Runbook
Link acceptance check: a runbook for ordered links
A link is delivered when it meets the scope you wrote, not when a status flips. This runbook turns that sentence into twelve minutes of work per order.
The routine, in order
- 1
Find the order
Open ordered links in your account and note the status. Placements usually go live within about 24 hours of payment.
- 2
Open the live page
Use a private window so your own cookies change nothing. Record the URL exactly as it appears.
- 3
Find the link
It should be one link to your target page, carrying the keyword you chose. Copy the anchor text.
- 4
Read the page around it
Does the paragraph make sense? Is the article on topic for the site's niche?
- 5
Inspect the link
View source or use developer tools. Confirm it is dofollow and not hidden.
- 6
Capture evidence
Take a dated screenshot and save the URL in your sheet next to price and order ID.
Do the check twice. The first pass is the day the order shows live, and the second is about two weeks later. Placements are meant to be permanent, so the second look catches the odd page that was removed or edited.
Read the article. It is written automatically, and it will follow your target URL and keyword, or your own prompt if you used one, but it is still a generated text that you are putting your name behind. If you supplied a finished article instead, compare the published version against your file.
Keep the log boring. One row per link, the same columns every time, because boring logs survive audits.
The log, with one invented row
| Order ID | Live URL | Anchor | Price | Date live | Dofollow | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EX-001 | example-site.test/post | your keyword | $12 | 2026-11-03 | Yes | Accepted |
| EX-002 | example-blog.test/guide | your keyword | $25 | 2026-11-03 | No | Query raised |
What each check protects you from
Wrong target
A link to the home page instead of the product page wastes the whole order. Catch it on day one.
Wrong attribute
A nofollow link is not what a dofollow order described. Source view settles it in ten seconds.
Drift
Pages get edited. The second check, about two weeks later, shows whether the link is still there.
Who signs what
Decide the roles before the first order. The buyer runs the check, a second person reads the log, and the budget owner sees only the summary.
This separation is dull but valuable. When a client asks later whether anyone looked at the placements, you can name the date and the person.
Store the log where the whole team can reach it, next to the invoice and the vendor scorecard that justified the purchase. If your agency also reports to the client, feed the same rows into the monthly layout.
Reasons to raise a query
- The page does not contain your link
- The link points somewhere other than the target URL
- The anchor differs from the keyword in the order
- The link is marked nofollow
- The article is unreadable or off topic
- The site is not the one you picked in the basket
Raising it
Go through your account page, quote the order, attach the screenshot and say which scope line was missed. A specific query is solved faster than a general complaint.
We do not publish refund or replacement terms on this page, so ask for the current position in writing with the query, and file the answer with the order.
Once an order is accepted, move to reporting. The client report page shows how to present the log without overselling.