Find your first publishers

Before you start

Have an advertiser-approved offer and its traffic rules. If commercial discussions are still open, make that clear to prospective publishers. Do not distribute an unapproved offer as ready to run.

Look for fit before volume

A publisher needs a relevant audience, permission to use the proposed channel and a clear understanding of the offer. Start with a few partners you can support individually.

For a software offer, prospects might include specialist websites or newsletters already serving the intended users. Check the actual content and placement. A familiar name, traffic estimate or polished media kit is not proof that the traffic will qualify.

Keep recruitment separate from automatic approval. Before a partner receives a live link, understand what they intend to do with it.

Ask useful qualification questions

1. Where will the offer appear? Ask for the website, newsletter or other specific placement.
2. Which countries and audience groups does the partner reach?
3. How is the traffic generated? Confirm the actual acquisition channel.
4. Will any other partners or traffic suppliers be involved?
5. What message and creative will visitors see?
6. Can the publisher begin with a limited test and pause promptly if needed?
7. Who handles technical questions and payment administration?

Compare the answers with the advertiser’s rules. Where permission is unclear, confirm it before traffic starts. Keep access limited to the offers the partner is approved to promote.

Give the publisher a clear brief

Provide the offer name and destination preview, payable action, payout and currency, approval conditions, permitted traffic, excluded audiences and pilot limits. Explain the reporting and payment schedule separately.

Say whether conversions begin as pending, what adjustments may occur and how a publisher should raise a discrepancy. Do not imply that a dashboard balance is immediately withdrawable cash.

If the publisher uses its own tracker, agree how its click identifier is passed through your tracking link and returned in a publisher postback. This is a separate integration from the advertiser sending a conversion to your network.

A worked example

Suppose the advertiser pays $20 for an approved software subscription and your pilot publisher payout is $14. You have permission for a specific newsletter placement.

Your brief says that only approved new paid subscriptions qualify, names the permitted market, explains the review timing and gives the agreed payment schedule. It also says the publisher must ask before changing the placement or introducing another traffic source.

The $14 figure is an illustrative rate, not a recommended market payout. Your actual agreement must account for the offer’s economics and both parties’ responsibilities.

Onboard one partner end to end

1. Record the partner’s business contact and approved traffic plan.
2. Agree terms and a limited pilot before enabling traffic.
3. Create or review the publisher account in OfferDaemon’s Partners area.
4. Check the account’s approval status and access to the intended offer.
5. Generate the link for that specific publisher and offer. Never reuse a different publisher’s link.
6. Test the click and any publisher postback before opening the placement.
7. Give the publisher a support contact and a clear way to request a pause.

The detailed platform steps appear in set up your network. Do not send test invitations to real people without their agreement.

Common mistakes

Approving everyone to fill a dashboard. Each partner needs a traffic review and a working support process.

Leaving payout conditions ambiguous. Explain approval, adjustments and the payment schedule before launch.

Allowing an unreviewed source change. A publisher approved for one placement is not automatically approved for every channel.

Using the same link for multiple publishers. Attribution depends on assigning the right tracking link to the right partner.

Your checklist

• I know the publisher’s identity and proposed placement.
• The advertiser permits this traffic.
• Payout, approval rules and payment timing are written down.
• Account access and tracking link belong to the correct publisher.
• A small pilot, test and support contact are agreed.

Next step

Before promising payment dates, work through plan your budget and payouts.