Affiliate postbacks allow Trackdesk to notify an affiliate’s tracking platform when a conversion occurs.
A postback is a server-to-server (S2S) request sent from Trackdesk to the affiliate’s tracking platform. The request contains information such as the affiliate click ID, payout amount, transaction ID, or conversion status. The affiliate platform uses this information to attribute the conversion to the correct click.
How Affiliate Postback Tracking Works
Affiliate postback tracking relies on a click ID that identifies the original affiliate click.
The tracking flow typically works as follows.
1. Affiliate Generates a Click ID
When a user clicks an affiliate tracking link, the affiliate tracking platform generates a unique click ID.
This click ID identifies the specific click and will later be used to attribute the conversion.
2. Click ID Is Passed to the Offer
The affiliate tracking system redirects the visitor to the offer landing page while including the click ID in the URL.
Example:
https://example.com/?affS1=CLICK_ID
Trackdesk records the click ID and associates it with the visitor.
3. Conversion Occurs
When the visitor completes a conversion event (for example a purchase or registration), Trackdesk records the conversion together with the stored click ID.
4. Trackdesk Sends the Postback
After the conversion is created, Trackdesk sends a request to the affiliate tracking platform.
Example postback URL template:
https://affiliate.tracker.com/postback?clickid={affS1}&amount={payout}Trackdesk replaces placeholders with actual values before sending the request.
Passing the Click ID in the Tracking Link
Affiliates must pass their click ID when redirecting users to their offer tracking link.
Example tracking link:
https://exampleAffiliateTrackingLink.com?affS1={placeholderForClickId}The affiliate tracking platform replaces the placeholder with the real click ID.
Aff S parameters (for example affS1) are used to pass the click ID from the affiliate tracking platform to Trackdesk.
Configuring an Affiliate Postback in Trackdesk
To create a new affiliate postback:
Navigate to the Affiliate Postbacks section in Trackdesk.
Click Add New Postback.
Configure the required parameters described below.
Save the configuration.
Once configured, Trackdesk will automatically send the postback when the selected conversion conditions are met.
Postback Configuration
When creating an affiliate postback, configure the following fields.
Field | Description |
Affiliate ID | Select the affiliate for which the postback should be created. The postback will only be triggered for conversions attributed to this affiliate. |
Scope | Defines for which offers the postback should be triggered. |
Conversion type | Select the conversion events that should trigger the postback. One or more conversion types can be selected (for example Sale, Lead, Registration, Deposit). |
Conversion statuses | Select the conversion statuses that should trigger the postback. If multiple statuses are selected, the postback will fire when the conversion changes to any of the selected statuses. |
Custom currency | Allows the payout value to be sent in a selected currency. If not specified, the default conversion currency is used. |
HTTP method | Defines how the postback request is sent. Most integrations use GET, but some affiliate tracking platforms require POST. |
URL | The endpoint to which the postback request will be sent. The request is sent as an HTTP GET request and may contain placeholders that Trackdesk replaces with conversion data when the postback is fired. |
HTTP Method
Trackdesk allows postbacks to be sent using either GET or POST requests.
GET – parameters are included directly in the URL
POST – parameters are sent in the request body
Most affiliate tracking platforms use GET requests, but you should follow the requirements specified by the affiliate platform you are integrating with.
URL Parameters and Placeholders
The postback URL can contain placeholders that are replaced with actual conversion values when the postback is triggered.
Example URL template:
https://affiliate.tracker.com/postback?clickid={affS1}&amount={payout}Example request sent by Trackdesk:
https://affiliate.tracker.com/postback?clickid=12345&amount=50
Common placeholders include:
Variable | Description |
| Affiliate tracking parameters |
| Conversion identifier |
| Conversion event type |
| Conversion status |
| Timestamp of the conversion |
| Affiliate payout value |
| Currency of the conversion |
| Click identifier |
| External click identifier |
| Conversion revenue |
| Sale amount value |
Parameters can be inserted into the URL by selecting them in the configuration interface.
Revenue and Sale Amount Parameters
Affiliates can optionally include revenue and sale amount parameters in the postback URL.
To enable this option:
Navigate to Settings → Tracking → Affiliate postbacks
Enable the toggle for revenue and sale amount parameters.
Once enabled, affiliates can include these parameters in the postback URL.
Testing the Postback
After configuring the postback, it is recommended to test the integration.
Testing steps:
Use a real affiliate tracking link containing the click ID parameter.
Click the link and confirm the click ID is present in the URL.
Complete a test conversion.
Verify that the affiliate tracking platform receives the postback.
A successful test means that the click ID is correctly passed and the conversion is attributed on the affiliate platform.
Common Questions
What if the click ID token is different?
Different affiliate tracking platforms use different token formats.
Examples include:
{aff_sub}
#s2#
{sid}
!!!sid!!!Refer to the affiliate platform documentation to determine the correct token format.
Can multiple conversion types trigger postbacks?
Yes.
Multiple conversion types and statuses can be selected. A postback will be fired whenever the configured conditions are met.
Practical Tips
Always verify parameter names with the affiliate’s tracking platform documentation.
Ensure the affiliate tracking link correctly passes the click ID parameter.
Run a test conversion before launching the integration.
AI Postback Assistant
Trackdesk provides an AI Postback Assistant that can help you set up affiliate postbacks.
The assistant guides you through the configuration process step by step and can help identify the correct parameters required by different affiliate tracking platforms.
You can open the assistant directly from the Affiliate Postbacks page by clicking AI Postback Assistant.
Monitoring Postbacks
Trackdesk provides a tracking log that allows you to monitor postback requests sent to affiliate tracking platforms.
The log shows details about each postback request and helps troubleshoot integration issues.
For more information, see article: