Open Collabs let you create assignment opportunities that any influencer can discover and apply to. Instead of inviting specific influencers one by one, you can share a public link and let interested creators come to you.
This is perfect for:
Open casting calls for campaigns
Attracting new influencer talent
Product seeding programs with limited spots
Campaigns where you want diverse applicants to choose from
What Makes a Collab Different from a Regular Assignment?
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Regular Assignment | Open Collab |
You invite specific influencers | Influencers find and apply to you |
Private to invited creators | Shareable public link |
“Invited” tab shows pending invites | “Interested” tab shows applicants |
Influencers accept or decline your invite | You accept or decline their application |
Creating a Collab Assignment
Creating a collab works just like creating a regular assignment, with one extra step in the Advanced settings.
Step 1: Navigate to your Campaign and click Assignments in the sidebar.
Step 2: Click Create Assignment.
Step 3: Fill in your assignment details:
Title - Give your collab a clear, compelling name
Cover Image - Use a landscape-oriented image for best results
Description - Explain the opportunity, requirements, and what you’re looking for
End Date (optional) - When should the campaign wrap up?
Files - Add any PDFs, brand guidelines, product images, or reference materials
Step 4: Switch on Let influencers apply to join.
Step 5: Optionally, publish a Rate.
Enter one number for a set rate, or a min and a max to show a range
Leave Let influencers propose a different rate on and applicants can name their own number when they apply — you’ll see what each one asked for before you accept anyone
Switch it off and the rate is fixed: applicants see the number and apply at it
Publishing a rate is optional, but a collab with no rate asks creators to apply without knowing what it pays.
Step 6: Optionally, set a Participant limit.
Leave it blank for unlimited applicants
Enter a number (e.g., “10”) to automatically close applications once you’ve accepted that many influencers
Step 7: Click Create Assignment.
Your collab is now live and ready to share.
Sharing Your Collab Link
Once your collab is created, you’ll see a Share Collab Link button instead of the usual “Invite Influencers” button.
You’ll also see this link on the Invite influencers step right after you create the assignment, along with a summary of what happens once you share it.
Click Share Collab Link to copy the URL to your clipboard. You can share this link anywhere:
Post it on your brand’s social media
Include it in email newsletters
Add it to your website’s “Work With Us” page
Share in creator communities and forums
Send directly to influencers you’d like to apply
When influencers click the link, they’ll see your assignment details and can express interest with one click.
How Influencers Apply
When an influencer visits your collab link:
They see your assignment details, including the cover image, description, and end date — and the rate, if you published one
If proposals are on, they can name the rate they want for the work
They can add a short note on why they’re a fit
They click Apply
If they’re new to InfluenceKit, they create a free account — with Instagram, TikTok, an email address, or a phone number
Their application appears in your Interested tab
Once a collab reaches its participant limit, the link stops accepting applications and shows that it’s closed.
Reviewing Interested Influencers
As influencers apply, you can review them all in one place.
Step 1: Open your collab assignment.
Step 2: Click the Interested tab.
Rates and counter-offers. If an applicant named a rate, their ask shows on their card. Accepting them agrees to that rate. If you’d rather counter, type your own number into the rate field on their row before you accept — the number you set always wins.
Getting the rate paid. An agreed rate isn’t automatically on the creator’s payment record, and statements only count rates that are. When there’s one waiting, an Add to payment button appears beside it on the assignment roster — one click puts it on the record so it reaches their statement.
For each applicant, you can see:
Profile picture and username
Follower counts broken down by platform (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc.)
Bio/description from their profile
Comments - any messages they’ve sent
Notes - add private notes only your team can see
Step 3: Click an influencer’s name to view their full profile and any previous work they’ve done.
Organizing Applicants
Use reactions to categorize and prioritize applicants:
Click the reaction button on an applicant’s card
Use the pin reaction to keep top candidates at the top of the list
Add other reactions to create your own tagging system
Accepting or Declining Applicants
Once you’ve reviewed an applicant, you can accept or decline them.
To accept an influencer:
Click on the applicant’s name to open their detail page
Review their profile, follower stats, and any past deliverables
Click Accept
What happens when you accept:
The influencer receives an email notification
They move from the “Interested” tab to the “Accepted” tab
They can now add deliverables to the assignment
You can communicate via comments
A campaign event is created in their calendar
To decline an influencer:
Click on the applicant’s name
Click Decline
The influencer will be notified and removed from your applicant list.
Tip: You can leave internal notes on any applicant before making a decision. These notes are only visible to your team, not the influencer.
Managing Accepted Influencers
Once influencers are accepted, they appear in the Accepted tab and work just like any other assignment.
From here, you can:
Add checklists with tasks and milestones for influencers to complete
View deliverables they submit (posts, stories, videos, etc.)
Track metrics like impressions, engagement, and reach
Leave comments to communicate with the influencer
Export a CSV of all accepted influencers and their stats
Using Participant Limits
Participant limits let you cap the number of influencers who can join your collab. This is useful when you have:
A fixed number of product samples to send
A specific budget for a set number of creators
Limited campaign spots
How it works:
When creating or editing your collab, set a number in the Participant limit field
As you accept influencers, the count tracks toward your limit
Once you’ve accepted that many influencers, the collab automatically closes
New influencers can no longer apply (they’ll see the collab as “Closed”)
Tip: Existing applicants in your “Interested” tab remain visible even after the limit is reached. You can still review and decline them, or increase your limit if you want to accept more.
To remove the limit, edit the assignment and clear the Participant limit field.
Collab Assignment Workflow Summary
Here’s the typical workflow for running an open collab:
Create your collab assignment with Collab? toggled on
Share the collab link on social media, email, or your website
Review applications as they come in via the Interested tab
Accept the influencers you want to work with
Manage accepted influencers just like regular assignments
Track deliverables and campaign performance
Frequently Asked Questions
Can influencers see other applicants?
No. Influencers can only see their own application status, not other applicants.
What if I want to invite a specific influencer to a collab?
Share the collab link directly with them. They’ll go through the same application process, and you can accept them right away.
Can I accept more influencers than my participant limit?
Once the limit is reached, you’ll need to increase the limit (edit the assignment) before accepting additional applicants.
Do influencers pay anything to apply?
No. Applying to collabs is free for influencers. They create a free InfluenceKit account if they don’t have one.