Can Resell Traffic Be Useful?
Let’s not demonize the whole concept of resell traffic. Reselling isn’t inherently bad, if it’s done transparently.
If an advertising network clearly states where the traffic comes from, lets you see domains, and maintains quality control - great! It can even open access to volumes you wouldn’t reach otherwise.
But when there’s zero visibility and no answers about where the traffic comes from - that’s a major red flag. So, why gamble?
 

How to Protect Yourself?
You can’t rely on promises of the traffic being “direct” or “own.” But if you're dealing with any traffic that isn't direct, you need to verify it before trusting. Here’s how:

• Have a dedicated media buying team that maintains good relationships with publishers.
  This allows you to try and get an honest answer (or even see the domains) before they appear in your stats or platform.
• Or check those domains one by one, without having to go through the debris of redirects and clutter.

How responsible are they when it comes to advertising on their site?
Do they throw everything and everyone on it?
Or do you just see a few popunder traffic ads and banners, while still being able to browse the content without constant interruptions?

Have a dedicated monitoring team that can:

• Manually verify domain ownership and legitimacy
• Check the website’s metrics, traffic history, and even its date of establishment
• Confirm whether the domain really belongs to the claimed publisher
   

Scan traffic sources using tools like GeoEdge or AdsExplorer to identify:

• Whether the domain has been flagged or blacklisted by other platforms (yes, even Avast and Norton count)
• Whether it’s associated with malicious activity, cloaking, or aggressive redirects 

Cross-reference domain data with campaign performance.
If something looks too good (or too bad) to be true, dig deeper.
Have a couple of offers inside your ad network that you can use to test new traffic yourself before offering it to your network users who want to buy traffic.
 

Trust your gut and your data.
When in doubt, pause the source and review thoroughly. It’s better to lose a few impressions than burn your entire budget.
Track bounce rates and time on site.
If users are vanishing faster than you can say “ROI”, it’s not good traffic.

Split-test resell traffic against direct traffic.
Let the numbers speak for themselves. You’ll often see a very different story from what the network promised.
Especially when it comes to popunder traffic, you’ll want to measure how clean and consistent it actually is before making large-scale decisions.
 

Ask about their supply chain.
If they dodge the question or talk in circles, that’s your answer.
There is nothing to hide (especially domain names) when the traffic is clean.
Can You Trust the Ad Network?
Trust is earned, and in this industry, it’s earned through radical transparency.
Look for networks that:
 

• Show domain lists (even if partial)
  Admit when traffic is resold (or clearly explain quality categories)
• Let you block sources or segments
• Offer custom reports, not just aggregated numbers

And if they claim “all traffic is premium” but can’t show a single source, you know what to do.

Quality or Quantity?
Let’s be honest, volume is tempting. But if it doesn’t convert, what’s the point?
Low-quality traffic drains budgets and skews your data.
Transparent, direct traffic may be smaller in volume, but it gives you control, consistency, and real results.

If your goal is to buy traffic that converts - focus on quality over volume. The same applies to popunder traffic - test, verify, and only then scale.

So, remember, if it smells fishy and feels like déjà vu... it probably is.

🧡