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Paid media operations guide

The campaign URL checklist to run before launch—and keep running afterward

Campaign link QA should prove the exact paid URL works before launch, document who owns the response, and continue after launch because websites and redirects can change while the campaign remains active.

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Campaign URL quality assurance
  1. Before launchOpen exact URL · follow redirects
  2. Before launchConfirm destination · compare UTMs
  3. After launchMonitor exact paid path
  4. After launchConfirm incidents · verify recovery

QA is a lifecycle, not a checkbox.

Before launch

Test the exact URL that will receive paid traffic

Copy the final campaign URL from the working campaign setup rather than testing only the homepage or a clean destination.

  • Confirm HTTPS and the intended hostname
  • Follow every redirect to the final destination
  • Verify the page works on mobile
  • Confirm required UTM keys survive
  • Record the client, campaign, owner, and launch date
Campaign URL quality assurance
  1. Before launchOpen exact URL · follow redirects
  2. Before launchConfirm destination · compare UTMs
  3. After launchMonitor exact paid path
  4. After launchConfirm incidents · verify recovery

QA is a lifecycle, not a checkbox.

After launch

A passed checklist expires as soon as the website changes

Repeat checks on a schedule, confirm failures before escalating, record the incident window, and verify recovery after the client or web team makes a fix.

  • Monitor on a defined interval
  • Send the alert to a named owner
  • Pause spend when the evidence warrants it
  • Tell the client what failed and when
  • Run a recovery check before resuming

Example handoff

Make ownership explicit before the first click

For a fictional Spring Offer campaign, the paid-media owner records the exact tracked URL, the client's web contact, the internal responder, and the decision path for pausing spend. That preparation removes ambiguity when an alert arrives.

Clear answers

Questions agencies ask

Should I test the clean landing page or campaign URL?

Test the exact campaign URL, including tracking parameters and redirects, because that is the path a paid click will use.

Is pre-launch QA enough?

No. It proves the URL worked at that moment; it does not protect against later deployments, redirect edits, or server failures.

Who should own a campaign link alert?

Assign a named media or account owner who can verify the evidence, decide whether to pause spend, and contact the client or web team.

Build the full safeguard

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