Taboola S2S conversion tracking with Tracked

Taboola S2S conversion tracking sends a confirmed event back to Taboola using the click ID Taboola supplied with the ad visit. Tracked can sit between that visit and an affiliate sale: it records the campaign and offer click, receives the advertiser's callback, then sends a configured server-to-server event to Taboola.

The setup works only when two identifiers survive their own handoffs. Taboola's tblci identifies the ad click for feedback to Realize. Tracked's {{click.id}} identifies the offer click that the advertiser must return in its callback. Do not swap them.

The two-click-ID path

Taboola ad → campaign URL with tblci → Tracked landing page
                                         ↓
                                  /click/1 offer action
                                         ↓
                advertiser saves Tracked offer-click ID
                                         ↓
                sale callback → Tracked /postback
                                         ↓
                configured Taboola S2S feedback uses saved tblci

Taboola says it automatically appends tblci to its ad URLs by default. If you use a custom click-ID parameter, configure that deliberately in Taboola and Tracked, then inspect a real landing request. Tracked must capture the Taboola value as the selected traffic source's platform click ID for the outbound event.

Configure the campaign and offer handoff

1. Connect or select the Taboola traffic source in Tracked, then associate it with the campaign. Confirm the campaign's click-ID parameter matches the value arriving on the landing URL, normally tblci.
2. Choose the page or destination and set the offer action to a tracked /click/N slot. If your advertiser uses a sub1 field, a configured offer URL might be https://advertiser.example/offer?sub1={{click.id}}. The field name is illustrative; use the network's supported field.
3. Click the offer in a test visit. Confirm the final advertiser request contains a real Tracked offer-click ID and the original campaign record retains the Taboola click ID. The initial hosted page has no offer-click ID until the visitor takes the offer action.
4. Configure the advertiser or affiliate network to return its saved Tracked ID to your campaign domain's /postback endpoint as click_id. A primary sale should use the untyped callback if it carries payout; explicitly typed secondary events currently record zero payout in Tracked.

This first callback is inbound: it proves that the advertiser's sale can be attached to a Tracked offer click. The postback URL guide covers supported fields, error responses, and retry checks.

Map the exact Taboola Event Name

In Taboola Realize, create or select the conversion event that should receive feedback. Taboola's S2S endpoint documentation requires click-id and name. name must match the case-sensitive Event Name configured in Realize, which can differ from the visible Conversion Name.

Set that exact value as the campaign's Taboola default event or a deliberate event mapping in Tracked. Tracked's Taboola adapter does not guess an event name from a network's inbound label; a campaign mapping is required to send the intended event. The adapter builds a GET request to Taboola's documented S2S endpoint with the stored Taboola click ID, the mapped name, and optional revenue, currency, or order ID when available.

For example, if the Realize Event Name is approved_sale, configure that exact string. Do not replace it with Purchase, Sale, or a different capitalization unless your Realize conversion actually uses that value. The conversion-event mapping guide explains why advertiser event names and traffic-source event names need a deliberate mapping.

Test both delivery stages

Taboola's Test Events workflow can generate a test URL and show server events received for the selected campaign. Run one end-to-end test with identifiers you can follow:

1. Open the Taboola test or eligible ad URL and confirm the tblci value reaches the Tracked campaign URL.
2. Take the page's /click/N offer action and confirm the advertiser stores the separate Tracked offer-click ID.
3. Trigger a supported conversion callback and find it on the original offer click in Tracked's journey or report.
4. Inspect the campaign's outbound postback history for the attempted Taboola event, its exact mapped name, and the provider response.
5. In Realize, check Test Events or the relevant conversion view for that same event. A Tracked inbound 200 does not prove that Taboola accepted the outbound request.

If you have a pixel and S2S event reporting the same conversion, define a deduplication approach before sending both. Taboola documents conversion deduplication separately from the S2S request format.

Common failures

Taboola receives no event

Check whether tblci reached the campaign, whether Tracked stored it as the platform click ID, and whether the campaign's Taboola feedback mapping is enabled. Then inspect the outbound postback record rather than repeating the advertiser callback blindly.

The event appears under the wrong name

Compare the exact Realize Event Name with the campaign mapping. Taboola's name field is case-sensitive. A helpful label in your offer or report is not automatically a valid Taboola Event Name.

Tracked cannot match the sale

Inspect the advertiser's outgoing offer request and the delivered callback. It must return the Tracked offer-click ID as click_id, not the Taboola tblci value. A missing ID returns 400; an unmatched ID returns 404 from the current inbound endpoint.

Revenue or attribution looks different across systems

Check that Tracked received the intended primary payout, that the Taboola event mapping includes the right event, and that Realize accepted the feedback. Keep the advertiser's affiliate payout, Taboola's optional revenue field, and campaign spend as separate values when comparing profit.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to add {click_id} to every Taboola ad URL?

Taboola documents tblci as the default parameter it appends automatically. A custom parameter requires a deliberate URL or campaign-tracking setup. Inspect the final live request rather than assuming the preview represents the delivered click.

Is the Tracked offer-click ID the same as tblci?

No. Tracked's ID joins the advertiser's callback to an offer click. tblci joins the outbound S2S event to the Taboola ad click. The campaign journey carries both contexts.

Does a successful advertiser postback mean Taboola received the conversion?

No. Check the stored conversion in Tracked, the outbound delivery record, and Taboola's event view separately. Each confirms a different handoff.

Can I use one Taboola Event Name for every offer?

Only if that is the event contract you configured in Realize and it expresses the outcome you want to optimize. Tracked lets a campaign choose a default event or map distinct conversion types to the exact event names you created.

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