Postback
An HTTP request sent from a destination system back to a source system to confirm that data was received and processed. Common in advertising a conversion postback tells the ad platform that a purchase occurred so it can optimise bidding.
Expert insight
A postback URL that isn't idempotent, meaning it takes a different action each time it's called with the same data, causes real problems when a provider retries a postback after a timeout (common when the provider didn't receive an acknowledgment fast enough), duplicating whatever action the postback triggers.
In a real workflow
An ad network sends a postback to your server when a conversion is recorded, which updates attribution.
Common mistakes
- Not verifying postbacks, allowing fake conversions.
- Duplicate postbacks counted twice.
Complexity level
Requires some familiarity with automation concepts.
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