Hey Guys,
I am trying to run an offer on Adsimilis and track with CPVLab... So far, ive only run offers with tracking pixel on peerfly...
1) Whats the diff between a tracking pixel and a postback URL?
2 How do i get the postback URL on CPVLab?
I've never used CPVLabs, so someone else will have to answer that, but a tracking pixel and postback URL both serve as a way of notifying your tracking system (CPVLab in your case) that an offer has been completed. There may be some minor differences in the way they are called, but their purpose is the same. Find out what which one the affiliate network you're working with prefers and go with that one. I've heard that postback URLs are great if you're marketing on mobile due to the minimized execution time.
Here is a blog post from an affiliate manager describing the two: http://www.lukepeerfly.com/postback-...version-pixels
Images and javascript pixels are loaded by the client or end user, so essentially they get incorporated/placed on the conversion page and when the user hits that page their browser downloads/executes your pixel. Your tracking system can match up conversions to clicks by either cookieing the user or by looking at the IP that downloaded the conversion pixel at the end page. This is all client side stuff so if someone has javascript disabled or a slow connection/shitty computer/mobile browser they might not execute or download the pixel at all.
Postback URLs are more similar to images, in that they are a file that someone requests and your tracking system acknowledges that request = pixel fired. The difference being they don't serve any specific content and it's not the client/user who fires them - it's another server somewhere, either the advertisers or your affiliate networks. This is also called Server2server (S2S) tracking because its a server contacting your server and is a lot more reliable. The thing is though, the same server is constantly contacting your tracking so you can't base things on cookies or IPs - you need to pass subids through that then get included in that postback URL, so your tracking system actually gets told where the conversion came from. For Prosper202 you pass the subid number, for CPVlab I assume there is some sort of click ID or unique number/token that is different for every click that is tracked.
I prefer postback URLs all the way as it feels more controlled and is more reliable, but images/javascript have their place and can be simpler to incorporate into systems with no extra coding other than copy/paste into page.
Hope that helps in understanding the difference a bit!
Great summary, Zeno!
I agree wholeheartedly - I prefer postback too, and postback URLs have always been more reliable for me. However, pixels are easier to incorporate onto a page.
As for postback URLs on CPVLab - I think this is the relevant piece of info!