This guide explains how to set up and use the referral system in chatbots. Below, we’ll walk through the first of three templates that will help you correctly configure your referral system.
Important note: This template works together with two other templates for the referral system. Before setting it up, make sure to add all 3 templates to your connected Instagram or Telegram bot account.
Once added, you can start customizing them to fit your needs.
These templates are universal and work seamlessly on both Instagram and Telegram without significant differences.
Special Note for Instagram Users: Instagram has a unique feature. Simply clicking a referral link won’t trigger automation unless there’s already been a conversation between you and the client.
For the referral link to work, the client must either send you any message in Direct Messages after clicking the link or have previously messaged you in Direct Messages before clicking the link.
If there is an existing conversation, simply clicking the link will be enough.
In this guide, we will review the second template of three: "[Ref. Links] Referral." This template welcomes new users, checks if they meet your criteria, and if they successfully pass, registers them as referrals.
How to add the template
The template should already be added if you have started setting up the referral system. However, if you missed this step, add the templates now.
Open the Automations section.
Go to Ready-Made templates.
Select the "[Ref. Links] Referral" template.
Choose the account for which the referral system is being set up.
НClick the "Add template" button.
Afterward, similarly add the templates: "[Ref. links] Links" and "[Ref. links] Prize." Only after adding all three templates can you proceed with setting up the referral system.
Automation setup steps:
"Assigned Tags" Condition
The automation begins with the "Assigned Tags" condition. We check for two specific tags to prevent users from completing the process multiple times. The condition should be set to "Contains" so that if at least one of these tags is present, the condition is met:
Referrer get the link: This prevents a user from becoming a referral if they are already participating in the campaign as a referrer.
Subscription friend: This prevents a user from going through the automation again if they are already a referral.
If the condition is met (the user has one of these tags), they will receive a message such as "You cannot use this link", and the automation will stop.
If the condition is not met (the user does not have these tags), they will be welcomed as a new client, and the process will continue.
Welcome message
A new message is sent to users who have clicked on a referral link. This message informs them that they were referred by a friend and invites them to subscribe to the channel, providing a button to verify their subscription.
The message also includes a link to the channel or Instagram account, making it easy for the client to visit and subscribe. Be sure to replace all links in buttons and messages with your own.
Subscription verification
Next, the system checks whether the user is subscribed. This step is similar to the subscription verification in the "[Ref. Links] Link" template, which should already be set up.
If the client is subscribed, the automation continues.
If the client is not subscribed, they are given the opportunity to subscribe and complete the verification. By default, the system checks three times before allowing the user to continue without a subscription. This is to accommodate those who are interested in participating but not ready to subscribe immediately.
Note: If the referral system is set up for a Telegram bot, in each condition with a subscription check, you must choose your Telegram channel. To do this, you need to add the Telegram bot as an administrator of your channel.
How to make a bot an administrator of a channel
Important: You can loop the subscription verification so that the user can repeatedly press the "Subscribed" button until they meet the requirement.
Important! The template by default uses ChatPlace links, which you need to replace with your own.
- Click on the message containing the hyperlink, select the relevant icon in the text editor, and insert your link or simply delete the hyperlink text.
Check for repeat attempts
Once the subscription is confirmed, the system checks if the user has the "Subscription friend" tag, which indicates that they have already gone through this automation and become a referral.
If the tag is present, no message is sent, as the user is already a referral.
If the tag is not present, the process continues, as this means the client is using the link for the first time.
Referral registration
After confirming that the user has completed all the required steps, we assign them the "Subscription_friend" tag. This marks them as a referral and prevents them from going through this process again in the future.
Important! If this is not your first referral-based campaign, be sure to update all tags to new ones. This ensures that users who participated in previous campaigns can fully take part in the new one.
Rewarding the referrer
Once the referral is registered, the next step is to notify the referrer about the new invited friend.
This is done using the "Start Automation" action to trigger the "[Ref. Links] Price" automation for the referrer.
Make sure the "Run automatization for referer" option is enabled.
At this stage, nothing happens on the referral’s side. However, the referrer receives a message such as "You’ve invited a friend!", along with the notification set in the "Reward" automation.
Message for the referral
Now it’s time to inform the new user that they can join the campaign themselves. They receive a message like: "Great! You’ve met the conditions!"
Then, after two seconds, another message is sent, inviting them to participate in the camping: "If you want to participe, tap the 'I WANT' button below."
Transferring the referral to the main automation
When the referral taps the "I WANT" button, they are directed to the main automation, such as "[Ref. Links] Referral." There, they can receive their unique referral link and start participating in the campaign.
Once all settings are configured, the automation is ready to use. There is no need to set up a trigger, as it is activated exclusively through the referral link:
Suggestion for Improvement
Since this automation is most commonly used for Telegram, you can add an extra check for a username. This ensures you can contact the client later via direct messages, request their phone number, or use other mechanisms.
How to set up a username check in Telegram:
Add a "Client Data" block with the "Username check" parameter.
Similar to the subscription check, add a message in case the condition is not met, asking the user to complete their profile and set a username.
Add a reusable "Done" button so the client can retry the check.
This is the standard setup for the "[Ref. Links] Referral" automation. You can add extra steps, conditions, or customize messages to match your style.
Next Step: To complete the referral chain, proceed with setting up the "[Ref. Links] Prize" automation to notify the referring user.