Save a baseline when a placement is delivered
Record the order reference, publisher, source URL, target URL, anchor, agreed attributes, start date and expiry where applicable. Add the date of your own inspection. Without that baseline, it is difficult to tell whether a later difference is a change or an incomplete original record.
If the supplier reports completion before you can inspect the page, keep both facts. Do not replace the observation with the supplier label or assume a temporary fetch failure proves non-delivery.
Interpret the check before reacting
| Observation | What it establishes | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Page reachable | A page responded to the check | Inspect the actual target link. |
| Target link found | The checker detected a matching link | Review anchor, attributes and context. |
| Link not found | The fetched content did not show the expected match | Check rendering, redirects and the publication URL. |
| Page unreachable | The request failed or returned an error | Retry carefully and inspect the recorded response. |
| Placement expired | The recorded service term ended | Review the next budget and current availability. |
Understand the automated checks in My links
The workspace stores publication details and automated inspection results for eligible completed orders. The current implementation schedules a normal follow-up roughly 24 hours after a successful check and a shorter retry after a failed one. Checks run in bounded batches, so the displayed check time is the evidence to use.
These checks inspect source pages and expected links where that information is available. They do not certify Google indexing, measure search rankings or provide daily human analysis. Browser rendering, blocked requests and missing publication information can limit what an automated fetch establishes.
You can still see publishers for your own purchased links when your credit balance reaches zero. The new-order catalog has a separate positive-balance visibility rule.
Investigate changes with the order attached
Open the saved publication URL, confirm the target and compare the observation with your original record. If the source moved, establish whether the new URL is part of the same placement. If a link changed, record the actual anchor and destination rather than describing the problem only as broken.
For a support request, include the order identifier, source URL, expected target, the check time and a concise description of the discrepancy. Do not place a replacement order just to test whether an uncertain first order succeeded. Resolve its status first.
Use a calm review cadence
Daily review can focus on failures and expiring placements. A broader review can examine source relevance, renewal choices and campaign outcomes. Keep the time window consistent and annotate major website changes.
Publication monitoring and performance measurement answer different questions. A found link does not establish search impact, and a traffic change does not by itself establish that a link disappeared. The ordering guide explains where these records fit into the customer workflow.