Pixel Tracking
Pixel tracking—also called “cookie-based tracking” and “client-side tracking”—is the method of tracking conversions that uses the user’s browser rather than the advertiser’s server (postback tracking).
Where to Configure Pixel Tracking in Swaarm?
You can set up pixel tracking for an offer on the Offer Creation: General Tab edit page.
Image Pixel
Attribution is done by tracking the pixel fired from an advertiser page.
iFrame pixel
iFrame pixel tracking is supported; replace <img/> with <iframe/>
Pixel Event Tracking
Add parameter our_event_type_id= or event_id= to the pixel tracking URL to track events on that offer.
When to Use Pixel Tracking
The offer's advertiser is unable to send server-side conversion notifications
The offer does not involve mobile app installs
The offer's desired end-users are on browsers that support tracking-related cookies
The advertiser's website is secure and uses SSL (HTTPS)
How Pixel Tracking Works
When A User Clicks on an Offer
User views an offer.
User clicks on the offer, and Swaarm records the click.
Swaarm generates and stores the click ID for that session in a cookie in the user's browser.
Swaarm directs the user to the offer's landing page.
The user may make a purchase or perform another action on the advertiser's website that would define the conversion. Normally, attributions are measured on a "Thank You" page (or similar) that appears after the action takes place.
🚫 When A User Cannot Be Tracked
If the user does not accept cookies in their browser, then they cannot be measured by campaigns using pixel tracking.
What Happens on Conversion
The user's browser loads a 1x1 pixel HTML container (this is the "pixel" or "conversion pixel") which contains the offer's conversion link. The advertiser places this pixel on the page that measures the conversion during the offer setup.
This pixel sends a signal to Swaarm that includes the session identifier in the user's browser cookie. The user is not directed to Swaarm.
At the time of the conversion, the sessions identifier matches the one generated by Swaarm at the time of the click. Swaarm then records a conversion for that session.
Summary Step by Step Pixel Process
User sees ad (impression) on Publisher's website
Click
Swaarm records the click and generates an ID
Swaarm redirects the user and stores the ID in a browser cookie
The user is on the Advertiser's landing page
Conversion
User's browser loads conversion pixel
Pixel notifies Swaarm
Swaarm determines attribution and records the conversion