What is a Postback URL?

The server-to-server (S2S) conversions tracking, also called tracking without cookies (cookieless) or tracking through Postback URL, is a way to track conversions without the need to change the thank-you-page (or confirmation page) and add a conversion code there.
This technology does not use cookies but stores server-side information, particularly on the merchant server (which we will call master server).

Specifically, after the conversion, the master server sends an information to JotUrl.

With this technology cookies can be deleted or blocked by the user, denied by the browser or expire after a certain period, but conversions will continue to be recorded.
Furthermore, it is not necessary to insert a piece of code (i.e. the pixel / conversion code) into the merchant's website and the tracking of conversions of this type also tends to be even more accurate.

On the other hand, an organized merchant (master server) is needed to manage the Postback URLs needed for Server to Server calls. Specifically, one-off, you must check whether the server-side partner (or your own IT in case you need S2S tracking internally) manages the Postback Url and, if so, how it handles (in practice the syntax of the Postback URL).

Most of the merchants and affiliate networks of a certain size are familiar with S2S conversions tracking (in fact a standard) and the configuration is simple enough.

Please note that JotUrl also provides a built-in Postback URL builder within the dashboard for the automatic configuration of the major networks.

The tracking service that implements server-to-server conversions (Postback URLs) uses the following flow:

At the click:
1. the user clicks on a tracking link (e.g.. short.url/alias)
2. the tracking service adds the click identifier [click ID] to the destination URL before re-directing the user (e.g., https://merchant.domain.ext/?id=[click ID])
3. when the user reaches the landing page on the seller's server, the click identifier [click ID] is stored by the seller's server

To conversion:
4. The visitor converts (e.g., purchases, performs a registration, etc.)
5. The seller server sends data to the tracking service via the postback URL (https://conversions.tracking.service/postback/?click=[click ID]&[other parameters])
6. The tracking service records the conversion and all parameters

The critical points of the flow above are 2 and 5, because in step 2 you need to know how to pass [click ID] (id=[click ID] in step 2) to the seller's server, while in point 5 this identifier [click ID] (click=[click ID] in step 5) must be returned (as it is) in the Postback URL. In addition, in point 5 the seller server should pass the commission due for conversion (optional).

As mentioned above, you can leverage our buit-in Postback URL builder to simplify your configuration.