- Definition
- An affiliate ID is the code in a tracking link that tells a merchant or network which partner referred a visit.
Programs pass the ID in different ways: a query parameter such as affiliate_id, a path segment, or a redirect through a network domain. The same program usually uses the same pattern for every partner.
An ID in a URL shows that the parameter was present. IDs can be copied, reused or misconfigured, so a match does not prove who placed the ad or that a commission was paid.
How Ads Lighthouse observes it
You tell Ads Lighthouse the name of your affiliate query parameter and, optionally, a directory of IDs and partner names. It then reads the value from saved ad destinations, reports each ID with its observations, and can alert you when one appears.
Official sources
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