Recognition works best when it's timely, specific, and connected to your culture (not just "great job"). Generic praise fades fast. A sentence about what someone did, why it mattered, and which value it reflects is the kind of recognition people remember and repeat.
Bonusly gives you a simple structure for that on your home feed, plus optional coaching while you write.
What goes into a recognition post
Every recognition in Bonusly has a few ingredients. You don't have to think of them as a checklist, but together they turn a quick thanks into something useful for the recipient and visible to your team.
Who you're recognizing
You can recognize individual coworkers by name. You can also recognize groups (such as a team, department, location, or everyone), depending on how your organization set up Bonusly. Use @ to find people or groups as you compose your post.
Points or custom currency (when your program uses them)
If your company uses points or a custom currency with recognition, you'll add an amount as part of your post. Preset amounts may be available based on admin settings. If your program doesn't require points with recognition, you can leave this out.
The reason (the heart of the post)
This is where great recognition lives. The more specific and close to the moment you can be, the better. You're not writing an essay. You're answering: what did they do, and why did it matter?
For tips on writing recognition that lands, you're in the right place. Bonusly also includes Gratitude Gauge coaching to help you strengthen your message as you type.
Hashtags and company values
Hashtags connect recognition to your company's values, themes, or priorities. They're set up by your admins. When you pick a hashtag, you're making it easier for everyone to see how values show up in real work, not just in a slide deck. If your admin added descriptions to a value, you can often read them in the hashtag picker (look for the info tooltip) before you post.
Learn More
Article: Company Values
Where you write recognition: the Givebox
When you're in Bonusly on the web, you'll draft recognition from the Givebox at the top of your home feed. It's the composer for your post. The layout adjusts for the device you're using (desktop, laptop, or phone), so you get a comfortable space to write whether you're at your desk or on the go.
If your organization uses Bonusly inside Microsoft Teams, you can give recognition there too without switching apps. See Using Bonusly in Microsoft Teams for setup and everyday use.
Gratitude Gauge: coaching while you draft
Gratitude Gauge gives you real-time, personalized suggestions as you write in the Givebox. Coaching reflects five dimensions of strong recognition:
Specificity (what exactly happened)
Impact (why it mattered)
Values alignment (how it connects to what your company cares about)
Personalization (what makes this person or contribution distinct), and
Authenticity (whether the message feels genuine, not templated).
You'll see the gauge on the web version, mobile web, and in Microsoft Teams. It isn't available when you're giving recognition from Slack, so use the web version, mobile app, or Teams if you want coaching for that post.
Watch the meter as you draft. It's there to help you build a habit of recognition that sticks, not to block you from posting.
Optional ways to enrich your post
You can keep recognition text-only or add any of these when they help tell the story:
GIF or emoji for tone and celebration
Image, audio or video when a visual makes the win clearer
Link when you're sharing something worth opening (pasting a full URL can create a preview card; you can also use formatted link text)
Tag another person when you want to loop someone in on the thread
Post- Wrap is a “gift wrap” decoration you can apply to a Recognition post so the recipient sees the post covered with wrapping paper.
Use what fits the moment. The message still matters most.
Learn More:
Article: Video & Audio Recognition
Article: Post-Wrap
After you post
When you're ready, submit your post from the Givebox. Recognition typically appears on the home feed and notifies recipients so they know the appreciation landed.
Need to fix something? You can edit or delete a post you created within 24 hours of posting.
The following rules still apply and have not changed:
Amount cannot be edited if the amount has been spent
Amount and recipients cannot be edited if there are comments or add-ons
othing can be edited if it was created in the previous month
Open the menu on the post (often shown as three dots) to edit or delete. After that window, the post is no longer editable in the usual way. If something sensitive is wrong, contact your Bonusly admin for guidance.
FAQs
What's the difference between a vague thanks and strong recognition?
Strong recognition names what happened and why it mattered. "Thanks for jumping on the client issue last night and getting us unblocked before the launch" beats "Thanks for all you do" because it tells the person exactly what to keep doing.
Do I always have to include points?
Only if your company's program ties points or currency to recognition. If your admins configured recognition without requiring points, you can skip the amount.
What if I'm not sure which hashtag to use?
Pick the value that best matches the behavior you're calling out. If your admin added descriptions to hashtags, use the picker tooltips to compare options. When in doubt, choose honesty over precision: it's fine to say what someone did in your own words and then add the closest value.
Does Gratitude Gauge change whether my post sends?
No. It's coaching to help you improve your message. You decide when to post.