Attribution & Cookies

Attribution model

Affihub uses last-click attribution — the most recent partner referral link clicked before a purchase gets credit for the conversion.

How attribution is stored

When a visitor clicks a referral link (?ref=partner-slug), the tracking script stores the attribution in localStorage:

{
  "ref": "partner-slug",
  "program": "prog_abc123",
  "ts": 1712880000000,
  "landing": "/pricing"
}

Key: affihub_ref

This data persists in the visitor's browser until:

• It expires (90 days from the click)
• A new ?ref= click overwrites it
• The visitor clears their browser storage

90-day window

Attribution expires after 90 days. If a visitor clicks a referral link today but doesn't purchase until 91 days later, no partner gets credit.

The script checks the ts timestamp on each page load and automatically clears expired data.

Last-click behavior

If a visitor clicks multiple partner links, the most recent one wins:

No cookies

Affihub does not use cookies for attribution. All referral data is stored in localStorage, which:

• Is scoped to your domain (first-party only)
• Is not sent with HTTP requests
• Is not accessible by third-party scripts on other domains
• Is generally not subject to cookie consent requirements

Cross-device limitations

Because localStorage is browser-specific, attribution does not carry across devices. If a visitor clicks a referral link on their phone but purchases on their laptop, the conversion won't be attributed.

This is a fundamental limitation of client-side attribution. Server-side attribution via customer email matching is not currently supported but may be added in the future.

How attribution flows to payment

At checkout, your code reads the stored attribution:

const ref = window.AffiHub.getRef();

And passes it to the payment provider:

• Stripe: client_reference_id or metadata.affihub_ref
• Paddle: custom_data.affihub_ref

When the payment webhook arrives at Affihub, the partner slug is extracted from this field and matched to a partner in your program.

Deduplication

Each transaction is identified by a unique provider_event_id:

• Stripe: The Stripe event ID (e.g., evt_xxx)
• Paddle: The Paddle event ID
• Custom: Your transaction ID

If the same event ID is processed twice (e.g., webhook retry), the duplicate is ignored. A single transaction can only produce one commission.

Edge cases

No referral stored

If AffiHub.getRef() returns null, no referral attribution exists. The transaction proceeds normally with no commission created.

Partner not found

If the ref value doesn't match any active partner slug in your program, the webhook is processed but no commission is created. The event is still logged for debugging.

Partner deactivated

If a partner's status is deactivated at the time a webhook is processed, no commission is created even if the referral was captured when they were active.