In this article, we will discuss:
Postback Tracking Overview
The postback feature in Tapfiliate allows affiliates to receive real-time updates when a conversion happens through their referral.
This can be used to:
Automatically sync conversion data to their own tracking systems
Trigger actions in their marketing funnels or automation tools
Monitor performance in real time, without logging in to Tapfiliate
Connect multiple platforms, for example, when affiliates work with multiple advertisers and need centralized reporting
What You Need Before You Start
Before using postback tracking, make sure that:
Your affiliate provides a postback endpoint (URL) and a list of required parameters.
Your Tapfiliate integration is correctly set up and recording conversions.
You know which lifecycle events the affiliate wants to receive (for example: conversion, approval, refund).
You have the identifiers you need to pass (such as click ID, order ID, amount, currency).
Note: Only send the parameters your affiliate requires. Avoid sending sensitive data unnecessarily and always use HTTPS endpoints.
Setting Up Tapfiliate Postbacks
The affiliate postback setup is available to be set up by the affiliates as well as by the advertisers in the "affiliates" section, with the same interface.
To set up postbacks in Tapfiliate, follow these steps:
Navigate to the Affiliates section in your Tapfiliate dashboard.
Click on the "Add Postback" button and select the affiliate you want to create a postback for.
Enter a descriptive name for your postback (e.g., "Sale").
Choose the action type you want to track the postback for (e.g., "conversion").
Enter your affiliate's postback URL in the designated field. This is the URL that Tapfiliate will send a POST request to whenever the chosen event occurs.
Note: Your affiliates need to send the click_id information in the content key in the open parameters tm_subid1 to tm_subid10.
Example affiliate referral link: https://tapfiliateclicklink.com/?ref=abcxyz&tm_subid1=affiliate_click_id&tm_subid2=affiliate_sub_id
Use the ${click_subid} macro to share the subid data via postback. Setup screenshot attached below
(Optional) Set any custom parameters that you want to include in the postback data. These parameters can be used to provide your affiliates with additional information about the conversion, such as the order amount or the customer's email address.
Click the "Save" button.
Once you have saved the postback, Tapfiliate will automatically send a notification to your affiliate's server whenever the chosen event is triggered. Your affiliate can then use this data to track their earnings and measure the success of their promotional efforts.
Sharing external id to affiliates
You can share the external id to your affiliate's postback by using the ${conversion_external_id} macro. Example screenshot of how you can share the external id in the postback is given below:
Sharing meta data to affiliates
You can share information like the external id and the conversion meta datas via postback by exposing these meta data for the affiliates.
Expose the meta data for affiliates via Advanced settings.
In the postback section, use the custom value to share the exposed meta data
Pause or remove existing postbacks
Once you've created postbacks for your affiliates in Tapfiliate, you can easily edit, pause, or remove them as needed. Here's how:
1. Accessing the Postback Section:
Log in to your Tapfiliate advertiser account.
Navigate to the "Affiliates" section.
In the "Affiliates" section, locate the "Postback" section.
2. Viewing Existing Postbacks:
The "Postback" section will display a list of all postbacks you've created for your affiliates. Each postback will show details like the associated affiliate, program, source, and action type.
3. Editing a Postback:
Locate the postback you want to modify in the list.
Click the pencil icon next to the desired postback.
This will open the edit window where you can make changes to the existing settings like title, program, source, action details, HTTP method, postback link, or parameters.
Once you've made the necessary edits, click the "Save" button to apply the changes.
4. Pausing a Postback:
To temporarily disable a postback, locate the desired postback in the list.
Click the pause button next to the postback. This will switch the postback to an inactive state.
A paused postback will not trigger any notifications until you resume it.
5. Removing a Postback:
If you no longer need a particular postback, you can delete it permanently.
Locate the postback you want to remove in the list.
Click the trash can icon next to the desired postback.
A confirmation dialog will appear. Click "Delete" to confirm the removal.
By following these steps, you can effectively manage your affiliate postbacks in Tapfiliate.
Testing Tapfiliate Postbacks
It's important to properly manage and test your Tapfiliate postbacks to ensure they are functioning correctly. Here are some tips:
Test your postbacks: Before launching your affiliate campaign, it's essential to test your postbacks to make sure they are sending data correctly. You can do this by using our "Test the postback" button and firing a test postback with your affiliates.
List of available macros
${program_id} - The unique identifier of the affiliate program.
${program_title} - The title or name of the affiliate program.
${currency} - The currency used for the conversion.
${conversion_id} - The unique identifier for the conversion.
${conversion_amount} - The total amount of the conversion.
${conversion_created_at} - The timestamp when the conversion was created.
${conversion_time} - The time of the conversion.
${conversion_status} - The current status of the conversion (e.g., pending, approved).
${conversion_meta_data} - Additional metadata related to the conversion.
${conversion_external_id} - To share the external id of the conversion.
${commission_amount} - The commission earned from the conversion.
${customer_id} - The unique identifier for the customer involved in the conversion.
${customer_created_at} - The timestamp when the customer was created in the system.
${customer_status} - The status of the customer (e.g., active, inactive).
${customer_meta_data} - Additional metadata related to the customer.
${click_id} - The unique identifier for the click that led to the conversion.
${click_time} - The timestamp when the click occurred.
${click_referrer} - The referrer URL of the click.
${click_subid} - The sub-ID attached to the click, often used for tracking purposes.
Troubleshooting and best practices
Scenario: An affiliate sets up their Tapfiliate account and configures a postback using a click sub‑ID (via tm_subid1‑tm_subid10) in their referral links. However, when a conversion occurs, they never receive their click ID back in the postback payload—breaking the tracking.
Cause:
The advertiser might be using Tapfiliate’s REST API for click and conversion tracking—but they only might be sending basic data when creating a click (e.g., referral_code), not storing or forwarding the affiliate’s sub‑ID metadata (like click_id) in the conversion API call. Because of these reasons, Tapfiliate cannot include that sub-ID in the postback (using ${click_subid}), so it never reaches the affiliate.
Resolution:
Reach out to the advertiser to make sure their REST integration carries forward the affiliate sub‑ID metadata from the click through to the conversion call:
When creating the click, the advertisers must include the affiliate’s sub-id metadata: (example body)
{ "referral_code": "AFFCODE", "meta_data": { "sub_id": "AFFCLICK" }}Store the click ID and metadata in a cookie or session so it’s available at conversion time.
When sending the conversion, include the same metadata.
Still Need Help?
If you have questions or run into issues, contact us at support@tapfiliate.com. Our team is happy to help.