> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.smile.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Understand how referrals work
> Learn how customers share referrals with friends and how referral rewards are earned.
## How the referral flow works
### 1. The advocate shares their referral link
The advocate shares their unique referral link with a friend.
### 2. The friend claims their referral discount
When the friend clicks the referral link, they'll see a prompt asking them to enter their email address.
After entering their email address, the friend reward is sent to them by email. From the email, the friend can copy their discount code and use it on an order.
**Note: The friend referral popup** is separate from the loyalty panel and launcher. It appears when a friend clicks a referral link regardless of your launcher settings.
### 3. The advocate earns their reward
When the friend makes a purchase, the advocate receives the referring customer reward configured for the referral program.
The friend doesn't need to create an account or use their referral discount to complete the referral. They only need to make a purchase using the same email address they used to accept the referral.
The advocate receives their reward by email. The reward is also available from their loyalty panel or Loyalty Hub if enabled.
## How advocates can share their referral link
Advocates can access and share their referral link from different areas of your loyalty program.
### Loyalty panel
Advocates can access their referral link from the loyalty panel, as shown in the referral flow above. By default, the panel includes sharing options for Facebook, X, and email.
On mobile, advocates can select **More** to see additional sharing options, including WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.
### Loyalty Hub
**Feature availability**: Loyalty Hub is available on **Growth, Plus** and **Enterprise** plans for merchants on **Shopify only.**
If your store has Loyalty Hub enabled, advocates can also access their referral link from the Referrals section. Here, they can see their referral link, the rewards available, and their referral history.
### Copy and share a referral link
Advocates can also copy their referral link and share it anywhere they'd like, such as through text messages or other social platforms.
## Referral rules
### How referral links work
An advocate can share their referral link with as many friends as they'd like. Each eligible friend who clicks the link and enters their email address receives their own one-time-use referral discount code.
The referral offer is only available to friends who are new to the store. If someone has previously placed an order, including as a guest, they already have a record in Smile and won't be able to claim the offer.
### How referral rewards work
Advocates earn a referral reward each time an eligible friend completes a referral. If multiple friends complete referrals, the advocate can earn multiple referral rewards.
Referral discount codes are single use. Once a discount code has been used on an order, it can't be used again.
Referral discount codes cannot be combined with order discounts. Combining referral discount codes with shipping or product discounts is not enabled by default, but you can enable these options in your [discount settings](/en/articles/8685572-configure-discount-combinations).
**Note for BigCommerce merchants:** Smile completes a referral based on the first order created for the referred friend.
BigCommerce can create duplicate orders if the customer navigates away from billing, including when they move backward in the checkout flow or when their payment is declined. In these cases, the first order may remain **Incomplete**, preventing Smile from completing the referral.
If this happens, manually award the advocate their referral reward.