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72 articles for site owners and reviewers. Can't find it? A real human answers tickets Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm PT.
For reviewers · 28 articles
- How do I become a reviewer?Create an account (Google or email), fill in your profile at /review/apply, and you can claim real, paid burns from the queue right away, paid up to $2.00 for every approved burn, plus Heat Points toward levels, badges and free burns of your own site.
- How do I get approved as a reviewer?There's no unpaid test. Save your profile and you can claim real, paid burns right away. Your first burn is auto-checked for narration, time on site and the two-minute minimum before the site owner sees it; borderline ones get a human look.
- Recording a burn in the browserOpen the burn, read the brief, press Start, allow the microphone, and share the tab or window with the site. Talk the whole time, hit two minutes, then write your notes and submit.
- Why Chrome shows a share dialog (and what to pick)Pick the window that shows the site. Browsers never let a web page choose what to record, so Chrome asks you. For sites that block embedding, BurnTest asks Chrome to share your browser window and opens the site in a new tab in the same click.
- How do I record a mobile burn on my phone?Use your phone's built-in screen recorder with the microphone on, browse the site while talking, then upload the video from the burn page. On a computer, the easier way is the phone-sized window: press Start on the burn page.
- What goes in the written notes?Your written answer to the site owner's closing question, a couple of short prompts, and a would-you-buy score from 1 to 10. You fill them in after recording, and you can't submit without them.
- How long does my recording need to be?At least two minutes of recording with you talking. Shorter burns can't be submitted, and a submitted burn that's under two minutes is grounds for rejection and a cooldown.
- Why is my microphone blocked or my recording silent?Usually a permission or the wrong input. Allow the microphone from the lock icon in the address bar, check the right input is selected, and on phones turn the mic on in the screen recorder before you start.
- What is the BurnTest Recorder extension?It's a free Chrome extension that records any site's tab in one click, with the tab's sound and your voice, and no share dialog. Built for sites that block embedding.
- Install the BurnTest Recorder (Chrome)Add it from the Chrome Web Store (the burn page notices by itself, no refresh needed), press Start on a burn, click the flame once where the Recorder tells you to, talk, and press Stop. Includes fixes for a missing flame, a picker that still appears, Brave and Edge.
- How do I record with the extension?Two clicks: press Start on the burn page (the site opens), then click the blinking 🔥 REC? flame in your toolbar (or press Alt+Shift+B). Talk, then press Stop on the pill. The burn page jumps to Notes with the recording attached.
- Keyboard shortcut: Alt+Shift+BAlt+Shift+B starts and stops the Recorder on the armed site tab. If it clashes with something else, change it at chrome://extensions/shortcuts.
- What can the Recorder extension see?Only the tab you start it on, only while it's recording, and it uploads only to BurnTest. It doesn't read your browsing history or other tabs.
- What gets a burn rejected?Silence for more than 60 seconds at a time, under two minutes, most of the time off the target site, not attempting the brief, or pre-recorded/AI content. Rejected burns cost 15 Heat Pts (20 for silent, short or off-site). Being harsh is not on the list.
- What are the reviewer rules?Four rules: what you see in a burn stays on the platform; never contact a site owner outside BurnTest; never enter real payment details; and never submit content you didn't record live.
- How does reviewer pay work?Every approved Site Burn pays you by the site owner's rating of how useful it was: 5★ $2.00, 4★ $1.50, 3★ $1.00, 2★ $0.50, 1★ $0. Pay goes out monthly by PayPal once you reach $10.
- How do Heat Points and rewards work?On top of pay, every approved burn earns Heat Points, a reputation score that unlocks levels, badges, priority access to new burns and free burn credits for your own site. Heat Points itself has no cash value.
- What are the reviewer levels and perks?There are six levels: Spark (0), Ember (100), Flame (300), Blaze (750), Inferno (1,500), Wildfire (3,000). Each unlocks more: free burn credits from Ember, priority access from Flame, the Elite label at Blaze, 1:1 credits at Inferno.
- How do I earn free burns of my own site?Reach Ember, and approved burns start earning burn credits you can spend on your own site: 1 per 3 at Ember, 1 per 2 at Flame and Blaze, 1 per 1 at Inferno and Wildfire. Credits never expire and are only ever spent on burns.
- What badges can I earn?There are seventeen badges, each earned once: first burn, 10/25/50/100/250/500 approved burns, five 5★ in a row, Sharp Eye, Night Owl, Mobile Specialist, Niche Expert, Speed Demon, Marathon, Founding Reviewer, Founding Wildfire, and Insider for following BurnTest everywhere.
- What is Insider and how do I get it?Follow BurnTest on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube and confirm it on your Heat Points page. Insider gives you a one-time Heat Points bonus, the Insider badge, and priority access to new burns in their first 30 minutes, the same window Flame+ reviewers get. It runs on the honor system and can be taken back.
- Who can see me on the leaderboard?The leaderboard shows only your display name, level and Heat Points gained, and site owners never see it. It ranks the top 20 by Heat Points gained this week, this month and all time. You pick the name (default: first name + last initial) and can opt out entirely.
- How does rating ads work?Ad ratings are quick tasks for Ad Burns: four 1–10 scores and one written reaction, +1 Heat Pts each, up to 10 a day. Find them under Ad ratings in the reviewer area.
- What is the Elite label and how do I earn it?Reach Blaze (750 Heat Pts) and site owners see an Elite label on your burns. It comes with 1 credit per 2 approved burns, a bonus credit on reaching Blaze, and a spot under Top reviewers on the reviewers page.
- What is the Biz Owner badge?It's the badge for reviewers who also run a verified business. Site owners can ask for Biz Owner reviewers when they want feedback from someone who's been on the other side of the checkout.
- What do the Reviewer Terms say, in short?You review as an independent contractor, you're paid per approved burn by the published rate table, paid by PayPal, you handle your own taxes, and you record only the site and your own voice. The full text is at /terms#reviewers.
- What is cooldown and how does it end?If your rating drops below 3.5, more than 30% of your last 10 burns are rejected, or you submit a burn that's silent, off-site or under two minutes, your account cools down for 7 days: you can still record, but burns don't pay and earn no Heat Points or credits. It lifts automatically.
- How do I appeal a rejection or rating?Reply to the rejection email within 7 days, or open a ticket with the burn number. A human reviews every appeal.
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For site owners · Getting started
What exactly is a burn?
A Site Burn is one real stranger screen-recording themselves trying to use your website, saying out loud what they think as they go. You get the video, a full transcript, and an AI-generated Fire Score report. Most burns run 5–12 minutes.
For site owners · Getting started
Do new accounts really get a free burn?
Yes. Create an account, paste a URL, and your first Site Burn is on us. No credit card. Like what you see? Buy a pack. Don't? You've lost nothing but ten minutes.
For site owners · Getting started
What do I get with every Site Burn?
You get a screen + voice recording, a timestamped transcript, the reviewer's written notes and would-buy score, a free instant AI read of the page, and a Fire Score with ranked findings from the recording.
For site owners · Briefs & targeting
How do I write a brief reviewers can act on?
Describe the person, give them one job, tell them what you're worried about, and ask one question at the end. Five sentences is the sweet spot.
For site owners · Reviewing Site Burns
Should I approve or reject a burn?
Approve a burn that followed your brief, even if the feedback stings; reject one that's silent, short, off-site or ignores your brief, and we replace it free. When you approve, your rating of how useful it was sets the reviewer's pay and Heat Points; a rejected burn isn't paid and costs them Heat Points.
For site owners · Scores & reports
What is the AI Fire Score?
A 0–100 score, generated by AI per burn and per site, across clarity, trust, navigation, offer strength, and conversion readiness. It's a compass, not a verdict — the recordings are where the real answers live.
For site owners · Billing & credits
How much does it cost?
5 burns for $50, 10 for $80, 20 for $100. All one-time payments, no subscription. An AI-only Fire Score with no human reviewers is $5. Your first Site Burn is free.
For site owners · Billing & credits
What's your refund policy?
Bad burn? Replaced free. Unused credits? Refunded within 14 days, no questions. Used credits are non-refundable because a real person already did the work. The $5 AI Fire Score is refunded automatically if the audit fails.
Still stuck?
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Open a ticket and we reply within one business day, usually the same day. Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm PT.