Most affiliates lose money chasing offers that look good but pay badly. Here's the exact filter I use before adding any offer to my rotation:

1. Is it recurring?

One-time products cap your upside. A $50/mo subscription that retains for 6 months beats a $300 one-time sale on lifetime value.

2. Does it have a trial?

Offers with a short, low-friction trial (1-3 days) convert at checkout dramatically better than "pay full price up front" offers — and most affiliate programs still credit you for the conversion.

3. Are the commission terms explicit?

If a program can't tell you their exact commission %, cookie duration, and payout schedule in one sentence, that's a red flag. Vague terms usually mean irregular payouts.

Run any offer through these 3 filters before you spend a single hour promoting it. It's saved me from dozens of dead-end partnerships.

If you want the full system — commission maps, checkout/trial setup, and pricing page wireframes — I broke it all down in a playbook. Worth a look if you're serious about building a real affiliate stack instead of one-off promos.