Cookie-Based Tracking or Server-to-Server?

Do you need help deciding on Cookie-based tracking or Server-to-Server?

Cookie-based tracking is the most commonly used tracking method in performance marketing for clicks, impressions and pixel based conversions due to the ease of implementation. However, Server-to-Server (Postback URL) tracking is a much more reliable tracking method that should be used whenever possible, yet there are still many affiliate tracking systems that don’t support it. With that in mind, the support of cookie-based tracking is necessary for working with these affiliates.

Fortunately, CAKE now has a hybrid approach whereby you can first accept a Postback URL from your advertiser, then use an HTML pixel as a fallback for affiliate pixel piggybacking. This is something we highly recommend as it enhances the accuracy of your conversion tracking and allows for easy external affiliate tracking.

If you are currently using CAKE and would like to review the Postback-Fallback setup, please visit our Knowledge Base article.

Click the image below for a larger view of a common Cookie-based tracking scenario.

Author

Garth Harris

As COO of the Affiliate Marketing Group, Garth's focus is to drive growth and adoption through the marketing and product teams while providing excellent customer service within the onboarding and support departments. During his 15 years in the affiliate marketing industry, Garth has held a wide range of roles, from client services manager to senior director of product engineering and, most recently, general manager at CAKE. These experiences have helped him build a deep understanding of his customers and their businesses. Outside of work, Garth is happiest behind a grill or at the beach with his family.