Not every 'coupon code' floating around the internet actually works, and some sites exist purely to collect your email address or ad clicks rather than to save you money. There are a few consistent signs that separate a real, working code from a dead one.
First: codes with no expiration date listed anywhere are a warning sign. Real store promotions almost always have a defined window, because retailers need to budget for the discount. A code with zero date info is often an old one a site never bothered to remove.
Second: if a page shows the same code across dozens of unrelated 'deal' sites with the exact same wording, that's usually a syndicated code being passed around, not verified. Verified codes tend to have small variations in how each site tested and describes them.
Third: watch for sites that require you to 'reveal' a code by giving an email or completing a survey before showing anything. A code that's genuinely valid doesn't need that friction, it's just text. That pattern usually means the site profits from your information, not from you actually saving money.
At FitsAbroad, every code gets tested by an actual person before it's published, and we recheck listings on a schedule instead of letting them sit indefinitely. If a code stops working, we pull it rather than leave it up for the traffic.