# Understanding and setting up reward workflows Source: https://keenpartner.com/blog/understanding-and-setting-up-reward-workflows Published: 2026-08-10T00:00:00.000Z Category: Product guides A practical guide to building, publishing, testing, and managing reward workflows for your partner channels in Keen. A reward workflow tells Keen when a reward should be issued, who should receive it, how the amount is calculated, and how often rewards are grouped for payout. Reward workflows belong to a partner channel. When the selected event happens, Keen follows the workflow, applies any filters, issues the reward, and places it in the relevant payout period. ## A simple example Imagine that Acme refers leads to your company. Your agreement says that Acme earns 10% when a referred lead reaches the Won status. The reward workflow could use: - Channel: the channel shared with Acme - Starting event: Status Change - Target status: Won - Reward receiver: Acme, the referring partner - Calculation: 10% - Payout frequency: Monthly - Automatically accept issued rewards: Off, if your team wants to review rewards first After the workflow is published, a future lead that moves to Won can create the reward automatically. Keen groups it into the monthly reward report for review and payment. ## Decide the agreement before configuring Keen The setup is easier when both companies already agree on: - who earns the reward; - what result earns it; - whether the reward is fixed or percentage-based; - which value a percentage should use; - how often rewards are reviewed and paid; - whether each reward needs approval. Write the agreement in one sentence before opening the builder. For example: “Acme earns DKK 500 when a referred lead reaches Qualified. Rewards are reviewed and paid monthly.” ## Understand the parts of a reward workflow ### Starting event Choose the event that represents the value you intend to reward: - New Lead starts the workflow when a new lead is created. - Status Change starts it when a lead moves to the selected Target status. - Keen Transaction starts it when a unique transaction is recorded for a lead. A new-lead workflow encourages volume. A Qualified or Won status rewards a later outcome. A transaction connects the reward to recorded revenue. ### Channel and filters Each reward workflow belongs to exactly one channel. You can add Filter steps between the starting event and the Reward step when only some matching activity should qualify. Reward workflows follow one path and do not branch. ### Reward receiver Choose the party named in the commercial agreement. In a normal channel, this can be the Referring partner, Receiving partner, or an available Placeholder partner. In a partner program, Keen uses All partners and issues each reward to the partner associated with the relevant lead. ### Calculation Choose a fixed amount in the channel currency or a percentage of the relevant deal or transaction value. A fixed amount is easy to understand when successful results have similar value. A percentage often fits partnerships where deal sizes vary. For percentage rewards, make sure the value used for the calculation is recorded reliably. ### Approval behavior When Automatically accept issued rewards is on, matching rewards are accepted automatically. Leave it off when amounts need checking, the workflow is new, or finance should review each reward before payment. ### Payout frequency Choose Monthly, Quarterly, Bi-annually, or Annually. Keen uses this schedule to create payout periods and group rewards into reports. The schedule does not send money automatically. ## Create a reward workflow 1. Open Workflows from the sidebar. 1. Select Create workflow, then choose Reward workflow. 1. Choose New Lead, Status Change, or Keen Transaction and select the channel. 1. Add Filter steps if the reward should apply only when additional conditions are met. 1. Add and configure the Reward step: receiver, calculation, amount or percentage, approval behavior, and payout frequency. 1. Give the workflow a clear name, such as “10% on won deals” or “DKK 500 for qualified lead.” 1. Select Save draft. 1. Review the workflow, then turn on Published when it is ready to handle future activity. You can also start from a channel by selecting Reward workflows or Create reward workflow in the Reward setup card. ## Drafts, publishing, and versions Save draft lets you work without issuing rewards. Publishing creates an immutable version and makes that version active. Future changes are saved as a draft and create a new version when published. Open Versions to review version numbers and effective dates. Each reward keeps the exact workflow version used when it was issued, which makes later review easier. The channel is locked after the workflow is created. After publishing, the starting event is also locked. If the agreement requires a different channel or starting event, create a new reward workflow. ## Test and monitor the workflow Published reward workflows apply to future matching activity. Before relying on a new workflow: 1. Confirm that Published is on. 1. Use a clearly identified test lead if appropriate for your process. 1. Perform the selected event, such as moving the lead to the target status. 1. Open Runs in the workflow and check whether the execution was successful, skipped, or failed. 1. Open the reward and verify the receiver, amount, status, payout period, rule version, and workflow run. A failed run can be queued again with Retry after the underlying issue has been corrected. If several published workflows match the same event, more than one reward may be issued, so review the channel’s full workflow list before testing. ## Review reward reports Keen creates reward cycles and reports from the payout frequency. Open Reports to review grouped rewards, or filter the Rewards page by Reward Workflow. Check which rewards are waiting for review, accepted, approved for the next step in your process, paid, or still outstanding. Your team still needs a clear process for review and payment. ## Manage an existing workflow From Workflows, you can open a workflow, review its Runs and Versions, switch its Active state, or archive it when it should no longer be used. Archived reward workflows are read-only and cannot be restored. Create a new reward workflow if the policy needs to return later. ## Common mistakes to avoid - Selecting the wrong company as the receiver. - Rewarding a new lead when the agreement requires a qualified or won result. - Selecting the wrong target status. - Using a percentage without recording the value it should be based on. - Turning on automatic acceptance before the data is reliable. - Assuming the payout frequency sends money automatically. - Expecting a newly published workflow to issue historical rewards. - Leaving overlapping published workflows that reward the same event unintentionally. ## Reward workflow checklist Before publishing, confirm that: - the receiver matches the agreement; - both partners understand the event that earns the reward; - the selected status and any filters are correct; - the calculation and value data are correct; - the payout frequency matches the payment process; - automatic acceptance or manual review is intentional; - the name explains the workflow clearly; - a future test event produces the expected reward; - your team knows where to review the workflow run and reward report. A good reward workflow should be easy to explain and easy to verify. Start with one clear workflow, test it with future activity, and add more only when the partnership needs them.