Resources
Performance Marketing Glossary
Clear definitions of performance marketing terms: CPI, CPA, CPL, CPS, ROAS, postback, sub-ID, attribution window and more.
- Advertiser
The company paying for conversions — the brand, app or agency running the campaign.
Related:Offer
- Affiliate
A partner who promotes an advertiser's products and is paid for the results they generate. Often used interchangeably with publisher.
Related:Publisher
- Attribution
The process of assigning credit for a conversion to the click or source that caused it.
- Attribution window
The period after a click during which a conversion can still be credited to it — for example, 7 days.
Related:Attribution
- CACCustomer acquisition cost
The total cost of acquiring one paying customer, including media and other acquisition costs.
Related:LTV
- Cap
A limit on conversions or spend for an offer over a period (daily, monthly). Traffic beyond a cap may not be paid.
Related:Offer
- Click flooding
Sending very large numbers of clicks in the hope of being credited for organic conversions. Visible as huge click volume with very low conversion rates.
Related:Invalid traffic
- Click ID
A unique identifier created for each click. It is passed to the advertiser and returned in the postback so a conversion can be matched to its click.
Related:Postback
- Click injection
An attribution fraud technique where a click is fired just before an install completes to steal credit for it. Often visible as unusually short click-to-install times.
Related:Invalid traffic
- Cohort
A group of users who share a starting point, such as the same install date and source, followed over time to measure retention and value.
- Conversion
A defined event that an advertiser values and pays for — an install, lead, registration, sale or other action.
Related:PostbackAttribution
- CPACost per action
A pricing model where the advertiser pays when a user completes a defined action, such as a registration, deposit or subscription.
Related:ConversionPayout
- CPCCost per click
A pricing model where the advertiser pays for each click on an ad or tracking link.
Related:CTR
- CPICost per install
A pricing model where the advertiser pays each time a user installs an app and opens it for the first time, as recorded by the measurement partner.
- CPLCost per lead
A pricing model where the advertiser pays for each lead that meets an agreed definition — typically a validated form submission.
Related:LeadDouble opt-in
- CPMCost per mille
The cost of one thousand ad impressions. Used for awareness buying and to compare media costs.
Related:Impression
- CPRCost per registration
A pricing model where the advertiser pays when a new user completes a registration or sign-up.
Related:CPA
- CPSCost per sale
A pricing model where the advertiser pays when a purchase is completed, either as a fixed fee or a share of order value.
Related:Revenue shareValidation period
- CTRClick-through rate
The share of impressions that result in a click: clicks ÷ impressions.
Related:CPCImpression
- CVRConversion rate
The share of clicks (or visits) that result in a conversion: conversions ÷ clicks.
Related:EPC
- Double opt-in
A sign-up process where the user confirms their subscription or submission — usually by clicking a link sent by email.
Related:CPL
- EPCEarnings per click
What a publisher earns on average for each click sent to an offer: payout × conversion rate. Publishers compare offers by EPC.
- GEO
The country or region targeted by a campaign or allowed on an offer.
Related:Offer
- Impression
A single display of an ad to a user.
Related:CPM
- Incentivized traffic
Traffic where users receive a reward for completing an action. Allowed on some offers, prohibited on many — it must be agreed explicitly.
Related:Offer
- Invalid traffic
Clicks, installs or conversions not generated by genuine human interest — for example bots, emulators or attribution manipulation.
Related:Click injectionClick flooding
- Last-click attribution
A rule that gives full credit for a conversion to the last click before it, within the attribution window.
Related:Attribution
- Lead
A potential customer who has shared contact details and expressed interest, typically through a form.
Related:CPL
- LTVLifetime value
The revenue (or margin) a customer is expected to generate over their relationship with a business. Compared with CAC to judge acquisition efficiency.
- MMPMobile measurement partner
A third-party platform that attributes app installs and in-app events to their sources and sends postbacks to networks.
- Offer
A campaign made available to publishers, with its pricing model, payout, conversion definition, allowed GEOs and traffic rules.
- Payout
The amount paid to a publisher for each valid conversion on an offer.
Related:EPC
- Pixel
A small piece of code loaded in the user's browser to report events. Less reliable than S2S because browsers and blockers can prevent it from firing.
Related:S2S tracking
- Postback
A server-to-server call from the advertiser (or its measurement partner) to the network reporting a conversion and its click ID.
Related:S2S trackingClick ID
- Publisher
A partner that sends traffic to offers — a website, app, community, creator, email list or media buyer — and earns payouts for conversions.
- Retention
The share of users who return to an app or product after a given period — commonly day 1, day 7 and day 30.
Related:Cohort
- ROASReturn on ad spend
Revenue attributed to advertising divided by the cost of that advertising. A ROAS of 3 means three units of revenue per unit spent.
Related:ROI
- ROIReturn on investment
Profit relative to cost: (revenue − cost) ÷ cost. Unlike ROAS, ROI accounts for the cost itself.
Related:ROAS
- S2S trackingServer-to-server
Tracking where conversions are reported directly between servers rather than through browser pixels. More accurate and less dependent on cookies.
- Sub-ID
Publisher-defined parameters (often sub1–sub5) attached to a tracking link to identify placements, creatives or campaigns.
Related:Tracking link
- Tracking link
A URL that records a click, generates a click ID and redirects the user to the advertiser.
- Validation period
The time between a conversion and the moment it becomes payable, allowing for returns, cancellations and quality checks.
Related:CPS