> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.impact.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.impact.com/brand/what-would-you-like-to-learn-about/advocate-program/best-practices-for-referral-programs/troubleshoot-your-advocate-referrals.md).

# Troubleshoot Your Advocate Referrals

Advocate offers several tools to help you investigate and troubleshoot referral discrepancies, errors, or issues with individual referrals in your program. This is especially useful when managing participant questions around referral status, eligibility, and rewards.

Follow these steps to investigate a referral effectively:

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

## **Review your program rules**

Before diving into a specific referral, first review your [Program Rules](/brand/what-would-you-like-to-learn-about/advocate-program/getting-started-with-advocate/advocate-program-rules-explained.md) to understand:

* What counts as a conversion (e.g., *Closed Won*, *Purchase Event*, *Demo Completed*)
* Which events trigger emails and reward distribution
* Delays or conditions, such as a 90-day qualification window
* Reward caps, like a maximum number of rewards per advocate

You can find your rules by navigating to ![](https://4048883401-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FwMLlMoFBtKJa8ptd3zaw%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-230534471fef5f40808e921e41ee44e4a06ded03%2Fe6cb9548999afdc1ed3ce4942e4cb5b45b5cecbd323267aac2a7cd1915fccc09.svg?alt=media) **\[Engage] → Program Rules** in your Advocate program.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## **Gather participant information**

To begin your investigation, collect at least one of the following identifiers of the participant:

* Email address
* Advocate Account or User ID

Use this information to search in the [Participant Feed](/brand/what-would-you-like-to-learn-about/advocate-program/manage-advocate-participants/filter-and-manage-advocate-participants.md).
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## **Confirm the referral connection**

In the *Participant Feed*:

1. Locate the advocate's profile.
2. Scroll to the *Referrals* section.
3. Confirm that:
   * The referred user is listed
   * The referral status is **Started**

If no referral is found, the sharelink may not have been used correctly, or attribution may have failed.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## **Check program rule criteria**

Open the referred user's participant record and:

1. Scroll down to the *Events* section.
2. Use the drop-down menu to switch to **All Events**.
3. Look for events that match your [program’s conversion criteria](/brand/what-would-you-like-to-learn-about/advocate-program/getting-started-with-advocate/advocate-program-rules-explained.md) (e.g., Closed Won, Appointment Set, Demo Completed).

Confirm that the event:

* Was received in Advocate (via UTT, API, or an integration)
* Occurred within the required time window
* Matches all qualifying criteria (e.g., correct product or opportunity stage)
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}

## **Confirm reward issuance**

Back in the *Participant Feed*, review the [*Rewards*](/brand/what-would-you-like-to-learn-about/advocate-program/advocate-rewards/reward-feed-explained.md) section for both the advocate and referred user.

Verify that:

* A reward was issued
* The reward type and amount align with your program rules

If using [Tango gift cards](/brand/what-would-you-like-to-learn-about/advocate-program/advocate-rewards/gift-card-rewards-explained.md), check that the participant received an email from Tango. To confirm delivery, log in to your Tango account or contact Tango support.

If a reward was issued but the participant reports not seeing it, the reward is likely correct and the problem is how the balance is surfaced to them. Check these in order:

1. **The stat component is connected to your program.** Select the component in the widget editor, expand *Additional Settings*, and confirm your Advocate program is selected in the *Program ID* drop-down menu. Components that pull program-specific data — user stats, share links, share buttons and the referral history table — display nothing until this is set.
2. **You are using the right widget type.** A global widget draws on multiple Advocate programs and cannot be tied to a single one. If you run only one program, use a Verified Access or In-App widget instead.
3. **The Reward status filter matches what you expect.** A component set to *Available* will not show rewards that are still in a *Pending* clearing period. See [Widget & Microsite Statistics Explained](/brand/what-would-you-like-to-learn-about/advocate-program/manage-advocate-participant-experiences/widget-and-microsite-statistics-explained.md).

{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:** The payout balance stat shows the amount currently available to be paid out, not a participant's lifetime earnings. Once a payout is transferred to a participant's impact.com partner account, it leaves the payout queue, and the stat correctly returns to zero.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## **Review referral emails (If Applicable)**

If a user reports receiving an unexpected or unclear email, review your program emails to ensure messaging is clear:

1. Go to ![](https://4048883401-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FwMLlMoFBtKJa8ptd3zaw%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-230534471fef5f40808e921e41ee44e4a06ded03%2Fe6cb9548999afdc1ed3ce4942e4cb5b45b5cecbd323267aac2a7cd1915fccc09.svg?alt=media) **\[Engage]** → **Program Rules → Emails**.
2. Review which emails are triggered at each referral stage.
3. Select **Edit** to preview the email content (no need to save changes).

Common misunderstandings:

* “Your referral has been accepted” often means the lead qualified, not that the referral converted
* Advocates sometimes confuse referral status emails with conversion notifications

Consider improving clarity by updating subject lines or adding [merge tags](/brand/what-would-you-like-to-learn-about/advocate-program/manage-advocate-participant-experiences/email-experiences/merge-tags-for-program-emails.md) (e.g., referral name) for personalization. Customize your [advocate program emails](/brand/what-would-you-like-to-learn-about/advocate-program/manage-advocate-participant-experiences/email-experiences/create-and-customize-advocate-program-emails.md).
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## **Contact support**

Contact support if:

* Expected conversion events are missing
* Emails were sent incorrectly
* Rewards were not triggered despite meeting criteria

To contact support:

1. Reach out by [submitting a ticket](https://app.impact.com/secure/advertiser/support/customer-support-portal-flow.ihtml?) or emailing [support](mailto:saasquatch-support@impact.com).
2. Provide the following information:
   * Advocate or referred user’s email
   * Approximate date of the referral
   * Detailed description of the issue
     {% endstep %}
     {% endstepper %}


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters:

```
GET https://help.impact.com/brand/what-would-you-like-to-learn-about/advocate-program/best-practices-for-referral-programs/troubleshoot-your-advocate-referrals.md?ask=<question>&goal=<user_goal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.