Leaving a reference is one of the kindest things you can do for a fellow Couchsurfer. It builds their reputation, helps the community know who's worth connecting with, and takes about two minutes. How you leave one depends on the type.
How Do I Leave a Personal Reference?
A Personal Reference is a public reference you can leave for any member, once. You don't need to have stayed with them or be friends, just have had real interaction worth speaking to.
On mobile:
- Open the member's profile
- Tap the References tab near the top of their profile, or tap View All in the References section
- Tap Write Reference
- Write your reference (minimum 40 characters)
- Tap Submit
On the web:
- Open the member's profile
- Click the References tab near the top of their profile, or click View All in the References section
- Click Write Reference
- Write your reference (minimum 40 characters)
- Click Submit
Once you hit Submit, your reference shows up on their profile right away.
How Do I Leave a Stay Reference?
Stay References become available after the last day of a completed stay. You'll see a notification in your Activity Center a few hours after the stay ends. A push notification follows at 48 hours, in case you haven't written yours yet. You'll also see it waiting in your Library .
You'll start with a Private Reference (just for the Couchsurfing team) and then move on to the public Stay Reference. Both are part of the same prompt.
On mobile:
- Tap Library
in the bottom navigation bar
- Under Your Stays or Your Guests, tap the completed stay
- Follow the prompts to complete your Private Reference and then your Stay Reference
On the web:
- Click Library
- Under Your Stays or Your Guests, click the completed stay
- Follow the prompts to complete your Private Reference and then your Stay Reference
Once submitted, your Stay Reference will appear on the other member's profile, though they may not see it right away. That's the double-blind system at work, where neither of you sees the other's reference until you've both written one or the 14-day window closes. For the full breakdown, check out the article on how references work.
One Thing to Know: References can't be edited or deleted after you submit them, and you only get one Personal Reference per member. Make it count, and make sure it's based on your own direct experience.
Need more help? Get in touch. You can also reach us anytime through Settings → Contact Support.