Tracking methods
Post Affiliate Pro implements advanced types of tracking to reach most accurate tracking results.
Weak tracking methods as IP address tracking or browser cookie tracking are just complementary tracking methods to strong flash cookie tracking.
Post Affiliate Pro use always strongest possible tracking method and falls down only in case tracking method is not available for specific visitor.
Tracking methods are evaluated in following order:
1. Flash cookie tracking
2. Browser cookie tracking - First party cookie stored on tracked domain
3. Browser cookie tracking - Third party cookie stored on domain of Post Affiliate Pro
4. IP address tracking
Flash Cookie Tracking
This is strongest and most accurate tracking method. It is based on Flash player, which is currently installed in more than 98% of all Internet browsers.
Big advantage of Flash cookie tracking is cross browser support. E.g. if visitor visited your site in Internet Explorer and later ordered product in Firefox, Post Affiliate Pro will still correctly assign transaction to your affiliate, because visitor was tracked with flash cookie, which is same in all browsers installed on same computer.
Read more in our blog...
Read more in our Knowledgebase
Browser cookie tracking
This is tracking method, which is not as strong as Flash Cookie tracking, but is very good complementary method as backup in case Flash Cookie tracking can't be used (e.g. if Flash player is not installed in browser - very rare case). This is most often used tracking method in other affiliate softwares, which doesn't support Flash cookie tracking. This is one of the biggest reasons, why customers choose Post Affiliate Pro against other affiliate tracking softwares - PAP is much more accurate with Flash cookie tracking.
Browser cookies have some disadvantages:
- cookies registered in one browser will not work in another browser on same computer (e.g. Internet Explorer, Opera, Safari, Firefox...)
- user can easily delete cookies in browser user interface - in such case we will not track sale correctly
Next to those disadvantages are browser cookies safe tracking method capable to track sale with same data quality (all parameters tracked with Flash cookie can be saved also in browser cookies)..
Read more about cookies created by Post Affiliate Pro
Tracking referrals by IP
This method is used only in case the browser cookies can not be found and also no flash player is installed in browser. It is very rare case, but Post Affiliate Pro counts also with this eventuality.
During sale tracking process we search for last know click from the visitors IP. If we found it, then affiliate and campaign id from this click is used and sale comission can be created.
