Browse chapters
Partner Welcome Flow
The first email and first session that turn an approved partner into an active one.
Partner Onboarding · ~6 min read
On this page
The moment a partner is approved is the most attention you'll ever have from them. Waste it and they go cold. The welcome flow has one job: get the partner to take a first action while they still care.
The welcome email
Send it immediately on approval. Keep it short and action-oriented. It should contain exactly three things: their unique referral link, one clear first action, and where to get help. Not your life story, not a feature tour — a link and a next step.
Define the first action
Vague enthusiasm dies fast. Give the partner one specific, small thing to do: share their link with one client, add it to a proposal template, or post it to their audience. A partner who takes one action in week one is dramatically more likely to keep going.
Hand over ready-to-use assets
Reduce the effort to zero. A short description they can paste, a demo link, a one-pager for client decks, maybe a screenshot or two. If a partner has to create anything themselves before they can refer you, most won't.
Show them where they stand
Give partners a place to see their link, their referrals, and their earnings. Visibility is motivating — a partner who can watch their first referral appear is a partner who comes back.
Then follow up
A light second touch a week later — 'here's how to get your first referral' — catches the partners who meant to act and didn't. One nudge, helpful not pushy.
Practical checklist
- ✓Welcome email fires immediately on approval
- ✓Email contains: referral link, one first action, where to get help
- ✓A ready-to-paste description and a demo link are provided
- ✓The partner can see their link, referrals, and earnings in one place
- ✓A single helpful follow-up is scheduled for ~7 days later
Common mistakes
- ✕Approving a partner and sending nothing
- ✕A welcome email that explains everything and asks for nothing
- ✕Making partners build their own assets before they can refer
How this works in PartnerDock
In PartnerDock, an approved partner immediately gets a portal with their per-app referral links, a live view of their referrals and earnings, and can request payouts when they cross the threshold. You can also email partners directly from the dashboard using built-in templates.
Try PartnerDock FreeStart your partner program with PartnerDock
Manage partners, attribution, commissions, and payouts in one place — free to start.
Start FreeRelated chapters
Recruiting Agencies
How to find, pitch, and sign Shopify agencies as partners — the highest-leverage partner type for most apps.
Getting Your First 10 Partners
A concrete, week-by-week plan to sign your first ten partners without a big budget or a team.
Partner Funnel Metrics
The handful of numbers that tell you whether your partner program is healthy: clicks, installs, conversions, revenue.