What's a checklist for?
Most troublesome startup issues don’t require complex analytics. An incorrect GEO, a lost SubID, an old link, or an inconsistent ad format can be caught before the first paid click.
Conditions
- Selected model: CPA, RevShare or Hybrid
- A rate or formula is fixed.
- KPI, hold and cap, if applicable.
- I understand the billing period.
- Traffic source agreed.
GEO and the user path
- The campaign is divided by country.
- Creativity is localized.
- Landing is checked in the right language.
- The mobile version has been tested on a real device.
- External transitions are opened correctly.
Analytics.
- UTM parameters have a clear structure.
- SubIDs are not used chaoticly.
- A test click is made.
- The necessary parameters reached the partner system.
- Postback tested by a test event.
Creative.
- The rules of the site have been checked.
- There are no promises of guaranteed results.
- At least two different hypotheses have been prepared, not two repaintings.
- It is clear which metric will determine the winner.
- The date and version of the launch are recorded.
Post-launch control
You don’t have to change your campaign every five minutes. First, make sure the data is collected correctly. Then draw a volume sufficient for at least a directional output. If the technical part does not work, the statistics for optimization are useless.
What to send to the manager
A short message is more effective than a long correspondence: source, GEO, volume, model, link to the site and questions on terms. On the page. trafficker This brief is assembled in a compact form.
Add responsibility for each block.
If a campaign is run by a team, the checklist should contain not only the item, but also the owner: who checks the link, who confirms the creative, who is responsible for the postback and who watches the first events. Otherwise, everyone is sure that someone else checked.
Do "dry run"
Follow the path of a test user with a test link and record screen recording. Such a run simultaneously checks the redirects, mobile version, tags and understandability of the path. The video can be attached to the task if there is a problem.
Plan for the first 24 hours
Determine in advance what is considered a technical accident and what is normal noise. For example, the absence of all events in the presence of clicks is a reason to stop and check the integration. The fluctuation of CR on multiple registrations is not a reason to change the campaign.
Launch archive
Save the final links, creative list, agreed terms and date. If the numbers change after a month, you will have a point from which to compare the current configuration.
Version the terms.
If the manager changed the rate, cap, or link the day before launch, update the launch note and version number. Otherwise, a part of the team can use the old data. This is especially true when several campaigns are being prepared in parallel.
Planning stoppage
Before the first click, determine the stop-conditions: technical error, loss of labels, unacceptable source, cost above the threshold. It helps not to continue the campaign “just a little bit” when the reason is already clear.
Post-launch audit
After 24-48 hours, repeat the short checklist on actual traffic. A test click doesn’t always show scale issues, and real-world devices and placements can open up new scenarios.
