> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.referly.so/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Invite an influencer

> Invite a creator from Referly's Influencer Discovery into your program: pick their affiliate group or commission plan, add an optional signing bonus, write your first message, and track whether they accept.

Once you've found a creator worth pursuing in [Influencer Discovery](/docs/help-center/grow/influencer-discovery/overview), inviting them is how you bring them into your program. An invitation does two things at once: it makes the creator an offer to join, and it starts a direct conversation with them. If they accept, they become an affiliate in your program straight away.

## Open the invite

Open a creator's profile — select their card from the **Discover** tab — and select **Send invitation**. This opens the invite dialog, where you set the terms of your offer and write your first message.

<Tip>
  It's worth checking a creator's [match score](/docs/help-center/grow/influencer-discovery/match-score) breakdown and profile before you invite. Invitations count toward a monthly limit, so you want to spend them on the best fits.
</Tip>

## Choose where they join

The first section, **Where should they join?**, sets the terms the creator starts on the moment they accept. You have two choices.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Add to an affiliate group">
    Put the creator into one of your [affiliate groups](/docs/help-center/settings/program/affiliate-groups) — your **Default Group** is preselected. They inherit that group's commission plan and terms. Choose this when you want them on shared terms that can change as the group changes.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Put them on a commission plan">
    Assign the creator directly to a specific [commission plan](/docs/help-center/getting-started/commissions/overview). Each plan in the list is labeled with what it pays (like "30% per sale" or "\$20 per lead"), so you can see the offer at a glance. Choose this when you want to pin them to exact terms.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Add a signing bonus (optional)

The **Signing bonus** section lets you sweeten the offer with a one-time reward that's **paid automatically when the creator accepts and joins**. Drag the slider to set the amount, or leave it at zero for no bonus.

A signing bonus is optional, but it's one of the strongest ways to get a yes — it shows the creator you're serious and rewards them just for coming on board. The amount is in your program's currency.

## Write your invitation message

The **Invitation message** is required. It's sent as the **first message in your conversation** with the creator, so write it like the opening of a real outreach — who you are, what you'd love them to promote, and why they're a fit. A warm, specific message gets far better responses than a generic one.

<Note>
  The message is only part of a brand-new invitation. If you later edit an invitation you've already sent, you can change the offer — the group, plan, or bonus — but not resend the opening message, since your conversation has already started.
</Note>

## Send it

Select **Send invitation**. The creator is notified, your message opens the conversation, and they move to your **Invited** tab.

The footer of the dialog shows how many invitations you have left this month — something like "18 of 25 invitations left this month". Each invitation you send draws down that monthly allowance, so once it's used up you'll need to wait for it to reset before inviting more.

## What happens next

* **The creator appears on your Invited tab**, so you can keep track of everyone you've reached out to. See [Saved, invited, and recruited](/docs/help-center/grow/influencer-discovery/pipeline).
* **If they accept**, they join your program on the terms you chose, any signing bonus is paid, and they move to your **Recruited** tab as a working affiliate.
* **If they decline**, they stay on your Invited tab marked as declined, so you know not to keep waiting.
* **You can keep talking** either way — the conversation you started with your invitation message stays open, so you can answer questions and follow up.

## Related

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Saved, invited, and recruited" icon="users" href="/docs/help-center/grow/influencer-discovery/pipeline" arrow>
    Track invitations and see who accepted.
  </Card>

  <Card title="How the match score works" icon="sparkles" href="/docs/help-center/grow/influencer-discovery/match-score" arrow>
    Check fit before you spend an invitation.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Affiliate groups" icon="users-rectangle" href="/docs/help-center/settings/program/affiliate-groups" arrow>
    How groups set the terms a creator joins on.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Commission plans overview" icon="percent" href="/docs/help-center/getting-started/commissions/overview" arrow>
    The plans you can assign an invited creator to.
  </Card>
</Columns>