How a postback works
- A visitor clicks your link. The tracker saves the click and creates a unique
click_id. - The tracker puts that ID into the offer URL, for example
https://offer.example.org/spring?sub1={click_id}. The network stores it as a sub ID. - The visitor converts on the offer.
- The network calls your postback URL and fills in its own macros, including the stored ID.
- The tracker finds the click by
click_id, records revenue and updates ROI.
No browser takes part in steps 4 and 5, so ad blockers and closed tabs cannot lose the conversion the way they can with a pixel.
Postback URL and parameters in TDS.SO
Copy your address from Tracker → Conversions → Postback URL and paste it into the network. It looks like this, where the values in braces are the network’s own macros:
https://…/pb/YOUR_TOKEN?click_id={sub1}&payout={payout}&status={status}&txid={txid}
| Parameter | Meaning | Also accepted |
|---|---|---|
click_id | Required. The click ID passed in the offer URL | clickid, subid, sub_id, cid |
payout | Payout for the conversion | sum, amount, revenue |
status | Conversion status | cnv_status, event, type |
txid | Conversion ID at the network | conversion_id, transaction_id |
Statuses and repeated postbacks
approved,sale,confirmedcount as approved.lead,hold,pendingcount as pending. A postback without a status is pending too.rejected,cancel,trashcount as rejected.
A repeated postback with the same txid updates the existing conversion instead of creating a new one, so a lead can later become a sale. In the tracker, revenue counts approved conversions only.
If conversions do not appear
- The offer URL must contain the
{click_id}macro, in the parameter your network stores (sub1,subid,aff_suband so on). - The network must send that stored value back in the postback.
- Check Conversions: recent incoming postbacks are listed with a result such as recorded or click not found.
Setup details are in the postback documentation.
Questions
What is the difference between a postback and a pixel?
A pixel fires in the visitor’s browser, so blockers and closed tabs can lose it. A postback goes from the network’s server to yours with the click ID attached, so it does not depend on the browser.
What is click_id?
A unique identifier the tracker creates for every click. You pass it to the offer, the network returns it in the postback, and that is how the conversion finds its click.
Can I send a postback back to the ad network?
Yes. In the traffic source settings you can set a postback address for the ad network, so it receives conversions for optimization.