Working with Postback tracking

This article shows you:

• What is postback tracking?
• Why do we need postback tracking?
• How does it work?
• How to set up postback tracking with Routy
  • Extracting the postback URL from Routy
  • What does the Postback URL look like?
  • How to set up the Postback URL on the advertiser platform
  • An example to make it simpler
• Postback Report
• FAQs

What is Postback tracking?

Postback tracking, also called server-to-server tracking, is a method of tracking used to track conversions. This method of tracking involves using the merchant (entity you are promoting) server sending a signal back once a conversion has happened. It is NOT to be confused with pixel tracking, which is a different method of tracking page engagement.

Why do we need postback tracking?

Postback tracking is used by our clients for three different reasons:

• The affiliate program has no backend to access
• The client wishes to be notified about performance of their paid campaigns instantly
• Routy does not support the affiliate program software yet

How does it work?

1. When a user clicks on a link, unique tracking parameters (for e.g.: click id, dynamic variables) will be appended to the product link by the tracking software

2. The merchant server records the tracking parameters

3. Once a conversion happens, the postback URL fires an event back to the tracking software containing those tracking parameters

This way, the tracking software will be able to match the click to the conversion through the tracking parameters.

How to set up postback tracking with Routy

Extracting the Postback URL from Routy

1. To set up a Postback URL in Routy, select the account for which you want to set up the postback and select Actions > Post Back

2. Routy will generate two Postback URLs for you, as shown below

Note: If you do not manage to do any of the steps above, kindly check our FAQs below

What does the Postback URL look like?

Conversion tracking service expects at least one click identification parameter, a Click Id (ClickId) or Routy dynamic variable (DynamicVar), and one conversion event. It does not matter if we pass a click ID or dynamic variable, as long as it matches what the operator expects. In the examples below, we show a signup passed with a dynamic variable, and an FTD with a click ID.

In the Signup postback URL below, you will find a parameter placeholder of dyn={DynamicVar} and signups=1.  The operator is responsible for setting up the affiliate postback URL on their backend using their placeholder format. For example, IncomeAccess use c, and MyAffiliates use payload.

Signup postback URL: https://hooks.routy.app/post-back/4234rrewfdsf14324ea31?dyn={DynamicVar}&signups=1

Our second example is a First Time Deposit postback URL with clickId={ClickId} and earning={amount} placeholders. Just like the signup postback setup, it is in the operator's hand to inform us what the name of the parameter {ClickId} is. In case of a first time deposit event, the operator will inject the affiliate click id, that was originally sent to the operator using the affiliate link and will set the earning of this specific event, if have any.

As mentioned above, the Routy conversion tracking service expects at least one conversion, meaning that the earning parameter is not required.

First time deposit postback URL: https://hooks.routy.app/post-back/4234rrewfdsf14324ea31?clickId={ClickId}&earning={amount}&firsttimedeposits=1

How to set up the Postback URL on the advertiser platform

To set up a postback URL you first need to ensure that the advertiser allows this. Following this a URL will be needed to set up for each conversion, which typically are Signup and FTD URLs.

1. Provide your account manager with your postback URLs generated from Routy (as explained above)
2. Provide your affiliate link/s to the operator so they can test the postback flow and ask the account manager to confirm they are working
3. If they are working, you should see data fairly quickly in the Postback Report

An example to make it simpler

For example, programs on Income Access usually expect a &c=UNIQUE_ID parameter with a dynamic variable. In this case you will provide this postback (for signups, you can create more for other KPIs):

https://hooks.routy.app/post-back/4e330rrew875b4324ea31?dyn={c}&signups=1

We set Routy to pass a &c=ROUTY_ID parameter for all IncomeAccess accounts. What this means is that when a user clicks on a Routy link belonging to an IncomeAccess account, a &c=ROUTY_ID parameter will be attached to them.

So then, all that's needed on your side is to just provide those Routy links to the operator, so they can test that it's working. If it is, your stats will be shown in the reporting section of Routy.

Postback Report

The Postback Report is found under the Crawler section. In addition all conversions will be automatically recorded in your other reports.

 

FAQs

The affiliate program is not available in Routy - what should I do?

If the affiliate program is not available in Routy, kindly set up a ticket here. Please inform us if you'd like to set up postback tracking and also the way they pass information in the Description section. This is critical to ensuring that postback tracking works.

When I press Post Back in the account section I receive an error - what's wrong?

If you receive the above message when trying to get the postback link it means that the program has not been configured for postback tracking. In this case, kindly set up a ticket here and inform us that you'd like to set up postback tracking. In this case please ask your account manager for the parameters required for the postback URL and provide your affiliate links. Once this is done, we'll configure it from our end, and you'll be good to go!

The postbacks are not being recorded - what should I do?

One of the most important checks is to ensure that the query string parameter is being appended to the affiliate link. What this means is that for the postback tracking to work, the operator is expecting a certain parameter when the user lands on their page, for example visit_id={12345}. Not all operators work with the same parameters, so its important to check that your Routy links are being appended by the right parameter for the right operator.

To check this parameter click on one of the affiliate links Routy generated and check what parameters are being appended to the link. If the parameter does not match, kindly set up a ticket here.