Create Your First Redirect Campaign

TL;DR

This guide walks you through creating a standard redirect campaign in ClickFlare — the most common and recommended way to start.

By the end of this article, you will have:

• A working ClickFlare campaign

• A tracking URL ready to use in your ads

• A clear understanding of how Visits, Clicks, and Conversions are registered

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Before You Start

Make sure you have completed the following first:

• A custom tracking domain is set up and active

• You understand the basic terms: Visit, Click, Conversion, Click ID

If not, review:

• First-Time Setup Checklist

• Key Concepts & Terminology

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What Is a Redirect Campaign?

A redirect campaign sends traffic through ClickFlare before reaching your destination.

Typical flow:

Traffic Source → ClickFlare → Landing Page (optional) → ClickFlare → Offer

This allows ClickFlare to:

• Register Visits and Clicks

• Assign a Click ID

• Attribute conversions correctly

• Report performance by traffic source, campaign, keyword, or other parameters

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Step 1: Create a Traffic Source

The traffic source defines where your traffic comes from and how parameters are passed.

1. Go to Traffic Sources

2. Click Create Traffic Source

3. Select a template (if available) or create a custom source

4. Save the traffic source

📌 You don’t need cost or API integrations at this stage — those can be added later.

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Step 2: Create a Landing Page (Optional)

A landing page is optional but recommended if you:

• Pre-sell traffic

• Run quizzes or funnels

• Want to measure Clicks (lander → offer)
  
  

1. Go to Landing Pages

2. Add your landing page URL

3. Make sure the ClickFlare script is installed**

4. Ensure the Click ID is passed to the next step

📌 If you skip this step, ClickFlare will still track Visits and Conversions.

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Step 3: Create an Offer

The offer is the final destination where conversions happen.

1. Go to Offers

2. Add the offer URL

3. Append the ClickFlare Click ID parameter to the offer URL

4. Save the offer

📌 The Click ID is required for conversion attribution.

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Step 4: (Optional) Create an Affiliate Network

Affiliate networks are optional and mainly used to:

• Organize multiple offers

• Reuse postback templates

• Standardize conversion tracking

If you work directly with an advertiser or your own backend, you can skip this step.

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Step 5: Create the Campaign

Now you connect everything together.

1. Go to Campaigns

2. Click Create Campaign

3. Select Redirect Campaign

4. Choose:

   • Traffic Source

   • Landing Page (optional)

   • Offer

   • Tracking Domain

5. Save the campaign

Once saved, ClickFlare will generate a campaign tracking URL.

This is the URL you will use in your ads.

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Step 6: Add Conversion Tracking

Conversions can be tracked via:

• Postback

• Script / pixel

• API Integration

At minimum, ensure:

• The Click ID is sent back to ClickFlare

• The conversion name matches your setup

📌 Conversions may occur immediately or much later — ClickFlare will still attribute them correctly.

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Step 7: Test the Campaign

Before sending paid traffic, always test manually.

What to test

1. Open the campaign tracking URL
   → A Visit should appear in ClickFlare

2. Click through the landing page (if used)
   → A Click should appear

3. Trigger a test conversion
   → A Conversion should be registered

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Step 8: Verify Data in Reports

In ClickFlare reports, verify:

• Visits increase when the tracking URL is opened

• Clicks increase when users click from landing page to offer

• Conversions appear when the conversion event fires

📌 Default report columns are:

• Visits

• Clicks

• Conversions

If Visits are present but Clicks or Conversions are not, review the setup order.

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Step 9: Go Live with Traffic

Once testing is successful:

• Use the ClickFlare campaign URL in your traffic source

• Start with low volume

• Monitor reports for consistency

Advanced features like cost integrations, Conversion APIs, and optimization rules can be added later.

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Skipping the custom tracking domain

• Forgetting to pass the Click ID to the offer

• Expecting Clicks when no landing page is used

• Sending paid traffic before testing

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Summary

A redirect campaign in ClickFlare follows a simple structure:

1. Traffic Source

2. Landing Page (optional)

3. Offer

4. Campaign

5. Conversion Tracking

6. Testing & Verification

Once this flow works, you can confidently scale traffic and add advanced features.

Related Resources

• First-Time Setup Checklist

• Key Concepts & Terminology

• Campaign Types Explained

• How to Test a Campaign Before Sending Traffic