# Keys and creator limits

Choose when a campaign sends game keys, work out how many keys each key list needs, and set a creator limit.

A campaign can give creators game keys from one or more key lists.
Send keys on opt-in to get every creator playing, or on approval to reward the content you approve.
That choice, together with any creator limit, decides how many keys each list needs, so plan both before you publish.

## Choose when keys are sent

Each key list in the campaign's **Keys** section has a toggle for its send time: **On opt-in** or **On approval**.
A new key list starts on **On opt-in**.

| | On opt-in | On approval |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Who receives keys | Every creator who opts in | Only creators who meet the content requirement |
| When they receive them | As soon as they opt in | When you approve enough of their content |
| What it needs | Nothing extra | Content submission turned on |
| How many keys to stock | Keys per creator × everyone invited | Keys per creator × the creator limit, or × everyone invited if you set no limit |

**On approval** is unavailable until you tick **Allow creators to submit content for this campaign**.
Once a list sends on approval, **Approved pieces required** appears under your key lists.
Set how many approved pieces release the keys (1 by default).
If you set a minimum number of posts per platform instead, the keys release once a creator meets every minimum.

You can mix both in one campaign.
For example, every creator who opts in gets a founder pack key, and creators whose content you approve also get a premium bundle key.

## Set a creator limit

**Limit how many creators are accepted** caps how many creators can meet the content requirement in the campaign.
It appears once content submission is on.

* Enter a number from 1 to 99,999.
* A creator takes one spot when they meet the content requirement, however many pieces you approve.
* When every spot is taken, submission and approval close for the whole campaign.
  Creators can still opt in, and still receive keys sent on opt-in.
* You can raise the limit while the campaign is live, but you cannot lower it below the number of creators who have already taken a spot.
  If the campaign sends keys on approval, those lists need enough keys for the new limit.
* **Show creators how many spots are left** is on by default, so creators see how many spots remain.
  Untick it to keep the limit private: creators then see no count, only that the campaign is full once every spot is taken.
  You can change it while the campaign is live.

[When the creator limit fills](/publisher-guides/campaigns/review-creator-content/#when-the-creator-limit-fills) shows how this looks in the **Accepted creators** panel.

## Work out how many keys you need

When you publish, Nexus checks every key list against the number of creators who could receive its keys.
If a list falls short, publishing stops with a message naming the list, how many keys it has, and how many it needs.

### Keys sent on opt-in

A key list sent on opt-in needs enough keys for your whole audience: keys per creator × the number of creators invited.

<Aside type="caution" title="Creator limits only cap approvals">
Opting in stays open to everyone you invite, even after the creator limit fills.
Every creator who opts in receives keys sent on opt-in.
</Aside>

While you build the campaign, a warning under the key list shows when it clearly cannot cover the audience you chose:

<ThemedImage light={shortageLight} dark={shortageDark} alt="A key list sent on opt-in with a warning that 1 key per creator for at least 480 creators needs 480 keys, but only 150 are available." />

The warning compares the list with the largest single group you picked: all members, or the biggest tier, tag, or set of creators when every row is joined with **OR**.
The full check runs when you publish.

<Aside type="tip" title="Clearing the warning">
Add keys to the list, lower the keys per creator, or choose a smaller audience.
If you only meant to reward creators whose content you approve, switch the list to **On approval** and set a creator limit.
</Aside>

If **Allow new creators to opt in** is on, creators who join after you publish also receive keys sent on opt-in.
Keep spare keys in the list for them.

### Keys sent on approval

A key list sent on approval only goes to creators who meet the content requirement, so the creator limit sets how many keys it needs:

* **With a creator limit,** the list needs keys per creator × the limit.
* **Without a limit,** any invited creator could be approved, so the list needs keys per creator × everyone invited, the same as on opt-in.

Keep a few spare keys as well.
[Release reward now](/publisher-guides/campaigns/review-creator-content/#release-a-reward-early) sends keys before a creator meets the content requirement, and those keys come from the same list.

### If a list runs out

Creators who opt in or get approved after a list runs out still get all their keys, once you add more:

* **On opt-in:** the creator gets the keys that are left, and Nexus emails you about each creator who got fewer keys than promised.
* **On approval:** the creator's reward shows **Pending · no keys** in the **Accepted creators** panel, and Nexus emails you.

Upload more keys to the list, and Nexus sends the missing keys automatically.

## Example: plan keys for a launch

Your Gold tier has 480 creators.
You want every creator who opts in to get a founder pack key.
You also want the first 100 creators whose content you approve to get a premium bundle key.

<ThemedImage light={exampleLight} dark={exampleDark} alt="The Keys section with the Season 3 founder pack sent on opt-in and the Season 3 premium bundle sent on approval, one key per creator each, and Approved pieces required set to 1." />

Give each creator one key from each list, and set the campaign up like this:

| Key list | Who receives it | Keys needed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Season 3 founder pack, sent **On opt-in** | All 480 invited creators | 480 |
| Season 3 premium bundle, sent **On approval** | Up to 100, the creator limit | 100 |

The founder pack list holds 1,200 keys and the premium bundle list holds 150, so both lists cover the campaign.
The 720 spare founder pack keys cover creators who join later, and the 50 spare premium bundle keys leave room to release a few rewards early.

## Change keys on a live campaign

After you publish, a key list keeps its keys per creator and its send time.
You can still change the campaign's key lists:

* **Add a key list sent on opt-in.**
  Nexus sends it right away to every creator who has already opted in, so the list needs enough keys for all of them.
* **Add a key list sent on approval.**
  Creators who already meet the content requirement receive it.
  The list needs enough keys for the creator limit, or for everyone already opted in if there is no limit.
* **Remove a key list.**
  Rewards still waiting on that list are canceled.
  Keys already sent stay with creators.

<LinkCard title="Run a campaign" description="Create a campaign, choose its audience, and publish it." href="/publisher-guides/campaigns/run-a-campaign/" />