Conversion tracking is required for CPA campaigns and also helps you evaluate the results of CPM and CPC campaigns. To track conversions from Voluum in Adsterra, you need to set up a postback.
How does it work?
When a user clicks your ad, Adsterra sends a unique click ID to Voluum. Voluum saves this ID and tracks the user’s actions. If the user completes a conversion, Voluum sends the click ID back to Adsterra through the postback URL.
In this guide, you will:
Generate a postback URL in Adsterra.
Add the postback URL to Voluum.
Create a campaign in Voluum.
Make a test conversion and check the integration.
Step 1. Generate a postback
Log in to Adsterra
Log in to your account. In the left-hand menu, click Conversion tracking.
2. Choose Voluum tracker and your postback type
Select Voluum as your tracker. In this example, we use Simple postback.
The difference between postback types:
Simple postback just sends the conversion event to Adsterra without additional parameters.
Postback for variable payouts sends the conversion and its payout to Adsterra. Use it when the payout is in USD.
Postbacks with currency conversion are for non-USD payouts.
*Payout is the price you pay for a conversion. For example, it can be the price of a registration, purchase, or deposit. If Voluum sends the payout in the postback URL, this value takes priority over the payout set in the Adsterra campaign.
3. Generate a postback URL
Click the GENERATE POSTBACK button.
4. Copy the postback URL
You will need this URL later, so click the Copy icon.
Parameters inside the postback URL
A postback URL structure looks like this:
https://www.pbterra.com/name/username/at?subid_short={externalid}usernameis your Adsterra login. It is case-sensitive, so do not change uppercase or lowercase letters.subid_shorttells Adsterra which click led to the conversion{externalid}is a placeholder for the unique ID of an ad click in Voluum. The tracker sends the actual click ID to Adsterra when a conversion occurs.
Note: Postback URLs can be used with HTTPS secure protocol if needed.
5. Add your Asterra postback URL to your Voluum account
5.1. Log in to Voluum
Open Voluum and log in to your account.
5.2. Add Adsterra as a traffic source
1. Open the Traffic Sources tab in the top menu and click Create.
2. Enter “Adsterra” in the search field and select Adsterra from the list.
3. Scroll down to the Passing conversion info to traffic source section. Paste the Adsterra postback URL you copied earlier into the postback URL field.
Make sure the URL contains {externalid}. Voluum will replace it with the original Adsterra click ID when sending a conversion.
4. Click Save to create the traffic source.
Note: This guide explains how to track one conversion event. To track several events, follow our multi-event tracking guide.
Step 2. Create a campaign in Voluum
1. Create a new campaign
Open the Campaigns tab in the top menu and click Create.
Select Advanced campaign setup to configure the traffic source, tracking settings, and offer.
2. Enter the campaign details
In the Workspace field, select the workspace where you want to create the campaign. You can keep Initial if you do not use separate workspaces.
In the Traffic Source field, select Adsterra.
Enter the campaign name.
Cost model
Leave it Not tracked
In the Transition field, select Redirect.
3. Add an offer
Open the Destinations tab.
Select Offers only to send users directly to an offer without using a landing page.
Click the Offer field and select the offer you want to use or create a new one.
Click Save to add the offer to the campaign.
Click the copy icon to copy the Voluum campaign URL. You will add this URL to Adsterra in the next step.
Click Done to finish creating the campaign.
The Voluum campaign is ready. Now return to Adsterra to check the campaign URL.
Step 3. Check the Voluum campaign URL
Go back to Adsterra → Conversion tracking. Paste the Voluum campaign URL into the URL from your tracker field and click CHECK URL.
If the link is OK, you’ll receive a system message “Your URL is correct. Go ahead and make a test conversion.”
Step 4. Make a test conversion
Firstly, click MAKE A TEST CONVERSION. Adsterra will open the Voluum campaign URL and redirect you to your offer page.
Then complete the required action as if you were a real user. For example, register, submit a form, make a purchase, or complete another action required by your offer.
For multi-event campaigns, complete every action you’re going to track.
Return to Adsterra and click CHECK STATUS. You can also refresh the page. If the integration works correctly, the URL status will change to VALID.
URL statuses:
VALID means all good: Adsterra received the test conversion and matched it with the original click
INVALID means you need to return to your tracker and check if you placed the ##SUB_ID_SHORT(action)## correctly
PENDING means that Adsterra has not received the test conversion yet. Complete the required action, wait 5–10 minutes, and click CHECK STATUS again.