References are how Couchsurfers vouch for each other. A thoughtful one can turn a stranger into a trusted host and tell you who someone really is before you ever meet. Hosts trust them. Travelers rely on them. They're how you build a reputation that opens doors.
What Types of References Are There?
There are three kinds, each with its own purpose:
- Personal Reference: A public reference you can leave for any member, once. No friendship or stay required, just real interaction. It shows up on their profile for everyone to see.
- Stay Reference: A public reference tied to a completed stay. It becomes available after the stay ends and stays open for 14 days. Once submitted, it lives on the other member's profile.
- Private Reference: Private feedback tied to a completed stay. Only the Couchsurfing team sees it, and it's available during the same 14-day window. The other member never sees it. More on why this one matters below.
How Do I Write a Personal Reference?
Have a Couchsurfer who genuinely impressed you? Show them some love.
You can leave a Personal Reference for any member from their profile.
On mobile:
- Open the member's profile
- Tap References on their profile
- Tap Write Reference
- Write your reference (minimum 40 characters)
- Tap Submit
On the web:
- Open the member's profile
- Click References on their profile
- Click Write Reference
- Write your reference (minimum 40 characters)
- Click Submit
How Do Stay References Work?
After a stay wraps up, both the host and the traveler can leave each other a Stay Reference and a Private Reference. You'll be prompted for the Private Reference first, then the public Stay Reference.
You'll see a notification in your Activity Center a few hours after the stay ends. A push notification follows 48 hours after the stay ends, in case you haven't written yours yet.
Stay References use a double-blind system. When you submit one, the other member won't see it until they've also submitted theirs, or the 14-day window has passed. That way, neither of you can shape your reference around what the other person wrote.
When you write a Stay Reference, you'll be asked how likely you are to recommend the other member, on this scale:
- Highly Recommend
- Recommend
- Neutral
- Unlikely to Recommend
- Would Not Recommend
What's the Deal With Private References?
Private References are a quiet but powerful part of staying safe on Couchsurfing. After a stay, you can share feedback that goes straight to the Couchsurfing team, and only the Couchsurfing team. The host or traveler never sees it.
This is your space to flag anything that didn't sit right, even if it wasn't dramatic enough to warrant a formal report. The Couchsurfing team uses Private References to spot patterns and look out for the community, so even small notes help.
You'll be prompted to leave one during the same 14-day window as Stay References.
How Do I View References on a Profile?
Tap or click References on any member's profile. You'll see a summary of how many references they've received, broken down by type (Travelers, Hosts, Personal). You can filter by:
- Sentiment: Highly Recommend, Recommend, Neutral, Unlikely to Recommend, Would Not Recommend
- Author type: Hosts, Personal, Travelers
- Country: Filter by where the reference author is located
Can I Respond to a Reference I've Received?
Yes. You can add one response to each reference on your profile. Responses can be edited or deleted anytime.
Can I Edit or Delete a Reference I've Left?
Nope. Once a reference is submitted, it's locked in. Worth taking a beat before you hit Submit.
Can I Report a Reference?
Yes. If a reference you received doesn't follow Couchsurfing's Reference Guidelines, you can report it directly from your References page by tapping or clicking Report on the reference.
References may be removed if they contain hate speech, sexually explicit content, private information, verifiably false statements, or are clearly retaliatory. You can only report references left on your own profile.
A Couple Things to Know:
- You can only leave one Personal Reference per member, so make it count
- Stay References and Private References are both available after a stay ends and expire after 14 days
- References should be truthful, relevant, and based on your own direct experience with the person you're writing about
Need more help? Get in touch. You can also reach us anytime through Settings → Contact Support.