Understanding and setting up channels

A channel is where two companies manage a partnership in Keen. It brings the leads, people, progress, and reward rules for one partnership into one shared place.

If you have been invited to Keen, the channel is the workspace you have been invited to join. Most of the setup may already be done for you. Your first job is simply to understand who sends the leads, who receives them, and what should happen next.

A simple example

Imagine that Acme sends potential customers to your company. You could create a channel called Acme referrals.

Inside that channel, Acme can submit leads, your team can update their progress, and both sides can see the information that has been shared with them. If your agreement includes a reward, Keen can also record when Acme earns it.

Use a separate channel for each partnership or lead flow that needs its own setup. This keeps leads, statuses, forms, and reward rules clear.

The two sides of a channel

Every channel has two roles:

• Referring partner: the company sending the lead.
• Receiving partner: the company receiving and working the lead.

The lead direction tells Keen which company has each role. For example:

• Choose I am receiving the leads when a partner sends leads to your company.
• Choose I am referring the leads when your company sends leads to a partner.

Check this carefully when creating a channel. The direction affects how the channel is shown, who works the leads, and which collaboration settings are available.

What you can do in a channel

A channel can contain:

• leads shared as part of the partnership;
• statuses such as New, Qualified, Won, and Lost;
• the information collected for each lead;
• reward rules, if the partnership includes commission or referral fees;
• a public form for submitting leads without signing in;
• workflows or integrations that connect Keen with other tools.

You do not need to use every feature. Start with the parts your partnership needs today, then add more later.

If you have been invited to a channel

After accepting the invitation:

1. Open the channel and confirm whether your company is referring or receiving leads.
2. Review the lead statuses and agree with your partner on what they mean.
3. Check which information is required when a lead is submitted.
4. Submit or review a test lead together.
5. Confirm who updates each lead and how often.
6. If rewards are used, review when a reward is earned and how it is calculated.

The goal is for both companies to share the same understanding of the process. If something is unclear, ask the person who invited you before real leads are added.

Create your first channel

If you are setting up the partnership:

1. Go to Partner channels and select Create channel.
2. Give the channel a clear name, usually the partner name and purpose, such as Acme referrals.
3. Select the currency used for fixed rewards and reporting.
4. Add an existing partner or invite a new one. You can also do this later.
5. Choose the lead direction.
6. Select Create channel.

You can prepare a channel before inviting a partner. This is useful when you want to set up the fields, statuses, form, or reward rules first.

If you already have a similar channel, use Advanced options to copy its settings. Review copied settings before using the new channel.

Set up only what you need

Lead information and statuses

Open Properties and statuses. Show only the fields needed to qualify and follow up on a lead. A simple starting point is name, company, email or phone, and source.

Choose a short list of statuses that matches your real process. For example:

• New
• Contacted
• Qualified
• Won
• Lost

Make sure both partners understand when each status should be used.

Rewards

If your agreement includes rewards, open Reward triggers and define:

• who receives the reward;
• what event earns it, such as a new lead or a Won status;
• whether it is a percentage or a fixed amount;
• how often rewards are grouped for payout;
• whether rewards need approval.

Test the rule before relying on it. If the partnership does not include rewards, skip this step.

Public lead form

Use Form page when people should be able to submit a lead without signing in. Keep the form short and require only the information needed for follow-up.

Preview and test the form before sharing its link. Add privacy consent and a valid privacy-policy link when required.

Integrations and workflows

Connect integrations or create workflows when you want Keen to notify your team, send leads to another system, or automate follow-up. These are optional and can be added after the basic channel is working. For guidance after launch, read Managing a Partnership in Keen After Setup.

Before you start sharing leads

Review this short checklist with your partner:

• The referring and receiving roles are correct.
• Both companies understand the lead process.
• The required lead information is clear.
• The statuses match the way leads are handled.
• A test lead has been submitted and updated.
• Reward rules are understood and tested, if used.
• Both sides know who is responsible for the next step.

That is enough to get started. A good channel does not need to be complicated - it needs to give both partners a clear, shared way to manage leads and follow their progress.