Postback Tracking Method

Introduction

Postback is a server-to-server (S2S) tracking method that tracks user actions or conversions by communicating directly between servers rather than relying on client-side data such as cookies or pixels. 

A Postback is a request sent back to the same server that initiated the original request. It's commonly used in web development for communication between a client and the server. The key point is that the communication occurs within the same system.

Unlike a Webhook, which is an HTTP callback where one application sends data to a different system (a specified URL) whenever a specific event occurs, the communication flow is from one system (the sender) to another (the receiver).

Consider the following benefits of postback:

• Reliable Server-Side Tracking. Postback tracking isn’t affected by ad blockers, browser limitations or user privacy settings, thereby ensuring more consistent tracking.
• Less Reliance on Cookies. With privacy regulations tightening and third-party cookies becoming less effective, postback tracking offers a future-proof solution for compliant tracking without heavy reliance on cookies.
• Better Insights & Analytics. Enjoy more accurate and detailed data to help you optimize your strategies and improve reporting.
• Stronger Data Integrity. By operating server-to-server, postback tracking reduces the risk of data loss, corruption or fraud, keeping your data stays accurate and secure.

Postback conversion tracking is widely used by affiliate marketers and advertisers who rely on third-party tracking software to monitor, optimize and analyze the effectiveness of their online ad campaigns.

MGID’s postback tracking method is compatible with any advertiser's third-party tool that can send postbacks to external systems. 

While this article primarily covers tracking systems in line with MGID’s practices, it can easily be applied to other tools, such as CRM systems, custom platforms, e-commerce solutions or payment gateways.

Some of the most popular tracking tools available in the market include Voluum, ClickMagick, ThriveTracker, BeMob, RedTrack.io, Binom and TrackingDesk.

Understanding how Postback and MGID integration work: General Logic

MGID, as a traffic source, generates a unique tracking link (URL) for each campaign. 

This URL includes a mandatory tracking parameter – a unique click ID that identifies the specific click and is crucial for postback tracking.

Each third-party tool uses its own specific GET parameter for the {click_id} macro to capture data from the tracking link. To ensure this parameter is automatically included in the tracking link, it should be added to the MGID dashboard under the "Tracking Tags" section.

When users click on an ad, they are first redirected to a tracking tool (third-party platform) via the click URL. This ensures that the tracker captures all the necessary click data. Once the data is captured, the tracking system then redirects the user to the advertiser's landing page.

When a user completes a desired action on the advertiser’s site — such as making a purchase or signing up for a service — this is considered a conversion. The advertiser’s website uses a conversion pixel or script that triggers once the conversion happens. This pixel sends the conversion data, including the original click ID, back to the tracking system for accurate tracking and reporting.

The tracking system receives the conversion data along with the click ID and matches it with the data from the initial click event. This allows the system to record the conversion and accurately attribute it to the correct campaign and traffic source — MGID in this case.

To send conversion data from the tracker back to MGID, advertisers set up conversion tracking via Postback in MGID Ads. They generate a postback link, which is then added to their tracking system. Once the postback link is in place, the tracking system sends conversion data back to MGID using the postback URL, provided by MGID, to inform the system of the successful conversion.

Example: Postback link generated by MGID

https://a.mgid.com/postback/123456?c={click_id}&e=purchase&r={revenue}

• 123456 – client ID;
• "c" parameter – accepts data from the third party tool {click_id} macro (must be changed to the real one in case postback is setup manually, not with a template);
• "e" - name of the event;
• "r" parameter - accepts data from the third party tool {revenue} macro (must be changed to the real one in case postback is setup manually, not with a template).

Here is a list of mandatory Postback configurations on the MGID side:

1. Conversion goal(s)’
2. The third-party tool's GET parameter for the {click_id} macro to capture click_id from the tracking link (added to the "Tracking tags" block);
3. Real third-party tool's {click_id} macro in the generated postback link. Plus, optional real {revenue} macro.