What It Controls
Reference types and reference processes are separate settings that work together:
- A reference type names the kind of reference you need, such as Supervisor or Education, so an application process requirement can request it.
- A reference process controls how you collect that reference, including the web form the referee completes, the email that requests the reference, and the notice sent after the referee responds.
The Setup menu shows these pages only after references are switched on for your account. You can still open the pages by direct address, and existing reference requirements keep working whether references are switched on or not.
To collect references on a certification application, your account also needs the Application References portal feature installed, and the application form must include the References component. Once that component is on the form, the application automatically prompts applicants for any required references.
Where to Find It
Go to Certifications › Setup › Applications › Reference Types to manage reference types, and Certifications › Setup › Applications › Reference Processes to manage reference processes.
Prerequisites
- References must be switched on for your account before the Setup menu shows these pages.
- At least one active web form for references must exist before you can create a reference process, because each process requires you to choose one.
Create a Reference Type
- Go to Certifications › Setup › Applications › Reference Types and select Create Application Reference Type.
- Enter a Name, such as Supervisor or Peer.
- Confirm the ID. Rhythm suggests it from the name, and you can set it only when you first create the type.
- Set Status to Active or Inactive.
- Select Save Changes.
Result
The type becomes available when you add a reference requirement to an application process.
Tip
Names are not checked for uniqueness, so two types can have the same name and become hard to tell apart. Give each type a clearly different name.
You can rename a reference type at any time, even while references of that type are pending, because requirements and references use the type's ID instead of its name.
Create a Reference Process
- Go to Certifications › Setup › Applications › Reference Processes and select Create Reference Process.
- Enter a Name and confirm the ID.
- Choose a Reference Form: the web form the referee fills in.
- Optionally turn on Reference Notification Email and write its content. This email asks the referee to submit their reference, and Rhythm sends it after the related application has been paid for.
- Optionally turn on Applicant Notice Email and write its content.
- Set Status to Active or Inactive.
- Select Save Changes.
Result
The process becomes available when you add a reference requirement to an application process. You must configure the reference process before you can require references on that application process.
Warning
The Applicant Notice Email card is labeled as going to the applicant, but Rhythm actually sends this email to the referee, the same person who submitted the reference. Write the content for the referee.
Preview an Email Before Turning It On
Each email card has its own Preview button, so you can see exactly what a referee will receive before you use it.
- On the reference process form, select Preview on either email card.
- Enter the ID of an existing reference in your account.
- Enter the address to send the preview to.
- Select Preview Email.
Result
Rhythm sends a real email to the address you entered. The preview uses the reference you chose and the content currently in the editor, even if you have not saved it yet.
Warning
A preview sends a real reference's data to whatever address you enter. It is not limited to your own address, and nothing checks whether you should be able to see the reference you chose. Send previews only to people who should see that data, and only when you already have at least one reference in your account to preview against.
The Reference Notification Email's Link
The email that asks a referee for their reference should include the link to the Portal's Submit Reference page. Rhythm does not insert this link for you; the reference process editor shows a typical address that you adapt to your own Portal address.
Prerequisites
- The Portal must have the references feature installed for the link in this email to open a working page.
- The link must point to your own account's Portal address, not the generic example the editor shows. A wrong or invalid Portal address can send the referee to a broken or blank page instead of the reference form.
Tip
If reference verification links stay broken or unresponsive after you confirm the Portal address and the references feature, reinstalling the Certifications - Application feature on the Portal has resolved this in some cases.
Renaming, Retiring, and Deleting
| Action | What it does | When it's available |
|---|---|---|
| Rename | Changes only what staff see; requirements and references still use the same ID | Any time |
| Retire (set Status to Inactive) | Stops the type or process from being chosen for new requirements | Any time; existing requirements and references keep working |
| Delete | Removes the type or process entirely | Only when nothing — no requirement, application, or reference — still names it |
If you try to delete a reference type or reference process that is still in use, Rhythm refuses the deletion and keeps it in place. Retire it instead of deleting it.
Merge Fields Available in Reference Emails
Reference emails can include details from six related records: the application, the program, the referee, the organization, the membership, and the reference itself. These fields are available only when the reference names an existing application and an existing program; if either is missing, sending or previewing the email fails.
Tip
The membership fields available in a reference email are the referee's own membership, not the applicant's.
Custom Fields on References
To collect information beyond a reference's built-in fields, define custom fields for references at Certifications › Setup › Applications › Reference Fields, then include them on the web form the reference process uses.
Dependencies and Precedence
- A reference process needs an active reference form before you can save it; the picker offers only active forms.
- Changing the notification email's content after referees have already been asked does not resend anything; only later reference requests use the new wording.
- Reference setup pages are hidden from the Setup menu until references are switched on for your account, but the pages themselves, and any reference requirements already configured, keep working regardless.
Change Impact and How to Revert
Retiring a type or process only stops it from being offered for new requirements; nothing already using it changes. To revert, set the status back to Active. Changing an email's content or turning it off changes only what is sent going forward; references already processed are unaffected.
Permissions
Staff who can open Certifications Setup can create, rename, retire, and delete reference types and reference processes, and send email previews.
Validation and Errors
| Message or behavior | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The deletion is refused | A reference, application process requirement, or application still names the type or process | Retire it instead, or remove it from whatever still names it first |
Unable to preview email | The reference ID you typed does not exist, or its application, program, referee, organization, or membership could not be loaded | Choose a reference whose related records all still exist |
| The save is refused for the reference form | The chosen form's ID does not belong to the reference forms record type | Choose a form from the Reference Form picker rather than typing one |