An Abstract Of A Masked URL In A Renowned SaaS Based Performance Marketing Application

What is a Masked URL?

Masked URL plays a significant role in Adwalnut Panel. It is a third party URL which allows advertiser to gather information in a third party application. So when user will click on the campaign of the Adwalnut tracking link, first it will redirect to Masked URL and then to the Landing page URL. Advertiser must state the Masked URL in the offer details form while creating an offer. It can be different or same as Landing Page URL but it cannot be left blank.

What Is The Purpose Of Masked URL?

Suppose there is an advertiser who uses third party application. There is a network admin who uses Adwalnut for running his affiliate business. Actually network admin gives login credentials to advertiser user. After login into the panel advertiser can create an offer with Creatives, Landing Page URL and Masked URL. Through Masked URL advertiser gathers information about clicks. Basically Masked URL is often used with a tracking application that helps advertiser to track who clicked on links and where the clicks are coming from. When user clicks on the masked link, Adwalnut along with advertiser will gather information, and redirect to the Landing Page URL.

How Masked URL Works?

Masked URL means a third party URL by which advertiser accumulates information about clicks. Advertiser appends parameters (affiliate id, affiliate name, date, and datetime and so on) and the values are passed by the application in the macros. While user clicks on the tracking link first it will redirect to Masked URL then to the Landing Page URL. While clicking on the tracking link of the campaign then information (affiliate name, affiliate id) passes from the Adwalnut’s application and stores on advertisers’ database. Advertisers can see the report from their own third party application accordingly.

Let’s take an example, suppose there is an affiliate company named, Indo Asian and affiliate users whose name is Eliot Hughes and offer name is offer2016. If advertiser wants to see affiliate’s company name, offer name and offer id then advertiser appends macros in the following manner.

Assume this is a Masked URL www.adwalnut.com and macros are &affiliate_name ={affiliate_name} &offer_name={offer_name} &offer_id={offer_id}

After appending macros in the Masked URL it looks like

http://www.adwalnut.com&affiliate_name={affiliate_name}&offer_name={offer_name}&offer_id={offer_id}

While advertiser checks click reports then he will find the following report

http://www.adwalnut.com&affiliate_name=IndoAsian&offer_name=offer2016&offer_id=50713132269948416?

Number Of Macros In Adwalnut Panel

Macros are used to pass parameter values; by which database would able to know which values are required to pass. There are 24 kinds of macros in the Adwalnut panel. Like

a){ advertiser_id}:- id of the advertiser user.

b) {affiliate_id) :id of the affiliate user.

c) {adv_sub} Advertiser user sub specified in the conversion pixel / URL.

d) {affiliate_name} Company name of the affiliate user and so on.

e) {offer_name} Name of offer.

f) {offer_id} id of offer.

To know all the macros please sign up for a free demo.

How To Append Macros In Adwalnut Panel?

While including Masked URL in the offer details, on that time just append macros in this fashion in the Masked URL

http://www.adwalnut.com&affiliate_name={affiliate_name}&offer_name={offer_name}&offer_id={offer_id}

Synopsis

Masked URL constantly plays an important role as far as advertiser point of view is concerned. By providing Masked URL to network admin, advertiser will get crucial information about clicks and the source of clicks. To know more about it please sign up for free demo at http://www.adwalnut.com/signup.php

Arnab Dutta (M.Sc (IT), B.A English, Diploma in Advanced Software Development)Technical Content Specialist, Blogger, Social Media Executive and Digital Marketing Professional (Affiliate Marketing) arnabadwalnut@gmail.com