Page Scan: Validate All Affiliate Links on a Page
Validate every outbound link on a page in one go: broken links, blocked links, zombie content, attribution leaks, and affiliate program detection. Use URL or pasted HTML.
Validate Links lets you test link redirection across single links, email scans, and full-page scans. This guide explains what the Page Scan feature does, why scanning an entire page matters for affiliate publishers, what we check (and what we don't), and how to interpret the results. Use it to keep your affiliate pages healthy and your attribution path intact.
Last updated: February 20, 2026.
What is Page Scan?#
Page Scan (also called page analysis or validate page) analyzes a full web page and validates every outbound link on it. You provide either:
- A page URL — We fetch the page, extract all links, and validate each external link (redirect chain, final destination, tracking detection).
- Pasted HTML — You open the page in your browser (e.g. at work or on a site that blocks our crawler), copy the page source or use a bookmarklet, and paste the HTML. We parse it and validate the same way, without ever requesting the page from our servers.
Pasted HTML is processed in your browser and the page itself is never requested from our servers—useful for staging pages, logged-in views, or sites that block crawlers.
After the scan, you get a report that summarizes:
- How many links were found (internal vs external).
- Which links are broken, blocked, or zombie (dead content).
- Which links use which affiliate program and sub-network (aggregator).
- Whether any tracked links lost parameters in the redirect chain (attribution leaks).
- Whether any same-site links (e.g. your subdomains) redirect to partners — so you can see "our subdomain sent users to an advertiser."
You can then fix broken or leaking links, remove dead product links, and confirm that affiliate links are going through the correct tracking path.
Why run a Page Scan on affiliate pages?#
Affiliate pages often contain dozens or hundreds of links: product grids, "best of" lists, comparison tables, and in-content recommendations. A single broken or misconfigured link can:
- Send users to a 404 or error page — Lost click, no conversion, poor experience.
- Bypass the tracking server — Click never reaches the network; no attribution, no payout.
- Drop tracking parameters in the redirect chain — Conversion may not attribute back to you (attribution leak).
- Land on "dead" content — Page returns 200 but shows "Out of Stock" or "Page Not Found" (zombie), so the link is effectively useless.
Checking one link at a time doesn't scale. Page Scan gives you one report for the whole page: you see at a glance which links are broken, which are blocked (e.g. 403 or timeout), which lost params, and which programs and aggregators are in play. That visibility is essential for:
- Publishing at scale — Fix issues before they affect conversions.
- Auditing partner integrations — Confirm every affiliate link on the page goes through the intended program/aggregator.
- Reducing support and refunds — Fewer broken or misleading links means fewer frustrated users and chargebacks.
- Protecting payouts — Catch attribution leaks and direct links before they cost you commissions.
- Multi-region and geo-aware pages — Vendor redirects often use Geo-IP targeting (e.g. regional store, local currency). Page Scan shows the full chain per link so you can verify that geo-routing and tracking params are preserved for each destination.
What does Page Scan check? (Without giving away how)#
We focus on outcomes and signals that matter for affiliate performance. Here's what the report reflects; we don't disclose exact algorithms or thresholds.
| What we check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Link health | We follow each external link and classify the outcome: broken (server says 4xx/5xx — resource missing or error), blocked (we couldn't complete the request — e.g. 403, timeout, or non-standard block), or ok / no redirect. You see which links work and which don't. |
| Redirect chains | We follow redirects hop-by-hop and show the full path. You can confirm the link goes through your intended program and aggregator and lands on the correct advertiser. |
| Program and sub-network detection | Each hop is labeled with the detected affiliate program (primary network) and, when present, the sub-network (aggregator). You verify "this link uses PartnerStack" or "this goes through Skimlinks" without guessing. |
| Parameter persistence | We detect when tracking or query parameters are dropped or altered before the final URL. Those links are flagged as attribution leaks — they may not convert correctly. |
| Zombie content | Some URLs return HTTP 200 but the page says "Out of Stock", "404", or "Page Not Found". We flag these so you can remove or replace dead product links. |
| Same-site subdomains | Links to your own subdomains (e.g. account.yoursite.com from www.yoursite.com) are validated like any external link. We indicate when a same-site link's redirect chain goes through a program/aggregator, so you can see "our subdomain is sending traffic to a partner." |
We do not validate internal links (same host as the page) beyond counting them; we focus on external and same-registrable-domain links that can affect affiliate attribution and payouts.
Affiliate link types and what Page Scan shows#
Page Scan groups results so you can act quickly:
- Affiliate links — Links where we detect a known program or sub-network (aggregator) in the redirect chain. These are your paid tracking links; the report shows program/aggregator labels and counts so you can confirm every affiliate link on the page uses the right network.
- External links — All other outbound links (social, direct merchant, resources). Shown separately and sorted by status (e.g. ok first, then no redirect, broken, zombie) so you can fix or remove problem links without wading through the full list.
This affiliate vs. external split helps content and performance teams focus: fix affiliate links first for payout safety, then clean up the rest for UX.
FAQ: Affiliate links on your page#
What does "blocked" mean vs "broken"?#
- Blocked — We could not complete the request to that URL (e.g. 400 or 403 from the server, timeout, or a non-standard block like some sites return). Many social and share URLs (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn) return 400 or 403 to automated requests while the same link works in a browser. Treat these as "could not verify" rather than "link is wrong."
- Broken — The server responded with a clear error: 4xx other than 400/403 (e.g. 404 Not Found) or 5xx. The resource is missing or the server failed. These links need to be fixed or removed.
What are zombie links?#
A zombie link returns HTTP 200 (success) but the page content indicates the offer or product is dead — e.g. "Out of Stock", "404", "Page Not Found". Users think the link works but get no value; you get no conversion. Page Scan flags these so you can update or remove them.
Why would I paste HTML instead of entering the URL?#
Some sites (e.g. strict paywalled or bot-blocked pages) block our crawler. If you paste HTML, we never request the page from our servers: you load it in your browser (where you're already allowed), then paste the page source or use a bookmarklet. We parse that HTML and validate every link the same way. Result is the same; we just avoid the block.
What is "same-site redirected"?#
When a link points to your own subdomain (e.g. account.yoursite.com from www.yoursite.com) and that URL redirects through an affiliate program or aggregator to an advertiser, we count that as same-site redirected. It helps you see when "our" subdomain is effectively sending traffic to a partner — useful for auditing and consistency.
What are attribution leaks?#
Attribution leaks are links where we detected that tracking or query parameters were lost somewhere in the redirect chain. When params are dropped, the network or advertiser may not be able to attribute the conversion back to you, so payouts can fail. The report lists these links so you can fix or replace them. A common root cause is double redirection—stacked tracking hops that overwrite or strip params. See Most Common Conversion Loss: Double Redirections.
Does Page Scan work for global or geo-targeted pages?#
Yes. Validation follows the redirect chain regardless of geography. Many advertisers use Geo-IP or regional routing (e.g. sending users to a local store or currency). Page Scan shows each hop and final destination so you can confirm that geo-routing and tracking parameters are preserved. Use the report to audit pages that serve multiple regions.
Does Page Scan change or fix my page?#
No. Page Scan only reads the page (or the HTML you paste) and validates each external link. We do not modify your site, inject code, or alter links. The report is for your use to fix issues yourself.
How many links can be on a page?#
We analyze all links we find on the page. Very large pages (hundreds of unique external links) may take longer; we validate external links with controlled concurrency. Internal links are counted but not followed.
Summary#
- Page Scan validates every external link on a single page — either by URL (we fetch) or by pasted HTML (we parse). You get one report with counts and detailed results.
- Why it matters: Affiliate pages have many links; broken, blocked, leaking, or zombie links hurt conversions and payouts. A full-page report lets you find and fix issues at scale.
- What we check: Link health (broken vs blocked vs ok), full redirect chains, program and sub-network detection, parameter persistence (attribution leaks), zombie content, and same-site subdomain behavior — without exposing how we do it.
- Affiliate link types are called out so you can verify every tracking link uses the correct program/aggregator; other external links are grouped by status for quick cleanup.
- Use the report to fix broken links, resolve attribution leaks, remove zombie links, and confirm every affiliate link uses the correct tracking path. For why the full redirect chain and parameter persistence matter, see Affiliate Links and Why Validation Matters. For technical details on how we trace redirects and interpret status codes, see Link Validation Details.