Cloaking implies special scripts run by a web server. When a server receives a request, it identifies whether the request comes from a user or a verifier (moderator or robot). If a script determines a moderator (robot), it will display a White Page (compliant with the platform’s policy) to pass moderation. Regular users will be directed to the Offer Page.

There are two principal methods to determine who clicked on your link

By IP address. In this case, the server identifies bots and moderators by IP addresses. There is a blacklist of IP addresses related to verifiers or unwanted traffic. If the IP address is blacklisted, so the White Page will be shown. Otherwise, the offer page is displayed.

By user-agent value. A database with a blacklist for filtering is attached to the script on the web server. If a user name is blacklisted, so the White Page will be displayed. All other users will see the real offer page. This is an effective method that is easy to set up. Unfortunately, bots are changing their names now to deceive cloaking. Recently, moderators began disguising themselves as regular users to discover fraud.  

The IP identification is considered more efficient because even if a bot/moderator changes its name, the server determines it by the IP address. Actually, it sounds more complicated than it is in reality. As of now, marketers don’t need to launch their own servers, write and configure scripts, search for databases of moderators and bots. There are many specialized services to perform all these tasks. Some services provide double identification: IP address + User agent. Paid services include additional methods of identification and continuous update of IP and User agent databases.