How Sift referrals work

Seven steps from install to payout — here's the whole flywheel.

1. Generate your referral link

Once you install Sift, the dashboard issues a unique referral code and URL for you. Anyone who lands on Sift through that link is attributed to you, and every commission tied to their purchases rolls up under your code.

2. Share the link

Send it any way that works for you — a DM, an email, a tweet, a Slack message, a group chat. The link itself does all the work; you don't need to do anything special on the receiving end.

3. A friend clicks and signs up

The link routes through /r/:code, which validates the code and drops a short-lived sift_ref cookie so the install can be tied back to you. Your friend then lands on the homepage with a small banner explaining what Sift does and why they were invited.

4. Your friend installs the extension

From the landing page they install Sift from the Chrome Web Store. The welcome page confirms the install and queues the attribution ping back to your code in the background.

5. Orders get attributed

When your friend checks out at a supported retailer, the extension reads the sift_ref cookie and posts the purchase to our referral endpoint. Purchases arrive with a stable transaction ID so the same order can't be counted twice.

6. You earn commission

Every attributed purchase shows up as a pending commission under your code. Commissions accumulate as your friends shop — you'll see them appear on the dashboard as orders convert.

Replace YOURCODE in the link above with the actual code shown on your dashboard.

7. Validate and withdraw from the dashboard

Pending commissions move to validated once the merchant confirms the order — that's the "Mark validated" action on the dashboard. Once your validated balance passes the minimum payout, the Withdraw form moves the money to your PayPal.

Both actions live on the same screen — open the dashboard to see them.

Note: the "Mark validated" button is only available when the server has a REFERRAL_WEBHOOK_SECRET configured. If you see a notice that it's unavailable, validation is happening on the merchant side and will appear automatically once the network confirms.

Questions?

Want the full picture on attribution integrity before you start sharing? Read the non-hijacking commitment. Have a question about cashback mechanics, attribution timing, or missing claims? Check the FAQ. Need help with the install, the code, or a payout? Use the support page.