Overview
Passing data from ClickFlare back to the traffic source is an essential part of closing the tracking loop in your affiliate marketing campaigns. Whether you’re tracking conversions, campaign data, or custom events, sending this information back allows you to optimize your campaigns and keep your traffic sources up to date with accurate performance data. In ClickFlare, there are two primary methods for sending data back to the traffic source: using Conversion API Integrations and utilizing S2S Postback URLs.
This article covers how to send data back to the traffic source, including the available integrations and configurations.
Methods of Passing Data Back to Traffic Sources
There are two main methods for passing data back to the traffic source from ClickFlare:
- Conversion API (Recommended)
- S2S Postback URL
1. Conversion API (Recommended)
The Conversion API method is the recommended way to pass data back to your traffic sources in ClickFlare. This method integrates directly with supported traffic sources, allowing for seamless communication between ClickFlare and the traffic platform. With this integration, you can send conversion data, custom events, and other key metrics without the need for a third-party tool.
The list is ever-expanding, and ClickFlare continues to add support for additional traffic sources. This list includes integrations available at the time of writing:
How It Works
For traffic sources that support Conversion API integrations, ClickFlare will send conversion data directly through the API. This includes event information such as clicks, conversions, and custom parameters. When setting up a campaign in ClickFlare, the integration with the traffic source ensures that conversion data is passed automatically upon the occurrence of relevant events.
For example, when a visitor clicks on a campaign in ClickFlare and then completes a conversion action, such as a purchase or form submission, the data is sent to the respective traffic source via the Conversion API.
Example of Conversion Data Being Sent Back to Facebook:
In a typical ClickFlare setup, a Facebook conversion is automatically tracked and sent back using Facebook’s Conversion API. This would include data like the click ID, conversion time, conversion value, and more. The integration happens seamlessly in the background, without minimal manual configuration needed from your side.
2. S2S Postback URL (For Traffic Sources Without Conversion API)
For traffic sources that do not have a Conversion API integration, ClickFlare uses the traditional Server-to-Server (S2S) postback URL method. This method allows you to send conversion data back to the traffic source using a postback URL that you set up in your ClickFlare campaign.
How It Works
To use the S2S postback method, the traffic source will provide a postback URL that includes placeholders for dynamic data. ClickFlare will replace these placeholders with the appropriate information (such as click ID, conversion ID, etc.) when the conversion happens. The traffic source will then receive the postback and record the conversion.
ClickFlare has pre-built postback URL templates for major traffic sources like Taboola, Outbrain, Bigo Ads, and others. These templates ensure that the correct information is passed to the traffic source without the need for complex configurations.
Example of Postback URL:
For example, a Taboola postback URL might look like this:
https://trc.taboola.com/actions-handler/log/3/s2s-action?click-id={external_id}&name=REPLACE_EVENT_NAME&revenue={payout}¤cy={payout_currency}Upon a successful conversion in ClickFlare, the placeholders {external_id} and {payout} will be replaced with actual values, and the data will be sent to Taboola via the provided postback URL.
If you're using a traffic source that ClickFlare does not support out of the box, you can still manually configure the postback URL with the traffic source’s provided parameters.
Customizing Your Postback URL in ClickFlare
When you use a postback URL to send data back to a traffic source, it’s important to ensure that the correct tokens and parameters are passed. In ClickFlare, you can customize the postback URL to include any required data by adding ClickFlare-specific macros (e.g., {external_id}, {payout}, etc.) to the URL.
Example of a Customized Postback URL:
https://www.traffic_source.com/track?clickid={external_id}&conversion_payout={payout}&custom_data={conversionParameter1}
In this example, {external_id} and {payout} are replaced with the actual values when the conversion occurs. Additionally, {conversionParameter1} can capture any custom data received from the Affiliate Network.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Got questions? Find the answers below:
Q1: What if my traffic source doesn't support Conversion API?
A1: If your traffic source doesn't support Conversion API, you can still use the S2S postback method. ClickFlare provides pre-built templates for major traffic sources like Google, Facebook, and Bing, so you can easily set up postback URLs and send conversion data back to these platforms.
Q2: Can I pass custom data back to the traffic source?
A2: Yes, you can pass custom data back to your traffic source using the S2S postback URL. By including ClickFlare macros in the postback URL, you can send data such as campaign IDs, click IDs, and other tracking information back to the traffic source.
Q3: How do I set up the postback URL for a traffic source that isn't listed in ClickFlare?
A3: For traffic sources that ClickFlare doesn’t support natively, you can manually configure the postback URL by including the traffic source's required parameters. Contact your traffic source for the postback URL template and add the corresponding ClickFlare macros.
