Know someone with the expertise to contribute to cutting-edge AI projects? Refer them to Handshake AI and earn as they work — while helping them find meaningful opportunities to put their skills to use.
How the referral program works
Referring someone is simple. Share your referral link, they sign up and get matched to a project, and you start earning for every hour they contribute. Referral earnings are paid out as part of your weekly pay cycle.
There are two ways to share your link:
- Use the Copy referral link button at the top of your Referrals page to share a general link.
- Select a specific role under "Earn as your referral earns" to generate a link tailored to a particular expertise area.
Tips for a successful referral
- Share your link before they sign up — referrals can't be applied retroactively.
- Use a role-specific link when referring someone you know is a strong fit for a particular expertise area.
- Encourage your referral to stay active in their first 6 months — the more they work, the more you both earn.
- Track your referrals' progress from your Referrals page to stay on top of where each one stands.
- If you have questions about a referral not showing within your referrals dashboard, contact Support.
Referral bonus earning structure
For every hour your referral works, you earn 10% of their project rate. Here's what you need to know:
- Payouts unlock at 10 hours — your referral must complete at least 10 hours before your earnings are released.
- Earnings are capped at 40 hours per referral.
- There's a 6-month earning window from when your referral joins. Once the window closes, no further earnings can be accrued from that referral.
Understanding referral statuses
Every referral's status is tracked on your Referrals page. Here's what each status means:
- Account created: Your referral has successfully signed up and created an account.
- Tasking: Your referral is active within their 6-month window and contributing to projects.
- If you see a lock icon next to your earnings for this referral, it means they haven't hit the 10-hour minimum yet and your payout hasn't unlocked.
- Term ended: The 6-month window has closed.
- If your referral met the 10-hour minimum, your earned amount will be paid out.
- If they didn't reach 10 hours, no earnings will be generated from this referral.
- Completed: Your referral has hit the maximum earnings cap. You've earned the most you can from this referral.
Tip: if an expected referral is missing from your Referrals page, and your referral confirms they signed up, it's possible they weren't using your referral link when their account was created. Referrals will only be listed if your shared referral link is used to sign up!
Impact on existing referrals
Our new referral program structure may impact existing referrals. We've outlined possible scenarios and what this means for you below.
Referrals moved to the new program:
- If your referral is less than 6 months old and your referred friend has completed project onboarding but has worked fewer than 10 hours
- Your referral has been moved to the new program. Once your friend crosses 10 hours of production work, payouts will begin. Your original 6-month expiration window continues.
- If your referral is less than 6 months old and your referred person has not yet completed project onboarding
- Your referral has been moved to the new program as active. Your referral rate will lock in once they complete onboarding on their first project.
Referrals not moved to the new program:
- If your referral was created more than 6 months ago and was never paid out
- Your referral has expired and is no longer eligible for a payout under the new program.
- If your referred friend worked 10+ hours but you never received a payout because they weren’t on a referral incentive-eligible project
- Your referral has expired and is no longer eligible for a payout under the new program.
- If you already received a referral payout for this person
- Your referral is marked complete. No additional payouts will be generated.