If your referral relationship on OKX suddenly shows as invalid, don't worry right away. Most likely it's not a big problem with your account or your friend's account. It's usually because the system risk check didn't pass, or the "binding" process was broken due to device, cache, or similar reasons.
You need to understand that OKX's referral relationship is very strict. Once it is successfully bound, it cannot be changed or unbound. So "suddenly invalid" usually does not mean "the relationship was deleted." It means "the relationship was never successfully bound" or "was judged as invalid." You can troubleshoot from the following aspects.
Step 1: Distinguish Between "Not Successfully Bound" and "Invalidated After Binding"
First, check the status of that friend in your invitation records. This will tell you where to start troubleshooting.
Check the friend's status in your invitation list: OKX App → tap the "Gift" icon on the top right of the home page → Invite Friends → tap "My Invitations" or "Invitation Records" on the top right and look at the status of the friend. See whether it shows "Expired," "Invalid," or not shown at all.
Scenario A: The friend shows "Expired" or "Invalid"
If this is the case, it basically has nothing to do with your device or cache. It means the referral relationship itself did not pass the system verification. Common reasons include:
The invited friend did not pass the platform's risk control check. OKX runs continuous risk checks throughout the entire period from event registration to reward unlocking. If the user's behavior is judged as not matching real user characteristics (such as low account activity, inauthentic behavior, etc.), the invitation will be deemed invalid and the rewards will not be issued.
Your friend was already bound through another channel. For example, they registered through a paid advertising channel, or they opened your link but left the registration incomplete and directly downloaded the app from elsewhere – these situations can all cause the binding to fail.
If the friend is a "recalled" user (has not logged in to trade for more than 180 days), they must meet the recall requirements. If they don't meet the criteria, the relationship cannot be established.
Scenario B: The friend registered but never appeared in the "Valid Friends" list
This means the binding relationship was never established from the start. The most common causes are:
The friend did not complete the full registration process through your exclusive invitation link.
There was an interruption during registration. For example, when prompted to download the app, they jumped out and downloaded it directly instead of finishing registration on the webpage (OKX officially suggests completing registration before downloading the app, otherwise the link may be lost).
They had already downloaded the app and registered through another channel before – in this case, they cannot be bound to you anymore.
Risk reminder: If your friend fails to register through your invitation link (for example, used the wrong referral code or didn't pass risk control), there is no way to re-bind the referral relationship.
Step 2: Troubleshoot "Device Cache" Causing Lost Binding
If your problem is "the friend was in my invitation list before, but I can't find them after switching devices or reinstalling the app," that's a different story. It is usually related to device cache.
Think about whether you recently switched to a new phone, reinstalled the OKX app, cleared your browser data, or used incognito mode. Check if these actions match your situation and whether the referral relationship existed before.
If you are using the OKX Web3 wallet's DEX referral program, OKX officially states: if you uninstall the app, uninstall the plugin, or clear the cache, the referral relationship will be affected. However, as long as the "multi-device sync" feature was supported before clearing, you can restore the binding after reinstalling by following these steps:
Download the latest official OKX app or plugin again.
Import the wallet that was previously bound.
Go to the referral program page (App or plugin: Home – More – Discover – Referral Program).
The system will automatically prompt you to restore the previous referral code binding. Click confirm and sign to recover it.
Note: You must import the original wallet. If you use a new wallet, the previous binding cannot be automatically restored. This sync feature requires app version 6.144.0 or higher, and plugin wallet version 3.79.0 or higher.
Common Reasons for Failure
The most easily overlooked reason is forgetting about the "device binding relationship." For OKX's commission-based referral, the system uses your device and wallet as anchors to record your identity in the referral feature. Once the device data is cleared or you log in on a new phone, the system can't recognize you, and your identity in the referral program is lost – you need to restore it. Another common reason is not carefully reading the status, and failing to tell the difference between "system judged as invalid" and "binding lost due to device." For the former, contacting customer service is basically pointless; for the latter, you can solve it by simply re-importing your wallet.
Next Steps
If you confirm that the friend themselves did not pass risk control or did not successfully register, this is an "irreversible" invalidation. We suggest directly inviting other new users.
If you find that the binding was lost due to device switching or cache clearing, and you are using the OKX Web3 wallet, please follow Step 2 to import the wallet address that was previously bound on the old device or after reinstallation, and use the system prompt to restore the binding.
If none of these checks work and you are certain it is a system misjudgment, you can go to the OKX Help Center, submit an appeal ticket, and select "Event Reward Claim" as the category.
