Start with the audience you already own
Authorize Mailchimp, select the lists you want to sync, and bring those subscribers into ReferralCandy without rebuilding your customer audience.
Email and lifecycle integration
Referral and affiliate marketing inside the Mailchimp emails you already send
Turn your existing Mailchimp audience into a word-of-mouth channel. Sync the lists you choose, let ReferralCandy generate a unique referral link for every subscriber, and insert that personal link into newsletters and automations with the *|RC_REF_URL|* merge tag. Customers get a direct path to share; ReferralCandy handles attribution and rewards.
Not on Shopify? Try ReferralCandy for free.
One personal referral URL per synced subscriber, available through a single Mailchimp merge tag.
AudienceMailchimp list syncedSubscribers receive the Joined ReferralCandy Program tag
Merge tag*|RC_REF_URL|*A unique referral link resolves for each subscriber
CampaignReferral CTA sentAdd it to a newsletter or automation
ConversionFriend buysReferralCandy tracks the sale and reward
Personalized per subscriber
Tracked in ReferralCandy
Why connect Mailchimp
Make every Mailchimp campaign an invitation to share.
Referral promotion does not have to live in a separate blast. Once a Mailchimp audience is synced, each subscriber receives a unique ReferralCandy link and the Joined ReferralCandy Program tag. Your team can place a referral call to action inside the newsletters, announcements, and automated emails customers already recognize from your brand.
Give every subscriber their own sharing link
Use the *|RC_REF_URL|* merge tag in Mailchimp. At send time, it resolves into the unique referral link generated for that individual subscriber.
Add acquisition to existing email moments
Place a referral CTA in a regular newsletter, product announcement, or automated customer email while ReferralCandy tracks referred purchases and manages rewards.
Audience sync, merge tag, and referral CTA
One connection turns email engagement into customer-led acquisition.
The Mailchimp integration keeps the workflow simple: sync the audience, insert the personal link, and send from the email platform your team already knows. The customer experience stays branded while referral operations remain connected to ReferralCandy.
01
Audience sync
Bring selected Mailchimp lists into ReferralCandy
Connect your Mailchimp account from ReferralCandy and choose the audiences you want to activate. You can return to the integration later to connect more lists.
- Choose the lists that fit the campaign
Start broadly or sync only the audience you want to invite.
- Generate a personal referral identity
Every synced subscriber receives a unique ReferralCandy link.
- Identify enrolled subscribers
The Joined ReferralCandy Program tag is added after the sync.
02
Mailchimp personalization
Insert one merge tag, send thousands of unique links
Add the ReferralCandy Referral Link merge tag from Mailchimp’s editor. The same template becomes personal for every synced subscriber when the campaign is sent.
- *|RC_REF_URL|*
The merge tag resolves to the recipient’s own shareable referral URL.
- Build the CTA into your design
Use the personal link on text, a button, or the referral promotion in the email.
- Preview with live merge-tag data
Check that the personal URL resolves for a subscriber before scheduling the send.
03
Referral growth loop
Let the newsletter carry the invitation
A subscriber can copy, forward, or share the link from the email. Referred friends reach the friend-offer journey, while ReferralCandy connects eligible purchases back to the advocate.
- Promote without another standalone blast
Add referrals to campaigns your customers already expect to receive.
- Keep the sharing experience personal
Each recipient sees their own link rather than a generic campaign destination.
- Track sales and rewards in ReferralCandy
ReferralCandy remains the system for purchase attribution, eligibility, and reward delivery.
See it in your stack
Build the program around your customer journey.
Start with the integration you already run, then shape the campaign, reward, and message around the relationships your brand has earned.
Not on Shopify? Try ReferralCandy for free.
How it works
How ReferralCandy works with Mailchimp
Connect the audience once, place the personal referral link in your template, and turn the emails you already send into repeatable referral touchpoints.
- 1
Connect Mailchimp
Authorize Mailchimp from the ReferralCandy integrations page so the two platforms can sync the audiences you choose.
- 2
Sync the right lists
Select the Mailchimp lists you want to activate. ReferralCandy generates a unique referral link for each synced subscriber and adds the Joined ReferralCandy Program tag.
- 3
Insert the referral merge tag
Choose ReferralCandy Referral Link from Mailchimp’s Merge Tags menu—or use *|RC_REF_URL|*—and place it in the referral CTA in your email.
- 4
Send, share, and attribute
Mailchimp sends the campaign with a personal link for every recipient. When a friend follows that link and makes an eligible purchase, ReferralCandy tracks the referral and applies your reward rules.
Built for the emails customers already open
Promote the referral program without breaking your email rhythm.
The strongest referral reminder often belongs inside an email that already has a reason to exist. The Mailchimp integration makes the personal referral link available wherever your lifecycle team decides the invitation fits.
Make referrals an always-on footer or feature
Add the personal link to a recurring newsletter so customers can find and share it without searching for an old referral email.
Connect sharing to launches and promotions
Place a referral CTA alongside a product release, seasonal offer, or brand announcement when customer attention is already high.
Introduce the program at a useful lifecycle moment
Use the merge tag in an appropriate Mailchimp automation so the advocate receives their own referral path as part of the wider customer journey.
Who it is for
For email teams that want more acquisition value from their Mailchimp audience.
Use this integration when your brand already has an engaged Mailchimp list and wants referral promotion to feel like a natural part of its existing email program.
- ✓Teams adding an always-on referral CTA to newsletters
- ✓Brands promoting referral rewards during launches or seasonal campaigns
- ✓Lifecycle marketers who want every recipient to receive a personal sharing link
Questions, answered
Mailchimp integration FAQ
Marketing overview first. When you are ready to configure the integration, the technical guide has the exact settings.
What does the ReferralCandy integration with Mailchimp do?
It syncs the Mailchimp lists you select into ReferralCandy, generates a unique referral link for each synced subscriber, and makes that link available in Mailchimp through the ReferralCandy Referral Link merge tag.
What is the ReferralCandy merge tag for Mailchimp?
The merge tag is *|RC_REF_URL|*. Add it from Mailchimp’s Merge Tags menu so each recipient sees their own unique referral link when the email is sent.
Does every subscriber receive the same referral link?
No. The merge tag resolves to the unique ReferralCandy link generated for that individual synced subscriber.
What happens to subscribers after the list sync?
ReferralCandy generates their personal referral links, and Mailchimp adds the Joined ReferralCandy Program tag to those subscribers.
Can I use the referral link in a regular Mailchimp newsletter?
Yes. You can place the merge tag in regular newsletters, dedicated referral campaigns, or suitable Mailchimp automations so the referral program appears in the messages your customers already receive.
Does connecting Mailchimp automatically send an email?
No. Your team still creates, previews, schedules, and sends the message in Mailchimp after the selected lists have finished syncing.
Where are referred purchases and rewards tracked?
ReferralCandy attributes eligible purchases from each personal link, applies the campaign’s reward rules, and reports referral performance in the ReferralCandy dashboard.
Can I connect more Mailchimp lists later?
Yes. Return to the Mailchimp integration page in ReferralCandy and choose the option to connect additional lists.
+Let your strongest relationships bring the next customer.
Connect Mailchimp to ReferralCandy and make referral and affiliate growth part of the stack your team already runs.
Not on Shopify? Try ReferralCandy for free.