Spread Firefox: How the Affiliate Buttons and Points Worked

Back in 2005 you could see “Get Firefox” buttons and links on hundreds of websites, including this one. Most of them came from Spread Firefox, the volunteer community that promoted Mozilla Firefox and rewarded site owners with points for every new visitor they sent. This article explains how the Spread Firefox affiliate buttons and points worked, what happened to the program, and how you can support Firefox today.

Quick answer: Spread Firefox was a community marketing site launched in September 2004 to help people promote the Firefox browser. Members added affiliate buttons to their sites and earned points for each unique visitor who clicked. Its later successor, Firefox Affiliates, was shut down by Mozilla in 2015, so the buttons no longer earn anything. Today you can support Firefox by using it, recommending it and volunteering with Mozilla.

What was Spread Firefox?

Spread Firefox (often shortened to SFX) launched on September 14, 2004, founded by Firefox developers Blake Ross and Asa Dotzler. Its goal was simple: spread Firefox as far and wide as possible. Volunteers shared banners, wrote blog posts, ran local campaigns and helped new users switch from Internet Explorer.

The community’s most famous project was a fundraiser for a two-page Firefox advertisement in The New York Times. The ad ran in December 2004 and listed the names of thousands of supporters who chipped in to pay for it.

How Spread Firefox affiliate buttons and points worked

Why did so many websites add Firefox buttons? The main reason was to promote what many of us considered the best browser. But being a Spread Firefox affiliate had other benefits too.

You created an SFX account and got a unique affiliate ID. When you placed buttons and links on your site, each unique person who clicked earned you one point. The points fed a community-wide competition to see who could best spread Firefox.

What the points got you

1. Roll Call: a ranking page that could send lots of visitors to your website. A “Top 5 Climbers” box showed members who climbed the most places in the past 7 days, a “Top 5 Affiliates” box showed the highest point earners that week, and a list showed the top 250 affiliates.
2. Rewards: the SFX team sometimes gave top earners prizes, from a spreadfirefox.com email address to Firefox gear from the Mozilla Store.
3. Recognition: a few members who rose to the top earned the respect of their peers and could even be invited to join the SFX team.

Besides points, members took part in lively forums, got their own blog on the site, and could choose from many banners and logos. The community energy carried on for years, peaking with the record-breaking Firefox 3 Download Day in 2008.

What happened to Spread Firefox?

Mozilla later replaced the old points system with a program called Firefox Affiliates, which offered official banners and buttons with click tracking. In May 2015 Mozilla announced it was shutting down Firefox Affiliates (external site) and pointed supporters to a new social sharing program, Firefox Friends. Neither program runs today, so old affiliate buttons on websites no longer track points or rewards.

If your site still shows an old Spread Firefox or Affiliates button, it is a good idea to remove it or replace it with a plain text link to the official Firefox download page.

How to support Firefox today

• Use and recommend it: download the latest Firefox (external site) and point friends and readers to the official page instead of third-party download sites.
• Volunteer: Mozilla’s contribute page (external site) lists ways to help, such as translating Firefox, answering support questions and contributing code.
• Report bugs and give feedback: testing new features and reporting problems helps improve the browser for everyone.

For a look back at the browser’s early years, read our post on Firefox turning 5.

FAQ

Does Spread Firefox still exist?

No. The original points-based community is gone, and its successor, Firefox Affiliates, was shut down in 2015.

Can I still earn points or rewards for Firefox buttons?

No. There is no active Firefox affiliate or points program, so old buttons don’t earn anything.

Who started Spread Firefox?

It was founded in 2004 by Firefox developers Blake Ross and Asa Dotzler to help the community promote the browser.

How can I help Firefox now?

Use it, recommend it with links to the official download page, and volunteer through Mozilla’s contribute page.