You can track affiliate sales with specialized software like
Tolt ($49/mo, 0% fees, 5.0/5.0 rated),
Affonso ($12.50/mo with AI discovery), or
Dub ($75/mo, most accurate backend tracking).
Combine with UTM parameters for campaign attribution and cookies for customer journey tracking.
That's what affiliate marketing feels like without proper tracking.
Without it, you're essentially guessing which affiliates are truly driving sales.
Real story: I once promoted a SaaS product that sent me 1,000+ clicks over 3 months. I knew people were signing up (I saw comments from my audience saying they'd joined). But their tracking showed zero conversions attributed to me. Why? Their cookie-based tracking broke when users switched from mobile (where they clicked my link) to desktop (where they signed up). I never got credit. I stopped promoting them and found a competitor with better tracking.
This happens constantly. When tracking breaks, affiliates don't just lose commissions—they lose trust. And when affiliates leave, you lose the backlinks, SEO traffic, and organic referrals they were driving.
When you have no affiliate tracking, you're basically this guy
Accurate tracking is your finish line, ensuring every affiliate gets credit where it's due.
It prevents frustrating commission disputes.
It gives you the insights to optimize your program, reward your star players, and spot any suspicious activity before it hurts your bottom line.
What Could Go Wrong Without Affiliate Tracking?
💸 Wasted Marketing Budget
You'll pour money into partnerships without knowing which ones actually
convert.
😞 Demotivated Affiliates
Top performers might leave if they don't get recognized for their efforts.
🚨 Fraudulent Activity
Fake clicks and sales can drain your resources undetected.
📊 Inaccurate Data
You'll make decisions based on guesswork, not real performance metrics.
🚀 Missed Growth Opportunities
Without insights, you can't optimize your program to its full potential.
Top 3 Affiliate Tracking Methods
1. UTM Parameters
UTM parameters are tags you add to URLs that tell your analytics exactly where traffic came from. Think of them as detailed shipping labels for your web traffic.
utm_source=johndoe: Which affiliate sent the traffic (the affiliate's name/ID)
utm_medium=youtube: What channel they used (YouTube, blog, email, social media)
utm_campaign=review_video: What specific content drove the click (helpful for A/B testing)
Why this matters: If John's YouTube reviews convert at 10% but his Twitter posts convert at 1%, you know to encourage more video content. Without UTMs, you'd just see "traffic from John" with no insight into what's actually working.
Real-world use case:
Let's say affiliate Sarah promotes your product through:
Her blog (utm_medium=blog)
Her YouTube channel (utm_medium=youtube)
Her email newsletter (utm_medium=email)
By tracking each channel separately, you discover her email list converts at 15% while her blog only converts at 3%. Now you know to ask her to send more email campaigns instead of writing more blog posts.
Pro tip: Create a simple naming convention for your team. For example:
utm_source = affiliate name (lowercase, no spaces: john_smith)
utm_medium = channel type (standardized: blog, youtube, email, podcast, twitter)
utm_campaign = content type or promo (descriptive: product_review, how_to_guide, black_friday_2025)
How to track UTM parameters:
You can track these tags in several ways:
In your web browser's address bar: When you click a link with UTM parameters, they'll be visible in the URL.
In Google Analytics: If you're using Google Analytics, you can find UTM data under Acquisition > Campaigns > All Campaigns.
In your affiliate tracking software: Most affiliate platforms will automatically capture and display UTM parameters.
Using browser extensions: Some browser extensions, like the Google Analytics URL Builder, can help you create and analyze UTM parameters.
2. Affiliate Links
Affiliate links are unique URLs assigned to each partner. When a customer clicks on an affiliate's link and makes a purchase, the link tells your system which affiliate referred that sale.
Example:
https://yoursite.com/?ref=partner123
In this example, partner123 is the unique identifier for a specific affiliate.
Why use affiliate links?
Easy for affiliates: They can easily remember and share their unique link.
Clean URLs: They look neat and tidy, making them more appealing to click.
Simple to implement: Most affiliate platforms generate these automatically.
Customizable: You can often customize the ref parameter to something more user-friendly, like the affiliate's name or brand.
Trackable: You can easily track the performance of each affiliate by monitoring their unique link.
How do they compare to UTM parameters?
While both track referrals, affiliate links are generally used for ongoing partnerships, while UTM parameters are better for specific campaigns.
Think of affiliate links as a dedicated VIP entrance for each partner, while UTM parameters are like different colored wristbands for various events.
Affiliate links are simpler for partners to use, while UTMs offer more granular tracking for your marketing team.
To create and manage affiliate links, you'll need affiliate software.
This software handles the technical details, allowing you to:
Generate unique links for each affiliate
Track clicks and conversions
Automate commission payouts
Check out my guide on the best affiliate software to find the right platform for your business.
3. Tracking Cookies
Tracking cookies are small text files that websites store in a user's browser. When it comes to affiliate marketing, these cookies play a crucial role in remembering which affiliate referred a particular visitor.
How do tracking cookies work?
Click: A user clicks on an affiliate link.
Storage: The affiliate's unique ID (and sometimes other information) is stored in a cookie on the user's browser.
Conversion: If the user makes a purchase within a set timeframe (e.g., 30 days), the cookie informs your system that this specific affiliate should be credited with the sale.
What information is typically stored in an affiliate tracking cookie?
Affiliate ID: The unique identifier of the affiliate.
Click Timestamp: When the user clicked the affiliate link.
Campaign ID: If the affiliate is promoting a specific campaign, this ID helps track its performance.
Expiration Date: Determines how long the cookie remains valid. For example, a 30-day cookie means the affiliate can still earn a commission if the user makes a purchase within 30 days of clicking the link.
Why are tracking cookies important?
Attribution: They ensure that the correct affiliate gets credit for a sale, even if the user doesn't purchase immediately.
Delayed Conversions: Many users don't buy right away. Cookies allow you to track conversions that happen days or even weeks after the initial click.
Data Insights: By analyzing cookie data, you can understand which affiliates are driving the most valuable traffic and optimize your program accordingly.
Can tracking cookies be combined with other methods?
Absolutely! Tracking cookies often work alongside other methods like UTM parameters and affiliate links to provide a comprehensive view of your affiliate program's performance.
Cookies + UTMs: Cookies capture the long-term referral source, while UTMs provide granular details about the specific campaign or traffic source.
Cookies + Affiliate Links: Affiliate links identify the partner, while cookies track their performance over time, even if the user navigates away and returns later.
By combining these methods, you gain a more holistic understanding of your affiliate marketing efforts, allowing you to make data-driven decisions and optimize your program for maximum success.
Tools for Tracking Affiliate Sales
1. Dedicated Affiliate Software
2. Google Analytics
Google Analytics is free and powerful for tracking affiliate performance. While it won't handle commission calculations or payouts (you need dedicated software for that), it's excellent for understanding traffic quality and conversion patterns.
Why use Google Analytics alongside affiliate software?
Your affiliate software tracks conversions and pays commissions
Google Analytics shows you the full customer journey (what pages they visited, how long they stayed, whether they bounced)
Combined data helps you identify which affiliates send high-quality traffic vs. just high-volume traffic
Here's how to set it up properly:
1. Create Custom Campaign Parameters (UTMs):
Purpose: UTMs are tags you add to the end of your affiliate links. They tell Google Analytics specific details about where your traffic is coming from.
Purpose: Goals tell Google Analytics what actions you want to track as conversions (e.g., a purchase, a signup).
How to Set Up:
Go to Admin > View > Goals.
Click + NEW GOAL.
Choose a goal template or create a custom goal.
For affiliate sales, a Destination goal is often used (e.g., the "Thank You" page after a purchase).
Set the goal details, including the destination URL.
(Optional) Assign a monetary value to the goal.
(Optional) Set up a funnel to visualize the steps leading to the conversion.
3. Monitor Conversion Paths:
Purpose: Understand how users interact with your site before converting.
How to View:
Go to Conversions > Multi-Channel Funnels > Top Conversion Paths.
This report shows the sequence of channels (including affiliate) that led to conversions.
4. Analyze Affiliate Performance:
Purpose: Identify your top-performing affiliates and understand their impact.
How to Analyze:
Go to Acquisition > All Traffic > Source/Medium.
Filter by Source / Medium containing affiliate.
Look at metrics like:
Users: Number of visitors from each affiliate.
New Users: First-time visitors.
Sessions: Number of visits.
Bounce Rate: Percentage of visitors who leave after viewing only one page.
Pages / Session: Average number of pages viewed per visit.
Avg. Session Duration: Average time spent on your site.
Goal Completions: Number of conversions.
Goal Conversion Rate: Percentage of sessions that resulted in a conversion.
Goal Value: Total value of conversions.
5. Create Custom Reports and Dashboards:
Purpose: Tailor your reports to focus on affiliate-specific data.
How to Create:
Go to Customization > Dashboards or Custom Reports.
Create a new dashboard or report.
Add widgets or dimensions/metrics related to affiliate traffic and conversions.
For example, you could create a dashboard that shows:
Top affiliates by revenue.
Conversion rates for different affiliate campaigns.
Traffic sources for each affiliate.
By following these steps, you can effectively use Google Analytics to track and analyze your affiliate sales, gain valuable insights into your program's performance, and make data-driven decisions to optimize your affiliate marketing strategy.
3. Custom Solutions
For advanced needs, consider building custom tracking:
// Example tracking codewindow.addEventListener('purchase', function (event) { const affiliateId = getCookie('affiliate_id') if (affiliateId) { trackPurchase({ orderId: event.orderId, affiliate: affiliateId, amount: event.amount, }) }})
Tracking Implementation Checklist
Before you launch your affiliate program, make sure you have these essentials in place:
Google Analytics: Powerful for tracking traffic from UTM parameters and analyzing affiliate performance. Set up Goals to track conversions.
UTM Builder: Use Google's Campaign URL Builder to create tracking parameters for your affiliate links.
Key Takeaways:
Tracking quality is make-or-break: Affiliates will leave if your tracking screws them over. Invest in reliable software.
Start with affiliate software: It simplifies everything—link generation, cookie tracking, commission calculations, and automated payouts.
Use UTM parameters: Combine with your software for granular campaign tracking.
Monitor cross-device conversions: Many users browse on mobile but convert on desktop. Choose software that handles this.
Prioritize data privacy: Be transparent with users and comply with regulations (GDPR, CCPA).
Test and optimize: Continuously analyze your tracking data to improve your affiliate program.
The $50/month difference between garbage software and reliable software will cost you thousands in lost commissions and burned affiliate relationships.
Good affiliates are hard to find. When you get them, don't lose them to broken tracking.
Tolt
5
0% transaction fees, 5.0/5.0 rated affiliate tracking software built for SaaS companies
Pros:
✅ 0% transaction fees (only platform with zero commission)
✅ Integrates with Stripe, Paddle, and Chargebee
✅ Automated global payouts (PayPal, Wise, crypto, wire)
