> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.4thewords.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Referrals

> Invite friends to 4thewords, become their mentor, and earn rewards together as they start writing and subscribe.

Invite a friend to 4thewords and you become their **mentor**. They become your **mentee**. As they settle in and start writing, you both earn rewards.

> **Where to find it:** Left sidebar → **Account** → **Referrals** [Open in 4TW ↗](https://app.4thewords.com/account/referrals)

## Sharing Your Link

Your referral link and code sit at the top of the Referrals page. Both lead to the same place, so use whichever suits where you're sharing.

* **Copy your link.** One tap copies it, ready to paste anywhere.
* **Share your code on its own.** Useful where a link would look out of place, like a voice chat or a video.
* **Show a QR code.** Good for streams, slides, and anything a reader points a phone at.
* **Copy for Discord.** Formats the link for a Discord message in one tap.
* **Send an email invitation.** Invite someone directly by email from the same card.

## The Three Steps

Your mentees move through three steps. Each one unlocks something.

1. **Joined.** They create their account through your link. They receive the standard new-writer Crystal grant.
2. **Started writing.** They write their first 444 words. You both unlock an exclusive Wordkeeper Lantern item.
3. **Subscribed.** They start a paid plan. You both receive Crystals, and you move up the [Mentor Journey](/account/referrals/mentor-journey).

Words count from anywhere you write: the web app, the [Chrome extension](/tools/chrome-extension/overview), or the desktop app. Only words written after they join count toward the 444.

<Info>
  Referrals are open to every Dust Warrior. You don't need a paid plan to be a mentor or to earn mentor rewards.
</Info>

## Your Mentee List

Every mentee appears below your stats with the step they've reached. From any row you can cheer them on, send a [welcome gift](/account/referrals/mentor-journey), or add them as a friend.

Expand a row to see how their writing is going: **words this week** and **current Streak**. You can't open a mentee's files or read their writing, only follow their progress.

A **⚡ tag** on a mentee means they write with the browser extension. That's a detail about how they write, not a fourth step. A mentee who only ever writes on the web earns you exactly the same rewards.

If a mentee deletes their account, their row stays in your list, greyed out and without actions. You keep an honest count of everyone you reached, and any reward you already received stays with you.

## Getting Credited

Sign up through your link and the connection is permanent. No deadline applies to the later steps, so a mentee who subscribes a year from now still counts.

A friend who already signed up can still enter your code, within two limits:

* **Within 7 days** of creating their account.
* **Before they subscribe.** Once a paid subscription goes through, the code entry closes for good.

Once a code is set it can't be changed or swapped for another.

<Note>
  You can't refer yourself, and a student can't use their own teacher's code. Both are blocked automatically.
</Note>

## Frequently Asked Questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Where do I find my referral link?">
    Left sidebar → **Account** → **Referrals**. Your link and code are both at the top of the page, along with a QR code and a one-tap Discord copy.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="When do I actually get rewarded?">
    At two of the three steps. When your mentee writes their first 444 words you both unlock an exclusive item. When they subscribe you both receive Crystals, and you move up the [Mentor Journey](/account/referrals/mentor-journey). Joining alone rewards your mentee, not you.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="My friend signed up but forgot to use my link. Can we still connect it?">
    Yes, if you're quick. They can enter your code from their account within **7 days** of signing up, and only before they subscribe. After either of those passes, the connection can't be made.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How long does my friend have to subscribe?">
    No time limit. A friend who created their account through your link is connected to you permanently, so they can subscribe whenever they're ready and it still counts.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do the 444 words have to be written on the website?">
    No. Words from the web app, the [Chrome extension](/tools/chrome-extension/overview), and the desktop app all count the same. Only words written after they joined count toward the 444.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What's the ⚡ tag next to some mentees?">
    It marks that the mentee writes using the browser extension. It isn't a referral step and it doesn't change your rewards.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I refer my own students?">
    Not with your own teacher account. A student can't use their teacher's referral code, and the connection is blocked automatically.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A mentee deleted their account. Do I lose the reward?">
    No. Rewards you already received stay with you. Their row remains in your list, greyed out, so your count stays accurate.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

**Grow your circle**

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card icon="medal" href="/account/referrals/mentor-journey" title="Mentor Journey & Rewards">
    Climb five mentor tiers, claim your rewards, and send welcome gifts to your mentees.
  </Card>

  <Card icon="gift" href="/account/referrals/being-referred" title="You Were Referred">
    Someone invited you. Here's what you earn and how to thank your mentor.
  </Card>

  <Card icon="gem" href="/character-and-gear/resources-and-currency" title="Resources & Currency">
    Coins, Crystals, and Stempos, where they come from and what they buy.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>