Overview
Invite Contacts is the hub for adding preloaded members and sending them invite emails to encourage them to start sharing.
Invite emails are sent by program. Use the program selector at the top right of the Invite Contacts page to switch between programs.
What we'll cover in this article:
Before You Start
You must be an Admin, Manager or Supervisor role to access Invite Contacts.
Only preloaded members can receive an invite email. Members must be added manually by the admin or via an automated source to the program before you can invite them.
Members added via One Click Access links or signing up on the program registration page will not get the invite email but the confirmation email.
You cannot send an invite email to a member who has already been invited.
Where to Find Invite Contacts
Add Contacts
It’s vital to keep adding new contacts as program members at key moments, including adding and inviting previous referrals to become members.
Use the Add Contacts section to add members to your program before sending invite emails.
You can add members in the following ways:
Automated Invite Sources
Manual Sources
Note: You can also have your recruiters add members using the recruiter portal. Recruiters can access the recruiter portal after logging in with their credentials (this option isn't available right in the Add Contacts Import dropdown).
Note: When manually adding a member as an admin or recruiter, you can choose to send an invite email at the time of adding.
Tip: Examples of new members from various sources can be:
New customers
Referred customers
People reached by recruiters (your team members)
New contacts (say, people who signed up for a newsletter)
Automated Invite Sources
Automated Invite Sources let you add and invite new members to your program automatically, when your contacts meet certain key conditions.
Turn on and choose your automated invite sources from Invite Contacts > Add Contacts > Edit Sources
Referral Sources
Add approved referrals from your program(s) as preloaded members by toggling the switch to on and selecting the program(s) they should be invited from.
Approved Referrals can be invited 3 days after they’re preloaded as members.
Note: Referral sources are on by default for new programs.
External Sources
Add contacts from external sources as preloaded members.
Salesforce – Any account or lead that meets your approved referral criteria in Salesforce will be added as a preloaded member, even if they are not a referral. They can be invited 3 days later.
HubSpot – Any account or lead that meets your approved referral criteria in HubSpot will be added as a preloaded member, even if they are not a referral. They can be invited 3 days later.
Other Platforms – Add contacts from Zapier/API.
Note: We will never add the same contact twice. A contact's ready to invite date will be set to the earliest date according to the sources it was added from.
Note: Preloaded members added through automated sources do not count against your plan's member limit.
Tip: Automated Sources work hand-in-hand with the Weekly Invite Scheduler. When the scheduler is turned on, Referral Rock automatically sends invite emails to eligible preloaded members on the days you choose with no manual sending required.
Send Invites
Use the Send Invites section to configure your invite email content and send invites either on a schedule or manually.
If you have not set up an invite schedule, get started by clicking the blue Schedule Invites button.
(Once you’ve set up an invite schedule, the Send Invites section will look like this. )
Settings
Configure your invite email settings using the following options:
Edit Weekly Schedule – Change the days you send automated invites (available only after invites are scheduled)
Customize Language – Edit invite email content
Reminder Setup – Enable a follow-up reminder email 7 days after the initial invite email goes out
Schedule Invites / Edit Weekly Schedule
Enable the Weekly Invite Scheduler to automatically send invite emails to eligible preloaded members on the days you select.
Toggle on the Weekly Invite Scheduler.
Select the day(s) and time to send invite emails.
Select the member sources to include:
Import – Members added via CSV
Automated Sources – Members added through Automated Invite Sources
API – Members added through an API method, including Zapier
This feature lets you keep sending invites to new preloaded members shortly after you add them to your program and encourage them to start sharing promptly. It makes continuous promotion much easier (just set it up and let it run automatically)!
Note: A preloaded member will only receive an invite email once (or twice, if the 7-day reminder is enabled).
After that, invited and activated members will automatically receive the Monthly Summary email each month, starting at least 14 days after their invite (if the Monthly Summary is turned on).
Customize Language
Use Customize Language to edit the invite email content. The invite email template follows program email best practices, you only need to update the fields below.
Open Customize Language.
Edit the following fields:
Member Offer:
Text that presents the friend gift and member reward.
This appears as bold text at the top of the email body and also serves as the email subject line.
Keep it to 60 characters or fewer to avoid truncation in email inboxes.
How It Works:
Intro line (max. 151 characters)
Three steps describing how the program works (max. 151 characters per step; one line per step recommended).
Visit Member Portal Button: Button label text (max. 46 characters).
Personal Message: Optional additional text at the bottom of the email, such as a thank-you note or details about bonus rewards or tiers.
Select Send Test Email to preview how the email will appear in an inbox, including your logo and footer from Brand Settings.
Save your changes.
Note: The text you configure here applies to all future invite emails for the selected program, whether sent via the Weekly Invite Scheduler or manually. Changes apply immediately to future emails.
Reminder Setup
Turn on the One-time Reminder Email to send a second invite email to members who haven't activated yet.
Open Reminder Setup.
Toggle on the One-time Reminder Email.
The reminder sends 7 days after the member's first invite email. All members who receive an invite will also receive the reminder if this is enabled.
Manual Invite
Use Manual Invite to send invite emails immediately to preloaded members.
Select Invite Manually.
Check the member source(s) you want to invite:
Past Imports – Choose which imported list to invite members from
Manual Adds
Recruiter Adds
API
Automated Sources
Select Send Email.
The invite email goes to all preloaded members from the selected sources who have not yet received an invite.
Tip: To review or update the invite email content before sending, select the link to Invite Email Settings.
Viewing Preloaded Members
The Preloaded tab shows all preloaded members available to receive invite emails.
Select a member's name to open their Member Profile.
Check whether an invite is scheduled or if the member needs to be invited manually.
Export your list of preloaded members.
View the Member created date.
Invite History
The Invite History section shows performance data for your invite emails. Use this data to optimize future emails.
Each row displays:
Name
Status
Created
Sent
Members
Open rate
Click rate – Percentage of recipients who clicked the email link and activated
Select the name of an invite email to view a detailed delivery report, which includes counts and percentages for:
Delivered
Opened
Clicked
Undelivered
Sent
Pending
Spam
Unsubscribed
What's Next?
Set Up Passive Entry Points
Make your program accessible from anywhere by placing Program Links in touchpoints your customers already see regularly.
Review Member Statuses
After sending invites, track how members progress from preloaded to invited to activated. See The Member Lifecycle (Member Statuses) for more details.
Set Up Recruiters
Have team members add and invite contacts on your behalf through the Recruiter Portal. See Set Up & Manage Recruiters for more details.
FAQ
What is the difference between preloaded, invited, and activated members?
What is the difference between preloaded, invited, and activated members?
Preloaded – Members added to your program manually by a program admin or via an automated source and has not received any emails or engaged with the program.
Invited – Members who received an invite email but have not yet engaged with the program.
Activated – Members who have accessed their Member Portal, shared their link, added a referral, or had a referral click their link.
See The Member Lifecycle (Member Statuses) for more details.
Can I send the same person an invite email more than once?
Can I send the same person an invite email more than once?
You can send a second invite if the One-time Reminder Email is enabled. The reminder sends 7 days after the first invite, as long as the member hasn't activated yet.
You cannot send more than two invite emails to the same person. Members who haven't activated after receiving invite emails will still receive Monthly Summary emails, which continue to encourage activation.
What can cause a member to activate after receiving an invite email?
What can cause a member to activate after receiving an invite email?
A member activates when they:
Access their Member Portal
Share their referral link
Add a referral
Have a referral click their link
Can I change the design of the invite email?
Can I change the design of the invite email?
You can update your logo and button color in Brand Settings. The email layout is fixed to ensure consistent display across devices.
How are invite emails different from regular email marketing?
How are invite emails different from regular email marketing?
Unlike general newsletters or promotional emails, invite emails are specifically designed to encourage new referral program members to start sharing. They include members’ unique referral links, program-specific messaging, and automatically track who becomes an active program participant.
What if I want to use my own email campaigns instead?
What if I want to use my own email campaigns instead?
You can use One Click Access links in your own email campaigns. Keep in mind you will not have access to the automated scheduling, targeted sending, built-in analytics, or the optimized template that invite emails provide.