Post Back Pixels

What are Postback Pixels?

Unlike Connections which process events every 5 minutes and require configuration in the Connections area, Postback Pixels fire in real-time directly from your campaigns and offers without requiring a formal connection setup, perfect for instant affiliate tracking, analytics, and conversion notifications.

Postback pixels are a powerful feature that automatically notifies your external systems (like CRMs, analytics tools, or affiliate networks) when important events happen in your business. Think of them as instant messengers that send information to your other business tools whenever a customer makes a purchase, cancels a subscription, or completes other important actions.

Where Can You Configure Postback Pixels?

VRIO provides multiple locations where you can configure postback pixels, each serving different purposes and triggering at different points in your customer journey:

1. Campaign Level Postbacks

Location: Campaign configuration (campaign_pixel_block)
Triggers: When a successful order is processed for any offer in the campaign
Use Case: General conversion tracking for all orders within a campaign

2. Campaign Tracking Pixels (Conditional Postbacks)

Location: Campaign tracking pixel configuration
Triggers: When a successful order is processed AND matches specific tracking variables
Use Case: Conditional postbacks based on traffic source, affiliate partner, or other tracking criteria
Override Capability: Can completely override campaign-level postback settings

3. Offer Level Postbacks

Location: Offer configuration
Triggers: When specific subscription/offer events occur
Types Available:

Cancellation: offer_cancel_postback_url - Fires when subscription is cancelled
Reactivation: offer_reactivate_postback_url - Fires when cancelled subscription is reactivated
Expiration: offer_expire_postback_url - Fires when subscription expires naturally

4. Transaction Level Postbacks

Location: Offer cycle configuration (transaction_postback_url)
Triggers: When a successful transaction is processed for that specific offer cycle
Use Case: Detailed transaction-level tracking with comprehensive data variables

One Time Offers

Recurring Offers / Offer Cycles

Why Use Postback Pixels?

Real-time Notifications: Get instant updates when transactions occur
Automated Data Flow: Eliminate manual data entry between systems
Better Tracking: Keep all your business tools in sync automatically
Improved Analytics: Get comprehensive data across all your platforms
Affiliate Management: Automatically notify affiliate networks of conversions

How to Set Up Postback Pixels

The setup process varies depending on which type of postback pixel you want to configure:

Campaign Level Postbacks

Navigate to your campaign in the VRIO dashboard
Edit the campaign configuration
Locate the "Pixel Block" field (campaign_pixel_block)
Enter your postback URL with merge tags
Set the pixel type (Server to Server recommended for postbacks)
Save your campaign settings

Campaign Tracking Pixels (Conditional Postbacks)

Navigate to your campaign in the VRIO dashboard
Click on the campaign you want to configure
Look for the "Tracking Pixels" section
Click "Add Tracking Pixel"
Configure your pixel settings:
- Tracking Key: Select which tracking variable to match (tracking1, tracking2, etc.)
- Tracking Value: Enter the exact value to match
- Pixel Type: Choose "Server to Server" for postbacks
- Postback URL: Enter your postback URL with merge tags
- Weight: Set priority (lower number = higher priority)
Save your settings

Offer Level Postbacks

Navigate to your offer configuration
Edit the specific offer
Configure the appropriate postback URL fields:
- Cancellation: offer_cancel_postback_url
- Reactivation: offer_reactivate_postback_url
- Expiration: offer_expire_postback_url
Enter your postback URLs with merge tags
Save your offer settings

Transaction Level Postbacks

Navigate to your offer configuration
Edit the specific offer cycle
Locate the "Transaction Postback URL" field (transaction_postback_url)
Enter your postback URL with merge tags
Save your offer cycle settings

Testing Your Configuration

Use the appropriate "View" option to verify your settings
Make a test transaction to ensure the postback is working
Check your external system to confirm data is being received
Review postback logs in VRIO to verify successful delivery

Configuration Options

Pixel Types

Postback Pixels (Recommended)

Sends data directly to your external system via HTTP request
More reliable than display pixels
Better for automation and data integration

Display Pixels

Shows tracking code on customer's browser
Useful for client-side tracking
Good for analytics platforms that require browser-based tracking

URL Configuration

Your postback URL is where VRIO will send the transaction data. This should be a URL provided by your external system (CRM, analytics platform, etc.).

Example URLs:

https://your-crm.com/api/conversion
https://analytics.yoursite.com/track
https://affiliate-network.com/postback

Available Data Variables

You can include dynamic data in your postback URLs using special variables (called "merge tags"). These variables will be automatically replaced with actual customer and transaction data.

Transaction Information

{transaction_id} - Unique transaction identifier
{transactiontotal} - Total amount of the transaction
{transactiondatetime} - When the transaction occurred
{transactionsubtotal} - Subtotal before tax and shipping
{transactionshippingprice} - Shipping cost
{transactiontax} - Tax amount

Order Information

{order_id} - Unique order identifier
{ordertotal} - Total order amount
{orderdatetime} - When the order was placed
{order_subtotal} - Order subtotal
{campaign_id} - Campaign identifier

Customer Information

{customer_email} - Customer's email address
{customer_telephone} - Customer's phone number
{billingfirstname} - Billing first name
{billinglastname} - Billing last name
{billingaddress} - Billing street address
{billingcity} - Billing city
{billingstate} - Billing state/province
{billingzipcode} - Billing ZIP/postal code
{billingcountry} - Billing country

Shipping Information

{shippingfirstname} - Shipping first name
{shippinglastname} - Shipping last name
{shippingaddress} - Shipping street address
{shippingcity} - Shipping city
{shippingstate} - Shipping state/province
{shippingzipcode} - Shipping ZIP/postal code
{shippingcountry} - Shipping country

Payment Information

{card_last_four} - Last four digits of credit card

Tracking Information

{tracking1} through {tracking20} - Custom tracking parameters you can use for additional data

Example Configurations by Type

Campaign Level Postback

Use Case: General conversion tracking for all orders in a campaign

https://your-analytics.com/conversion?order_id={order_id}&amount={ordertotal}&email={customer_email}&campaign_id={campaign_id}

Campaign Tracking Pixel (Conditional)

Use Case: Affiliate-specific tracking based on traffic source

Configuration:
- Tracking Key: tracking1
- Tracking Value: affiliate_partner_123
- Postback URL: https://affiliate-network.com/postback?transaction_id={transaction_id}&amount={transactiontotal}&email={customer_email}&partner_id=123&date={transactiondatetime}

Offer Level Postbacks

Use Case: Subscription lifecycle events

Cancellation Postback:

https://your-crm.com/api/cancel?subscription_id={order_offer_id}&customer_email={customer_email}&cancel_date={date_cancel}&reason={cancel_type_id}

Reactivation Postback:

https://your-crm.com/api/reactivate?subscription_id={order_offer_id}&customer_email={customer_email}&offer_id={offer_id}

Expiration Postback:

https://your-crm.com/api/expire?subscription_id={order_offer_id}&customer_email={customer_email}&final_amount={order_offer_price}

Transaction Level Postback

Use Case: Detailed transaction tracking with comprehensive data

https://analytics.yoursite.com/transaction?transaction_id={transaction_id}&order_id={order_id}&amount={transactiontotal}&subtotal={transactionsubtotal}&tax={transactiontax}&shipping={transactionshippingprice}&customer_email={customer_email}&billing_name={billingfirstname}+{billinglastname}&card_last_four={card_last_four}&datetime={transactiondatetime}

Postback Execution Priority and Flow

Understanding how different postback types work together is crucial for proper configuration:

Execution Order for Order Processing

Campaign Tracking Pixels are checked first (tracking1 through tracking20)
If a matching tracking pixel is found, it overrides the campaign-level postback
If no tracking pixel matches, the Campaign Level Postback fires
Transaction Level Postbacks fire separately for each successful transaction
Offer Level Postbacks fire for subscription lifecycle events (separate from order processing)

Priority Rules

Campaign Tracking Pixels have the highest priority and can completely override campaign settings
Transaction Level Postbacks fire independently of campaign postbacks
Offer Level Postbacks are event-specific and fire separately from transaction postbacks
Multiple postback types can fire for the same customer action

Example Flow

Scenario: Customer makes initial purchase with tracking1=affiliate_abc

✅ Campaign Tracking Pixel fires (if configured for tracking1=affiliate_abc)
❌ Campaign Level Postback does NOT fire (overridden by tracking pixel)
✅ Transaction Level Postback fires (if configured on offer cycle)
✅ Offer Level Postbacks will fire later based on subscription events

Best Practices

URL Design

Use HTTPS: Always use secure URLs for postback endpoints
Test First: Test your URLs with sample data before going live
Keep It Simple: Don't include unnecessary data in your URLs
URL Encode: The system automatically handles special characters, but design URLs to be clean

Data Management

Verify Data: Check that your external system is receiving the correct data
Handle Errors: Make sure your external system can handle occasional failed requests
Monitor Performance: Keep an eye on postback success rates

Security

Validate Data: Always validate incoming postback data on your external system
Use Authentication: Consider adding authentication tokens to your postback URLs
Monitor Access: Keep track of who has access to your postback configurations

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Postback Not Firing

Check that your campaign has transactions occurring
Verify the postback URL is correct and accessible
Ensure your external system is responding quickly (within 1 second)

Missing Data

Verify all merge tags are spelled correctly
Check that the data exists in your transactions
Confirm your external system is processing all the data fields

Duplicate Postbacks

Postbacks are sent once per successful transaction
Check if your external system is creating duplicates
Verify transaction IDs are being used properly

Getting Help

Use the "View Tracking Pixel" option to see your current configuration
Check the postback logs to see request and response details
Contact support if you need help with external system integration

Advanced Features

Multiple Postbacks

You can set up multiple postback pixels across different levels to send data to different systems simultaneously:

Campaign Level: General conversion tracking
Campaign Tracking Pixels: Conditional tracking based on traffic source
Transaction Level: Detailed transaction data
Offer Level: Subscription lifecycle events

Each type serves a different purpose and can be configured independently to work together.

Conditional Postbacks (Advanced Feature)

Configure postbacks to fire only under specific conditions using tracking variables. This powerful feature allows you to override your campaign's default postback settings based on the source of your traffic.

How It Works:
When a transaction occurs, the system checks the tracking variables (tracking1 through tracking20) against your configured tracking pixels. If a match is found, it uses the specific postback configuration instead of the campaign's default settings.

Use Cases:

Different affiliate partners requiring different postback URLs
Traffic sources with different commission structures
A/B testing different tracking configurations
Custom postbacks for specific marketing campaigns

Configuration Steps:

Set Up Tracking Variables
- Configure your traffic sources to pass tracking parameters
- Example: https://yoursite.com/checkout?tracking1=affiliate123&tracking2=campaign456
Create Conditional Postback Pixels
- Navigate to your campaign's tracking pixels section
- Click "Add Tracking Pixel"
- Configure the following:
  - Tracking Key: Select which tracking variable to match (tracking1, tracking2, etc.)
  - Tracking Value: Enter the exact value to match (e.g., "affiliate123")
  - Pixel Type: Choose "Server to Server" for postbacks
  - Postback URL: Enter the specific URL for this condition
  - Weight: Set priority (lower number = higher priority)
  - CPA Override: Optionally override the campaign's default CPA value
  - Offer Filtering: Optionally limit to specific offers
  - Firing Percentage: Set what percentage of matching transactions should fire
Priority System
- If multiple tracking pixels match, the system uses the one with the lowest weight (highest priority)
- The system checks tracking1 through tracking20 in order
- Once a match is found, it stops checking and uses that pixel configuration

Example Scenarios:

Scenario 1: Different Affiliate Partners

Campaign Default: https://default-tracking.com/conversion?order={order_id}

Affiliate A (tracking1=affiliate_a):
- Postback URL: https://affiliate-a.com/postback?order_id={order_id}&commission=15
- CPA Override: $15.00

Affiliate B (tracking1=affiliate_b):  
- Postback URL: https://affiliate-b.com/track?ref={order_id}&amount={ordertotal}
- CPA Override: $12.50

Scenario 2: Traffic Source Segmentation

Campaign Default: https://analytics.com/conversion?order={order_id}

Google Ads (tracking2=google):
- Postback URL: https://googleads.com/conversion?gclid={tracking3}&value={ordertotal}
- Firing Percentage: 100%

Facebook Ads (tracking2=facebook):
- Postback URL: https://graph.facebook.com/events?fbclid={tracking3}&value={ordertotal}  
- Firing Percentage: 100%

Organic Traffic (tracking2=organic):
- Postback URL: https://analytics.com/organic?order={order_id}
- Firing Percentage: 50%

Scenario 3: A/B Testing

Test A (tracking4=test_a):
- Postback URL: https://test-platform.com/conversion?test=a&order={order_id}
- Firing Percentage: 100%

Test B (tracking4=test_b):
- Postback URL: https://test-platform.com/conversion?test=b&order={order_id}  
- Firing Percentage: 100%

Control Group (tracking4=control):
- Postback URL: https://test-platform.com/conversion?test=control&order={order_id}
- Firing Percentage: 50%

Advanced Configuration Tips:

Wildcard Matching: Currently not supported - values must match exactly
Multiple Conditions: Each tracking pixel can only match one tracking variable
Fallback Behavior: If no tracking pixels match, the campaign's default pixel fires
Override Capabilities: Conditional pixels can override:
- Postback URL
- CPA value
- Pixel type (server-to-server vs. HTML)
- Firing percentage

Best Practices:

Test Thoroughly: Always test your conditional logic with sample transactions
Document Your Setup: Keep track of which tracking variables are used for what
Monitor Performance: Check your postback logs to ensure conditional pixels are firing correctly
Use Descriptive Names: Include notes in your pixel configurations to remember their purpose
Set Appropriate Weights: Use weight values that make sense for your priority needs

Troubleshooting Conditional Postbacks:

Pixel Not Firing: Check that the tracking variable value matches exactly (case-sensitive)
Wrong Pixel Firing: Review your weight settings and ensure priorities are correct
Multiple Pixels Firing: The system should only fire the first match - check your configuration
Default Pixel Not Working: Ensure your campaign has a default pixel configured

This conditional postback system gives you incredible flexibility to customize your tracking based on traffic source, affiliate partner, or any other criteria you can pass through tracking variables.

Custom Tracking

Use the 20 available tracking variables ({tracking1} through {tracking20}) to pass custom data specific to your business needs.

Integration Examples

Google Analytics Enhanced Ecommerce

https://www.google-analytics.com/collect?v=1&tid=UA-XXXXX-Y&cid={customer_email}&t=transaction&ti={order_id}&ta=YourStore&tr={ordertotal}&ts={shipping_price}&tt={transactiontax}

Facebook Conversions API

https://graph.facebook.com/v12.0/{pixel_id}/events?access_token=YOUR_TOKEN&data=[{"event_name":"Purchase","event_time":{unix_timestamp},"user_data":{"email":"{customer_email}"},"custom_data":{"currency":"USD","value":"{ordertotal}"}}]

Salesforce Lead Creation

https://webto.salesforce.com/servlet/servlet.WebToLead?oid=YOUR_ORG_ID&email={customer_email}&first_name={billingfirstname}&last_name={billinglastname}&phone={customer_telephone}&company=Customer

Remember: The key to successful postback pixel implementation is testing. Always test your configurations with sample data before deploying to production campaigns.