metadata__referral_source
Incoming subscribe URL ?ref= token
Never displayed raw; used only to attribute a confirmed subscriber to an inviter.
Share
Invite another St Albans reader.
Copy the standard signup link for friends, neighbours or colleagues. Referral rewards and the public leaderboard are not active.
Signup link
Share the public subscribe page
This link does not create a random referral code. Attribution remains inactive until a reviewed Buttondown integration exists.
Rewards
Referral rewards are not active
No prize ladder or live referral leaderboard is currently offered.
Buttondown metadata contract
Hidden fields to keep attribution portable
metadata__reader_token
Browser-local share token generated on /share/
Can be mapped to an approved display name after opt-in.
metadata__signup_market
Static hidden field
Market filter for multi-newsletter dashboards.
tag
Buttondown embedded form tag website-subscribe
Operational filter only; never shown to readers.
Implementation gates
What must be true before public scoring
Rule
Static site captures incoming ?ref= and stores it in localStorage.
Rule
Share page creates a browser-local invite token and referral URL.
Rule
Subscribe form includes hidden referrer metadata field for Buttondown wiring.
Rule
Newsletter HTML includes a forward/share CTA linking to /share/.
Rule
Leaderboard route is a placeholder until Buttondown signup attribution is connected.