Affiliate marketing sounds like a dream, right? Pay-for-performance partnerships, scalable growth, a wider reach—what’s not to love?
But not every affiliate is a good one.
Behind the scenes, there are shady marketers cutting corners, spamming promotions, or worse, using your brand to push deceptive tactics that could land you in legal hot water. One bad affiliate can destroy the trust you’ve built with your customers, sabotage your SEO, and leave your reputation in ruins.
So, how do you stop them before they start?
Whether you’re launching a new affiliate program or cleaning up an existing one, this guide will show you how to spot the red flags early and protect your brand from the inside out.
What Makes an Affiliate “Bad”?
Let’s clear something up: a bad affiliate isn’t just someone who doesn’t generate sales. In fact, many of the most dangerous affiliates are the ones who do drive traffic, just in ways that are unethical, fraudulent, or misleading.
A “bad affiliate” might:
- Use fake leads or click fraud to inflate numbers
- Bid on your branded keywords and hijack your paid search traffic
- Create low-quality, AI-spun content that damages your domain
- Make misleading claims about your product or offer
- Send spammy emails with your name on them
- Cookie-stuff visitors without their knowledge
- Promote your product on sites you wouldn’t want your brand associated with
Even if they bring in some conversions, the long-term risk to your brand, reputation, and trust is massive.
Red Flags to Watch for (Before You Approve Them)
1. They’re Vague About Their Traffic Sources
If a potential affiliate can’t clearly explain how they promote offers, that’s a problem.
If an applicant refuses to tell you where they’ll be promoting your products or doesn’t share links to their content, that’s a major red flag.
What to watch for:
- Missing or hidden traffic sources
- No clear website or social media presence
- Unwillingness to provide references or past campaign examples
What to ask instead:
“Can you show a live example of a campaign you’re currently running for another brand?”
2. Their Website Looks Suspicious or Low Quality
Take 2 minutes to visit their site. Is it filled with broken links, popups, or generic blog posts stuffed with keywords? That’s a red flag.
Things to watch for:
- Overuse of stock photos
- Clickbait-style headlines
- No contact info or real team members
- Auto-generated content
3. They Have a History of Program Hopping
Check how many affiliate programs they’re part of. If they’re promoting everything from crypto wallets to diet pills, it could signal they’re not focused on quality or brand fit.
Tools like SimilarWeb or even a quick look through their blog or social feeds can reveal a lot.
4. They’re Too Focused on Commissions
Of course, affiliates want to earn money. But when their only question is “How much can I earn per click?” or “Can you offer a higher CPA than your competitors?” — it’s a sign they care more about payouts than performance.
You want partners, not mercenaries.
5. Misleading or Spammy Promotions
Affiliate marketing is still your brand, and affiliates who lie, exaggerate, or use shady tactics will make you look bad.
Examples of harmful promotions:
- “Too good to be true” claims (e.g., “Cure cancer in 7 days!”)
- Fake reviews or impersonations
- Misuse of your brand name (e.g., bidding on your trademark in Google Ads)
6. High Refund or Chargeback Rates
Some affiliates use fake credit card info, promote to the wrong audiences, or incentivize “trial abuse,” where users sign up only to get a free gift and cancel immediately.
If you notice:
- A spike in refunds from one affiliate
- Lots of short-term customers from a single traffic source
- Customers complaining about “bait-and-switch” promotions
…it’s time to investigate.
7. They Show Signs of Fraud Early
Once approved, bad affiliates often show their true colors fast. Watch for:
- Sudden spikes in clicks with no sales
- Suspicious IP addresses (from data centers, not real users)
- High bounce rates or low time-on-site
- Duplicate leads or fake email addresses
If something smells off, it probably is.
Tools to Help You Spot & Block Bad Affiliates
You don’t have to do all of this manually. Here are some tools and tactics to keep things clean:
1. Affiliate Vetting Software
Platforms like PartnerStack, Tune, or Impact often have built-in approval filters, so you can require things like:
- Domain verification
- Identity checks
- Niche categories
Visual Idea: Screenshot or chart showing approval workflow in an affiliate platform
2. Click & Conversion Monitoring
Set up detailed UTM tracking and use fraud prevention tools like:
- Voluum
- FraudBlocker
- ClickCease
These help you catch abnormal patterns early, like an affiliate generating 1,000 clicks from one city in 10 minutes.
3. Manual Reviews & Mystery Clicks
Don’t be afraid to test your own links. Go through the customer journey like a real user. If the affiliate landing page is sketchy, misleading, or unrelated to your brand, remove it immediately.
The Real Cost of a Bad Affiliate
Let’s look at how much damage one shady partner can cause.
| Type of Damage | Potential Impact |
| Brand reputation | Bad reviews, refund requests, and complaints |
| SEO penalties | Backlink spam, link farms, and duplicate content |
| Paid search hijacking | Higher CPCs, cannibalized conversions |
| Legal risks | FTC violations, spam complaints, compliance hits |
| Customer trust | Confusion, fake offers, and misleading promises |
Visual Idea: Infographic showing this cost breakdown with icons for each one
How to Build a “Good Affiliate” Culture
The best defense against bad affiliates? Attract and nurture the good ones.
Here’s how:
1. Be Clear About Your Brand Guidelines
Create a one-page sheet that lays out:
- What they can say
- What they can’t say
- Where they’re allowed to promote
- Branding rules (logos, language, compliance)
2. Reward Quality, Not Just Volume
Introduce bonuses for top-performing affiliates who also follow the rules. That builds loyalty and encourages a focus on quality over clickbait.
3. Stay in Touch
Check in with your affiliates. Send updates. Ask for feedback. When affiliates feel connected, they’re less likely to cut corners.
Wrapping It Up: Be Proactive, Not Reactive
Affiliate programs thrive on trust and transparency. The more effort you put into vetting, educating, and monitoring your affiliates, the less likely you are to be blindsided by shady tactics.
It’s tempting to accept every affiliate application, especially when you’re looking to grow fast. But quality beats quantity every time.
At ReferralRocket.io, we help brands grow referral programs that are safe, scalable, and smart. If you’re looking to build a program that attracts the right kind of partners — the kind that helps your brand — we’re here to make it happen.
