In this guide
- An affiliate network gives each click an ID. You store it and send it back with the order, so the right partner is paid.
- Browser pixels lose clicks to blockers and Safari. A server-to-server report from your tagging server is more reliable.
- Send the order ID, amount, currency and voucher code, and deduplicate so no order is paid twice.
Affiliate marketing runs on a simple promise: a partner sends a visitor, the visitor buys, the partner is paid. Keeping that promise depends on tracking that survives the real web: blockers, privacy browsers, redirects and in-app browsers. When tracking fails, honest partners are not paid and they leave. This page explains how affiliate tracking works, why browser-only tracking leaks and how a server container fixes the leak. Networks differ in names and endpoints, so follow your network's documentation. See also Awin server-to-server tracking, CJ server-to-server tracking and Rakuten server-to-server tracking.
How it works
A partner shares a tracked link
The network adds a click ID, such as awc (Awin) or cjevent (CJ), to the landing page address.
Your site stores it
A cookie or storage keeps the ID while the visitor browses.
The visitor buys
The order page has the stored click ID, the order ID, amount, currency and any voucher code.
The sale is reported
A pixel in the browser, or your server, sends these to the network.
The network validates and pays
It matches the click ID to the partner and applies commission rules.
Connected in minutes
Add your domain, install the pixel, connect your ad platforms and watch the first events land.
Pixel or server?
| Method | Good | Bad |
|---|---|---|
| Browser pixel | Easy to add | Blocked by some browsers and extensions, lost if the visitor closes the page early, cookie limits in Safari |
| Server-to-server (S2S) | Not blocked, reliable, can add order data your page does not show | Needs the click ID saved, a server set-up and care with consent |
The data to send
- The click ID saved on arrival.
- The order ID, unique per order.
- The amount (usually before tax and shipping) and currency.
- The voucher code, if used, because some networks attribute by code.
- The customer type (new or returning), if the network pays differently.
- Product details, if the network reports on them.
Watch events arrive, live
A sample feed. In Open Tracked you see the same stream for your own store.
Set it up with a server container
Capture the click ID on arrival
Read the parameter on the landing page and set a first-party cookie. A server-set cookie lasts longer in Safari.
Keep it alive
Cookie Keeper in Open Tracked (every plan) can restore cookies for returning visitors, with consent.
Pass it with the order
Include it in the purchase event sent to your tagging server.
Send the S2S request
A tag or HTTP request in the server container calls the network's endpoint with the order data.
Deduplicate
If a browser pixel also fires, send the same order ID so the network counts once. Or remove the pixel after testing.
Handle refunds
Report cancellations and returns so commissions are corrected.
Consent and fairness
Affiliate cookies and the order data you send are covered by privacy rules. Respect consent for the cookies you set, and tell visitors in your notice. Fairness matters too: do not overwrite a partner's click with your own tracking, and decide your attribution rules (last partner click, voucher code priority) and make them clear to your partners.
Common problems
Open Tracked's tagging server receives your purchase events on your own subdomain and sends them to each destination, including affiliate networks, through standard server container tags and requests.
Runs on your domain, anywhere
Your tracking runs on your own domain, so a visit from any country is handled the same way.
Frequently asked questions
What is affiliate conversion tracking?
Linking a partner's click to your order, so the partner can be paid commission.
What is server-to-server affiliate tracking?
Your server reports the order to the network, using the stored click ID, instead of relying on a browser pixel.
Why are affiliate orders missing?
Pixels get blocked and click IDs get lost. Store the ID and report from the server.
How do I avoid paying twice?
Send a unique order ID from every source, so the network counts the order once.
Do I need consent?
For the cookies you set and the data you send, where the law requires it.
Do I need spreadsheets to read my results?
No. Once tracking is live, the Open Tracked analytics shows spend, revenue, ROAS and profit, and you can ask Ari, the built-in AI assistant, questions about your own numbers in plain words. Ari's allowance depends on your analytics plan.
Is Open Tracked different from Open Track or Open Space Track?
No. Open Tracked is the official name of our server-side tracking platform, and the website is opentracked.io. Many people search for it as Open Track, OpenTrack or Open Space Track. All of them lead to the same product: server-side Google Tag Manager hosting, first-party analytics and a CRM pipeline.
Fix your tracking at the source
Open Tracked hosts your server-side Tag Manager, keeps first-party cookies alive and shows what each ad is really worth.
The Open Tracked team
We build Open Tracked: server-side tracking hosting, analytics and the tools around them, for stores that spend on ads. Questions about this guide, or an idea for the next one?
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