit)
- Data as of Jul 31, 2026 (Skillselion catalog sync)
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| Installs | 770 |
|---|---|
| repo stars | ★ 787 |
| Security audit | 3 / 3 scanners passed |
| Last updated | June 9, 2026 |
| Repository | kostja94/marketing-skills ↗ |
How do you design a SaaS referral rewards program?
Plan, implement, or optimize a referral program for AI or SaaS with clearer economics than paid acquisition alone.
Who is it for?
SaaS or AI teams optimizing word-of-mouth acquisition with measurable referral codes and reward economics beyond paid ads.
Skip if: Engineering-only tasks like database schema design or CSS layout work unrelated to referral growth mechanics.
When should I use this skill?
The user mentions referral program, refer-a-friend, referral codes, referral rewards, viral loop, or word-of-mouth growth.
What you get
Referral program strategy, incentive model, tracking plan, and landing flow linked to conversion benchmarks.
By the numbers
- Referral conversion 3%-5% vs 1%-2% for ads per skill readme
- CAC 50%-70% lower for referral vs paid acquisition
- Referred user LTV 30%-50% higher; retention 20%-30% higher
Files
Channels: Referral
Guides referral program strategy for AI/SaaS products. Leverage existing users to drive growth; 3%-5% conversion vs 1%-2% for ads; CAC 50%-70% lower; referred users LTV 30%-50% higher, retention 20%-30% higher. Referral is necessity in overseas markets, not alternative.
When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1-2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.
Initial Assessment
Check for project context first: If .claude/project-context.md or .cursor/project-context.md exists, read it for product, audience, and value proposition.
Identify: 1. Product type: SaaS, AI tool, subscription 2. User base: Size, engagement, retention 3. Goal: Signups, purchases, or both
Referral vs. Affiliate vs. Influencer
| Dimension | Referral | Affiliate | Influencer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who | Existing users | Professional promoters | KOLs |
| Incentive | Discounts, credits | Commission | Fees, product |
| Barrier | Low (all users) | Medium | High |
| Conversion | 3%-5% | Varies | Varies |
Referral vs affiliate: Referral needs no landing page or application; integrated in dashboard. Affiliate requires landing page and approval.
Reward Models
| Model | Use |
|---|---|
| Two-way | Both referrer and referee get rewards; highest participation |
| One-way | Only referrer rewarded; cost control |
| Tiered | Rewards increase with referral count (e.g. $10 for 1-5, $15 for 6-10, $20 for 11+); incentivizes volume |
Benchmark: Rewards typically 10%-30% of product price; ~11% off or ~$21 value; weak incentives = low participation. Triggers: signup, purchase, activation, or sustained use.
Mechanism Types
| Type | Use |
|---|---|
| Link-based | Unique referral link; easy to implement; accurate tracking; share via email, social, SMS; works for web and app |
| Code-based | Referral code (e.g. FRIEND20); memorable; offline events; mobile-friendly input |
| Social referral | Share buttons (Facebook, X, LinkedIn); viral spread; friend trust; young users |
Tracking & Attribution
| Method | Use |
|---|---|
| Cookie | Web apps; 30-90 day window |
| URL params | All platforms; persistent in link |
| Referral code | Mobile, offline; manual entry |
| Account association | Long-term tracking; subscription products |
Attribution window: 30-90 days typical; 180 days for subscription. First-touch attribution to avoid double-counting.
Fraud Prevention
| Risk | Action |
|---|---|
| Self-referral | Detect same device, payment, IP |
| Fake accounts | Validate email, payment; monitor patterns |
| Bulk/automation | Rate limits; anomaly detection |
| Per-user cap | e.g. Max 10 referrals per user |
Use tool anti-fraud features; audit referrals regularly.
Design Framework
1. Reward structure: Type (cash, discount, credits, free service); amount (10%-30% of price); trigger; cap 2. Tracking: Choose method; set attribution window; first-touch rule 3. UX: One-click share; clear rules; dashboard with referral data; notify on success 4. Fraud prevention: See above 5. Monitor & optimize: Referral rate, conversion, CAC, LTV; A/B test rewards and flow
Best Practices
- Run multiple programs: Target different audiences, stages, goals
- Tiered rewards: Motivate top performers; progressive incentives
- Friction-free sharing: Mobile-friendly; one-click share
- Time-boxed incentives: "Refer this week for $15 off" creates urgency
- Placement: Web, email, app, in-product touchpoints; dashboard integration primary
Implementation
| Approach | Use |
|---|---|
| Self-build | Full control; low cost; URL params or cookie + reward logic + fraud checks; open-source (e.g. RefRef) for faster start |
| Third-party | Fast launch; Cello, Viral Loops, ReferralCandy (e-commerce), Impact (enterprise); monthly fee |
Placement: Most programs integrate in product dashboard; no landing page or application needed. Optional landing page for value prop, rewards, and case studies.
Startup cost: Typically hundreds for tools + dev.
Tools
| Tool | Use |
|---|---|
| Cello | SaaS; AI-driven automation |
| Viral Loops | Referral + waitlist + contests |
| ReferralCandy | Shopify, e-commerce |
| Impact | Enterprise; unified platform |
| RefRef | Open-source; self-hosted |
KPIs
Referral rate, conversion, CAC, LTV of referred users, referred-user retention.
Output Format
- Reward model and mechanism type (link/code/social)
- Tracking approach and attribution window
- Placement (dashboard vs landing page)
- Fraud prevention measures
- Tool selection (self-build vs third-party)
- KPI framework
Related Skills
- discount-marketing-strategy: Referral rewards (discounts, credits); 10–30% benchmark; campaign design
- affiliate-marketing: Different audience; can run both
- influencer-marketing: Brand building vs. user-driven growth
- directory-submission: Directory submission for discovery; referral for user-driven growth
- analytics-tracking: Referral link tracking, UTM
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What conversion rates does referral-program cite for referrals vs ads?
referral-program states referral programs convert at 3%-5% compared with 1%-2% for ads. The skill also notes CAC runs 50%-70% lower and referred users show 30%-50% higher LTV.
Does referral-program write landing page copy?
referral-program focuses on program strategy, rewards, tracking, and viral loop design. For referral landing page copy, the skill directs agents to the landing-page-generator skill.
Is Referral Program safe to install?
skills.sh reports 3 of 3 security scanners passed. Review the Security Audits panel on this page before installing in production.