Create a waitlist campaign

Last reviewed: 2026-10-17About 20 minutes

A waitlist collects interest before you launch. With referrals turned on, each person who joins gets a personal share link and moves up the list when friends sign up through it. This guide walks through building one in the dashboard, from picking a recipe to testing the referral loop.

Planning the launch, not just the page? The Building a Waitlist guide on kickofflabs.com covers the strategy: what to promise, which emails to send, and how to promote the waitlist. This article covers the setup.

Pick the right recipe

The recipe decides how people move up the list. You can change points and rewards later, but it is easiest to start with the closest match.

Recipe	How it works	Use it when
Simple Waitlist	Collects emails. No referral mechanics.	You only need a “notify me” list, or sharing would not change anything for the subscriber.
Referral Waitlist	Each signup gets a share link and moves up the list as friends join.	Earlier access is genuinely valuable, for example a limited beta or launch pricing.
Waitlist + Milestone Rewards	Everyone on the list unlocks perks at referral thresholds.	You can offer useful perks at clear goals, such as a beta invite at 3 referrals.

If you’re not sure, start with Referral Waitlist. It is the classic Robinhood-style loop, explained in the Robinhood waitlist playbook.

Build it step by step

1. Choose the recipe

   From Campaigns, select + New campaign, open Waitlist, and pick your recipe. The preview on the right lists what will be created: the signup page, the after-signup view with position and share links, and the drafted campaign emails.

   

   Already signed in? You can open the Referral Waitlist recipe directly.

2. Describe your campaign

   Under Describe your campaign, write two or three sentences. KickoffLabs uses them to write the first draft of your page copy. Include:

   • Who it’s for and what you’re launching.
   • What people get for joining, such as early access, launch pricing, or a beta invite.
   • When you expect to launch, if you know.
   • Why sharing helps, such as “every friend who joins moves you up the list”.

   Open Customize your draft to choose the format and look. Compact builds a simple signup box. Long Form builds a full page with sections for benefits and an FAQ. You can also pick a tone and a starting style. Select Create my draft when you’re ready.

   Tip

   Nothing goes live when you create the draft. You can rewrite every word in the designer before you publish. See Write a campaign brief for more examples.

   Writing in another language?

   Write the brief in that language. A brief in a supported language sets the campaign’s language and generates the first draft in it. Campaigns in other languages.

3. Edit the signup view

   The draft opens in the designer on the Signup view. Click any text to edit it, and replace the placeholder image with your own.

   

   Check the headline, the form, the button text, and any rules or terms text. If you use the Simple box layout, see header image size for simple box pages.

   Keep the form short

   For most launches, ask for email only. Add a name or one qualifying question only if you will use the answer to segment or invite people. Every extra field lowers signups. Customize the form.

4. Check what people see after signup

   Switch to Post-signup. This is the view people see right after they join, and it is where the referral loop starts. It shows their position, their personal referral link, and the share buttons.

   

   Make sure the copy here tells people exactly what sharing does, such as “every friend who joins moves you up the list”, and that it matches what the signup view promised.

5. Set scoring, and rewards if you use them

   Open Scoring & actions. The recipe sets points for joining and for each direct referral. People with more points rank higher on the waitlist. You can also add actions, such as following you on social media, to earn extra points.

   

   If you picked Waitlist + Milestone Rewards, open Rewards and check each milestone’s name and threshold.

   

   Count real referrals

   Turn on Require verification before scoring if position or rewards are valuable. Referrals then count only after the friend confirms their email, which cuts down on fake signups. See how waitlist rank works and lead protection.

6. Turn on emails

   Open Emails. The Automatic reply sends each new subscriber their personal link, so they can share later. The Verification email confirms their address. Reward emails go out when someone reaches a milestone.

   Each email has its own on/off switch. Open each one you want to use, check its wording, turn it on, and save it. Reward emails start switched off. If you turned on Require verification before scoring, turn on the Verification email too, or referrals will never count.

   

   Caution

   Even emails you’ve turned on are not sent until you save a From name, Reply-to email, and Postal address under Sender & compliance. Fill these in before you launch. Set up the automatic reply.

7. Publish and test

   Back in the designer, select Preview to check both views on desktop and mobile, then publish. Open Publish & test and select Run signup test to send a test lead through the campaign.

   

   Then test the referral loop yourself:

   • Open the public page, sign up with your own email, and copy your share link.
   • Open that link in a private window or another browser and sign up with a second email.
   • If verification is on, confirm both addresses from their verification emails. Until then, the referral stays pending.
   • Check that the first lead’s referral count and score went up, and that the emails arrived. Its position only moves if the new score puts it ahead of someone else, so a lone test lead may already be #1.
   • Repeat the test on a phone to make sure the copy and share buttons work there.

   More on publishing and testing.

Tips for a waitlist that grows

• Make one specific promise. “Get early access to refillable skincare built for humid climates” gets shared. “Join the waitlist for something exciting” doesn’t.
• Keep the reward honest and consistent. If the page says “move up the line”, don’t say “earn bonus entries” in the email. Only promise priority access you can actually give.
• Use the after-signup moment. People are most likely to share right after they join. Keep the share link and the reason to share at the top of the post-signup view.
• Don’t go quiet. Send progress updates and product news while people wait, and a clear email when access opens. The waitlist email guide has a full sequence.
• Bring the first wave of traffic. Referrals multiply interest that already exists. Plan where your first visitors come from with these 30 prelaunch promotion ideas.

Go deeper

• Building a Waitlist guide: the full strategy series.
• Robinhood waitlist playbook: a worked example of a referral waitlist.
• Referral waitlist guide: queue rules, verification, and launch waves.
• Waitlist reporting: what to measure once signups come in.
• In this help center: How waitlist rank works · Remove leads from a waitlist · Edit a page

Need help? Email support@kickofflabs.com with your campaign URL, the test lead email, and the result you expected.