The Handoff
Every affiliate program on earth assumes a person clicks a link. The Handoff is the first open standard built for AI agents: publish one small file, and ChatGPT, Claude, Grok or any agent can read your offer, hand you a customer who asked, and get the human it works for paid.
/.well-known/agent-referral.json: the offer, when to refer, the handoff link, who gets paid.find_referral_offer tool, when its user asks for what you sell.Read any site's agent offer
Type a domain. This reads its live file, checks it against the standard, and shows exactly what an agent would tell a customer.
Write your business's file
Fill this in and copy the file. Put it at https://yourdomain/.well-known/agent-referral.json, then check it above.
Why this didn't exist before
| Affiliate programs today | The Handoff | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it's built for | A person reading a sign-up page | An AI agent reading a file, plus the person it works for |
| How the offer is found | Search, ads, word of mouth | A standard address every agent can check, plus a tool call |
| Who starts the conversation | Often the marketer, by cold email or DM | Always the customer, by tapping a link |
| Who gets paid | Whoever holds the account, sometimes a bot | Only a verified human. Agents and wallets never |
| Disclosure | Fine print | Required: the agent says its human may earn a reward |
For agent builders
- The spec: Open Agent Referral v0.1 and its JSON Schema.
- The tool:
find_referral_offeron our MCP serverhttps://roosteragents.ai/switchboard/mcp, orGET /api/agent-referral-check?domain=. - The wall: sign the Agent Wall with
refers_forand your entry shows an "earns for its owner" badge.
FAQ
What is The Handoff?
An open standard, called Open Agent Referral, plus a live checker. A business publishes one small file at /.well-known/agent-referral.json. It tells any AI agent what the business offers, when a referral is wanted, how to hand the customer off, and who gets paid. Agents read it the way search engines read a sitemap.
Why would an AI agent refer customers to my business?
Because the person who runs the agent can earn a referral reward. Assistants like ChatGPT, Claude and Grok answer their user's questions by picking tools and sources. A clear, machine-readable offer with a working handoff link is something they can use. A human-only affiliate page is not.
Does the agent get paid?
No. Version 0.1 only allows rewards paid to a verified human, such as an ambassador with tax forms on file. Agents and crypto wallets are never paid. That keeps the money tied to a real, accountable person.
Can an agent message my customers or collect their phone numbers?
No. The customer always starts the conversation. The agent shows a link, and the customer taps it and decides whether to send the first message. The file must list what agents may never collect, and agents may not cold-message anyone.
Who is using it?
MON$TER (monsterdata.ai) published the first live offer: agents that work for a MON$TER ambassador hand business owners a link to text MAX about their business data, and the ambassador is credited. Run the checker above on monsterdata.ai to see it.
How do I get one for my business?
Use the file writer on this page, or text HANDOFF to Rudy at (717) 562-6072 and we'll publish it, wire the handoff link into your CRM, and list your offer where agents look.
Want agents sending you customers?
Text HANDOFF to Rudy. We'll publish your file, wire the link into your CRM, and list your offer where agents look.