How to make a great KnowledgeOwl referral (and earn $500 doing it)

We have some exciting news: our customer referral program is officially live, and we want you to be part of it.

If you've ever recommended KnowledgeOwl to a colleague, a peer at a conference, or someone venting in a Slack community about their terrible knowledge base situation: thank you so much. Word of mouth from people who actually use the product has been our most successful way of finding new customers. And so, finally, we can start saying thank you to new referral with $500. 

Before you start copy-pasting your referral link everywhere, let's talk about what makes a good referral. Because a well-placed recommendation is worth so much more than a scattershot one, and we'd rather you feel great about who you're sending our way.

First, is KnowledgeOwl actually a good fit for them?

We love KnowledgeOwl (obviously), but we also know it's not the right tool for all use cases. A referral that doesn't convert—or worse, converts and then churns—doesn't help anyone. So here's a quick gut-check before you reach out.

KnowledgeOwl tends to be a genuinely great fit for teams that:

• Need a dedicated, standalone knowledge base rather than a basic wiki bolted onto another tool

• Value flexibility and customization. That could be branding, access controls, and/or content structure

• Are tired of being an afterthought at a big platform and want responsive, human support

• Care about working with a values-driven company (we're a B Corp, and that's not just a badge. It shapes how we operate)

• Have a documentation specialist, support manager, or someone who owns their knowledge base

• Are building something they'll actively maintain and grow over time

KnowledgeOwl is probably not the best fit for teams that:

• Need a barebones internal wiki alongside project management tools (something like Notion or Confluence might serve them better)

• Are looking for the cheapest possible option and aren’t too concerned about reliability or customization.

• Need a full help desk with ticketing included (though we do integrate well with ticketing systems)

Being honest about fit is actually the whole point. The best referrals aren't "hey, try this thing", they're "I know what you're struggling with, and I genuinely think this would help." This is why we’ve had the great fortune to already have so many referred customers. We solve problems very well, and the people who use KnowledgeOwl often love helping other people solve their problems, too. Our customers have already created a beautiful chain of helpfulness! 

Tips for making a referral that sticks

Be specific about why you thought of them. A message like "I use KnowledgeOwl for our customer-facing docs and it's been great for our team. Given what you mentioned about your onboarding docs being a mess, I thought it might be worth a look" lands so much better than a generic link drop.

Point them to a free trial. KnowledgeOwl offers a 30-day free trial, so there's no commitment required to take ‘er for a test drive. Lowering that barrier is half the battle.

Share what you actually use it for. Real-world context is so much more compelling than a feature list. What does your knowledge base look like? What problem did it solve for you? That's the tastiest stuff.

Make sure they use your link or mention your name. This is the practical bit, and there’s more on that below.

How the program works

Once you're ready to refer someone, here's what to do:

Head to your KnowledgeOwl account (and click Your name > Referral program) to grab your unique referral link. Share it with whoever you have in mind. When they sign up for a trial using that link, you're on your way.

To qualify for the $500 payout, your referral needs to create a trial account using your link, convert to a paid subscription, and stay with us for at least three consecutive months.

If they happen to sign up without your link, they can still give you credit by selecting "Referral" during the trial signup process and entering your full name. We can then manually attribute it to you.

Payments are processed quarterly (January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15), via electronic bank transfer. The three-month clock starts on the date of their first paid subscription payment, so timing will vary depending on when they sign up.

A few important details

Referral rewards are paid to individuals, not organizations. You're also responsible for any tax obligations on your end, something to keep in mind if you're racking up referrals (fingers crossed!).

We've designed this to reward genuine advocates, so we do review referrals and reserve the right to decline payment if something looks off. Self-referrals, false information, that kind of thing. We know that's not you, but it's worth mentioning.

Ready to refer someone?

Log into your KnowledgeOwl account to grab your referral link, and if you have any questions about the program, you're always welcome to reach out to us directly. We're happy to help you think through whether someone might be a good fit, too. That's kind of our favourite conversation to have.

Thank you, as always, for being part of the KnowledgeOwl community. It genuinely means the world to us.

More details on the program here