When you create an offer, we recommend testing it before you launch to make sure clicks and conversions are tracked correctly. Testing the full flow from an affiliate's point of view is the best way to catch tracking-script or configuration issues early.
Before you can test, the offer's tracking must be implemented. For setup instructions, open the offer and go to the Integrations tab, or see the Integrations collection for guides on specific integration types.
Before you start: set the offer to Private
We recommend using Private visibility while you test. Trackdesk supports three visibility options:
Public – the offer is visible to all of your affiliates.
Private – the offer is visible only to the affiliates you assign to it. This keeps a test offer hidden from your wider affiliate base.
Apply to run – affiliates can see the offer but must be granted access before they can promote it.
Private is ideal for testing because nothing is exposed to your affiliates while you work. If you're creating your very first offer and have no affiliates yet, you can use any visibility and change it later.
Once testing is finished, change the visibility to whatever you need for launch.
How to test an offer
To test an offer, open the details of the offer and go to the "Affiliate management" tab. There you can forbid or allow access to specific affiliates.
Step 1: Assign a test affiliate
Because a Private offer is only visible to assigned affiliates, you'll need at least one affiliate assigned to it to generate a tracking link. Assign the affiliate you want to test with to the offer.
If you don't have a dedicated test affiliate, you can use any existing affiliate account - just be aware that test clicks and conversions will appear under that affiliate's stats.
Step 2: Get the tracking link
Go to the Offer list and click the Get link button on the offer you're testing.
Then:
Select the affiliate you want to test with.
Select the landing page you want to test.
Copy the tracking URL that's pre-filled for you.
Optionally, you can append affiliate parameters to the link. Affiliates typically use these to pass IDs from their own systems, which are then reported back via the affiliate postback when a conversion occurs. Adding them during testing lets you confirm those values are captured and returned correctly.
Step 3: Test the click
Make sure the click script is correctly installed in the <head> of every landing page you're testing, ideally as high as possible.
Open the tracking link you copied, then check the click report to confirm a new click was recorded.
If the click doesn't appear:
Script not present - the click script isn't on the page. Confirm it's actually there.
Script not fully copied - the script is present but incomplete; re-copy it in its entirety.
A click was already created in the last hour - if you tested the same link within roughly the last hour, Trackdesk treats it as the same click and won't create a new record. To force a fresh click immediately, open the link in a different browser or from a different IP address.
Once the click shows up in the report, continue through your flow to the point where a conversion should fire.
If the click report doesn't contain the record, make sure the click script is inserted into your website correctly and try again.
Step 4: Test the conversion
Make sure the correct conversion script is installed on the page where the conversion should fire - usually a thank-you or confirmation page - and that it only runs on a successful conversion.
Complete your flow to reach that page, then check the conversion report for the new record.
If the conversion doesn't appear, check the conversion error log first. Common errors and what they mean:
Source disabled – the selected affiliate's traffic status is disabled.
Conversion limit reached – the offer has a conversion limit that's been hit.
Missing conversion amount – a percentage-based conversion type was sent without the amount the commission is calculated from.
Conversion already exists – the External ID on the conversion is already used; External IDs must be unique.
Conversion type not found – the
conversionTypeCodein the code doesn't match a type configured on the offer (e.g. sending "lead" when the offer only has "sale").Currency not supported – the conversion's currency isn't enabled in your tenant settings.
Offer not active – the offer is paused or inactive, so its links and coupons won't track.
No valid coupon code – the coupon used isn't valid; coupons must exist both on your site and in Trackdesk.
Revenue and payouts for conversion type not configured – the conversion type exists but isn't set up in the offer's payouts.
If nothing appears in the error log either, the conversion script is most likely not present or not fully copied on the page. Re-check it.
For a deeper walkthrough, see Troubleshooting Clicks and Conversions.
⚠️ When testing conversions, it's best practice to use sale amounts that you expect will be flowing through the system. Do not test it on arbitrarily large amounts such as 1m$ and more.
If you have any problems implementing tracking, contact your developer or our support for help.