Before you start
- Role. Any team member can create a program.
- The URL is permanent. The program URL (slug) cannot be changed after creation. Pick it with care.
- Decide your rate first. CPM rate and post cap are the two numbers that determine what a program costs you. See How advocate payouts work.
Basics
| Field | Rules |
|---|---|
| Program name | 3 to 100 characters. Required |
| Program URL | 3 to 50 characters, lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens only. Filled in from the name as you type. Cannot be changed after creation |
| Description | Optional, up to 500 characters. Supports markdown |
| Brand template | Shown only when your workspace has brand templates. Your default template, if you have one, is preselected |
The URL is the address of your public program page, at app.kindlinghq.com/p/your-slug. Slugs are unique across Kindling, not just your workspace, so a common word may already be taken.
Guidelines
| Field | Rules |
|---|---|
| Content guidelines | 50 to 5,000 characters. Required. Supports markdown |
| Example post URL | Optional, must be a valid URL |
Guidelines are the terms advocates accept when they apply, and the standard you review against later. Rejecting a post for a rule you never wrote down is the fastest way to lose an advocate.
Write what you need disclosed, what is off limits, and what good looks like. Do not write a content brief. Advocates decide what to say; you set the boundaries, not the message.
An example post is worth more than a paragraph of description. Link one that is honest, specific, and clearly written by a customer.
Platforms
| Field | Rules | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Allowed platforms | At least one of LinkedIn, Twitter / X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube | LinkedIn and Twitter / X |
| Min days between posts | 1 to 90 whole days | 7 |
| Post retention (days) | 7 to 365 whole days | 30 |
Min days between posts is enforced when an advocate submits. It is measured from their last submission to this program, whatever its review status. Someone submitting too soon is told how many days remain.
Post retention is shown to advocates on the public program page as "Keep posts for N days". It is the program's stated expectation; Kindling does not check it automatically.
Payouts
| Field | Rules | Default |
|---|---|---|
| CPM rate ($) | Above $0, up to $100. What you pay per 1,000 impressions | $5 |
| Max payout per post ($) | Above $0, up to $10,000. The most any single post can earn. Enforced at approval | $500 |
| Reward menu | At least one of Cash, Gift card, Charity donation, Company-defined reward | Cash |
| Charity minimum per approved post ($) | Shown when Charity donation is enabled. At least $5. Your max payout per post must be at least this figure | $5 |
CPM and post cap together set your exposure. A $5.00 CPM with a $500 cap means a post is paid $5 per thousand impressions until it reaches $500, and no further.
Two further fields, monthly advocate cap and payout threshold, are recorded on the program but are not applied to payouts today.
Cash pays through Stripe Connect to the advocate's bank account. The other three reward types are configured per program and carry their own fees; see Program settings reference and How advocate payouts work.
Review
Everything you entered, grouped by step, each group with an edit link back. At the bottom are two buttons:
- Save as draft. Creates the program with status Draft and applications closed. The public page returns not found, and advocates cannot apply. Use this when you are not ready to launch.
- Activate program. Creates the program with status Active and applications open. The public page is live at
app.kindlinghq.com/p/your-slugimmediately.
Both take you to the program's page in the dashboard.
After you activate
The program starts Active with applications open. The program page shows its status and links to Settings, where you can change anything except the URL. See Program settings reference.
Next: invite advocates, or share an invite code.
Finishing a draft
A draft program's page shows a Draft banner with "Not yet visible to advocates" and an Edit & activate button. That reopens the wizard with your saved values. At the Review step, Save as draft keeps it a draft; Save & activate sets it Active and opens applications.
FAQ
Can I change the rate later?
Yes, in Settings. New approvals use the rate in effect at approval. Submissions already approved keep the amount they were approved at.
Can I change the URL?
No. The URL is fixed when the program is created, and Settings shows it disabled. If you need a different URL, create a new program.
Should I run one program or several?
Several is normal. Different segments justify different rates and rules. Start with one.
What happens if nobody applies?
A program page on its own does not recruit. Invite people directly. See Invite advocates.
Questions about a program setup: support@kindlinghq.com.