How to Set up S2S Postbacks in Keitaro Tracker

Server-to-Server (S2S) postbacks help marketers, affiliates, and advertisers track and improve their conversion data. They’re usually used to send information about conversions directly to the advertising source, making data collection more accurate.

This guide will explain what S2S postbacks are, why they’re useful, what information they need, and how to set them up in Keitaro Tracker.

What Are S2S Postbacks?

S2S postbacks are used to send information about actions (e.g., a sale, sign-up, or action) from Keitaro Tracker to various destinations. This includes ad networks, affiliate networks, CRMs, Telegram bots, or any system capable of receiving S2S data.

How Postbacks Work in Keitaro Tracker?

Here’s how the process goes in simple terms:

Imagine you promote an offer using a Keitaro tracking link on a traffic source like an ad network or website. When users click the link, the tracker redirects them to the offer and logs the click data.

Next, when a user completes an action (like a purchase), Keitaro receives a postback confirming the conversion. The tracker can then send this data to the specified destination via an S2S postback, notifying it about the conversion.

You can choose when the tracker sends a postback: after a sale, lead, upsell, or rejection.

Why Do You Need S2S Postbacks?

✅ Accuracy: Direct server-to-server communication reduces the data loss or manipulation risks.

✅ Real-time updates: Provides fast data transfer, allowing for quick adjustments and insights.

✅ Better security: S2S postbacks have less exposure to data theft compared to client-side methods.

Parameters You Can Send in S2S Postbacks

The main parameter for S2S Postback is the Click ID. This unique identifier links a conversion back to a specific click, allowing the traffic source to attribute the event properly.

Beyond the Click ID, you can include additional data points in your S2S postbacks as detailed in the documentation. The tracker also provides the option to create custom names for campaign parameters specified in the second column of your tracker settings (see the screen).

For example, if you rename “sub_id_1” to “param,” you can use either the standard macro {sub_id_1} or the custom macro {param} in your S2S postback. 

This flexibility allows you to pass data using the parameter name that best aligns with your campaign requirements.

How to Set up S2S Postbacks?

There are several ways to set up postbacks in Keitaro Tracker:

1. By using an available traffic source template for the campaign.
2. By connecting your own traffic source template to the campaign.
3. By adding S2S postback right in the campaign, without traffic source.

We’ll go through all three methods, so you can choose the one that suits your needs.

Video Tutorial for S2S Postback Set-Up

To make it easier for you to follow, we’ve made a video tutorial, explaining all the steps:

If the video format is less convenient for you, below you can find a text description for setting up S2S Postback using 3 available methods.

Method #1: Set up S2S Postback with a Built-in Template

Keitaro Tracker simplifies setup with 500+ ready-made templates for CPA and ad networks. Here’s how to work with them:

1. Go to “Traffic Sources“ and click “Create.”
2. Click “From template” and find the source name. 
3. The system will auto-fill all the fields.
4. Click “Create” to finish.
5. Go to the campaign where you want to set up S2S postback
6. In the “Source” field, choose the traffic source you want to use. The tracker will automatically fill in the required fields.

Note: Some sources, like Facebook, don’t support S2S postbacks. In these cases, other tracking methods must be used.

Method #2: Set up S2S Postback when Template Isn’t Available

1. Go to “Traffic Sources“ and click “Create.”
2. Add the name, S2S postback URL, placeholders, and parameters for Click ID. You can get them from the ad network (traffic source). 
3. Click “Create” to finish.
4. Go to the campaign where you want to set up S2S postback
5. In the “Source” field, choose the traffic source you want to use. The tracker will automatically fill in the required fields.

Method #3: Set up S2S Postback without Template

With Keitaro Tracker, you can send a postback to a third-party system, like a CRM. You can also set up multiple S2S postbacks for one campaign. Here are the steps you’ll have to take:

1. Go to the campaign settings.
2. Go to the “S2S Postbacks” section. 
3. Click “Add a postback.”
4. Add a “New Postback.”
5. Input the postback URL, sending method (GET or POST), and status.

S2S Postback FAQ