How Conversion Tracking Works

Learn how conversions are registered in ClickFlare, how they’re matched to Click IDs, and which tracking method to use for your setup.

Written by Ervis

Updated 2 months ago

Overview

A conversion is a tracked result (lead, sale, trial, upsell, refund, etc.) that ClickFlare records and attributes to the correct campaign.

ClickFlare can register conversions through multiple methods. The key requirement is always the same:

ClickFlare must be able to match the conversion to a ClickFlare Click ID.

This article explains:

How conversions are matched to Visits/Clicks
All supported ways conversions can enter ClickFlare
How payout (revenue) is recorded
How currency is handled at conversion time
Common mistakes that prevent conversions from registering

How ClickFlare Matches a Conversion

Every tracked user journey in ClickFlare is tied to a Click ID.

High-level flow

A user enters your campaign and ClickFlare generates a Click ID
That Click ID is passed forward
When a conversion happens, ClickFlare receives a request that includes the Click ID
ClickFlare matches it to the original Visit/Click and records the Conversion

If ClickFlare receives a conversion without a valid Click ID, it cannot attribute it and will not register it.

Ways to Track Conversions in ClickFlare

ClickFlare supports the following conversion tracking methods:

1) S2S Postback (Recommended)

Best choice whenever your affiliate network supports it.

A Server-to-Server postback is a direct request from the affiliate network to ClickFlare that includes:

the Click ID (required)
optionally payout, txid, conversion type, and other parameters

Why it’s preferred

Works even if cookies are blocked
Not affected by ad blockers
More reliable than browser-based tracking

What you must do

Pass {cf_click_id} in your offer URL so the network can store it
Configure the network’s postback to send that click ID back to ClickFlare

Example offer URL:

https://www.offer_link.com?s2={cf_click_id}

Example postback URL:

https://your-tracking-domain.com/cf/cv?click_id=#s2#

Optional payout example:

https://your-tracking-domain.com/cf/cv?click_id=#s2#&payout=#price#

2) Conversion Tracking Pixel (Image Pixel)

If S2S postbacks are not available, you can track conversions by firing a pixel on a thank-you page.

This method relies on the visitor’s browser:

ClickFlare stores the Click ID in a cookie
The thank-you page loads
The pixel fires and sends a conversion request to ClickFlare

Example image pixel:

<img src="https://your-tracking-domain.com/cf/cv?payout=10.00&txid=12345" width="1" height="1" />

Important

Pixels require cookies to be present
If the click ID cookie is missing/blocked, the conversion won’t be recorded

3) Conversion Tracking Script (Thank-You Page Script)

This is similar to the image pixel, but uses JavaScript and can be more reliable in some setups.

Key difference

The script can set/read first-party cookies on the page’s domain, which may reduce tracking loss in some cross-domain scenarios.

Use it when

You control the thank-you page code
You want a more resilient browser-side method than a plain image pixel

📌 Tip: Don’t include click_id=OPTIONAL in the final pixel/script URL. The Click ID is retrieved automatically from the cookie.

4) API-Based Pull (Integration)

In some cases, ClickFlare can register conversions because it pulls conversion and revenue data via an integration (instead of receiving a postback/pixel).

This is used when ClickFlare has a dedicated integration with a platform that can provide:

conversions
payout/revenue
transaction identifiers (where available)

Use this method only when a supported integration exists in ClickFlare for the platform you’re using.

5) Manual Conversion Upload (Fallback)

Manual conversion upload is useful when conversions were missed due to:

temporary integration issues
network misconfiguration
offline conversion reporting
delayed conversion reconciliation

Uploads follow the same logic as a postback:

a valid Click ID is required.

Format (one per line):

click_id, payout,transaction_id,conversion_type,timestamp

Example:

b39be7d3-71b8-4df1-b4b7-921995a23c1f,5.2,txid1234,sale,2025-10-02T14:30:00+02:00

If timestamp is omitted, ClickFlare uses upload time.

Required and Optional Parameters for Conversion Registration

Required

click_id (mandatory)
This is how ClickFlare matches the conversion to the original Visit/Click.

ClickFlare accepts both forms interchangeably:

{cf_click_id}
{click_id}

Optional (recommended when available)

payout — conversion revenue

...&payout={network_payout_token}

txid — transaction ID (useful for multiple events per user, upsells, deduping)

...&txid={transaction_id}

ct — conversion type (sale, lead, upsell, refund, etc.)

...&ct=sale

payout_currency — override payout currency per conversion

...&payout_currency=USD

param1–param20 — extra conversion metadata (custom values from network)

...&param1={first_name}&param2={email}

How Payout (Revenue) Is Tracked

ClickFlare supports two payout strategies:

Automatic payout

Best when the network provides a payout token.

Network sends payout value in postback/pixel
ClickFlare records it per conversion

Example:

...&payout={payout_token}

Manual payout

Use when the network cannot send a payout token.

Set a fixed payout in the offer
ClickFlare assigns it to every conversion for that offer

📌 Important: Manual payout settings override incoming payout values.

Currency Handling (High-Level)

ClickFlare can record payouts in different currencies depending on your offer configuration and/or postback parameters.

Each offer can have its own payout currency
Reporting can display all data in a display currency for easy comparison

📌 Currency changes typically apply only to future data and do not rewrite historical values.

Common Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

Mistake #1: Not passing {cf_click_id} into the offer URL (for S2S)

If the network never receives the Click ID, it cannot return it.

✅ Fix: append {cf_click_id} to the offer URL parameter the network expects.

Mistake #2: Postback fires, but uses the wrong parameter name

ClickFlare needs click_id (or cf_click_id depending on your endpoint format).

✅ Fix: always confirm the postback includes a valid Click ID and hits:
/cf/cv

Mistake #3: Using pixel tracking without reliable cookies

Pixels/scripts rely on the browser having the click ID cookie.

✅ Fix: prefer S2S postback when available. Use script over image pixel when possible.

Mistake #4: Confusing Conversion APIs with “conversion tracking”

Conversion API integrations in ClickFlare are used to send conversions from ClickFlare to a traffic source (outbound attribution).
They are not a method for reporting conversions into ClickFlare.

Summary

ClickFlare can register conversions through:

S2S postback (recommended)
Image pixel
Conversion tracking script
API-based pull integrations
Manual conversion upload

Regardless of method, conversions must be matched using a valid Click ID.

FAQ

Q1: Which conversion tracking method should I use?

A1: Use S2S postback whenever available. Use pixel/script only when postbacks aren’t possible. Use API-based pull only when a supported integration exists. Use manual upload as a fallback.

Q2: Can I use S2S postback and a pixel/script at the same time?

A2: You can, but it’s usually not recommended because it can create duplicate conversions if both fire.

Q3: Why does my postback fire but no conversion appears?

A3: Most commonly: missing/incorrect Click ID, wrong parameter name, or postback is not hitting the correct endpoint.

Q4: Does payout have to be included?

A4: No. Conversions can be registered without payout, but payout is recommended for accurate revenue reporting.

Related Resources

Click ID & Tracking Parameters
Tracking Conversions Using S2S Postback
Tracking Conversions Using a Conversion Tracking Pixel
Visit vs Postback Timestamp Explained
Postback Issues (Troubleshooting)

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