When you place an order in Link Laboratory, it's assigned to a publisher who has a set number of days to post your content. If that publisher doesn't respond or post within that window, the order isn't left stuck — Link Laboratory has an automated process to move it forward.
The assigned publisher receives a notification when your order lands in their queue, plus daily reminders as their response deadline approaches.
If the publisher still hasn't posted by the final day, the order is automatically marked as rejected due to the publisher exceeding their time limit — this accounts for the majority of publisher rejections, not just publishers actively declining.
Once that happens, you'll see an alternatives option in your order where you can choose a new publisher site to fulfill the order.
When an order needs a new publisher, you generally have three options:
Pick an alternative site yourself from the list of suggested replacement publishers.
Let the system choose for you — it automatically selects the best-scoring available alternative; if that site's price is different from your original order, the difference is refunded to your HDC balance.
Request a full refund to your HDC balance instead of choosing a replacement.
If you don't take any action, the order resolves on its own automatically after a few days — so an unresponsive publisher won't leave your order stuck indefinitely even if you miss the notification.
HDC stands for Hyperdrive Credits — the credit balance used across Link Laboratory, Press Release distribution, and other Search Atlas services (1 HDC = $1). When an order is refunded, whether due to an unresponsive publisher, a rejected placement, or a quality issue like a broken backlink, the refund is typically issued as HDC back to your account rather than a reversal to your original payment method, and can take a few business days to reflect in your balance.
All payments for Link Laboratory placements are handled through the platform. If a publisher ever contacts you directly demanding separate payment — especially for an order that was rejected, unfulfilled, or involved a publisher who's since been suspended — you don't need to pay them directly. Reach out to support through the chat widget with the details, including any messages from that publisher.
If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.