[Video] From Setup to Success: Server Postback Tracking

Accurate conversion tracking is the foundation of a well-run affiliate program. Without it, reporting is unreliable, affiliates can’t trust their commission data, and optimizing campaigns becomes guesswork. In Episode 1 of From Setup to Success, TUNE’s COO Garth Harris sits down with Shandi Michno, who leads onboarding for both TUNE and CAKE, to cover the tracking method TUNE recommends to every new advertiser: server postback tracking.

Server postback tracking works by passing a unique transaction ID to the advertiser’s landing page at the moment of a click. When a conversion occurs, the advertiser’s server returns that ID to TUNE, confirming the event. Because this happens server to server, it is not affected by browser-based limitations like cookie restrictions, ad blockers, or third-party tracking prevention. The result is more accurate, more reliable conversion data.

In this episode:

• What server postback tracking is and how TUNE implements it
• Why server-to-server tracking is more accurate and reliable than cookie or pixel-based methods
• How sub IDs let advertisers pass order IDs, customer IDs, and lead IDs back into TUNE for better reporting and reconciliation
• Security options including postback whitelisting and URL encryption
• How accurate tracking builds trust with affiliate partners and supports long-term program health

This episode uses the TUNE interface for the walkthrough. The same server postback functionality is also available in CAKE.

Have a question about what’s covered, or an idea for a future episode? Email us at [email protected].

Author

Becky is the Senior Content Marketing Manager at TUNE. Before TUNE, she handled content strategy and marketing communications at several tech startups in the Bay Area. Becky received her bachelor's degree in English from Wake Forest University. After a decade in San Francisco and Seattle, she has returned home to Charleston, SC, where you can find her strolling through Hampton Park with her pup and enjoying the simple things in life.