Badges and patches
How the achievement system works and what your collection actually means.
Badges and patches are the achievement layer on BetterUs. They're visual receipts for milestones you've actually hit — not participation trophies.
Badges
Badges are awarded automatically when you hit specific milestones — first check-in, 7-day streak, first recognition sent, first recognition received, first challenge completed, 30-day streak, 100 sparks, and more.
Each badge lives in your collection at /dashboard/badges and is visible on your profile.
Patches
Patches are rarer. They're awarded for exceptional or cumulative achievement — completing a full learning path, a 60-day check-in streak, sending 25 recognitions, or earning 1,000 sparks.
Patches appear at /dashboard/patches and have a distinct, more ornate visual treatment than badges.
Your collection
Both badges and patches are visible on your public profile within the workspace. Packmates can see your collection when they visit your profile — it's a quick read of your engagement history.
Why they matter
Badges and patches give you a sense of progress over time, and they're visible signals to your pack of consistent contribution. The habits that earn badges are genuinely good habits.
Top tips
Make the most of this feature
- 1
You can earn most badges within the first two weeks — prioritise the first-week guide actions.
- 2
Patches take time — the 60-day streak patch is genuinely earned.
- 3
Check your badges tab when you're feeling flat — it's a useful reminder of progress you've already made.
Keep reading
How to earn sparks
Sparks are the platform's currency — here's every way to earn them and why they compound.
Your monthly spark allowance
100 sparks to give each month — 10 per shoutout, ~2 a week. Use them or lose them.
Your check-in streak
How streaks work, what they unlock, and how to protect one you've built.
Still stuck?
We'd rather hear from you than have you guess. Real human, one working day.