A reference process controls one award’s reference form and the emails Rhythm sends for that reference. It covers the invitation asking the referee to submit and the notice telling the applicant when the referee submits. To require references, the award’s application process must name a reference process. Use Reference Types for the separate setting that labels the applicant’s relationship to the person providing the reference.
References are designed for the application workflow. If your program nominates candidates instead of collecting self-submitted applications, Rhythm does not directly support confidential third-party references as part of the nomination itself today. Treat that need as a feature request rather than something you can configure.
Where to Find It
Go to Awards › Setup › References › Processes to view and manage an award’s reference processes. Select Create Reference Process to add one.
Prerequisites
- At least one active reference form must exist before you can save a process. Otherwise, the Reference Form picker is empty.
- You must have access to the award’s setup pages.
Settings
| Setting | Requirement | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Required | Identifies the process in lists. Two processes on the same award can use the same name. |
| ID | Set automatically on new records | Must start with the award’s identifier and a colon. You cannot edit it after saving the process. |
| Reference Form | Required | Sets the form the referee completes when submitting the reference. |
| Referee invitation email | Optional switch | When this is on, Rhythm emails referees an invitation with a link to submit. The subject and body are required while the switch is on. |
| Applicant notice email | Optional switch | When this is on, Rhythm notifies the application’s applicant contact after a referee completes their reference. The subject and body are required while the switch is on. |
| Contact and organization confirmation | Shared panel, per process | Controls which of the referee’s own details they are asked to confirm when submitting. |
Warning
A reference can look finished to the referee without being submitted. They can select Next through the end of the form, but if the reference form’s Review page does not have its Submit transition enabled, Rhythm records nothing and the reference stays Pending. Enable the Submit transition on the Review page, then ask the referee to complete the reference again. Its status should then change to Completed.
The Referee Invitation Email
Turn this on when you want Rhythm to email referees an invitation with the link to submit their reference. You can include your own direct link to the Submit Reference page in the email. Rhythm does not check whether that link, or a merge field used in it, is correct, so referees who follow a broken link reach a missing page. Changing this email’s wording affects only invitations sent after the change; referees who were already invited keep the email they received. You can also use the nominee’s first-name and last-name merge fields in the subject line, so the recipient sees the candidate’s name before opening the email.
The Applicant Notice Email
Turn this on when you want Rhythm to tell the applicant that a referee completed their reference. This notice goes out only when the referee submits the reference themselves. If staff mark a reference complete by hand, Rhythm does not send the notice. The merge fields available for this email describe the referee and their organization, not the applicant’s own details.
Tip
If applicants need the status of every reference on their application, remember that this notice covers only references submitted by referees themselves. It does not cover references staff completed on their behalf.
Previewing an Email
From the process form, select Preview next to either email to send a working copy to yourself or any address you choose. The preview uses the email exactly as it is currently written. It fills merge fields with data from a real reference, using the reference identifier you enter. You can copy that identifier from an application’s References tab. The reference does not need to belong to the award you are editing; any reference in your Rhythm account can fill a preview.
Warning
A preview email includes a real referee’s or applicant’s personal information. Choose the destination address carefully, and remember that the preview goes out exactly as the current draft reads, whether or not you meant to send it.
Tip
If a preview email’s link leads to a blank page, or opens the reference page without loading the form, this has been reported before. A malformed link was suspected as one cause, though it was not confirmed as the only one. Double-check the reference identifier you entered, try the preview again, and contact support if it keeps happening.
Tip
To reliably reproduce a reference-link problem, start from a complete test setup. Submit an award application that actually includes a reference component, make sure you have access to the email or contact record that will receive the reference email, and, if the award’s eligibility depends on an active membership, use an applicant record that actually qualifies.
Ordering an Award's Reference Processes
An award’s reference processes appear in the order you arrange them on the Manage Reference Processes page. That order affects only this list; pickers, processing, and submission do not use it.
Switching a Process Off
Turning off a process’s active switch stops it from being offered for new reference requirements. Existing requirements that already name the process keep sending referees through it. Rhythm does not warn you if a requirement still depends on the process you just switched off.
Deleting a Process
Rhythm will not delete a reference process while any reference or requirement still names it. You cannot undo deletion from the Console.
Change Impact and How to Revert
Changes to a process’s form, emails, or confirmation options take effect from that point forward. References store only the process’s identifier, so pending referees immediately see the updated form, and any email sent after your change uses the new wording. To revert a change, edit the process again and restore the earlier values.
Deleting an award also removes its reference processes, so you do not need to delete them separately first.
Validation and Errors
| What you see | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The save is refused for a missing reference form | No reference form is selected, or the selected form was not built for references | Choose a reference form before saving |
| The save is refused with the invitation or notice email incomplete | The email switch is on, but the subject or body is empty | Fill in the email, or turn the switch off |
| "Unable to preview email" | The reference identifier you entered does not exist, or the destination address is missing | Copy a valid reference identifier from an application’s References tab, and enter a destination address |
| The Console shows a generic delete failure | A reference or requirement still names the process | Remove the dependent reference or requirement first, or leave the process in place |