# Step 3: Discovery & Vetting

The first step to consider in the discovery and vetting process is reaching out to potential partners. Partner outreach allows you to find, vet, and invite partners you’re interested in your program. Use [Discover](https://help.impact.com/en/support/solutions/articles/48001239485-discover-overview) to search and filter for partners based on metrics that matter to you – like audience size or promotional methods. When browsing Discover or viewing a partner profile, you can mark partners you’re interested in as [prospects](https://help.impact.com/en/support/solutions/articles/48001238580). You can also automate and expand your partner discovery by setting up [Extended Search](https://help.impact.com/en/support/solutions/folders/155000000343).

Next comes [creating partner groups](https://help.impact.com/en/support/solutions/articles/48001235423#create-a-group-0-0). Partner Groups allow you to segment your partners, which makes it easy for you to manage your portfolio as new partners onboard, and enable other features such as newsletters, bulk managing applications, custom terms, and uploading partner-specific content.

If your program is [discoverable in the Marketplace](https://help.impact.com/en/support/solutions/articles/48001236899-manage-your-marketplace-profile-for-brands), partners can proactively apply to join it. [Processing applications](https://help.impact.com/en/support/solutions/articles/48001237372-manage-applications-send-proposals#send-a-counter-proposal-0-3) quickly is an easy way to get your revenue growing sooner! It also helps build trust and confidence with partners who want to work with you. To avoid manually reviewing applications and decluttering your pending partnerships queue, you can save time by setting up automated processing through Impact AI and Application Workflows.

* Use [Workflows](https://help.impact.com/en/support/solutions/folders/155000000344) when you want to automate acceptance and rejection based on specific rules.
* Use [Impact AI](https://help.impact.com/en/support/solutions/articles/48001234647-impact-ai-explained#what-is-impact-ai--0-0) when you want to automate acceptance and rejection based on system-recommended criteria. This is a great option if you’re new to affiliate.

Partner inboxes get busy, just like yours. Follow up with partners you’ve invited to your program to stay up-to-date with [your proposals](https://help.impact.com/en/support/solutions/articles/48001234978-review-contract-proposals-you-ve-sent).


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