---
title: "Your customers want to refer friends. Now they can do it in one click."
slug: "referral-automated-email-sharing"
url: "https://joy.so/updates/referral-automated-email-sharing/"
kind: "update"
author: "Thomas Nguyen"
author_url: "https://joy.so/author/thomas/"
published_at: "2026-03-20T09:40:47.000+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-08T08:58:14.000+00:00"
description: "Customers can now share their referral link via email — directly from your store. No copy-pasting, no friction. More referrals, less effort."
category: "Product Updates"
tags: ["Product Updates"]
reading_time: 2
feature_image: "https://cdn-web.joy.so/cdn/image/2026/03/pexel-referral-088df4.jpg"
---

# Your customers want to refer friends. Now they can do it in one click.

## Why this matters

Let customers send a referral invitation without leaving your loyalty widget. [Email invites](https://help.joy.so/reward-programs/referrals/referral-email-invite) add an email field below the referral link, and the friend receives the link and reward details in their inbox.

### Let customers invite friends by email

A customer enters a friend's address under their referral link and selects Send. The invitation is sent straight from the widget, so the customer does not copy the link or switch to another app.

### Choose how the invitation is sent

Joy can send the email itself. For control over design and timing, route it through a Klaviyo flow or Shopify Flow, which receive the referrer email, referee email, referral link, and reward data.

### Keep copy-link and social sharing

The existing copy-link and social share buttons stay in the widget. Each customer picks the way of sharing that suits them.

> **Try this**
> If your store already uses Klaviyo, create a flow triggered by Joy's referral invite event. The event carries the referral link and reward data for your email.

---

## How to access and use

### Step 1: Enable the invite email

In Joy, go to **Settings → Notifications** and enable the **Link Invite** notification.

### Step 2: Customize the message

Edit the subject line and email body so the invitation matches your brand.

### Step 3: Send a test

Click **Send Test** to preview the email before activating it.

### Step 4: Check invite activity

Open **Activities** to see a pending referral entry for each invitation sent.

## Setup guides

[Auto send referral link](https://help.joy.so/reward-programs/referrals/referral-email-invite)

## Good to know

Email sharing is available on all Joy plans. When Joy sends the invitation, it limits how many a customer can send per day and how often one recipient receives one.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does the invited friend need an account on my store?

No. If the friend has no account yet, one is created automatically with the invited email address, so they can start shopping right away.

### Must the friend order with the invited email address?

Yes. The referral is tracked only when the friend places the order with the same email address that received the invitation.

### Can a customer invite several friends in one visit?

Yes. After each invitation, a **Send to another friend** button appears. The referral limit settings in your program still apply.