# Tracking & Attribution
> First-party cookie tracking, direct link matching, standalone conversion pages, and configurable attribution models for affiliate referrals.
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- Last updated: 2026-09-04
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First-party cookie tracking, direct link matching, standalone conversion pages, and configurable attribution models for affiliate referrals.
## Referral Tracking
Royal Affiliate Pro uses cookie-based tracking to attribute sales to the correct affiliate.
### How It Works
1. Visitor clicks an affiliate link: `yoursite.com/?ref=affiliatecode`
2. The plugin sets a `rafp_ref` cookie containing the affiliate ID, campaign ID, and timestamp
3. The cookie persists for a configurable duration (default: 30 days)
4. When the visitor makes a purchase, the cookie is read and a referral is created
### URL Parameters
| Parameter | Purpose |
| --- | --- |
| `?ref=code` | Main referral parameter |
| `?affiliate=code` | Alternative referral parameter |
| `?campaign=slug` | Campaign tracking |
| `?creative=id` | Creative tracking |
### Tracking Settings
| Setting | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Cookie Duration** | 30 days | How long the tracking cookie persists |
| **Referral Code Format** | Username | Username-based or random code |
| **Link Format** | Pretty | Pretty URLs (/ref/code/) or query string (?ref=code) |
| **Cross-Subdomain** | Off | Share cookies across subdomains |
| **Clear After Conversion** | Off | Remove cookie after first purchase |
## Attribution Models
Choose how Royal Affiliate Pro attributes sales when a customer clicks multiple affiliate links.
### Available Models
- **First Click** - The first affiliate to send the customer gets credit for all purchases. The original cookie is never overwritten.
- **Last Click (Default)** - The most recent affiliate click overwrites the cookie. The last affiliate to send the customer gets credit.
### Excluded Pages
Block referral tracking on specific URLs. Supports wildcards and regex patterns to exclude checkout pages, admin areas, or any URLs where tracking should not apply.
### Forced Landing Pages
Designate specific pages as forced landing pages. When an affiliate link lands on these pages, the cookie expiration is refreshed, extending the tracking window.
## Standalone Conversions
Track affiliate referrals without WooCommerce by placing the `[rafp_conversion]` shortcode on any thank-you or confirmation page.
Agency Feature
This feature requires an Agency license.
### How It Works
Place the shortcode on a confirmation page that visitors reach after completing an action (purchase, signup, form submission). The shortcode reads the affiliate tracking cookie and creates a referral.
### Works With
- Stripe Checkout
- PayPal
- ThriveCart
- Gumroad
- Any external checkout that redirects back to your site
### Dynamic Amount Support
Pass the sale amount and reference via URL parameters for accurate commission calculation:
`yoursite.com/thank-you/?amount=99.99&reference=INV-001`
## Direct Link Tracking
Attribute visits without the `?ref=` parameter by matching the HTTP Referer header against affiliate-registered domains.
### How It Works
1. Affiliates register their website domains in their dashboard under **Profile → Promotion Domains**
2. When a visitor arrives at your site, Royal Affiliate checks the Referer header
3. If the referer domain matches a registered affiliate domain, the tracking cookie is set automatically
4. No `?ref=` parameter needed — the affiliate gets credit for the visit
### Limitations
- The HTTP Referer header is not always sent (HTTPS → HTTP, privacy settings, some browsers)
- Not a replacement for cookie-based tracking — use as a supplementary attribution method
- Domain matches are cached with a 1-hour transient for performance
**Tier:** Direct link tracking is available on **Pro** or higher.
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