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Integration Guide

How to Trigger Referral Emails with Zapier + GrowSurf

Use GrowSurf events in Zapier when another email tool should send the message after a referral signup, reward event, or campaign milestone.

Want the full setup walkthrough?

Use these docs for exact setup steps, supported fields, and troubleshooting.

Use this workflow when GrowSurf should decide when an email is sent, but another email tool should handle the actual send.

The best trigger depends on the outcome you want. New Participant is useful for welcome or onboarding emails, New Participant Reward works for reward-earned messages, and Campaign Ended is a clean option for wrap-up or results emails.

Integration Steps

Choose the GrowSurf event that should start the email

Selecting a GrowSurf trigger inside Zapier
Start by choosing the GrowSurf trigger that matches the kind of email you want to send.

Create a new Zap, connect GrowSurf, and pick the trigger event that matches the message timing you need.

Test the trigger with a real campaign record

Testing a GrowSurf Campaign Ended trigger in Zapier
Use a real campaign record when you test so the email fields you map in Zapier reflect live program data, not just placeholder samples.

Zapier's sample records help with field mapping, but they are not a substitute for checking the final email against a real campaign event.

Add the email action and map the fields into the template

Use your preferred email app or Email by Zapier for the action step. Map GrowSurf fields such as participant email, share URL, milestone text, or referral totals into the subject line and body where they matter.

Insert a Filter when the email should only go to a subset of participants

If the email should only go to referrers, approved reward earners, or referred participants, add a Filter before the email action. That is the cleanest way to avoid sending the wrong message to the wrong audience.

Publish the Zap and review the first live send in Zap History

Once the workflow is live, use Zap History to verify the payload, the email action, and the final recipient all look right on the first real run.

Tips

Keep each email Zap focused on one message goal

It is usually better to create one Zap for a welcome email and another for a reward-earned email than to overload a single workflow with too many branches.

Use the share URL or referral portal intentionally

If the email should get the participant sharing quickly, link to the share URL. If it should bring them back to their dashboard or rewards view, link to the referral portal instead.

Do not trust sample data alone

GrowSurf's troubleshooting notes make the same point as the Zap editor: test data exists to help you configure the Zap, but the live campaign event is the real validation step.

FAQ

Which GrowSurf triggers work best for email workflows?

New Participant is best for welcome and onboarding emails, New Participant Reward fits reward-earned messages, and Campaign Ended works for summary or wrap-up sends.

Should I use Zapier if GrowSurf already has a native integration for my email platform?

Usually use the native integration first when it already supports the segmentation or personalization you need. Zapier is most useful when the email tool is not natively supported or when you need a custom no-code action path.

Why did one reward trigger send emails for both sides of the referral?

GrowSurf's Zapier docs note that double-sided rewards can create events for both participants. Add a Filter or use Paths so each message only goes to the intended person.

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