Today, we're excited to announce Brand Bidder Detection, a new feature that automatically identifies when affiliates are bidding on your brand name and earning commissions for customers who were already buying from you.
The Hidden Cost of Brand Bidding
Here's how the scam CAN work: An affiliate sets up Google Ads targeting your exact brand name.
When potential customers search for "YourSaaS," they see the affiliate's ad instead of your organic listing. They click through the affiliate link and purchase - just like they were planning to anyway.
The result? You pay 30% commission for a customer who was already yours.
Let's put this in perspective.
If a customer finds you through brand bidding and signs up for a $99/month plan, you're paying $30/month in commission - $360 per year - for zero added value.
The affiliate didn't create a review, produce educational content, or bring you a new customer.
They simply intercepted someone who was already ready to buy.
Why Most SaaS Companies Miss This
The problem with traditional affiliate tracking is that it focuses on attribution, not acquisition source.
Your dashboard shows conversions and commission payouts, but it doesn't reveal whether those customers came from genuine marketing efforts or paid search hijacking.
Most affiliate platforms treat all conversions equally, whether they came from a thoughtful YouTube review or a brand name Google ad.
This blind spot has cost our users thousands in unnecessary commissions - until now.
How Brand Bidder Detection Works
Brand Bidder Detection automatically analyzes the traffic source of every affiliate conversion.
When someone arrives at your site through a paid ad and converts via an affiliate link, our system immediately flags it with a clear alert:
"⚠️ Possible fraud detected: Referral visitor comes from an ad"
You'll see exactly:
- Which affiliate is potentially brand bidding
- Which conversions are suspicious
- Evidence to investigate terms of service violations
- Clear data to make informed decisions about your affiliate relationships
The feature runs silently in the background, monitoring every conversion without slowing down your tracking or requiring any changes to your setup.
To confirm: just because a conversion came from a paid ad, it does NOT mean that it was from brand bidding.
But, with this warning, you can investigate the traffic source, talk to the affiliate, and confirm everything is in line with your terms and conditions.
Built for Modern SaaS Programs
This feature reflects our core mission: building affiliate software specifically for SaaS companies.
Brand Bidder Detection ensures you're only paying commissions for affiliates who actually drive new customer acquisition and add genuine value to your business.
Getting Started
Brand Bidder Detection is now available to all Endorsely users at no additional cost. The feature automatically activates when you set up your affiliate tracking - no configuration required.
You'll find fraud alerts in your main dashboard, clearly marked with warning icons next to potentially suspicious conversions. Each alert includes the information you need to investigate and take appropriate action.
Ready to see what's really happening in your affiliate program? Brand Bidder Detection is available now for all Endorsely users.
