Aura is scarce daily recognition you give to hubs and to files inside hubs so stronger work can rise. This page covers the rules, how to give it, what creators see, and why you sometimes can’t.
Primary action: Give Aura on Explore · Creators: check Analytics on your hub.
What Aura is
Aura is community endorsement for hubs and for files inside hubs—not money, crypto, or a star-rating system. You spend a small daily budget on work you find worth learning from. That signal can help quality show up on Explore and in search.
Philosophy and longer answers: the full Aura guide.
The rules
- 5 Aura per day — your daily budget to give.
- Resets at midnight UTC — you get 5 again even if you used all 5 already.
- Files and hubs — give Aura to hubs or to files inside hubs. Not to people or profiles. When you give Aura to a file, that hub also receives 1 Aura. Giving Aura to a hub does not add Aura to the files inside it.
- No self-Aura — you can’t give Aura to your own hubs or to files you own in them.
- Give and take back — you can remove Aura you gave (as the product allows) to free budget for somewhere else. Aura already on a hub or file stays until you remove it; daily reset is only a fresh budget to give, not a wipe of past endorsements.
- Split or focus — put all five on one hub or file, or split across a few.
Daily budget and streak
- You get up to 5 Aura each day. Your budget resets at midnight UTC.
- Put all five on one hub or file, or split across a few. Choose carefully—your daily budget is small on purpose.
- You can remove Aura you gave to free budget for somewhere else. Given Aura stays until you decide otherwise.
- Giving and taking Aura is how the library surfaces quality as community signal on Explore—not a paid ranking guarantee.
Longer philosophy: Aura guide.
How to give Aura
- Sign in at app.kahana.io.
- Open app.kahana.io/explore.
- Find a hub—or open a hub and pick a file—then use the Aura control on the card, hub, or file surface.
- Confirm your remaining daily budget before you leave.
Anyone with an account can give Aura. You don’t need a hub of your own first.
File Aura shows on the file inside the hub and helps noteworthy files get exposure in search and ranking. Hub Aura does not roll down to files.
What creators see
- Aura counts and who gave (as shown on marketplace cards and file surfaces).
- Aura in hub / creator Analytics.
- Signal only—not Kahana’s official endorsement of the hub or file.
Common blockers
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Can’t give | Not signed in, or no budget left today |
| Error on your own hub or file | Self-Aura is blocked |
| Don’t see Aura on a hub | Hub isn’t listed, or you’re not on an Explore surface that shows Aura |
Listing help: List a hub on Explore.
Aura vs paid access
Aura does not unlock paywalls or replace purchases. Paid hubs still need Stripe checkout (or trial rules where offered). Buyers: Buying & access. Creators: Turn on paid access.
Quick facts
- Daily limit: 5.
- Reset: midnight UTC.
- Auth: giving requires a logged-in member.
- Target: hubs and files inside hubs; file Aura rolls up +1 to the hub (not the reverse); no self-Aura; not people or profiles.
- Exposure: file Aura is visible in-hub and in search / ranking.
- Not: money, crypto, star ratings, or guaranteed Explore rank.
What’s next
- Brand / philosophy → /aura.
- Learners path → Get started (learners).
- Creators → Analytics for creators.
- Discovery overview → Browse Explore.
About the Author
I'm the CEO of Kahana, bringing a unique perspective from my management consulting experience at Clarkston Consulting and biomedical engineering background from Duke University. I'm focused on making the future of work more elegant through innovative technology solutions that prioritize user well-being and productivity.