1. Build the audit queue
Do not begin with every link you have ever published. Start with the links responsible for most recent clicks or commission, then add seasonal and time-sensitive offers. A focused list of ten important links is more useful than an unfinished list of hundreds.
For each link record the campaign, source content, destination, recent clicks, conversions, commission and last checked date.
- Top five links by recent clicks
- Top five links by commission
- Offers with deadlines or changing inventory
- Links mentioned in evergreen high-traffic content
2. Test the visitor experience
Open each link in a private browser window and on a mobile device. Confirm that it resolves quickly, reaches the expected product or offer and does not introduce a warning, redirect loop or irrelevant regional page.
Check the promise made before the click. If the content says ‘20% discount’ but the destination no longer shows the promotion, the link may work technically while failing commercially.
3. Verify attribution
Compare the final destination with the affiliate URL supplied by the network. Confirm that required partner IDs, sub-IDs and campaign parameters survived every redirect. Avoid editing unfamiliar signed parameters.
Where possible, place a test order using the network’s approved testing process. Do not create fake purchases or self-referrals that violate programme rules. If testing is unavailable, compare recent click and conversion patterns for unexplained changes.
4. Review disclosure and context
Affiliate disclosure should be clear, close enough to the recommendation to be noticed and appropriate for the platform. A disclosure hidden on a separate page may not give the reader useful context before clicking.
Also inspect the surrounding copy. Update prices, availability statements and product comparisons. Remove claims you cannot verify, especially performance or earnings claims that could mislead readers.
5. Choose the next action
Give every audited link one status: keep, improve, replace, pause or investigate. Add an owner and deadline for anything that is not ‘keep.’ A checklist without a decision is only documentation.
After corrections, compare the link’s conversion rate and EPC with the previous period. Record what changed so future audits build institutional knowledge instead of repeating the same investigation.
- Keep: destination and economics are healthy
- Improve: placement or promise needs work
- Replace: a better live offer exists
- Pause: risk or mismatch outweighs value
- Investigate: attribution data is inconclusive
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