A new standard for affiliate tracking has been proposed that could revolutionise how the industry handles attribution conflicts. The Affiliate Source (AFSRC) parameter, suggested by Pie , offers a straightforward solution to the long-standing problem of the industry “last click wins” attribution models that have plagued affiliate marketing for decades.
The Affiliate Tracking Dilemma
Affiliate tracking has always faced a fundamental challenge: when multiple affiliates contribute to a customer’s journey, who deserves the commission? The traditional “last click wins” approach to affiliate tracking often creates conflicts between publishers and can lead to aggressive tactics that harm user experience.
“The current affiliate tracking landscape creates unnecessary competition between partners who should be working together to provide value,” explains the blog released by Pie in February. “When multiple affiliates are fighting for the same conversion credit, it’s the consumer experience that suffers.”
How AFSRC Improves Affiliate Tracking
The new AFSRC parameter introduces a simple yet effective improvement to affiliate tracking systems.
It works by:
- Allowing affiliates to detect when a user already has another affiliate’s tracking parameters
- Providing a standardized protocol for “standing down” rather than overwriting existing tracking
- Creating transparency in the affiliate tracking ecosystem
This approach to affiliate tracking respects the consumer journey while ensuring fair attribution for sales. The standard uses a specific URL parameter format (afsrc=1) that signals when a visitor has arrived via an affiliate link.
Industry-Wide Benefits for Affiliate Tracking
Many veterans in the industry like James Little Group Commercial Director at TopCashback believe tracking needs to be discussed and are hosting live webinars with other industry leaders to talk about this and spark open conversations to build best practices that would support enhancements to affiliate tracking that could yield significant benefits:
- Improved user experiences: Less aggressive retargeting and fewer unnecessary redirects
- Better attribution accuracy: Affiliate tracking that more accurately reflects customer journeys and fair earning models
- Reduced conflicts: Clear rules for when affiliates should or shouldn’t compete for attribution
- Data transparency: More honest affiliate tracking metrics for all stakeholders to leverage and improve commercials
Implementation Simplicity
One of the most appealing aspects of this affiliate tracking solution is its simplicity. A standard that doesn’t require complex technical integration or industry-wide consensus before individual participants can be of huge benefit.
“Any affiliate can implement this affiliate tracking parameter ” notes the proposed content summary “As adoption increases, the benefits compound for everyone in the ecosystem.”
The Future of Affiliate Tracking
While this represents just one step toward solving the complex challenges in affiliate tracking, industry observers see it as a promising development. Affiliate tracking technology has evolved significantly over the past decade, but attribution models have remained surprisingly static.
“This suggested approach to managing attribution tracking more ethically in affiliate marketing could spark a wider conversation over best practices for tracking in our industry and will certainly spark up new opportunities for affiliates and brands to explore the outcomes together.” comments Lee-Ann Johnstone, CEO of Affiverse and an affiliate industry veteran. “It acknowledges that affiliate marketing works best when it’s built on a collaborative rather than combative approach.”
For more information about implementing this affiliate tracking standard, visit Pie to read the full article HERE
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