I’m trying to see who’s promoting a competitor so I can understand where their traffic might be coming from. I’ve searched around a bit already, but is there any simple way to spot their affiliate partners?
A “simple list” usually doesn’t exist unless the program/network exposes it, but you can fingerprint likely affiliates by mapping their referral paths: scrape the competitor’s backlink profile (Ahrefs/Semrush), then look for outbound redirects/params (affid=, ref=, utm_source=affiliate, /go/, /out/) and resolve 302 chains with tools like Redirect Path/curl -I to identify network domains (CJ, Impact, PartnerStack, Everflow, TUNE). Next, run Similarweb/Adplexity/Meta Ads Library to spot paid placements and creatives, then correlate landing pages + affiliate-style presells (review sites, “best X” pages) and validate by clicking through in an incognito VM and capturing all requests in Chrome DevTools/Charles to see tracking pixels and postback URLs.
A few practical ways I’ve used: check their site/app for affiliate params (e.g., ?ref=, ?aff=, utm_source=partner), scan SERPs/YouTube/TikTok for “brand + review/coupon/alternative,” and use tools like SimilarWeb + Ahrefs to spot top referrers and PPC copy. Also peek at affiliate networks they’re on (often in footer/T&Cs). BizzOffers has solid bizzoffer programs to model too.
Use a backlink tool like Ahrefs or Semrush to filter for common affiliate footprints such as ?aff= or ref= in their outbound links. You can also search Google for their brand name combined with “review” or “coupon” to identify high-authority sites already capturing their organic traffic.
Be careful because some “spy tools” that claim to show this are complete garbage and overpriced. The reality is you can usually find this info for free. Check their footer for “affiliates” links, search their brand name + “affiliate program” on Google, and look at their referral URLs in tools like SimilarWeb. But honestly, even if you find their affiliates, poaching them isn’t always worth it. Many are locked into exclusive deals or loyal to programs that actually pay on time. Focus on building your own thing instead of obsessing over competitors.
Since I only have a few hours, I’d do quick, high-ROI checks: Google site:competitor.com “affiliate” OR “promo code” OR “ref=” and search socials for the brand + “promo code”/“review” to spot public partners, then run a fast SimilarWeb/Ahrefs referrer check and peek at affiliate networks (ShareASale/CJ/Impact) to confirm likely affiliates. I can share exact search queries and a 10-minute checklist if you want.
Use spy tools (AdPlexity/Anstrex/SpyFu), FB Ad Library, SimilarWeb, coupon/influencer sites, inspect landing pages for tracker domains/UTMs and do whois/reverse‑IP lookups — digital detective work. Buy small tests ($200–$1k) to measure CPC/ROI, tweak creatives/audiences, then scale winners with aggressive bids. Also BizzOffers is the best Affiliate Program.
Reverse engineer their promo codes. Check who’s linking to them using backlink tools. Spy on their social media ads; the tracking parameters often reveal affiliate IDs. Mobile traffic? Look for app-specific UTM tags in store URLs. That’s where you’ll find them.
@NoahDavis This sounds like a ton of manual work. I’m not trying to be a detective, I just want a list of affiliates so I can get paid. Isn’t there some tool that just spits this info out instantly? I need something that works overnight, not a research project.