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Affise Checker is a tool, which can help you to check redirects of Affise tracking URLs & Advertiser’s tracking URLs (whether links redirect to App Store/Google Play Market). Affise provides two ways of checking links: auto checking and manual checking. Use flexible settings to adjust checking in the way you want. Manage your offers to understand the flow of traffic. Analyze the statistics on redirects and optimize the tracking process.
Affise Auto Checker
If you don’t want to spend time checking tracking links - use this tool. The test is performed automatically according to the settings you set up.
It is a paid feature. If you want to try it - please, contact your dedicated account manager.
Affise Auto Checker is located in the Automation section:
You need to get specific permissions, which allow you to use this feature. Go to User Management -> A certain user:
1) Get access to the Automation section
2) Get access to Affise Checker:
- Write permission means you have full access to Affise Checker.
- Deny permission means you won’t see the feature itself in the Automation section as well as results of checking on Dashboard, in the offer list, and in the Statistics (Affise Checker section).
If you haven't paid for the feature, you can't adjust settings.
All available settings are:
Where:
- Automatic checker enabled: turn on/off the Automatic checker whenever you want.
- The list of advertisers whose offers you would like to check. It is not possible to set up several rules for different Advertisers.
To add advertisers you need to get Read or Write access for Advertisers editing:
If you have Deny access or Deny list of certain advertisers, you can view added advertisers or remove them from the Auto Checker rule.
- Hops limit: choose the desired number of redirects. If the limit is exceeded, the test is considered as failed.
The number of hops ≠ the number of links. Hops are redirects from one link to another one. For example: there are 3 links, but 2 hops (1 -> 2, 2 -> 3).
- Interval: here you can choose the frequency of tests: 1, 4, 8, and 24 hours.
- Actions (Beta): currently offers can only be checked by Affise Checker. We’re planning to implement status changes in case of a failed test in the future.
- 'Only CPI' flag: you can test only CPI offers (offers, where the “Is CPI” flag is active).
- Save: save all the settings.
How it works
The system will take the Advertiser's tracking links of all active offers of the selected Advertiser each X-number of hours and check whether the link will reach the Google Play Market or App Store.
The link is taken from this field:
The system looks at the first general Targeting group in every offer to create (to emulate) a click. The settings taken into account are the following: GEO & OS (the very first OS setting):
Affise Auto Checker will ignore macros presented in the main Tracking URL (the link given to you by the Advertiser).
For example, there is a link:
https://google.com?click={clickid}&pid={pid}&ip={ip}
Affise Check it in the following way:
https://google.com?click=clickid&pid=pid&ip=ip
The test is considered as successful if Google Play Market or App Store has been reached eventually within the number of redirects you had set up.
The test is considered as failed if Google Play Market or App Store has not been reached eventually or the number of redirects exceeds the number you had set up.
All types of redirects are checked: HTTP 302, Meta redirect, JS meta redirect.
Where to check the results
You can see the results at three places on the Admin panel: in the offer list, on the dashboard and in Statistics section.
Results in the Offers list:
Green color = the test was successful.
Red color = the test failed.
You see the results of the last 4 tests as well as reasons for failing when hovering mouse on a certain result:
- Redirect URL returned bad status: while redirecting, the Affise Checker got status other than 200 (it could be 404 or 400, for example).
Since Automatic Checker begins the test with Advertiser’s tracking URL this error means something is wrong on Advertiser’s side, not in Affise
- Redirect chain didn't lead to target market: at the end of the test, the system didn’t reach the market. For example, you set up the limit of 10 hops, however on the 6th one you got to some website, and there are no further redirects at all. It can happen if your Advertiser has targeting restrictions on his side, which Affise Checker doesn't meet. As a result, the system redirected to the Trafficback.
The time limit for redirect from one link to another is 7 seconds. If time is exceeded, you'll get 'Redirect chain didn't lead to target maket' error.
- Hops limit exceeded: the number of hops is exceeded. For example, you set up the limit of 10 hops. After the 10th one, the system didn’t reach the market. Probably, if you have set up more hops, it would have reached the market eventually.
- Redirect URL is insecure: while redirection the system faced HTTP connection, which interrupted the whole chain of redirects.
The results will be deleted in 7 days after the tests were performed if there are no new results.
You also can filter offers by the result of the last check as well as by the number of hops:
Results in Statistics:
Here you can:
- Indicate a time range: up to 90 last days.
- Choose the timezone
- View results by certain advertisers: you must have Read or Write access for Advertisers editing to use this filter:
The following widgets are presented:
- Top advertisers per failed checks: up to 5 advertisers with the biggest number of failed checks. X-axle shows the number of checks.
- Top advertisers per successful checks: up to 5 advertisers with the biggest number of successful checks. X-axle shows the number of checks.
- Checks by hops: % of checks with a certain number of hops (both successful and failed checks are counted)
- Checks by results: % of checks with successful results as well as with different reasons of failed checks.
- The table:
- the total daily number of checks and hops
- the hops/checks ratio
- the total daily number of checked offers
- the total daily number of offers with failed checks
- % of offers with successful/failed checks.
Results on the Dashboard:
You can see more information on the “Automatic checks” dashboard:
The following relevant widgets are presented there:
- Top 5 advertisers with the biggest number of offers passed the test.
- Top 5 advertiser with the biggest number of offers failed the test.
You can use the time range: Today, This month, Last month.
Change Log
Each time when you change the settings of Automatic Checker the relevant record appears in the Change log:
Here you can filter by date and users who changed something.
If you see the ‘Can’t fetch change log’ message, it means you have Adblock or similar plugins turned on. Please turn it off for a while.
Affise Manual Checker
This feature allows you to manually check the Affise tracking URL (or any other link) for a certain offer under certain conditions (GEO, OS, OS version).
You can use Affise Manual Checker for free, however, the number of tests is limited: 10 free tests per day for all users. If you want to extend - contact your dedicated manager.
You also need to get relevant permissions to use this feature.
Affise Manual Checker is located in the Automation section:
Where:
- Tracking URL: the link which starts the further chain of redirects.
- OS, version of the OS: choose the OS and its version you want to check the offer with.
- Country: choose the country you want to check the offer from.
All fields are mandatory.
You also can test the advertiser's tracking link for a certain offer in a few clicks. Go to a certain offer -> Tracking tab:
A new browser tab will open:
You have to set up all targeting manually.
How it works
You need to insert an Affise tracking URL for a certain affiliate and an offer to the relevant field. Here you can learn how to get this link. Nevertheless, you can check any other link if needed.
If the link is invalid, you will get a notification. The link is considered invalid if it doesn’t begin with https/http/www.
The default number of hops is 10. If the tool doesn’t reach the app market in 10 hops - then the test failed.
The number of hops ≠ the number of links. Hops are redirects from one link to another one. For example: there are 3 links, but 2 hops (1 -> 2, 2 -> 3).
You will see the results of the test right here:
Green indicator means the Affise tracking URL leads to the offer.
Gray indicator means the test failed. You’ll see the error message:
- Redirect URL returned bad status: while redirecting, the Affise Checker got status other than 200 (it could be 404 or 400, for example).
- Redirect chain didn't lead to target market: at the end of the test, the system didn’t reach the market. For example, there is a limit of 10 hops, however on the 6th one you got to some website, and there are no further redirects at all. It can happen if your Advertiser has targeting restrictions on his side, which Affise Checker doesn't meet. As a result, the system redirected to the Trafficback.
The time limit for redirect from one link to another is 7 seconds. If time is exceeded, you'll get 'Redirect chain didn't lead to target maket' error.
- Hops limit exceeded: the number of hops is exceeded. There is a limit of 10 hops. After the 10th one, the system didn’t reach the market. Probably if the system has had more hops, it would have reached the market eventually.
- Redirect URL is insecure: while redirection the system faced HTTP connection, which interrupted the whole chain of redirects.
You may also find the following articles helpful:
- How to perform an integration test with advertisers?
- How to perform an integration test with affiliates?
If you still have any questions left on Affise Checker (either Automatic or Manual one) set up, feel free to address them to Affise Technical Support Team via support@affise.com as long as to contact your Dedicated Account Manager.
Written by Lizaveta Talkachova
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