How h@ndle verifies campaign results
Creator marketing has a trust problem: screenshots are editable, follower counts are inflatable, and most campaign recaps are self-reported. h@ndle measures results at the source and labels anything it can’t.
One rule: every number wears a label
Every metric in a h@ndle campaign report is tagged with where it came from. There are three labels, and every number carries one:
Observed directly by h@ndle: metrics pulled from platform APIs and clicks counted on h@ndle tracking links.
Entered by a person (a screenshot can be attached, but it is optional). Useful context, but always labeled as reported, never passed off as verified. Any total that includes reported numbers says how much of it is reported.
Redemptions and revenue the business logs against its promo code. h@ndle does not observe checkout, so these are the business’s numbers, labeled as such.
How the numbers are collected
- Tracking links measure clicks
Each deal gets a h@ndle short link (you can add more for individual posts). Clicks are counted server-side with known bots excluded and device class recorded. A click is a visit, so one person can count more than once; unique visitors are counted separately, by distinct hashed address, so people sharing a network count once.
- Platform APIs verify the content
For YouTube, Twitch, Instagram, and TikTok deliverables, h@ndle fetches engagement directly from the platform’s own API on a schedule: during the campaign window, then again at 7 and 30 days after. That builds a timestamped trend, not a single cherry-picked snapshot. Instagram verification runs through the creator’s own connected account and covers the post, its date, likes, comments, and, when the account’s connection includes Instagram’s insights permission, measured view counts. Views without a platform measurement stay creator-reported and are labeled that way.
- Promo codes track redemptions the business logs
The business logs redemptions against a campaign promo code, and they appear in the report labeled advertiser-reported. h@ndle shows them next to the verified numbers; it does not attribute revenue to a creator.
- Everything lands in a versioned report
Deliverables, click trends, platform metrics, and redemptions are assembled into a shareable campaign report with a plain-English summary. Share links are revocable, report versions are kept, and every page prints cleanly to PDF for the deck.
Why this matters
Follower counts are easy to inflate, and most sponsorship reporting is still a screenshot in an email. Verified measurement changes the conversation on both sides: businesses renew based on receipts instead of vibes, and creators who genuinely convert can prove it, deal after deal.
Common questions
What counts as a verified metric?
A number h@ndle observed directly: views pulled from platform APIs (YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, and Instagram when the creator grants insights access), likes and comments from YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, and clicks measured on h@ndle tracking links with known bots excluded. Anything a person typed in by hand is labeled instead: creator-reported for numbers a creator enters, advertiser-reported for promo-code redemptions and revenue the business logs.
Which platforms can be verified today?
YouTube, Twitch, Instagram, and TikTok deliverables are verified against the platform APIs. Instagram and TikTok go through the creator's connected account. TikTok returns real view, like, comment, and share counts. Twitch returns views only: it has no like or comment counts. Instagram returns likes and comments, plus views when the creator grants insights access; otherwise views there stay creator-reported. Tracking links and promo codes work on every platform.
Can a creator edit verified numbers?
No. Verified metrics are fetched by h@ndle on a schedule and stored with their timestamps. Creator-reported entries always carry the creator-reported label (a screenshot can be attached, but it is optional), and any total that includes reported numbers says how much of it is reported.
What’s in a campaign report?
A shareable, versioned report per campaign: deliverables with their verification status, click and view trends over the campaign window, the promo-code redemptions the business logs (labeled advertiser-reported), and a plain-English summary. Reports have revocable share links and print cleanly to PDF.