From a shared link to a credited referral
- The owner saves a valid program and explicitly selects Go live.
- A listener joins through the show’s public refer.fm/<podcastSlug> page and gets a personal sharing link.
- A friend opens that personal link and chooses a listening option on the referred page.
- Refer-O-Matic checks whether that referred visitor has already been recorded for the campaign and whether the activity needs review. An eligible, approved action increases the ambassador’s referral count.
Owners should promote the program’s public join page. Ambassadors should share their own personal link so the referral can be associated with them. A direct link to a podcast player does not carry the same Refer-O-Matic referral journey.
Visits, app clicks, and referrals are different
| Activity | What it means |
|---|---|
| Page visit | Someone opened a referred page. This alone does not increase the referral count. |
| Listening-option click | Someone tapped a listening option. Repeated or review-pending actions may not earn new credit. |
| Credited referral | An eligible action passed attribution checks and was added to the ambassador’s count. |
| Completed listen or subscription | A separate outcome. Referral credit does not verify that someone listened, subscribed, or kept listening later. |
The count is based on the listening-option action, not confirmation from the podcast app that a feed loaded or an episode finished. Use your hosting analytics separately to understand listening trends; do not treat every credited referral as a verified new subscriber.
Why repeated clicks do not mean more referrals
A referred visitor already recorded for a campaign does not earn a fresh referral for each repeat click. Duplicate event submissions also do not create another award. Activity that appears related or suspicious can be held for review rather than immediately increasing the total.
These checks reduce repeated attribution; they are not a guarantee that every visitor corresponds to a different person. Do not test rewards by repeatedly clicking your own link or assume each device or browser creates a legitimate new referral.
What to check when a referral is missing
- Check program status. The program must be live. Saved details alone are not enough, and an ended or paused program cannot be used as an active referral program.
- Check the trial allowance. New credit is limited by the trial’s duration and referral cap. Review the status in the owner dashboard if the allowance has been reached.
- Check the link. The friend needs the ambassador’s personal link, not just the owner’s join page or a direct player URL.
- Check the action. Opening a page or copying a link is not the same as tapping a listening option.
- Check for repeat activity or review. A previously recorded visitor or activity awaiting review may explain the difference between clicks and credited referrals.
- Check for a tracking error. A connection problem or blocked tracking request can prevent an action from reaching Refer-O-Matic. A player opening by itself does not prove the referral was recorded.
If the count still looks wrong, contact support@refer.fm with the show’s program URL, the approximate time and time zone, the listening option used, and any error message. Never send a sign-in link or password.
How credit relates to rewards
With milestones, approved referral counts determine progress toward reward thresholds. With a leaderboard, counts determine the ranking used for the contest. Review the program’s offer and fulfillment instructions to understand the reward itself.