How to Launch Your First Referral Program in Under 10 Minutes

Launching a referral program doesn't have to be complicated. With ReferralMath, you can go from zero to tracking conversions in under 10 minutes. Here's how.

Step 1: Create Your Program

Log in to your ReferralMath dashboard and click Create Program. Give it a name (e.g., "Partner Program"), choose your commission type — percentage, flat-rate, or hybrid — and set the cookie duration for attribution.

For most SaaS businesses, a 20% recurring commission with a 90-day cookie window is a great starting point.

Step 2: Onboard Your First Affiliates

ReferralMath generates a public application page for your program automatically. Share the link with potential partners, influencers, or existing customers who want to refer others.

You can choose between:

Manual approval — review each applicant before they go live
Auto-approval — let anyone join instantly

Each approved affiliate gets a unique referral code and tracking link.

Step 3: Install Tracking

You have two options for tracking:

Option A: JavaScript Tag (Easiest)

Add one line to your site:

<script src="https://tag.referralmath.com/tag.js"
  data-program="your-program" async></script>

This automatically handles cookie-based click attribution and client-side conversion events.

Option B: REST API (Most Reliable)

For server-side tracking, report conversions directly from your backend:

curl -X POST https://api.referralmath.com/t/conversion \
  -H "X-API-Key: your_key" \
  -d '{"type":"payment","referral_code":"abc","amount":49.99}'

This approach is tamper-proof and handles edge cases like ad blockers.

Step 4: Monitor and Pay

Once tracking is live, your dashboard shows real-time data:

Clicks — how many people clicked affiliate links
Conversions — how many became paying customers
Revenue — total revenue attributed to referrals
Commissions — what you owe your affiliates

When it's time to pay, review the commission summary, approve payouts, and mark them as complete with a reference number.

You're Live

That's it. Four steps, under 10 minutes. Your affiliates are driving traffic, every click is tracked, and commissions are calculated automatically.

Ready to get started? Sign up for a free 14-day trial.