Q: What's your step-by-step for vetting a new affiliate application?

Q: What's your step-by-step for vetting a new affiliate application?

Don't auto-approve, and don't rely on gut feel. Run this in order before you click approve:

— Check the promo method field. If it's blank or says "social media," reject or ask for specifics. Real partners name their angle.
— Open every URL they listed. Confirm the site exists, has traffic signals (real content, dates), and isn't a parked domain or coupon scraper.
— Search the email and domain against your existing accounts. Duplicate signups under new emails are your most common fraud vector.
— Cross-check their declared geo against where their site actually ranks. A "US fitness blog" pulling Tier-3 traffic is a mismatch.
— Set them to a probation tier: lower commission or held payouts for the first 30 days.

The caveat: speed matters for good partners, so build a fast lane. If their domain has clear authority and a clean history, approve same-day. Save the friction for the unknowns.

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