How an S2S postback turns a click ID into a conversion you can reconcile

How an S2S postback turns a click ID into a conversion you can reconcile

A user clicks an affiliate link, and the network assigns a unique click ID. That ID is passed to the landing page and stored with the session, usually in a cookie or server-side record. It must remain available until the conversion event.

When the user converts, the advertiser's system looks up the stored ID and sends a server-to-server request to the network. The request commonly includes:
— click ID
— event type
— transaction ID
— payout or currency, if required

The network matches the click ID to the original visit and checks the request. A successful response does not depend on the browser staying open: the endpoint must accept the request, and the transaction must not already be recorded. Use a unique transaction ID so retries do not create duplicates.

For missing conversions, trace the chain in order: click ID created → captured → stored → available at conversion → postback sent → network response received. Log response codes and sanitized request data, but keep tokens and personal data out of public logs.

A reliable setup preserves the click ID, sends complete postbacks, handles retries safely, and reconciles accepted conversions with your own records.