Checking Links - Affiliates Notice First

**Qui Gon Jinn** · 13-02-05

How difficult would it be would it be to create some software which checked affiliate links on a regular basis (say hourly) to ensure they are firstly working & go thru to merchant & secondly cookie is placed.

Then updating on a site for all affiliates to see records or an email alert notifications sent out to the affiliate base.

All too often affiliates are first to notice & then when you speak to a network it's a case of "is it really? well i never". Sometimes it's days or even weeks before these are rectified.

**MrMackin** · 13-02-05

I think that you would need to ask the networks if they would permit it.

I believe that a program was written to ping the merchants thank you pages to insure that tracking was in place.

As I recall the networks said no. Reason given was server load.......

**morleymouse** · 13-02-05

im sure network servers can handle a click per merchant every hour

ive thought of doing something like it before, and a load of other stuff just like free tools for affiliates.

even have the domain for it! just need to find time...

**Qui Gon Jinn** · 13-02-05

im sure network servers can handle a click per merchant every hour

Sorry...that made me chuckle

**graeme** · 13-02-05

Originally posted by MrMackin
I think that you would need to ask the networks if they would permit it.

I believe that a program was written to ping the merchants thank you pages to insure that tracking was in place.

As I recall the networks said no. Reason given was server load.......

It isn't that easy to check if the tracking code is in place. Normally the tracking code is placed on the final stage of the order or signup/application process. Most of the time these pages are dynamically generated, so the only way to view the final page in an order process where the tracking code is placed would be to place an order. Or in case of lead programs, to join or register an account.

Now you could create a script which goes to each merchant, orders a product, enters payment information and then checks the "thank you" page - but I don't think many merchants would like the 24 test orders a day (one an hour) they have to cancel or remove from their system.

You could get the merchants permission, or ask if they have a way of submitting an order which is treated as a test order. But then maybe you would have the concern of "well the tracking code is in place in the test system, but does it exist in the live environment".

At Paid On Results we monitor when the tracking code is shown, and build statistics on the average time between each time the code is shown. We then are alerted if the time since the last call back is longer than average.

On the other hand it is easy to check if affiliate links are working and landing on the correct page (no 404 etc). Perl, PHP and ASP all have ways of fetching pages.

**MrMackin** · 13-02-05

Let me begin again.
I had 2nd hand information and just checked with the source.

It was a Stats Bar the networks said no to.
Consolidated stats in a tool bar.

Watching a merchants "thank you" page was not the problem.

Sent Qui Gon Jinn a PM to explain my confusion. Sorry

**km8** · 13-02-05

I'd go for that.

Doesn't SAS have something similar - a 'last audited' date?

You're right, I know some merchants, large household names in the UK, who have had, and probably still have, non-functioning links in the network interface for download by affiliates.

How does a network allow a merchant to have duff links listed, literally for months on end - even after they have been told about them repeatedly?

Disgraceful! as an affiliate you should always, but always, check the link! - though you shouldn't have to.

**Qui Gon Jinn** · 17-02-05

Not always possible to check manually 1000-2000 links a day.

We have decided to get something written for us & publish a continual update on what we find.

Very frustrating when these things get ignored on not acted upon swiftly enough.

**scifind** · 17-02-05

Amazon/alexa have a tool like this

http://pages.alexa.com/associates/sitereport.html

Great for spotting ill formatted amazon links

**999gi** · 17-02-05

You dont need test transactions - you have real ones!

All you need to do is monitor actual transactions and if these flatline then you know youve got a problem

Incredibly easy to do but noone seems to be doing it

**Rich** · 17-02-05

For some of my sites I dynamically crawl details off merchants sites. It's quite surprising how often some of them have problems or some sort of maintainance down time.

Mostly these problems only lasts for 5 minutes or so, but there are cases when it has been longer.

I will have a think to see if I can come up with anything, but am a bit busy trying to make some more money at the moment!

**Barry** · 16-06-05

On some of the sites I run I have a little script that checks if the banner exists for a program before displaying it - I too get hundreds of errors everyday because the tracking server is too busy to serve the banner.

I suppose you could easily write a script to test the response from the referral url as well - but I'm sure the results would be to scarry. The amount of times I have clicked on my own ads and it hasn't transfered through to the merchant is unreal.

One thing that can't be done by affiliates is test the callback page, though some networks actually do appear to have a system in place to monitor this - both POR and AF seem to be the quickest in finding when a merchant has faulty callback codes.