Attribution and the attribution window
How MeerPartners decides which influencer to credit a conversion to: last-click, the aff_attr cookie, click_id, signal priority and what the attribution window is.
Attribution is the rule by which the platform decides which influencer to credit a conversion to. When a postback about a sale arrives, it needs to figure out whose click led to it. MeerPartners uses a last-click model with signal priority and a time limit — the attribution window.
What happens on a click
When a user follows a tracking link /r/{code}, the platform records the click and prepares two attribution mechanisms:
Sets the aff_attr cookie
A signed (HMAC) cookie with click data: click_id, offer_id, affiliate_id, timestamp. The cookie lifetime (Max-Age) equals the offer's attribution window.
Passes click_id into the redirect
The 302 redirect leads to the business site with the parameter ?aff_click=<click_id>. This is a server-side "fallback" mechanism in case the cookie does not survive until the conversion.
Why two mechanisms
The cookie is often lost — especially in Telegram, WebView and on mobile. That is why click_id is additionally passed in the URL: if the business returns it in the postback, attribution works even without a cookie. This is the most reliable path.
The attribution window
The attribution window is the period during which a click stays "valid" for crediting a conversion. It is set at the offer level (attribution_window_days), 30 days by default.
- The user clicked today and bought a week later — the conversion is credited (within 30 days).
- They clicked but bought after 45 days — the click is already outside the window, and the conversion becomes
unattributed(see below).
The lifetime of the aff_attr cookie matches the window: the cookie lives exactly as long as the offer is willing to "remember" the click.
Last-click: the latest click is credited
If there were several clicks on one offer, the conversion goes to the latest valid click (not from a bot, within the window). Each new click overwrites the attribution cookie.
| Situation | Who gets credited |
|---|---|
| Several clicks from one influencer | The latest click within the window |
| Clicks from different influencers (one offer) | The last influencer who clicked |
| Clicks across different offers | Each offer is counted separately; there is no cross-offer mixing |
Attribution signal priority
The platform searches for a click by signals top to bottom — as soon as it finds one, it stops:
click_id from the postback (most reliable)
The business passed aff_click from its landing page back into the postback. A server-side signal that survives cookie loss. The primary mechanism for Telegram / WebView / mobile.
aff_attr cookie
The contents of the signed cookie, if the business forwards it into the postback.
Server-side fallback signals
If click_id and the cookie are unavailable, the platform applies additional server-side signals as a fallback. Their confidence is lower, so returning click_id is the most reliable way to get accurate attribution.
The final attribution method is stored in the conversion (for example, click_id or unattributed).
Tip for the influencer and the business
The most reliable attribution is when the business returns click_id (the {click_id} macro in the link) back into the postback. This removes the dependency on cookies. How to set it up — in the guides on postback and tracking links.
Outside the window: unattributed
If no matching click is found — it arrived too late, was outside the window, or never existed — the conversion is not discarded. It is created with the unattributed status and goes into the resolution queue. The platform retries to find the click (it may have arrived with a delay), and if a match is found, the conversion is bound to the influencer.
| Case | What happens |
|---|---|
| Conversion with no click in the window | unattributed, deferred resolution queue |
| Click arrived with a delay | Re-match during reconciliation, binding to the influencer |
| Click from a bot | Excluded from attribution, marked as a bot |
| Duplicate click (page refresh) | Counted as a single click, repeats do not create extra rows |
A conversion does not vanish silently
Even if attribution did not find a click, the sale is recorded and visible in the system. Whether to accrue a commission outside the window is decided by the policy of the specific offer. If your conversion "was not credited" — see Troubleshooting.
Bots and fraud
Bot traffic is filtered out at entry and does not participate in attribution — it brings no commission. Suspicious conversions may be moved to an additional check. More — in the KYC and limits section.