How to Distribute Your POAPs
Sharing a POAP is a lovely thing. You’re giving someone a memory of something they did, saw, felt, or helped create. How you distribute it really shapes the experience, both for the collector and for you as the issuer.
Whether this is your first POAP drop or your fiftieth, this guide is here to help you choose a way to deliver it that fits best based on your setup, your community, and your event. Like with most things, experimenting goes a long way, so play around to find what suits you best.
💳 Do You Need POAP Credits?
Before we dive into distribution, let’s talk about POAP credits.
You’ll need POAP credits if:
- Your POAP is being used for commercial purposes, particularly online marketing events
- You're planning a large drop
Here’s what to know:
- Credits cost $25 minimum for 100 credits
- Credits added to a drop are non-refundable
- If in doubt, proceed without credits. Someone will reach out to get you back on track.
🌱 Easy distribution methods for new issuers
If this is your first time issuing a POAP, you are in the right spot. These methods are simple to set up and easy to manage — perfect for small or informal events.
| Method | Best For | Why It’s Simple |
|---|---|---|
| Mint Links | 1-on-1 chats, small group handouts | Copy/paste to send via message |
| Dispenser (in-app) | Casual IRL meetings (e.g. "You've met me" POAPs) | Show your personal dispenser QR code from the POAP Home app or copy and paste a link to share in a message. |
| Locations | In-person events (e.g. park meetups) |
Long/lat coordinates to set up via GPS. ⚠️ Collectors need POAP Home app to scan location |
Learn how to distribute your POAP with Dispenser in 60 seconds
📘 How to Set Up a Website for POAP Distribution
📘 How to Responsibly Distribute Mint Links
🌿 Flexible distribution methods for all occasions
These options give you more control, especially for larger audiences, IRL installations, or collectors you already know. They require more planning, but the results are magical.
Some of these are common tricks with mint links, which we’ll split out in the table below.
| Method | Best For | What You’ll Need | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secret | Audio events like X Spaces or livestreams |
Share a code verbally during the event. ⚠️ Collectors need POAP Home app to enter code |
|
| Website | In-person or remote events | Create a landing page with time-gated access, QR code access and optional passphrase | |
| Delivery | When you have a whitelist of wallet addresses. | Submit a list of addresses in the drop portal and share the landing page link with the audience. | |
| GitPOAP | Recognition for contributors to your Repo on GitHub. | Email team@gitpoap.io to create and automate distribution through GitHub integration. | |
| API Integration | Best for native viewing and collecting of POAPs in your platform. | An API Key and read through our documentation here. | |
| 💡Request Mint Links in drops portal and unlock these sharing methods 🔽 | |||
| POAP Kiosk | Large IRL events displaying a rotating QR code on any device for users to scan. |
Upload the txt. file with links to https://kiosk.poap.xyz/. ⚠️ Device needs internet connection |
|
| IYK / NFC Devices | Wearables, merch, badges that users can tap and collect. | Purchase a POAP Rosetta Beacon here, custom designs available. | |
| Airship | Create POAPs that people can purchase for fundraising and commemorative moments. | Go to Airship admin page and link drop to configure airship and share with community. | |
| Printed QR Codes | Posters, booths, lanyards, materials to scan and collect. | Design signage and use a unique QR code generator for printing. | |
| Mail Merge Email | Private, verified delivery straight to your mailbox. | Email list and mail merge template. | |
Even the most experienced issuers test their drops to make sure things work as expected. It helps you understand what your collectors will experience, and helps avoid surprises.
📘 How to Create a Test Drop
📘 How to Distribute Mint Links via Email
📘 Guidelines for POAP Delivery
📘 How to set up an IYK NFC Device
🧭 Match your event and distribution
This table helps match your method to the moment — based on how and where your audience is collecting.
In-Person Events
| Size | Easier choices | Be careful |
|---|---|---|
| Small (<20) | Mint Links, Dispenser | Kiosk or Website feel clumsy and impersonal here |
| Medium (20–150) | Websites, NFC | GPS and Secrets require POAP Home, which has user friction |
| Large (150+) | Kiosk, NFC, or GPS | Secrets and Websites need to be managed tightly to avoid leaks |
Online Events
| Size | Easy Choices | Be Careful |
|---|---|---|
| Small (<50) | Mint links, Secrets, Websites | |
| Medium (50–500) | Delivery, Mail merge, Airship | Websites offer low security |
| Large (500+) | Airship, Partner apps | Websites offer low security |
📘 Distribution Methods for Every Use Case
💡 What if things change?
Sometimes your event grows, or your method needs to change as plans develop.
- You can request more mint links or switch methods
- Some occasions require credits. If you're not sure, don't worry!
- If you have doubts, reach out to us on Telegram!
📘 How to Request a Top-Up or Adjust Your Method
🌻 And remember...
- 🧪 Test first
- 💳 Check if you need credits
- 🧡 Share only with real participants
- 🎨 Make your POAP story clear
- 📲 Keep things easy and fun to collect
- 🛟 Reach out — the POAP team is here to help!
📸 Community gallery
We’re putting together some examples of beautiful, intentional POAP sharing — from park meetups using GPS minting, to conference booths using QR posters, to live X Spaces drops.
If you’ve done something special, we’d love to hear your story too 💌
9 examples of ways to share and collect POAPs online and in-person