How to Build a Referral Tree
Why This Matters
The Referral Tree gives you a visual way to see who referred whom in your database. It's especially helpful for businesses that grow through word-of-mouth or rely on referral marketing. With just a few clicks, you can trace referrals across multiple levels, identify your top referral sources, and reward the contacts helping your business grow. The system builds this tree automatically as you assign referrers to contacts, creating a branching view that shows exactly how your client base is connected.
Watch & Learn
🎥 Video: How to Build a Referral Tree
How the Referral Tree Works
Each time you assign a contact as the Referrer of another contact, the system builds a branching, tree-style view of referral relationships. Over time, this forms a clear picture of how your client base is connected through referrals.
You can use this information to identify and thank your best referrers, understand referral patterns, and incentivize and grow your referral program. The tree updates automatically whenever you add or update referrer information, so it always reflects your current referral network.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Add the Referrer to Your Database (If Needed)
Before you can assign a referrer, that person must already exist in your database. If they're not already a contact, add them first.
This ensures the referral relationship can be tracked and displayed in the tree.
2. Go to the Referred Contact's Record
Open the contact who was referred by someone else. Navigate to Contacts and search for the person who was referred to you.
This is the contact you'll be updating with referrer information.
3. Click Edit Contact
In the contact record, click Edit to modify their details.
This opens the contact editing screen where you can update all contact information.
4. Assign the Referrer
In the Referred By field, choose the referring contact from your database. You can type the first letter of the referrer's name to jump to that section of the list.
This creates the referral link between the two contacts.
5. Save the Contact
Click Save to store the changes. The referral link is saved and automatically added to the Referral Tree.
The system now knows these two contacts are connected through a referral relationship and will display them in the tree structure.
6. Repeat for All Referred Contacts
As you add new contacts who were referred by existing clients, assign their referrer using the same process. The Referral Tree builds automatically as you go.
You don't need to manually update the tree—it happens in the background every time you save a referrer relationship.
Viewing Your Referral Tree
Access the Referral Tree
Go to Reports in the main menu and select Referral Tree. You'll see a visual map of referrals with branches showing how contacts are connected.
Everyone who has referred clients to you will be listed on the left side of the tree.
Explore Referral Chains
Click any contact in the tree to view their full record or expand deeper referral branches. You can trace referral chains across multiple levels to see, for example, that Brenda referred Michael, Michael referred Matt, and Matt referred Rebecca.
This helps you understand the full impact of each referrer—not just their direct referrals, but the downstream referrals those people generated.
Identify Top Referrers
Look for contacts with multiple branches extending from their name. These are your most valuable referral sources and should be recognized and rewarded.
For example, one person might have referred just one contact, while another has created an entire network of referrals through their connections.
Tips for Using the Referral Tree Effectively
Track Rewards with Tags — Use Tags or Custom Fields to track reward statuses like "Gift Sent" or "Pending Reward" so you can easily see who has been thanked and who still needs recognition.
Find All Referrals from One Person — Use the Referral Tab to find everyone referred by a specific contact, giving you a list view in addition to the tree visualization.
Automate Thank-You Messages — Combine the Referral Tree with Workflows to automatically send thank-you emails or rewards when a contact hits a referral milestone (like their 3rd or 5th referral).
Update Retroactively — If you have existing contacts who were referred but don't have the Referred By field filled in, you can update them at any time to build out your historical referral data.
Review Regularly — Check your Referral Tree monthly to identify patterns, spot inactive referrers who might need re-engagement, and celebrate your top contributors.
Questions and Answers
Q: What if I forget to add a referrer? Can I do it later?
A: Yes. You can update the Referred By field at any time in the contact record. The Referral Tree will update automatically to reflect the new relationship.
Q: Can I see how many referrals someone has made?
A: Yes. The Referral Tree shows each contact's referral branches visually. You can also run a referral report to view totals in list form, making it easy to rank your top referrers.
Q: Can I assign more than one referrer to a contact?
A: No. Each contact can have only one referrer assigned in the Referred By field. If multiple people contributed to the referral, choose the primary referrer or add a note in the contact record explaining the situation.
Q: Will the Referral Tree show people who referred themselves?
A: If the Referred By field is blank or points to the same person, that contact will not create a valid referral chain. The tree only displays legitimate referral relationships between different contacts.
Q: Do I need to do anything to maintain the Referral Tree?
A: No. The tree builds and updates automatically as you assign referrers to contacts. You don't need to manually refresh or rebuild it.
Q: Can I export referral data?
A: Yes. You can use reports and contact exports to create lists of referral relationships, which can be useful for analyzing your referral program or sending bulk thank-you communications.
Q: What if the referrer isn't in my database yet?
A: Add them as a contact first, then return to the referred contact's record and assign them in the Referred By field. The referrer must exist in your database before you can create the relationship.
Q: Can team members see the Referral Tree?
A: Yes, if they have appropriate permissions. The Referral Tree is available in the Reports section and visibility depends on your team member's access level.
Guide Type: How-To Guide
Estimated Time: 8 minutes
Next Guides: How to Use Advanced Search, Understanding Contact Custom Fields, How to Create Tags
Video Transcript
With the Referral Tree, you’ll be able to see all of your referrals in an easy to understand format. You’ll find the Referral Tree here in Reports. Here’s how the Referral Tree works. Everyone who has referred clients to you will be listed here on the left. Here’s a simple example where Joseph has referred Katie to you. In this example, we see that Brenda referred Michael to you, then Michael referred Matt and Matt referred Rebecca. Building your database by referral is a powerful concept. Here’s an example where Connie just referred one person to you… But look what Christina has done for your business. The Referral Tree is built automatically, when you’re contacts in the system, select the person in your database who referred this contact to you. By the way, by typing the first letter of the referring contact’s name, you can then jump right to that section. That’s all you have to do. The system will do the rest and keep your Referral Tree up to date.