Skip to main content

Setting up referrals with widgets and emails

Learn how to enable Judge.me referrals, show referral links on Shopify checkout pages, send referral emails, and customize referral rewards.

Available on the Awesome plan.

Unlock Referrals to let customers share referral links, reward friends, and grow word-of-mouth sales with a 15-day free trial.

Judge.me Referrals helps customers share your store with friends after they place an order. Customers receive a personal referral link through the Referrals Widget, referral emails, or both.

You can offer a 1-way reward, where only the friend gets a discount, or a 2-way reward, where both the friend and the original customer get a reward. This helps you grow through trusted recommendations while encouraging repeat purchases.

How it works

Once referrals are enabled, the referral flow works like this:

  1. A customer places an order.

  2. The customer receives a personal referral link:

    • In the Referrals Widget on the Thank you page or Order status page.

    • In the initial referral email, sent 5 minutes after the order is marked as paid in Shopify.

    • In both places, if you use the widget and referral emails together.
      ​

  3. The customer shares the referral link with friends through email, social media, or messaging apps.

  4. A friend clicks the link and opens the Friend reward page.

  5. The friend clicks Claim your reward to get their discount.
    ​

  6. The discount is automatically applied at checkout.
    ​

  7. Optional: If a 2-way reward is enabled, the original customer receives their reward by email after their friend’s order is fulfilled in Shopify and the friend’s referral discount was used at checkout.
    ​

Considerations

  • Referral emails are currently available to early users only.

  • Referral settings are grayed out if the feature is disabled.

  • New merchants with referrals enabled have referral emails on by default. Existing merchants need to turn them on manually.

  • The initial referral email is scheduled when the order is marked as paid in Shopify, then sent after a fixed 5 minutes delay.

  • The referral reminder email is sent based on the delay you set, regardless of whether the customer clicked or shared the referral link.

  • If referrals are turned off before a scheduled referral email is sent, the email won’t be sent.

  • Judge.me automatically adjusts the Referrals and Referral reminder email copy based on your reward setup.

    • If you offer a 1-way reward, the email focuses on the friend’s discount.

    • If you offer a 2-way reward, the email can mention both the friend’s discount and the customer’s reward.

  • If the referral offer has already expired before the reminder email is sent, the reminder email won’t be sent.

  • Referral emails use the existing unsubscribe behavior for coupon and referral emails. Separate unsubscribe lists aren’t available.

  • Judge.me referral discounts are treated as Order discounts in Shopify.
    ​

Step 1: Enable referrals and configure reward settings

To enable the referrals feature:

  1. From your Judge.me admin, go to Settings > Referrals.

  2. In the Referral reward section, select Enable.
    ​

  3. Click Save.
    ​

1. Friend reward

The friend reward is the discount friends receive when they use a referral link.

To set the friend reward:

  1. From your Judge.me admin, go to Settings > Referrals.

  2. Scroll down to Friend reward (1-way).
    ​

  3. Choose the discount type:

    • Percentage off (default)

    • Fixed amount

  4. Enter the discount value, such as 10 for 10% off, or $10 off.

  5. Click Save.

2. Customer reward

The customer reward is the optional discount the original customer receives after their friend places an order.

To set the customer reward:

  1. From your Judge.me admin, go to Settings > Referrals.

  2. Scroll down to Customer reward (2-way).
    ​

  3. Choose one of these options:

    • Percentage off.

    • Fixed amount

    • No incentive (default)

  4. Enter the discount value.

  5. Click Save.

If you select Percentage off or Fixed amount, the customer will receive their reward via email once their friend's order is fulfilled.

To edit the email that your customer receives:

  1. From your Judge.me admin, go to Settings > Email templates.

  2. Scroll to the Discounts and rewards section.

  3. Next to Referrals, click Edit.

  4. In the Editor, switch to Referrer purchase tab.
    ​

  5. Edit the email fields you want to customize:

    • Email subject

    • Preheader text

    • Email title

    • Email content

    • Confirmation button text

  6. (Optional) Enable Email add-ons:

    • Show product recommendations

    • Ask for a store review
      ​

  7. Click Save.

Default examples:

  • Email subject: {{ first_name }}, you've got {{ customer_reward }} off from {{ shop_name }}!

  • Preheader text: Your friend made a purchase using your referral link.

  • Email title: You've got {{ customer_reward }} off!

  • Email content: Hi {{ first_name }},

    Good news — your friend made a purchase using your referral link!

    You've earned {{ customer_reward }} off your next order at {{ shop_name }}. The discount is automatically applied at checkout.

    {{ block_referral_customer }}

  • Confirmation button text: Claim reward

3. Order requirement

Order requirements control which orders can use a referral discount. These settings apply to both friend rewards and customer rewards.

To set order requirements:

  1. From your Judge.me admin, go to Settings > Referrals.

  2. Scroll down to Requirement and eligibility.

  3. Under Requirement, select one of these options:

    • No minimum requirement: The referral discount applies to any order.

    • Minimum order value: The referral discount only applies to orders above a specified amount.

    • Minimum quantity of items: The referral discount only applies to orders with more than a specified number of items.
      ​

  4. Click Save.

4. Customer eligibility

Customer eligibility controls who can use the referral discount. These settings apply to both friend rewards and customer rewards.

To set customer eligibility:

  1. From your Judge.me admin, go to Settings > Referrals.

  2. Scroll down to Requirement and eligibility.

  3. Under Eligibility, select one of these options:

    • Anyone can use the coupon: Any customer can use the referral link.

    • Only new customers can use: Only customers who have never ordered before can use the referral link.
      ​

  4. Click Save.
    ​

Note: If you select Anyone can use the coupon, customers can use their own referral link. In that case:

  • The discount can still apply to their next order.

  • Judge.me won’t generate future friend reward coupons for that order.

  • Judge.me won’t send the customer reward coupon for that referred order, if customer rewards are enabled.

5. Discounts combinations

Judge.me referrals are treated as Order discounts in Shopify. They can be combined with Shopify Product discounts and Shipping discounts.

To allow customers to use a Judge.me referral discount with a Shopify product or shipping discount, first enable combinations in Shopify:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Discounts.

  2. Create a new discount, or open the product or shipping discount you want to combine.

  3. Scroll down to Combinations.

  4. Check Order discounts.

  5. Click Save.
    ​

Then enable combinations in Judge.me:

  1. From your Judge.me admin, go to Settings > Referrals.

  2. Scroll down to Requirement and eligibility.

  3. Under Combinations, check the discount types you want referrals to combine with:

    • Product discounts

    • Order discounts

    • Shipping discounts
      ​

  4. Click Save.
    ​

Note: Combining multiple discounts can reduce cart value. Test different combinations to balance customer incentives with your profit margin.

6. Discount validity

Discount validity controls when referral discounts expire.

To set coupon validity:

  1. From your Judge.me admin, go to Settings > Referrals.

  2. Scroll down to Validity.

  3. Select one of these options:

    • This coupon never expires: The coupon can be used at any time.

    • This coupon expires after: The coupon expires after a specified number of days.

  4. If you select This coupon expires after, enter the number of days.
    ​

  5. Optional: Check Send a reminder email before the coupon expires to remind customers before the referral coupon expires.

    • Enter how many days before expiry the reminder email should be sent. The reminder days must be less than the coupon expiry days.
      ​

  6. Click Save.

7. Referral reminder email

When referral coupons have an expiry date, you can send a reminder email before they expire. After selecting Send a reminder email before the coupon expires, you can customize the referral reminder email.

To customize the referral reminder email:

  1. From your Judge.me admin, go to Settings > Referrals.

  2. Scroll down to Validity.

  3. Click Customize referral reminder email.
    ​

  4. In the Referral reminder editor, choose the language you want to edit.

  5. Optional: Select a Tone of voice.

    • Elegant

    • Direct

    • Friendly

    • Custom (default)

  6. Edit the email fields you want to customize:

    • Email subject

    • Preheader text

    • Email title

    • Email content

    • Confirmation button text

  7. Optional: In Email add-ons, check Show product recommendations.

  8. Click Save.

Default examples:

  • Email subject: Reminder: your {{ customer_reward }} referral reward expires soon

  • Preheader text: Share your link before the referral offer from {{ store_name }} expires.

  • Email title: Share {{ friend_reward }}, earn {{ customer_reward }}

  • Email content: Hi {{ first_name }},

    Just a quick reminder — the referral reward you received from {{ store_name }} will expire in {{ referral_remaining_days }} days.

    Share this link or forward this email with a friend. When they make a purchase, they get {{ friend_reward }} and you earn {{ customer_reward }} off your next order.

    {{ block_referral_friend }}

  • Confirmation button text: Claim reward
    ​

Step 2: Show referral links on the Thank you page or Order status page

Use the Referrals Widget to show customers their referral link immediately after checkout. You can add the widget to the Shopify Thank you page, Order status page, or both.

1. Add the Referrals Widget to the Thank you page

To add the Referrals Widget to the Thank you page:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Checkout.

  2. In the Configurations section, click Customize.

  3. From the menu on the top left, click the Apps icon (the third icon).

  4. In the Rewards section, click the (+) icon next to Referrals Widget and select Thank you.

  5. Click Save.

2. Add the Referrals Widget to the Order status page

To add the Referrals Widget to the Order status page:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Checkout.

  2. In the Configurations section, click Customize.

  3. From the menu on the top left, click the Apps icon.

  4. In the Rewards section, click the (+) icon next to Referrals Widget.

  5. Select Order status.

  6. Click Save.
    ​

Note:

Still using the legacy referral widget? We recommend switching to the new Referral Widget built with Shopify App Blocks for better customization and compatibility. After adding the widget, make sure to publish your App Blocks in the Shopify Theme Editor to activate it.

3. Customize the Referrals Widget text

To change the text in the Referrals Widget:

  1. From your Judge.me admin, go to Settings > Referrals.

  2. In the Send referral reward to the customer section, click Customize page and widget.
    ​

  3. Open the Referral widget section.
    ​

  4. Edit the default text fields:

    • Widget heading text

    • Widget body text

  5. Click Save.

Default examples:

  • Widget heading text: Give {{ friend_reward }} to a friend

  • Widget body text: Share this link with a friend so they can claim {{ friend_reward }} when they make a purchase.

4. Customize the Friend reward page

The Friend reward page is the page friends see after they click a referral link. To customize the Friend reward page:

  1. From your Judge.me admin, go to Settings > Referrals.

  2. In the Send referral reward to the customer section, click Customize page and widget.

  3. Open the Friend reward page section.
    ​

  4. Customize the page settings you want to update.

  5. Click Save.

You can customize:

  • Background color: The background of the reward banner.

  • Font color: The text color in the reward banner.

  • Button color: The color of the Claim your reward button.

  • Store logo: Check Display store logo to show your brand logo.

  • Page heading text: For example, You got {{ friend_reward }} off!

  • Page body text: For example, Congratulations! A friend has sent you a reward for your next purchase at {{ store_name }} (discount applied at the checkout).

  • Page button text: For example, Claim your reward.
    ​

Step 3: Send referral links by email

Use referral emails to send customers their referral link after purchase. This helps customers find and share their referral link even after they leave the Thank you or Order status page.

1. Enable referral emails

To enable referral emails:

  1. From your Judge.me admin, go to Settings > Referrals.

  2. In the Send referral reward to the customer section, find Send email to customer with referral reward.

  3. Check Email customers their referral code after the purchase is complete.

  4. Click Save.

If the referral reward feature is turned off, referral email settings are disabled. Turn on Referral reward first to edit these settings.

2. Customize referral email content

You can customize referral emails from the email template editor by following the steps below:

  1. From your Judge.me admin, go to Settings > Referrals.

  2. In the Send referral reward to the customer section, find Send email to customer with referral reward.

  3. Click Customize referral email.

  4. In the email editor, choose the language you want to edit in the Language section.

  5. Optional: Select a Tone of voice.

    • Elegant

    • Direct

    • Friendly

    • Custom (default)

  6. In the Template section, edit the fields you want to customize:

    • Email subject

    • Preheader text

    • Email title

    • Email content

    • Confirmation button text

  7. Optional: In Email add-ons, check Show product recommendations.

  8. Click Save.

To edit referral emails in multiple languages, use the language selector in the Language section, edit the email content for that language, then click Save. Repeat this for each language you want to edit.

Default examples:

  • Email subject: Give {{ friend_reward }} to a friend at {{ store_name }}

  • Preheader text: Share your link so a friend can enjoy {{ friend_reward }} on their purchase.

  • Email title: Give {{ friend_reward }} to a friend

  • Email content: Hi {{ first_name }},

    Share this link or forward this email with a friend so they can claim {{ friend_reward }} when they make a purchase.

    {{ block_referral_friend }}

  • Confirmation button text: Claim reward

Troubleshooting

I've added the Referrals widget but it's not showing

Issue:

You have added the Referrals widget block to your Thank you page or Order Status page, but the actual widget is not showing.

Why it happens:

If the Referrals widget block has been added on the Thank you or Order status page but the widget is not showing, it's likely that the referral feature hasn't been enabled in Judge.me settings.

How to fix:

Follow Step 1 to enable the referrals feature.
​

Resources

  1. Get your free trial:

    🛍 Get more from every happy customer. Enable referrals with a free 15-day trial of the Awesome plan!

  2. Follow us on LinkedIn:

    📢 Stay in the loop! Follow Judge.me on LinkedIn for the latest product updates, tips, and feature launches.

Related Articles
Offering Judge.me-generated coupon codes for reviews
Using multi-language emails to match your store languages
Customer accounts widgets
Personalizing your email templates with Email styling
Getting started with Judge.me (new app design 2025)
Did this answer your question?