Getting started with Bonusly

This comprehensive guide will help you get started with Bonusly. We recommend you take the following steps as a priority, as these will establish the foundation for a successful recognition program and promote high adoption rates from day one.

We've broken it up into sections:

First, establish your company's identity and preferences within Bonusly. Navigate to Company > Account settings in your admin tools to begin. This ensures the platform looks and feels like your company.

Name, Logo, & Language:

Interface customization:

Decide if users can include images, GIFs, and video in their recognition posts.

Customize the Welcome and Invite emails to match your internal voice and tone. You can preview these emails directly to ensure they look just right before you invite your team.

Configure email domains and company login methods.

Once your account is configured, it's time to incorporate your unique culture and values into the platform. Navigate to Company > Program settings to align Bonusly with your company culture.

Points Name:

Customize the name of your currency to fit your brand (e.g., "High Fives," "Stars," "Kudos"). You can even use an emoji!

Points Requirements:

Decide if users must attach points to every post. Note: Data shows participation is higher when points (and rewards) are attached.

Company Values Hashtags:

Bring your company values to life by adding them as hashtags (e.g., #teamwork, #innovation, #customer-obsession).

These hashtags act as the "why" behind every recognition, reinforcing the specific behaviors and principles that define your organization’s success. You can add up to 12 custom values.

Hashtag Requirements:

We recommend setting this to "A company value hashtag is required." This ensures every piece of recognition is tied directly to a cultural value, giving you better analytics on how your values are being lived out.

Banned Hashtags:

If there are specific terms or tags you want to prohibit, add them to the "Banned hashtags" list to block their usage.

The core of Bonusly is the "Allowance"—the points employees are given each month to give to others. Setting this correctly is key to budgeting and engagement.

Configure Monthly Allowance Set the amount of points each user receives to give away. These points reset every month ("use it or lose it"), which encourages frequent recognition. Best practice: We recommend an allowance that equates to roughly $20-$25 USD per employee per month.

Customize the Rewards Catalog Bonusly comes pre-loaded with gift cards and donation options. You can also add Custom Rewards—unique, company-specific experiences like "Lunch with the CEO," "Extra PTO Day," or branded company swag.

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To drive the highest adoption, meet your employees where they already work. Connecting Bonusly to your daily communication tools reduces friction and keeps recognition visible.

Install the Slack or Microsoft Teams App When you install the Bonusly app for Slack or Teams, employees can give recognition directly from their chat channels using a simple command (e.g., /give). Recognition posts will also appear in a public channel (like #general or #shoutouts), increasing visibility and social validation.

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Time to add your team! You can do this manually, but for most companies, automating this process via an HRIS integration is the best path. This ensures that new hires are automatically added and departures are deactivated without manual admin work.

Connect your HRIS Bonusly integrates with major HRIS platforms like BambooHR, Workday, Gusto, and more. syncing your directory allows for "set it and forget it" user management.

Bulk Import via CSV If you don't use a supported HRIS, you can use the Bulk Import feature to upload your roster via CSV.

Define Admin Roles Assign additional admins to help manage the program. You can assign specific roles like Finance Admin (for billing) or Rewards Admin (for fulfilling custom rewards) so you don't have to do it all yourself.

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You're ready to go live! A strong launch creates excitement and sets the tone for how the program will be used.

Announce the program Don't just send an invite email. Announce Bonusly during an all-hands meeting or via a dedicated internal campaign. Explain why you are launching it: to build a culture of appreciation and visibility.

Invite your users Once you've announced the program, trigger the Invite Emails from the User Management page.

Identify Champions Pick a few "Bonusly Champions" in different departments to model great recognition behavior in the first week. Their activity will encourage others to jump in.

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Need more help? Ask questions and get support from our Customer Support Team or browse the Help Center for detailed technical guides.