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Overview
What this guide covers: This comprehensive resource provides exact parameter mappings, macro syntax, and postback URL formats for configuring tracking links and conversion postbacks across 20+ affiliate marketing platforms including Everflow, Impact, CAKE, TUNE, Affise, Awin, CJ Affiliate, and more.
Who this is for: Performance marketers, affiliate managers, network operators, and technical integration teams who need to set up accurate conversion tracking between platforms. Whether you're migrating from one network to another, setting up cross-platform tracking, or troubleshooting macro mismatches, this guide provides the technical specifications you need.
How to use this guide: Use the interactive Platform Selector below to quickly find the platform you're working with, then use the Macro Translator to convert parameters between different platform syntaxes, and finally generate complete URL templates with the Template Generator. Each platform entry includes character limits, authentication requirements, and common gotchas.
Macro Translation Tool
Convert tracking parameters between different platform syntax formats
URL Template Generator
Generate complete postback and tracking URL templates for any platform combination
Best Practices & Common Pitfalls
Testing & Validation
- Always test with real clicks: Send test conversions through your complete tracking flow before going live. Many integration issues only appear with actual traffic.
- Verify macro replacement: Check that dynamic macros (like {clickid} or #s1#) are being replaced with actual values, not passed as literal strings.
- Monitor character limits: Pay special attention to platforms with strict character limits (CAKE s1=50 chars, Affise sub1-sub8=255 chars). Truncated values cause tracking breaks.
- Test both success and failure cases: Verify how your postback handles declined transactions, chargebacks, and refunds.
Common Integration Errors
- Macro mismatch: Using Everflow syntax (#s1#) in an Impact postback ({click_id}). This is the #1 cause of tracking failures.
- URL encoding issues: Forgetting to URL-encode special characters in postback URLs. Always encode ampersands (&), equals (=), and spaces.
- HTTPS vs HTTP: Some platforms require HTTPS endpoints. Using HTTP when HTTPS is required causes silent failures.
- Missing required parameters: Each platform has required vs optional parameters. Check documentation for minimum required fields.
- Incorrect event names: Using custom event names that don't match platform expectations (e.g., "purchase" vs "conversion" vs "sale").
Platform-Specific Gotchas
- Affise directionality: Remember {clickid} is for OUTBOUND tracking URLs, while {sub1}-{sub8} are for INBOUND postbacks. Mixing these causes tracking failures.
- CAKE SubID limits: s1 maxes at 50 characters (not 100 like s2-s5). Plan your data structure accordingly.
- ShareASale sunset: ShareASale closed October 2025. Migrate to Awin for continued service.
- Taboola rebranding: Taboola Backstage is now Taboola Realize. Update documentation but old macros still work during transition.
- AppsFlyer attribution windows: Default is 7 days for clicks, 1 day for impressions. Coordinate with your attribution model.
Security & Privacy
- Use HTTPS everywhere: Never send conversion data over unencrypted HTTP connections.
- Implement IP whitelisting: Restrict postback endpoints to only accept requests from verified platform IP addresses.
- Validate postback authenticity: Use security tokens or hash verification to prevent fraud.
- PII handling: Avoid passing personally identifiable information (email, phone, full name) in postback URLs unless required and encrypted.
- GDPR compliance: Ensure tracking parameters comply with privacy regulations in your operating regions.
