Also known as: Click Tracking, Click-Through Attribution, Cookie-Based Tracking
Post-click tracking measures a referred user's actions only after they physically click your affiliate link. The click drops a browser cookie (and often a tracking parameter), and any registration or deposit that follows within the cookie window is credited to you.
It is the default attribution model across nearly every retail-brokerage partner program. When a trader taps your link, the broker's system logs the click, stores your unique affiliate ID in a first- or third-party cookie, and starts a countdown — commonly 30, 60, or 90 days. If the same browser completes a qualifying event before that window closes, the commission routes to you.
The mechanism is deliberately click-anchored so credit only flows to partners who actively drove the visit. Contrast this with post-impression (view-through) tracking, which credits an ad that was merely seen. A concrete example: an IB shares a link with a 30-day cookie on Monday. The user does nothing, then returns and deposits $500 on day 12. Post-click tracking reads the surviving cookie and attributes the account — and any CPA or revenue-share tied to it — to the IB.
Because it depends on the browser, post-click tracking degrades when cookies are blocked, cleared, or expired. Apple's Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) caps many client-side cookies at 7 days, and privacy browsers strip third-party cookies entirely, which is why serious media buyers pair it with server-to-server postbacks for durability.
When a user clicks your tracking URL, the broker's server writes a cookie containing your affiliate ID and a click identifier, then redirects the user to the landing or registration page. The cookie sits in the browser for the defined duration.
If the user registers and funds an account before the cookie expires, the broker matches the stored affiliate ID to the new account and books the commission to you. If the cookie is missing at conversion time — cleared, blocked, expired, or on a different device — attribution defaults to the broker (unattributed) or to whichever partner's cookie is present under the program's last-click rule.
The tracking URL carries your affiliate ID and is logged as a click on the broker's server.
The broker drops a cookie storing your ID and a click identifier, with an expiry (e.g. 30 days).
No immediate action is required; the cookie persists in the background until it expires.
The user registers and deposits within the window; the broker reads the cookie and attributes the account.
Your CPA or revenue-share is credited in the partner portal, subject to the program's validation rules.
Why it matters for partnership: Post-click tracking is the plumbing that turns your traffic into paid commissions. If the click isn't recorded correctly, the deposit never attributes to you and the earnings vanish silently. Testing and protecting your links directly protects revenue.
An IB promoting IC Markets shares a tracking link with a 30-day cookie. A prospect clicks it, browses, and closes the tab. Nine days later the same user returns directly, opens a Raw Spread account, and deposits $1,000. Post-click tracking reads the intact cookie and credits the IB, who then earns spread-based rebates on that trader's volume.
| Attribute | Post-click | Post-impression |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | User clicks the ad/link | User only views the ad |
| Typical window | 30-90 days | 24-48 hours |
| Program support | Standard everywhere | Rare, negotiated |
| Reliability | High if cookie survives | Lower, easily disputed |
Test every post-click link in an incognito window before launch to confirm the broker's URL records your affiliate ID and lands on the right page.
Using link shorteners or redirects that strip tracking parameters silently breaks attribution, so clicks convert but pay you nothing.
It varies by broker, but 30 to 90 days is typical in retail-brokerage programs. Always confirm the exact window in your partner agreement.
If the cookie is gone at conversion time, the deposit usually will not attribute to you unless a server-side postback captured the click earlier.
Generally no. A click on mobile and a deposit on desktop are separate browsers, so the cookie does not carry over unless the broker offers cross-device or account-linked tracking.
They overlap but are not identical. Post-click describes when tracking starts (after a click); last-click is the rule that credits the most recent click when several partners are involved.
Common causes are an expired cookie window, cookies blocked by the browser, a stripped tracking parameter, or the user registering on a different device.
It can. Apple's Intelligent Tracking Prevention limits many client-side cookies to 7 days, which is why professionals add server-to-server postbacks.