Concepts

How tracking works

Summary

This guide explains how click tracking and postback tracking work in DAO.AD. You will learn how to track conversions, pass click identifiers, and configure postbacks with or without a third-party tracking platform.

What is Tracking?

Tracking allows advertisers to identify which clicks, sources, campaigns, and creatives generate conversions.

Without tracking, DAO.AD can only report clicks and impressions. With tracking configured, advertisers can measure leads, sales, ROI, and optimize traffic sources.

What is a Postback?

A postback is a server-to-server notification sent after a conversion occurs.

When a user completes a target action (registration, purchase, lead, install, etc.), the advertiser's system or affiliate network sends a conversion notification containing the original click identifier.

This allows DAO.AD to match the conversion with the original click.

How click tracking works

Step 1
User clicks a DAO.AD advertisement.

Step 2
DAO.AD generates a unique click identifier: {click_id}

Step 3
DAO.AD sends the user to the destination URL while passing the click identifier.
Example:
https://tracker.com/?clickid={click_id}

Step 4
The click identifier is stored by the tracking system or CPA network.

Step 5
When the conversion happens, the stored click identifier is sent back through a postback URL.

Why postbacks are important

Postbacks allow DAO.AD to:

Without a postback, DAO.AD can track clicks and impressions only.

    Tracking Configuration Models

    Summary

    Tracking Configuration Models describes three common tracking setup models and how data flows between DAO.AD, tracking systems, and conversion sources.

    Standard tracking configuration

    Model 1: Direct CPA Integration

    1_tracking_models_daoad.png

    Steps:

    1. User clicks to the DAO.AD advertisement (your creative).
    2. DAO.AD generates a unique click ID and sends the user to the CPA network.
    3. The CPA network stores DAO.AD's click ID and redirects the user to the landing page.
    4. The user completes the target action (conversion), and the CPA network receives the conversion status from the landing page.
    5. The CPA network sends a postback to DAO.AD containing the click ID and conversion data.

    Model 2: Tracker Integration

    2_tracking_models_daoad.png

    Steps:

    1. User clicks to the DAO.AD advertisement (your creative).
    2. DAO.AD generates a unique click ID and sends the user to the tracking system (e.g., Binom or Keitaro).
    3. The tracking system passes DAO.AD's click ID to the CPA network using its own parameter name. The parameter name may differ, but the value always contains DAO.AD's original click ID.
    4. The CPA network stores the tracking system click ID and redirects the user to the landing page.
    5. The user completes the target action (conversion), and the CPA network reports the conversion to the tracking system.
    6. The tracking system sends a postback to DAO.AD with the click ID and conversion data.

    Model 3: Own Landing Page

    3_tracking_models_daoad.png

    Steps:

    1. User clicks to the DAO.AD advertisement (your creative).
    2. DAO.AD generates a unique click ID and sends the user directly to the advertiser's landing page.
    3. The user completes the target action (conversion), and the advertiser's system sends a postback directly to DAO.AD.

    Tracking Parameters

    Summary

    This page lists all URL macros available in DAO.AD and explains how to pass campaign data to CPA networks and tracking platforms.

    Macro Value Description
    {click_id} numeric Unique Click ID
    {campaign_id} numeric Campaign ID
    {creative_id} numeric Creative ID
    {source_id} numeric Publisher Source ID
    {sub_id} text Publisher Sub-Source ID
    {price} numeric Campaign bid price (per 1000 clicks)
    {country} text, ISO code User country (ISO code)
    {subs_age} constant, text The age of subscription in days: 1-3, 4-7, 8-15, 16+
    {model_price} constant, text Campaign pricing model (CPC or CPM)
    {cpc} numeric Actual cost per click (CPC)
    {quality} constant, text Traffic quality: low, regular, high, premium
    {category} constant, text Campaign category: adult, racy, or mainstream
    {category_src} constant, text Traffic source category: adult, racy, or mainstream
    {city} text User city
    {region} text User region
    {ref} text Referring page full URL
    {ip} IP User IP address
    {os} text User operating system
    {browser} text User browser

    These macros can be added to your destination URL and passed to a CPA network or tracking platform for reporting and optimization purposes.

    Example URL

    https://tracker.com/click?
    clickid={click_id}
    &source={source_id}
    &campaign={campaign_id}
    &country={country}

    where:

    tracker.com - example CPA network or tracking platform URL
    clickid, source, campaign, country, etc. - are example parameters used by a CPA network or tracking platform. DAO.AD replaces the macros with actual values before redirecting the user. Parameter names may differ depending on the CPA network or tracker.

    How macro replacement works

    DAO.AD URL:
    https://tracker.com/click?clickid={click_id}&country={country}

    After click:
    https://tracker.com/click?clickid=123456789&country=US

    Postback Parameters

    Summary

    This page describes the parameters available for sending postback requests from a CPA network or tracking platform to DAO.AD.

    URL Parameter Value Description
    DAO.AD API Server constant DAO.AD postback endpoint URL
    key text Unique API key used to authenticate server-to-server (S2S) postback requests.
    sum numeric Conversion value or lead payout amount
    click-id numeric Unique Click ID received from DAO.AD URL macros
    type text The postback type (default is main). Common values include: main (e.g., registration), dep (e.g., deposit), or any custom types you define
    ttl numeric Time in secounds. The postback request time-to-live (TTL). During this period, any postback containing the same Click ID will be treated as a duplicate and ignored. The default value is 24 hours. Minimum value 5 seconds

    Important: The API key can be found on your DAO.AD Profile page.

    Example URL

    http://api.daopush-api.info/api/postback/campaign?key=XXXXXXXXXXXXX&sum={sum}&click-id={click-Id}&type={type}&ttl={ttl}

    where:

    XXXXXXXXXXXXX - your DAO.AD API key
    {sum}, {click-Id}, {type}, {ttl} - example macro names used by a CPA network or tracking platform.


    How macro replacement works

    DAO.AD URL:
    http://api.daopush-api.info/api/postback/campaign?key=XXXXXXXXXXXXX&sum={sum}&click-id={click-Id}&type={type}&ttl={ttl}

    After CPA/Tracker request:
    http://api.daopush-api.info/api/postback/campaign?key=XXXXXXXXXXXXX&sum=10&click-id=61721111&type=dep&ttl=50

    Important: These macro names are examples only and may differ depending on the CPA network or tracking platform. Always refer to the documentation of your CPA network or tracker.


    Why is it needed?

    After a user completes a conversion, the CPA network or tracking platform sends conversion information back to DAO.AD. This data is used for reporting, optimization, automated rules, micro-bidding, and campaign analytics.

    Benefits of postback tracking: