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Tracking Referrals Using Custom URLs

Indiegogo provides an easy way to track traffic sources and contributions to your campaign using custom referral links. These links allow you to see where your contributions are coming from, directly in your Indiegogo dashboard.

How to Create a Custom Referral URL

Creating a custom referral tracking URL is simple:

  1. Log in to your Indiegogo account.
  2. Navigate to your campaign’s Campaign Editor and click the Extras tab.
  3. You will see a section titled Create a Custom Referral URL
  4. Enter your preferred referral code. This can be up to 20 characters long and should contain only letters, numbers, or dashes. Keep it short and descriptive—e.g., fb-ref for Facebook referrals.

Your custom referral URL will be generated automatically and will look something like this: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/indiegogo-swag/reft/37536621/fb-ref 

By creating multiple custom referral links, you can track various traffic sources (e.g., fb-01, fb-02, email, etc.) and view the results in your Referrals dashboard.

 

Linking Directly to a Perk at Checkout

Some campaign owners want to link their customers directly into the checkout page with a standard perk already selected. This allows for a smoother customer experience by minimizing the steps needed to make a contribution, increasing the likelihood of completing the transaction. You can still use custom tracking for this, but you'll need to modify your URL a bit and add some parameters.

To link a referral directly to a perk in checkout:

  1. To link a referral directly to a perk, you'll need to build the URL manually using the Perk ID. Here's how to find it:
    • In your Campaign Editor, click on Perks.
    • Click on the perk that you want to link to. You'll go into an edit mode for that Perk, and the Perk ID is the seven-digit number at the end of the URL in the address bar for that page.
  2. Once you have the Perk ID, you can construct the URL manually:
    • Example: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/indiegogo-swag/payments/new?perk_id=5552919
  3. Finally add the following parameters to make it a referral link:
    • i=reft (identifies it as a referral link)
    • a=ACCOUNT_ID(your account ID)
    • t=REFERRAL_CODE (your custom referral code)
    • Example (from URL generator plus Perk URL from #2 above) https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/indiegogo-swag/payments/new?perk_id=5552919&i=reft&a=37536621&t=fb-ref

 

Linking Directly to a Secret Perk

To create a custom referral link for a secret perk:

  1. From your Campaign Editor's Perks tab, locate the Secret Perk you want to link to.

  1. Click on the Secret Perk. This will take you into an edit screen for that Secret Perk.
  2. Once in the edit screen, find and click the option to copy the secret perk link. It will look like this: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/2902095/x/37536621?secret_perk_token=44a8a0ad

  1. Finally add the following parameters to make it a referral link:
    1. i=reft (identifies it as a referral link)
    2. a=ACCOUNT_ID(your account ID)
    3. t=REFERRAL_CODE (your custom referral code)
    4. Example: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/2902095/x/37536621?secret_perk_token=44a8a0ad&i=reft&a=37536621&t=fb-ref

Want to know what’s so great about Secret Perks? Learn more HERE.

 

Using Google UTMs with Custom Referral URLs

Google Analytics UTM parameters can be used alongside Indiegogo’s custom referral tracking. Simply add your UTM parameters to the URL as additional components.

Example: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/indiegogo-swag/reft/37536621/fb-ref ?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

 

Viewing Referral Results

You can view referral data in your Indiegogo Dashboard:

  1. Log in to your account and navigate to your campaign Dashboard.
  2. Click the Referrals tab on the left-hand menu.

The dashboard will display referral sources segmented by custom referral codes. Note that contributions made while logged into the same account ID as the referral link will not count—you can’t refer yourself.

 

FAQ

What happens if a backer uses a referral link but navigates away before contributing?

If a backer clicks on a referral link but navigates to another page or leaves the site before making a contribution, the referral information will be lost. To ensure referrals are tracked, contributors must complete their contribution immediately after clicking the referral link.

Is a custom referral URL the same as Google Analytics parameters?

No, this feature is built into the Indiegogo platform and is separate from Google Analytics. While similar to Google UTM tracking, Indiegogo’s referral tracking allows you to view data directly in your dashboard. Keep in mind that different platforms may use varying criteria, so numbers might not align perfectly.

 

By leveraging custom referral URLs, you can gain valuable insights into your campaign’s performance and refine your promotional efforts for maximum impact.

 

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