What is a postback?

A postback is a type of server-to-server (S2S) communication where one server sends data to another to report a user’s action—such as an app install, purchase, or in-app activity. This is a one-way signal that confirms the event occurred, without relying on the user’s browser or device. They provide accurate, real-time data that helps advertisers and media sources measure performance and optimize their ad campaigns more effectively.

How do postbacks work?

When a user clicks on an ad and completes a conversion on the advertiser’s website, the advertiser’s server sends a postback to the affiliate network’s server. This contains details about the conversion, such as the user’s (anonymized) ID, the conversion type, and the conversion value.

The affiliate network’s server then processes the postback and updates the affiliate’s account with the conversion information. This allows the affiliate to track their earnings and the advertiser to track the effectiveness of their campaign.

Types of postbacks:

• Install: This informs the winning media source that it was credited for an app install. Advertisers can also choose to send limited data through a postback to partners that did not win the attribution.
• In-app event: This updates the media source about a specific action taken by a user within the app after installation, like a purchase or level completion.

How to measure postbacks:

• Delivery rate: The percentage that is successfully delivered to the target server.
• Conversion rate: The percentage that results in a desired action, such as a purchase or sign-up.
• Accuracy: The percentage that contains accurate information about the conversion.

What is the difference between a postback and an API?

A postback is like a receipt—it just confirms something has happened but doesn’t request or send any further information. It’s a one-way notification and does not provide an option to retry if an error occurs.

An API is a more flexible and dynamic connection between systems. You ask for something (request), and you get an answer (response). With API, there’s two-way communication, meaning the system can send and receive data, and can also retry if something goes wrong.

Why are postbacks important to marketers?

 This communication allow marketers to:

• Track the effectiveness of their campaigns and attribute conversions to the correct sources.
• Automate their campaigns and make more informed decisions about their marketing investments.
• Prevent fraud and ensure that they are only paying for legitimate conversions.

Who needs to know what a postback is:</b>

• Performance marketer
• Affiliate marketer
• Media buyer
• User acquisition specialist
• Campaign manager
• Software developer

Use postback in a sentence: “Based on post-install activity delivered via postback, we were able to optimize campaign performance and deliver more highly engaged users.”