Creator Selection
How to review creator applications and approve the right partners — for Link (CPC), Video, and Shorts (CPM) campaigns.
Overview
Creators discover your campaign and apply. You decide which applications to approve. The application review process is the same for Link, Video, and Shorts campaigns — what changes after approval depends on the campaign type. This page covers the full recruitment workflow without duplicating campaign setup or pricing.
Your campaign must be active before creators can apply. For budget and spend rules, see Budget & Pricing.
Application workflow
What happens next depends on campaign type
Link (CPC)
The approved creator gets a personal tracking link and shares it on their channels. Validated clicks appear in Analytics and drive spend — no video submission or review step.
Video / Shorts (CPM)
The approved creator submits a YouTube URL for your review. Once the video is approved, validated views drive spend.
Where to Review Applications
All application decisions happen from your advertiser dashboard:
Open your campaign
From the advertiser dashboard, open an active campaign. Use the Applications area to switch between pending and approved creators.
Inspect each profile
Select a pending application to view the creator profile, trust signals, channel insights (when YouTube is connected), optional AI match summary, and their application message.
Approve or reject
Approve creators who fit your brief. Reject those who do not — the decision is recorded immediately.
Link campaigns — monitor traffic
After approval, creators share their tracking link. Follow validated clicks and spend from Analytics — there is no separate content review step.
Video / Shorts — review submissions
After approval, creators submit YouTube URLs. Review submissions from Video Reviews in your advertiser menu before view tracking begins.
What to Review Before Approving
Use these signals to decide whether a creator is a good fit — not just whether a field is filled in:
Trust Score
Reflects recent validation quality and fraud signals on Wayo Ads. Higher scores generally mean more reliable traffic history.
Creator tier
Bronze, Silver, or Gold badge on the profile. Tiers reflect trust level and are visible when you review applications.
Connected YouTube
Essential context for Video/Shorts (richer stats and verification). For Link campaigns, YouTube is optional — creators can promote your tracking link anywhere — but a connected channel still helps you assess audience fit.
Audience quality
Does the channel niche, language, and audience fit your product and geographic targeting?
Previous performance
When available, past Wayo Ads activity helps you spot creators with a strong track record on similar campaigns.
AI Match Score
When shown, a summary of audience fit, content quality, consistency, and brand safety — use it as guidance, not the only factor.
Application message
Shows whether the creator read your brief. For Link campaigns, look for how they plan to drive traffic; for Video/Shorts, their proposed content angle.
Approve or Reject
Each pending application needs a decision:
The creator is notified and can access campaign assets. Link creators receive a personal tracking link and can start driving traffic immediately. Video/Shorts creators can submit content for your review.
The application is closed for that creator on this campaign. They are not paid and cannot re-apply to the same campaign.
After Approval
Approval unlocks the creator side of the campaign. Here is what changes for you as the advertiser:
What changes for you
- The creator receives a notification.
- They can access campaign assets and instructions.
- Link creators share their tracking link; Video/Shorts creators submit a YouTube URL.
- Performance becomes visible in Analytics as clicks or views validate.
- Your campaign budget is consumed only after validated clicks (Link) or views (Video/Shorts) — not at approval time.
By campaign type
| Type | Creator next step | Your role |
|---|---|---|
| Link | Share their personal tracking link | Monitor validated clicks in Analytics |
| Video / Shorts | Submit a YouTube URL for review | Approve or reject the video in Video Reviews |
Link Campaigns
Link campaigns are the fastest path from approval to performance. There is no video submission step — your main job after approving creators is to monitor validated traffic:
- Each approved creator gets a unique tracking link tied to your landing page.
- Creators promote the link on their channels, posts, or communities.
- Validated clicks appear in Analytics with creator-level breakdowns.
- Spend is driven by validated clicks (CPC) — budget is not consumed at approval.
- Use Trust Score and past performance to assess click quality before approving.
Video Reviews
For Video and Shorts campaigns, approving an application is not the final step. Creators must submit their YouTube content for review:
- Open Video Reviews from your advertiser dashboard.
- Approve a submission to start view tracking and eligible payouts.
- Reject with a reason if the video does not meet the brief — that submission will not bill.
- Approved videos continue syncing validated views according to campaign rules.
Creators Directory
The Creators page in your advertiser dashboard lists every creator approved on at least one of your campaigns.
- Search by creator name or campaign.
- See which campaigns each creator joined and when they were approved.
- Useful for finding proven partners when launching a new campaign.
Messaging
You can message creators with pending or approved applications to clarify the brief, timing, or creative direction. For how chat works, see Messaging.
Best Practices
Why Are Applications Low?
If few creators apply, common causes include:
- CPC (Link) or CPM (Video/Shorts) below what creators expect for the niche
- Geographic targeting that is too narrow
- Very specific niche or product category
- Campaign ending soon — less time to discover and apply
- Incomplete or unclear campaign description
- Campaign paused or not yet active
Applications may stop being accepted when a campaign is close to exhausting its remaining budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to approve every creator who applies?
No. You choose which applications to approve. Only approved creators can promote your campaign and generate paid clicks or views.
Can creators apply more than once to the same campaign?
No. Each creator can submit one application per campaign. If you reject an application, that creator cannot apply again to the same campaign.
Can I approve creators later?
Yes. Pending applications stay in your queue until you approve or reject them. Review them when you are ready — but sooner is better for creator experience.
What happens if I reject a creator by mistake?
Rejection is final for that creator on that campaign — there is no undo button. Double-check profiles before rejecting. You can still message the creator about future campaigns if they reach out elsewhere.
Can I stop a creator after approval?
You cannot revoke an approved application in the dashboard. For Video/Shorts, you can reject video submissions. For Link campaigns, pause or cancel the campaign to stop new paid clicks, or message the creator directly.
How do Link campaigns work after I approve a creator?
The creator receives a personal tracking link and can start promoting your landing page immediately. Validated clicks appear in Analytics and drive CPC spend. There is no video submission or Video Reviews step.
What is the difference between approving an application and approving a video?
Application approval lets the creator join the campaign. Video approval (Video/Shorts only) validates their submitted YouTube content before view tracking and billing begin for that video.
What does Trust Score mean for me as a brand?
It helps you assess traffic quality risk. It does not change the CPC/CPM you set — it reflects how reliably a creator's views or clicks validate over time.
When do applications stop?
When the campaign is no longer active, paused, past its end date, or close to exhausting its remaining budget. Applications may stop being accepted before the budget is fully spent.