Tracking guide

TL:DR guide

Set up the initiation pixel on all pages, then add the conversion pixel on thank-you pages with the parameters you support or need.

Tracking in PalDock allows you to record and manage conversions such as leads, sales or custom ones and control how they are turned into transactions with payouts.

There are several ways to track conversions, each with its own use case:

• Pixel – browser-based tracking triggered on a confirmation page
• S2S Postback – server-to-server tracking, secure and cookie-less
• Tracking API – structured exchange of conversion data between systems
• Manual upload – importing conversions manually if no automated method is available

These methods can be combined. PalDock can deduplicate requests so that only valid, unique conversions are processed. The best approach is to combine Pixel and S2S postback. See scenarios below.

Website conversion tracking

No cookie consent obligation

If you don’t need to ask for cookie consent or you classify this cookie as essential, a pixel-only setup can be enough for a quick start. For bulletproof attribution and resilience against browser limits, we recommend adding a server-to-server postback. See page How to set up the pixel for the specific limitations of cookie-based tracking.

Cookie consent obligation

If you are obliged to fire cookies only when consent is given, you can use two tracking pixels: one for cases where consent is granted, and one for cases where it is not. On average, consent is given in 60–70 % of sessions, but this varies by industry.

To maximize tracking accuracy, combine multiple methods when conversion happens:

1. Consent given
   • Fire the tracking pixel with cookie=1 → value saved in cookies.
2. Consent not given (limited capabilities)
   • Fire a tracking pixel based on your preferences with either:
     • cookie=2 → value saved in localStorage.
     • cookie=0 → value saved in sessionStorage.
   • localStorage: persists long-term, even across browser restarts, until cleared by the user.
   • sessionStorage: persists only in the current tab/session and is cleared once the tab is closed.
3. Always fire S2S postback
   • Send a server-to-server postback with the PalDock conversion ID. Retrieve the ID from localStorage or sessionStorage (where it was saved by the pixel or your custom script) and forward it to PalDock.

⚠️ Beware: If your homepage runs on the main domain and the purchase process on a subdomain, localStorage and sessionStorage will not be shared. They only work within the exact same origin (domain, not subdomains). Only cookies can be used across domains and subdomains.

• In such cases, where you do not want to fire the pixel before cookie consent, you need to store and forward local/session parameters yourself. For example, by passing them via URL parameters or syncing them through your backend API.

API conversion tracking

Tracking sent leads via API is simpler: no cookies are involved, and 100% of leads are tracked on both PalDock and the advertiser’s side. The advertiser just needs to pair it with the options below.

Choose how to pair conversions

Required fields depend on the chosen pairing method:

1. Via PalDock Conversion ID – only this parameter is required, since it is always unique in the system.
   1. PalDock Conversion ID – pcid – identifies the PalDock click (clickID) or lead (leadID). Generated by each click or lead.
2. Via Advertiser External ID – the External ID and Advertiser ID are required. On its own, the External ID may not be unique, but uniqueness is ensured in combination with the PalDock Advertiser ID.
   1. PalDock Advertiser ID – advertiser_id – the unique advertiser ID available in the admin.
   2. Advertiser External ID – external_id – e.g., the external lead ID on the advertiser’s side, sent together with the conversion. It is used for deduplication (ensuring only one conversion with unique external_id is created), so we always recommend sending it.

For affiliate links, the external ID is not known in advance, so only the PalDock conversion ID can be used for pairing. However, we still recommend collecting the external ID in the conversion pixel for reference and reporting

For iframe and API integrations, both methods are supported. If you are using links together with iframes or APIs, you may find it easier to implement the same tracking method across all of them, although this is not required.

Multiple commissions for the same conversion

Having multiple commissions for one conversion type is possible. Just distinguish them using the Commission ID.

• Commission ID (optional) – commission_id – the commission ID in PalDock. Required if multiple commissions exist for the same conversion type. If not provided, the default (first in order for that conversion type) will be used.

Tracking pixel

Pixel tracking is a method where a small code snippet (usually an image tag or JavaScript) is placed on the advertiser’s confirmation or thank-you page. When the page loads, the pixel fires and sends conversion data back to PalDock through the user’s browser. It is simple to implement and works well for basic setups, but relies on cookies and the user’s browser, which can make it less reliable than server-to-server postbacks in cookie-restricted environments.

Initiation pixel

On every page load on every URL, this pixel reads the pcid (click ID) from the URL, stores it for the duration of your attribution window, and then reuses it when a conversion occurs. When the Conversion pixel fires, it includes the stored pcid, which allows to match the conversion to the original click and credit the correct affiliate. In short, it captures the click once, remembers it, and ensures the commission goes to the right partner.

Conversion pixel

This pixel is placed only on the conversion page (e.g., thank-you/confirmation page). Its job is to create or update a conversion event in PalDock and attach all the context needed for correct attribution and reporting. If a click/cookie pixel stored a click ID earlier (e.g., pcid), PalDock uses it to attribute the conversion to the correct affiliate within your cookie window.

See the Tracking pixel page for more information, and the Parameters page for a list of all available parameters.

Tips and tricks

When configuring the trigger in Google Tag Manager, you have five options, ordered by when they fire (Consent Initialization → Initialization → Page View → DOM Ready → Window Loaded). The earlier the pixel is placed, the better it can track traffic. We recommend using the Initialization trigger.

It’s better to either insert the pixel directly into the website code or if you have the resources, use Server-Side GTM. If you implement it directly in HTML, place it as high as possible in the <head> section of the page. See page How to set up the pixel for the specific limitations of cookie-based tracking.

S2S Postback

An S2S postback (server-to-server postback) is a way for an advertiser’s system to send conversion data directly to PalDock’s servers without relying on browser pixels or cookies. It ensures more accurate tracking, especially on mobile or cookie-restricted environments, by securely passing conversion details like IDs, results, or any values from the advertiser to PalDock in real time.

See the Tracking S2S Postback page for more information, and the Parameters page for a list of all available parameters.