Kickstarter and Indiegogo pre-launch creator marketing tracking

Peter Landa Founder, ShareHub LinkedIn

Published 2026-10-30 · Updated 2026-10-30

Explains platform referral tags, ShareHub short-link flow in pilot or development, settlement after funds collection, and fees for hardware product teams. Facts checked against platform and regulator documents in 2026.

For hardware product teams planning a Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign, creator traffic is tracked with each platform’s own referral tools and optional short links. Kickstarter tags report pledges and funds (not clicks); limit 20,000. Indiegogo uses last-click attribution and cookies up to 28 days. ShareHub (www.sharehub.fun) tooling here is in pilot or development. Settlement uses final collected totals. Facts checked 2026-10-30. General information, not legal advice.

Key takeaways

Create one platform referral tag or link per creator before launch (ShareHub service practice for clear attribution); tags belong to one project.
Platform dashboards show provisional pledge totals during the campaign; only final totals after funds are collected are used for settlement.
ShareHub issues short links and records clicks in pilot or development tooling; pledges always occur on the platform, never through ShareHub.
ShareHub fees are priced per project: an agreed setup and service fee, plus an optional performance fee only on valid attributed pledges actually collected after a successful campaign.
Creator pay is agreed separately with each creator and is not part of ShareHub’s fee; payment can take months after a link is shared.

How does creator referral tracking work on Kickstarter and Indiegogo?

Kickstarter lets project owners create custom referral tags before launch on the Promotion tab of the project editor, or after launch in the creator dashboard. Each tag produces a unique URL. Dashboard results include the number of pledges generated, percentage of total funds accounted for, and total amount pledged. Link clicks are not included. The current limit is 20,000 tags per project. Google Analytics can be added for click-related data if desired.

Indiegogo referral links are created in project tools. Reported fields include new orders, pledges within 1 day and 7 days, income, and total. Attribution goes to the last link clicked. Referrals are attributed to a logged-in user or to a cookie for up to 28 days. Cancelled pledges are reflected in the data.

Not stated on the official pages reviewed: webhooks, per-backer referral detail, or native affiliate payouts. Numbers shown while a campaign is live are provisional snapshots because pledges can be cancelled or fail before collection.

What is the ShareHub service flow for pre-launch creator marketing?

ShareHub tooling referenced below is in pilot or in development. It is not described as live, automatic, or real-time.

The project owner creates one referral tag per creator in the platform’s own tools before launch. Tags belong to one project; under the ShareHub service flow each tag is assigned to one creator only (not a Kickstarter platform rule).
ShareHub issues each creator a short link and records clicks.
Before launch the short link opens the project’s pre-launch page, where visitors can leave an email with consent. After launch the same link redirects to the creator’s platform referral link.
Pledges are made on the platform, never through ShareHub.
The project owner shares referral totals from the platform dashboard at agreed intervals.
After the campaign ends and funds are collected, final totals are used for settlement.

ShareHub click counts and platform pledge counts must not be divided to produce a conversion rate. Email matching against a backer list is a supporting method only, with three levels (confirmed, probable, unmatched). It never proves that a creator caused a pledge.

ShareHub never holds backer payments or customer account credentials and is independent of Kickstarter and Indiegogo.

How does a performance-based fee work?

Fees are priced per project. A setup and service fee is agreed up front. An optional performance fee applies only to valid attributed pledges that are actually collected after the campaign succeeds. There is no performance fee if the campaign is not funded.

Illustrative example only (not a quote): 100 backers × $200 × 15% = $3,000.

Creator compensation is agreed separately with each creator and is not part of ShareHub’s fee. Creators should know that payment can take months after they share a link.

Third-party tools such as Kickbooster provide affiliate tracking and payouts on top of the platforms. ShareHub can work alongside such a tool or use the platforms’ own referral links. Tool fees are separate.

Agency or MCN versus working directly with vertical creators

Factor	Agency or MCN	Direct with vertical creators
Outreach and coordination	Often handled by the agency or network	Handled by the project team or a service such as ShareHub
Referral setup	May use platform tags, third-party tools, or both	One platform tag or link per creator; optional short link
Tracking source of truth	Platform dashboard plus any tool reports	Platform dashboard; short-link clicks recorded separately where available
Creator payment	Often managed inside the agency arrangement	Agreed directly with each creator; timing can run months after sharing
Fit for categories such as consumer electronics or animatronic toys	Broad reach through existing rosters	Focus on creators whose audiences already follow similar products

For outreach practices see /guides/how-we-contact-creators/ and /guides/how-to-find-micro-creators/. Company background is at /about/.

What disclosure and email rules apply?

Under FTC endorsement guidance, if a creator receives payment or other value in connection with promoting a project, that connection should be disclosed clearly and conspicuously so audiences can evaluate the endorsement. This is a legal duty under U.S. advertising law, separate from platform policy.

Commercial email must follow the CAN-SPAM Act in the United States (accurate headers, non-deceptive subject lines, identification as an ad where required, physical postal address, clear opt-out, and honor of opt-out requests within the statutory time). For EU recipients, GDPR consent and unsubscribe rules may also apply; GDPR is not stated on the official pages listed in Sources. Pre-launch pages that collect email are designed to follow these requirements; they are not described here as certified or compliant. General information, not legal advice.

Who can create a Kickstarter project?

Kickstarter project creation is available to eligible creators in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Verification documents must show an address in one of those countries. Teams whose design or manufacturing occurs elsewhere still need an eligible legal entity for launch. This is platform eligibility information only; consult a professional on entity structure. No advice on structuring entities is given here.

Common mistakes

Treating live campaign referral totals as final and settling before funds are collected and pledges can still cancel or fail.
Dividing ShareHub click counts by platform pledge counts to claim a conversion rate, or treating email match levels as proof that a creator caused a pledge.
Assigning the same platform referral tag to more than one creator or creating tags only after launch when pre-launch attribution was needed.

Scope and limits

This article covers Kickstarter and Indiegogo referral features as documented by the platforms, the ShareHub service flow in pilot or development, settlement after collection, and fee structure at a high level. It does not cover platform fees, tax, fulfillment, or entity formation. ShareHub does not claim funding outcomes, creator counts, or named campaigns. Jurisdiction for disclosure and email rules is primarily the United States (FTC, CAN-SPAM). EU email rules are not covered on the official pages listed in Sources. Effective dates for platform features follow the cited help and update pages. General information, not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

Can referral tags be created before Kickstarter launch?

Yes. Kickstarter documents that custom referral tags can be created on the Promotion tab of the project editor before launch. After launch they can be managed from the creator dashboard. Results show pledges, share of funds, and total pledged, not clicks.

Do Indiegogo referral links report clicks or last-click attribution?

Indiegogo reports aggregate order and pledge stats. Attribution goes to the last link clicked. A cookie can attribute a later pledge for up to 28 days when the user is not logged in. Cancelled pledges affect the reported data.

When is a performance fee calculated?

Only after the campaign ends, funds are collected, and final platform totals for valid attributed pledges are available. There is no performance fee if the campaign is not funded. Live dashboard numbers remain provisional until then.

Does ShareHub process pledges or hold credentials?

No. Pledges are made only on Kickstarter or Indiegogo. ShareHub does not hold backer payments or customer account credentials and is independent of both platforms. All payment processing stays with the crowdfunding platforms. Short links only route visitors and record clicks where tooling is available in pilot or development.

How should creators disclose a paid relationship?

FTC endorsement guidance expects a clear and conspicuous disclosure when a creator receives payment or other value that could affect how audiences weigh the endorsement. Platform rules are separate from this legal duty.

Sources and update log

Update log: 2026-10-30 — initial publication; facts verified against the sources listed above. Contact via the site contact page.

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