The key point
GMVLY funds and manages its campaign route; your team keeps its core campaigns. Use the first month to establish a clear scope, resolve setup dependencies and agree how completed sales will be evaluated.
Start with a shared target and clear ownership
Bring your PPC lead and affiliate programme owner into the conversation together. The PPC team understands your Shopping target and existing activity; the affiliate team helps confirm the programme, network access and commercial terms for an additional route.
GMVLY funds and manages the campaigns it runs, including product data processing and ongoing optimisation. Your team continues to fund and manage its core campaigns. Agree who can answer questions about the catalogue, tracking, margins and programme restrictions before work starts.
Your affiliate manager owns programme administration, transaction approvals, declines, return adjustments and commission validation in the affiliate network. GMVLY funds and runs its campaign route and uses the network-reported outcomes to review that activity. The first 30 days here are a planning and review framework, not a guaranteed launch schedule or a Managed CSS trial. Network access, usable product information, account setup and external approvals can affect readiness. Agree actual dates with the team rather than assuming campaigns are live from the day of enquiry.
- Name the PPC, affiliate and catalogue contacts.
- Describe the sales target and contribution the business needs to retain.
- Record your existing campaign scope and any activity the new route should avoid.
Agree what qualifies for commission before activation
Managed CSS uses an agreed CPA or commission on completed sales attributed to GMVLY’s route, without a Managed CSS subscription. Clicks from our campaigns that do not convert are our media cost. Your commission and order-fulfilment costs still need to fit your margins.
Confirm a suitable affiliate programme and network route. The existing managed setup uses network product feeds and network-reported sales; do not assume a direct integration for a retailer without an affiliate programme is available.
Agree the campaign’s products and markets, attribution rules, commission basis, exclusions and treatment of returns and cancellations. Resolve any programme permissions or restrictions before activation. If you also choose Self serve CSS for your own campaigns, its subscription is a separate service and charge.
- Confirm programme access and whether the proposed Shopping activity is permitted.
- Agree the managed commission rate; your affiliate manager confirms qualifying sales and operates the programme’s validation process.
- Identify product, brand, market or promotional restrictions.
Make the catalogue ready for the agreed route
GMVLY’s platform processes affiliate-network product feeds and exports eligible product information to its advertising channels. A feed being available does not mean every item will be accepted or immediately advertised: product information, account readiness and Google’s requirements still matter.
Your catalogue owner should check that product titles, identifiers, images, links, prices and availability reflect the retailer’s current offer. Flag restricted products, seasonal lines and stock concerns. GMVLY handles processing for its route; agree who will correct issues that originate in the retailer’s source data.
Adding a managed route is different from switching your own Merchant Center to Self serve CSS. Do not change your existing CSS connection just because you are discussing managed campaigns alongside it.
- Confirm which network feed contains the agreed products and markets.
- Check prices and availability against the product pages.
- Agree how source-data corrections and catalogue changes will be communicated.
Check tracking and launch readiness together
The managed platform tracks product clicks and matches network-reported sales using the relevant network click reference. That makes the network route and its tracking behaviour important dependencies, rather than administrative details to leave until after launch.
Before activation, discuss how the team will validate product destinations, tracking references and the availability of transaction information. Agree who can investigate discrepancies and what evidence is needed. A feed export or completed account setup alone does not prove that ads are serving or that end-to-end sales tracking is correct.
Confirm the actual launch date and the products and markets that are ready. Keep a record of any phased start or unresolved issue so the review uses the right period.
- Agree the tracking checks and the person responsible for each one.
- Confirm which scope is ready to activate and which dependencies remain.
- Record the actual start of campaign activity for the review baseline.
Use early activity to learn, then let orders mature
Once activity starts, GMVLY reviews its campaign activity. Your affiliate manager supplies or confirms the programme’s validated transaction outcomes through the network. Separate attributed order volume and value from approved sales, pending transactions and declines. Network reporting and validation delays mean an early total may change later.
Discuss whether the products being promoted fit the agreed scope and whether the sales economics support your target. Log promotions, price changes, stock issues and major edits to your core campaigns. These affect how much can reasonably be inferred from early performance.
At the first-month review, decide what to continue, adjust or investigate. Do not treat attributed sales or a simple before-and-after uplift as proof of incrementality. If that is the question you need answered, agree an appropriate measurement design and data access separately. A short or low-volume period may not support a reliable conclusion.
- Review the active scope, actual trading period and any setup issues.
- Distinguish pending orders from completed, approved sales and reversals.
- Evaluate commission against contribution using consistent margin assumptions.
- Agree the next review date and who will address each open question.
Plan a managed route around your Shopping target
Bring your catalogue, affiliate programme and current campaign setup. We will discuss the commercial fit, responsibilities and what needs to be ready before activation.
Discuss your Shopping targets →