> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.referly.so/docs/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Create a performance bonus > Create a performance bonus in Referly: set the goal (referrals, conversions, or revenue), the cash reward, who can earn it, and publish it to your affiliates. A performance bonus pays affiliates a fixed cash reward when they hit a goal you set. This page walks through building one. For how they work overall, see the [performance bonuses overview](/docs/help-center/gamify/performance-bonuses/overview). ## Create a performance bonus Select **Performance Bonuses** in the left sidebar, then choose **Create** at the top right. (If you don't have any yet, use the **Create Performance Bonus** button in the middle of the page.) In the **Details** section, give the bonus a **Name** your affiliates will understand, like Revenue Milestone Bonus. You can add an optional **Description** explaining the offer. In the **Criteria** section, build the goal as a sentence — *when an affiliate's activity reaches a target, pay a bonus*. Choose the activity, the target, and the reward (covered just below). In the **Affiliates** section, pick the audience: **All affiliates**, **Specific affiliates**, or **Affiliate groups**. Only affiliates in your choice can earn this bonus. Still in **Details**, turn on **Start date** and **End date** if you want the bonus to run for a set period. Leave them off for a bonus with no time limit. On the **Style** tab, give the bonus an icon and colour, or upload an image, so it stands out in your affiliates' portal. Select **Publish**. The bonus goes live and starts watching for affiliates who qualify. ## Setting the criteria The criteria section is where you define the goal. It has four parts: ### What counts toward the goal Choose the **activity** you're rewarding: * **Referrals** — the number of customers the affiliate refers. * **Conversions** — the number of purchases those referred customers make. * **Revenue** — the total revenue the affiliate generates. ### Which activity counts Choose the **scope**: * **New** — counts only activity from the bonus's start date onward (or from when you create it, if there's no start date). Use this for a fresh challenge. * **Lifetime** — counts everything the affiliate has done since they joined your program. Use this to reward total achievement. ### The target and the reward Enter the **target** the activity has to reach, then the **bonus amount** — the fixed cash reward, in your program's currency, the affiliate earns for reaching it. If some affiliates already meet the goal when you publish — common with a **Lifetime** bonus — Referly asks whether to pay them right away. See [Award a bonus retroactively](/docs/help-center/gamify/performance-bonuses/retroactive). ## Choosing the audience * **All affiliates** — everyone active in your program can earn it. * **Specific affiliates** — search for and pick individual affiliates; only they can earn it. * **Affiliate groups** — pick one or more [groups](/docs/help-center/manage/affiliates/groups); only affiliates in those groups can earn it. ## Letting affiliates know When you publish, Referly may offer to **send an announcement email** to the affiliates who can earn the bonus, so they hear about it straight away. Choose to send it or skip — either way the bonus is live. You can also count on it appearing on their portal's Performance Bonuses page. ## Editing a bonus later Open any bonus from the list to change its name, criteria, audience, or schedule. While editing, a **Given Bonuses** tab shows the affiliates who've already earned it. Changing the criteria can bring new affiliates into range — including ones who already qualify, which again triggers the retroactive prompt on save. ## Related How performance bonuses work and what affiliates see. Pay affiliates who already met the goal when you set the bonus up. Target a bonus at a specific group of affiliates. See earned bonuses alongside your other rewards.