Conversion Tracking Guide

Track conversions and measure campaign effectiveness

Overview

PVTLNK’s conversion tracking allows you to:

Measure campaign success - Track actions taken after clicking links
Attribute conversions - Know which links drive results
Optimize campaigns - Focus on highest-performing sources

Requirements

Plan	Availability
Starter	❌ Not available
Pro	✅ Available
Enterprise	✅ Available

Key Concepts

Conversion Goals

A conversion goal defines what action you want to track:

Goal Type	Example
Purchase	User completes a sale
Signup	User creates an account
Download	User downloads a file
Custom	Any action you define

Attribution Window

The time period after a click during which conversions are attributed:

Plan	Default Window	Customizable
Pro	30 days	❌ No
Enterprise	30 days	✅ Yes

Creating a Conversion Goal

Step 1: Navigate to Goals

Go to Dashboard → Analytics on a link
Click Manage Goals
Or go directly to Conversion Goals

Step 2: Create New Goal

Click Create Conversion Goal
Fill in the details:

Field	Description
Name	Descriptive name (e.g., “Q1 Sale”)
Goal Type	Purchase, Signup, Download, Custom
Value	Default conversion value (optional)
Postback URL	URL to receive conversion notifications

Step 3: Configure Postback (Optional)

Set up a postback URL to receive real-time notifications:

https://your-server.com/webhook/pvtlnk

PVTLNK will send a POST request when a conversion occurs:

{
  "event": "conversion.tracked",
  "conversion_id": "abc123",
  "link_id": 456,
  "click_id": 789,
  "value": 99.99,
  "currency": "USD",
  "timestamp": "2026-01-21T12:00:00Z"
}

Tracking Conversions

Method 1: Postback URL

When users complete a conversion, your system calls the postback:

POST https://pvtlnk.com/api/conversions/track/{POSTBACK_TOKEN}
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "value": 99.99,
  "currency": "USD",
  "order_id": "ORDER-12345",
  "click_id": 789
}

Method 2: Auto-Attribution

PVTLNK can automatically attribute conversions by IP and user agent:

POST https://pvtlnk.com/api/conversions/track/{POSTBACK_TOKEN}
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "value": 49.99,
  "currency": "EUR"
  // click_id optional - will be auto-detected
}

Method 3: Pixel Integration

Add a tracking pixel to your conversion page:

<img src="https://pvtlnk.com/api/conversions/track/{POSTBACK_TOKEN}?value=99.99&order_id=ORDER-123" 
     width="1" height="1" />

Understanding Metrics

Dashboard Metrics

Metric	Description
Conversions	Total conversions tracked
Conversion Rate	Conversions / Clicks × 100
Total Value	Sum of all conversion values
Average Value	Total value / Conversions
Time to Convert	Average time from click to conversion

Attribution Windows

Click Day	Conversion Day	Attributed?
Day 1	Day 1	✅ Yes
Day 1	Day 5	✅ Yes (within window)
Day 1	Day 35	❌ No (outside window)

Common Use Cases

1. E-commerce Sales

Track purchases from marketing links:

# When order completes
POST /api/conversions/track/{token}
{
  "value": 149.99,
  "currency": "USD",
  "order_id": "ORD-12345"
}

2. Lead Generation

Track signups from campaigns:

POST /api/conversions/track/{token}
{
  "value": 25.00,
  "currency": "USD",
  "order_id": "LEAD-67890"
}

3. App Install Tracking

Track mobile app installs:

POST /api/conversions/track/{token}
{
  "value": 5.00,
  "currency": "USD"
}

Integration Examples

JavaScript Integration

// After successful conversion
fetch('https://pvtlnk.com/api/conversions/track/YOUR_TOKEN', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    value: orderTotal,
    currency: 'USD',
    order_id: orderId
  })
});

PHP Integration

<?php
$postbackUrl = 'https://pvtlnk.com/api/conversions/track/YOUR_TOKEN';

$data = [
    'value' => 99.99,
    'currency' => 'USD',
    'order_id' => 'ORD-12345'
];

$ch = curl_init($postbackUrl);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, json_encode($data));
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, ['Content-Type: application/json']);
curl_exec($ch);
?>

Ruby on Rails Integration

class ConversionTrackerJob < ApplicationJob
  def perform(postback_token, conversion_data)
    HTTParty.post(
      "https://pvtlnk.com/api/conversions/track/#{postback_token}",
      body: conversion_data.to_json,
      headers: { 'Content-Type' => 'application/json' }
    )
  end
end

API Integration

# List conversion goals
GET /api/v1/conversions/goals

# Create conversion goal
POST /api/v1/conversions/goals
{
  "goal": {
    "name": "Q1 Sales",
    "goal_type": "purchase",
    "value": 99.00,
    "currency": "USD"
  }
}

# Get conversion analytics
GET /api/v1/analytics/conversions?link_id=123&days=30

# Track conversion (server-side)
POST /api/v1/conversions/track
{
  "postback_token": "abc123",
  "value": 49.99,
  "currency": "USD",
  "order_id": "ORDER-123"
}

Best Practices

1. Set Clear Goals

Define what success looks like before starting:

# Conversion Goal: Newsletter Signup

- **Definition:** User submits signup form
- **Value:** $5.00 (estimated LTV)
- **Target:** 10% conversion rate
- **Attribution Window:** 7 days

2. Track Multiple Conversions

Set up goals for different funnel stages:

Goal	Funnel Stage
Landing Page View	Top of funnel
Signup Started	Middle of funnel
Signup Complete	Bottom of funnel
First Purchase	Conversion

3. Use UTM Parameters

Combine UTM tracking with conversion goals:

?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=winter_sale

Then track which campaigns drive the most conversions.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
No conversions tracked	Verify postback URL is being called
Wrong attribution	Check attribution window settings
Duplicate conversions	Use order_id to prevent duplicates
Low conversion rate	Review landing page experience

FAQ

Q: Can I track partial conversions?
A: Yes, track each step of your funnel separately.

Q: How long is the default attribution window?
A: 30 days for all plans.

Q: Can I set different windows per goal?
A: Yes, Enterprise users can customize per goal.

Q: What’s the rate limit for conversion tracking?
A: 1,000 requests per minute.

Q: Can I export conversion data?
A: Yes, via the Analytics dashboard or API.

A/B Testing Guide - Combine with conversion tracking
Analytics Overview - Understand your data
API Documentation - Programmatic tracking

Confirm Action