What are the key things you check before promoting a program?

[Edas]

Hello, I am looking for advice about affiliate programs.
What are the key things you check before promoting a program?
For example: payment reliability, tracking accuracy, support response time, and conversion rate.
Do you have any programs you trust long term?
Thank you!

[wayofwager]

I mainly look at:

• Payment reliability – proven history of paying on time, clear terms
• Tracking accuracy – transparent stats with no unexplained gaps
• T&Cs – especially negative carryover, admin fees, and retroactive changes
• Affiliate manager communication – honest, responsive, and helpful when issues arise
• Brand quality – player experience, withdrawals, KYC, and support reputation
• Long-term mindset – fair treatment of both players and affiliates

I usually avoid naming specific programs publicly and rely more on forum feedback, peer experience, and testing over time.
Interested to hear what red flags others here watch out for early.

[wonderpunter]

The only way to check is to promote them, If they are going to screw you, you'll find out real quick

[eenzoo]

For example: payment reliability, tracking accuracy, support response time, and conversion rate.

Nothing you can do about the mentioned stuff.
If i had no contacts and were looking for a handful of operators or networks, first i would try to get a conversation upfront!
Be honest about experience, traffic source, amount of traffic.
If you are in the beginings without significant traffic and the idea what you have "under the hood" accept standart deals.
Dont ask for CPA.
Look out for programs without minimum or activity quotas.
In case, choose NoNegativeCarryOver instead 5% more revshare.
Talk with them frequently ... not only if you want/need something.
Build trust ... money and better deals follow up!

[kwblue]

When Impressions to Clicks are not good - I ditch them. That's about it. I push good converting properties to the top - I have some loyalties as well from long-term relationships and trust-level.

[eenzoo]

Pls explain impressions2click! Do you measure "readymade" banner codes or (your own) CTA impressions?

[kwblue]

Pls explain impressions2click! Do you measure "readymade" banner codes or (your own) CTA impressions?

I have my own analytics where I look at impressions for banners/logos/clickable-objects and then clicks on those objects. From that if there is a low click ratio in the same position that another property has a higher click ratio - then I would demote or cease promoting that property. It isn't exact science, but helps me to remove programs that get lots of impressions but nobody seems to care about.

[wonderpunter]

I have my own analytics where I look at impressions for banners/logos/clickable-objects and then clicks on those objects. From that if there is a low click ratio in the same position that another property has a higher click ratio - then I would demote or cease promoting that property. It isn't exact science, but helps me to remove programs that get lots of impressions but nobody seems to care about.

Impressions and clicks look good on paper but the only real thign you should look at is how much money you can make from a brand, I have one with amazing conversiosn but low retention, I have another with bad FTD from sign up but amazing retention.. funny enough the biggest deals are usually the worst performing.

[kwblue]

Impressions and clicks look good on paper but the only real thign you should look at is how much money you can make from a brand, I have one with amazing conversiosn but low retention, I have another with bad FTD from sign up but amazing retention.. funny enough the biggest deals are usually the worst performing.

Good point. And I definitely do look at numbers. I have a limited number of programs I work with and I have a stats program to look at their stats via API or scrape, if required, and I have that webpage up all the time watching. Plus a couple of alerts to tell me when something happens. So - I'm very aware which have registrations and do not convert to a First Deposit.

[All In Affiliates]

You're not going to know those things before starting.

But you can ask things like:
- Are your conversions posted in real-time or is there a delay?
- When do you confirm month end numbers and when is payment made?
- What payment options are available and what are the thresholds?
- Are there KPI's? If so, get a detailed explanation of what they entail.
- Check that the deals you agreed to are outlined exactly as you discussed in the platform. Get everything in writing.

The answers to those questions should give you some good insight before starting.

[casinotoprating]

good question — this is actually one of the most important things in this business.

From my experience, the first thing I look at is payment reliability. If a program doesn’t pay on time or starts making excuses, it’s not worth it, no matter how good the deal looks.
Second is tracking. I prefer programs where stats are clear and close to real-time. If numbers look strange or inconsistent, I usually don’t scale traffic there.

Also very important are the terms. You always need to check things like negative carryover, hidden fees, or if they can change conditions retroactively. That’s where many affiliates lose money without realizing it.
Then of course conversion — even the best rev share is useless if the product doesn’t convert. I usually test the flow myself (registration, deposit, payment methods, etc.).
Support is also underrated. If the affiliate manager is responsive and transparent, it makes a big difference long term.

About “trusted programs” — honestly, there is no universal answer. It really depends on your traffic and GEO. Personally, I stick with programs that:

• have been on the market for a while
• don’t constantly change terms
• and have a good reputation for payments

And once you bring volume, it’s always better to negotiate a custom deal.

In short: better a stable and transparent program than one with “high” commissions but unclear conditions.

[golfbettingsystem]

I check the affiliate software that the program uses as some are much worse than others in terms of reporting and, seemingly, fraud detection.

[artem10x]

I usually start with a small traffic test and see how the program performs in practice. Clicks are fine, but what really matters to me is real depositors and clear stats.