A downline builder carries a list of programs for you to join. The premise is that you will join listed programs and that your sponsor will get credit for you as a referral in all of the programs listed. Then, you will gather your own recruits and get credit for them as referrals in any of the programs they join under you and so on.

Sometimes, downline builders come as stand-alone sites, but at other times, they may be side benefits at traffic exchanges. Traffic exchange owners create downline builders, hoping that you will refer lots of folks to the traffic exchange in order to benefit from this feature. Why? Well, to improve their membership base, of course. But downline builders can be a great way to build downlines, if you understand how they work.

The important thing to know about downline builders is that they won't work, unless you actively recruit referrals. If you aren't into gathering a team, don't bother to join a downline program. You can't benefit if you don't find recruits!

When considering which downline builder program to join, remember to find out if there is full flow-through of program IDs.

Say you belong to program ABC, but your referral doesn't. Your referral finds a new member for the downline builder program, who signs up for program ABC. With full flow-through of IDs, you will get credit for the referral in program ABC. This also works uphill. If you don't belong to a program and one of your referrals joins program XYZ, your team leader (the person you signed up under) will get credit for that referral in program XYZ, if he or she is a member there.

In programs where there is no flow-through, the owner of the program gets credit for all referrals in outside programs where no ID is entered for all members. Downline builders that don't flow through are not fair systems and owners are using you to build their personal downlines when you've done all the work.

Also consider this: Most people join downline builders because they're already members of the programs listed in the downline builder. They fill in their IDs, but won't join many programs under you. ?Feh!? you say. Don't be so quick to back away.

Even if your referral joins only one program or doesn't join any, acquiring them for the downline builder is still worth the effort'if you're able to contact them. Be sure that the downline builder program offers this feature, too, as networking is key to success online. See if you can have an email address, a phone number, an IM address, or any or all of the above. Use the information to build a personal relationship with your new member.

Downline builders can be very effective tools, when you understand the concept, and building a sizable team will pay off. Just be sure that the program you join has worthwhile programs that anyone would benefit from joining and that the program is fair. When those to qualities are met, the rest is up to you.