What is Click Flow?
Click flow refers to the path a click takes from the moment a user clicks on an ad to when they arrive at the advertiser's final landing page. It tracks the series of redirections that occur between the publisher's link and the advertiser's destination URL.
Click flow always moves in one direction — from the publisher toward the advertiser.
Publisher → Advertiser
How Click Flow Works in Practice
In performance marketing, campaigns often pass through multiple networks or partners before reaching the end advertiser. Each hop in the chain adds a redirect, and click flow maps every step of that journey.
Example:
A company called XYZ assigns their campaign to ad network ABC. ABC sub-assigns it to another network called 123, which in turn assigns it to a social media influencer named Tia.
When one of Tia's followers clicks her promotional link, the click travels through the following chain before reaching XYZ's landing page:
Follower → Tia's link → 123's link → ABC's link → XYZ's landing page
Each link in this chain is a hop in the click flow. Trackier records every step of this redirection, allowing you to see exactly how a click traveled from its source to the final destination.
Why Click Flow Matters
Helps identify extra or unnecessary redirect hops that slow down user experience
Allows you to verify that clicks are flowing through the correct chain of partners
Useful for diagnosing broken or misconfigured tracking links
Gives visibility into multi-partner campaign structures
For example:
A company called XYZ has selected ABC to run their campaign. ABC, an advertising network, has then engaged the services of another advertising network called 123, to run the same campaign. 123 has in turn assigned the campaign to social media influencer named as Tia.
Tia's followers click on the link she provides, they will be directed through a series of links before reaching the main page. The redirection flow is as follows -
Followers --> Tia's link --> 123 link --> ABC link --> XYZ link (Main landing page)
What is Conversion Flow?
Conversion flow refers to the path that conversion data takes after a user completes a desired action — such as making a purchase, filling out a form, or installing an app. It describes how the conversion signal travels back from the advertiser's system to Trackier and then to the publisher.
Conversion flow always moves in the opposite direction to click flow — from the advertiser back toward the publisher.
Advertiser → Publisher
In Trackier, conversion flow is achieved through tracking methods such as server-to-server postbacks, pixel integrations, and API-based conversions. The conversion data — including the click ID, sale amount, and event details — travels back through the chain and is recorded against the correct click in Trackier.
How Conversion Flow Works in Practice
Using the same example from above — when a user completes a purchase on XYZ's website, XYZ's server fires a postback containing the click ID back to Trackier. Trackier then attributes the conversion to the correct click, publisher, and campaign.
XYZ fires postback → Trackier receives and attributes → Publisher receives credit
Why Conversion Flow Matters
Ensures conversions are attributed to the correct publisher and campaign
Validates that postbacks and pixels are firing correctly after user actions
Helps identify where in the chain a conversion signal is being lost or misattributed
Allows you to customize what conversion events are tracked and how they are reported
For example:
A company XYZ (advertiser), receives clicks from their publisher ABC. When these clicks result in conversions, the advertiser will be promptly notified. The advertiser will then pass on these conversions to their publisher, and this chain continues until it reaches the last publisher who originally sent the clicks.
XYZ (Advertiser) --> ABC (Publisher)
Click Flow vs. Conversion Flow — At a Glance
| Click Flow | Conversion Flow |
Direction | Publisher → Advertiser | Advertiser → Publisher |
Triggered by | User clicking on an ad | User completing a conversion action |
Tracks | The path of the click through the redirect chain | The path of the conversion signal back through the chain |
Methods | Redirect URLs, tracking links | Postbacks, pixels, S2S integration |
Used for | Understanding traffic routing and redirect hops | Attributing conversions to the correct publisher and campaign |
How Trackier Handles Both Flows
Trackier captures and records both flows simultaneously:
When a user clicks a tracking link, Trackier generates a unique click ID and records the full redirect chain in the Click Report
When a conversion fires, Trackier matches the click ID in the postback to the original click and records the conversion in the Conversion Report
Both flows work together to give you a complete picture of every user interaction — from the first click to the final conversion.
Conclusion
Click flow and conversion flow are two sides of the same tracking chain. Click flow shows you how traffic reaches the advertiser; conversion flow shows you how that outcome is reported back. Understanding both is essential for setting up reliable tracking, diagnosing attribution issues, and ensuring every conversion is credited to the right publisher and campaign in Trackier.
We're thrilled to have put together a top-notch team of qualified experts who are available to handle any of your concerns and respond to any inquiries you may have. You can contact us at any time by sending an email to support@trackier.com or using the in-platform chat feature.
