What is the Conversion Protection Initiative (CPI)?
Awin’s Conversion Tracking Initiative (CPI) compensates for substandard advertiser tracking by ensuring you’re still credited for affiliate-driven sales. CPI relies on standard tracking first, with probabilistic data acting as a backup if tracking fails.
CPI enforces two key tracking requirements for advertisers:
- Server-to-server (S2S) tracking (where not yet implemented)
- In-app tracking (for transactional apps)
Why is Awin implementing CPI?
CPI helps protect conversion data, ensuring that tighter browser restrictions, stricter cookie consent policies, and tracking limitations don’t negatively impact your commissions.
The key benefits of CPI include:
- Fair payment for sales that might not be accurately tracked without it.
- Strengthened relationships with advertisers through more reliable and accurate reporting.
How does CPI work if advertisers don't meet Awin's tracking standards?
Awin charges advertisers additional fees based on the estimated value of sales they may miss due to outdated tracking.
Advertisers are invoiced as follows:
No Server-to-Server (S2S) tracking:
- +12.6% adjustment applied to advertiser invoices to account for estimated missed sales.
- Larger brands providing deterministic data are subject to bespoke adjustment percentages.
No in-app tracking (for app sales):
- Based on actual app sales data if provided by the advertiser.
- Using a default 20% adjustment (based on industry benchmarks) if no data is provided.
What does CPI mean for publishers?
Starting 24 April 2025, eligible publishers will see extra commissions from advertisers affected by CPI.
Example: If you earned £1,000 from an advertiser without S2S tracking in March, you’d receive an additional £126 (12.6%) as a probabilistic transaction on April 24th.
Note: action is required to receive these payments because CPI compensation is applied automatically.
How are the probabilistic percentages (12.6%/20%) calculated?
- 12.6% for S2S gaps: Based on Awin’s internal data, this is the average sales uplift after S2S implementation.
- 20% for app gaps: Taken from industry benchmarks unless advertisers provide app-specific data.
Note: These calculations may change in future based on new data and insights.
What is the difference between probabilistic and deterministic tracking?
- Deterministic tracking: Uses direct data signals to track transactions with high accuracy.
- Probabilistic tracking: Estimates missing transaction data based on historical trends when direct tracking isn’t available.
Can advertisers avoid probabilistic adjustments?
Yes, by upgrading to S2S tracking and in-app tracking, advertisers provide the deterministic data needed to ensure you’re paid correctly without the need for the CPI.
How and when will I receive the CPI compensation payments?
You’ll receive CPI payments according to your payment schedule. For more information on the payment process, see Understanding Transaction Status and Payment Process.
How do I identify CPI (probabilistic) transactions in reports?
Log in to the Awin platform and complete the following steps:
- Go to Reports > Select the report (e.g. Transactions, Performance Over Time)
- Filter by Transaction Type > Probabilistic
Probabilistic transaction references display as follows:
CPI.AdvertiserID.PublisherID.Date#
To learn more about the reports you can access from the Awin platform, see Where do I find reports?
Can I get a list of advertisers participating in CPI?
We don’t provide a direct list of CPI participants, as advertiser tracking configurations, and therefore CPI eligibility, can change frequently. CPI is designed to ensure you’re compensated fairly without needing to track individual advertiser status.
If you’re looking to better understand which advertisers may be subject to CPI adjustments, you can use the methods below to evaluate their tracking setups.
Note: Whether or not the CPI is applied to advertisers depends on their individual contracts. When contracts are reviewed, so is the advertiser's CPI status.
Can I view a program’s tracking setup?
Yes. Awin provides transparency into advertiser tracking in two main ways:
1. On the Awin Platform:
From your dashboard:
- Go to Joined Programs
- Use Filter By > High-Reliance on Third-Party Cookies to identify programs with limited tracking setups
2. Using the Publisher API:
You can also use the Publisher API’s ‘Get Program Details’ endpoint to see which tracking methods each program is using via the new Tracking Transparency field (trackingTransparency). This field provides a 15-day rolling overview of the tracking methods configured and actively used by each program.
Supported tracking signals include:
- Client-Side Tag
- Server-to-Server
- App Tracking
- Voucher Code Attribution
- Deferred Click Measurement
This visibility helps you evaluate program reliability and make better optimisation decisions.
How does the CPI affect cookie tracking and consent issues?
The CPI doesn’t currently cover sales lost when consent is withheld. For cashback and loyalty publishers, Awin offers an Incentive Cookie Tool that bypasses consent for ‘strictly necessary’ activity. For more information on cookie consent, see Cookie Consent – Publisher FAQs.
Are there regions where CPI calculations differ due to local tracking laws?
No, CPI calculations are standardised across all regions and are not adjusted based on local tracking laws.
Do I need to know which advertisers participate in the CPI?
The goal of the CPI is to protect publishers from lost commission due to poor advertiser tracking by ensuring you’re paid fairly whether or not tracking is optimal. While there’s no need to monitor which advertisers are participating in CPI, you have tools available (such as the platform filters and Publisher API) to better understand program tracking configurations if you wish.
For more, visit the CPI Hub landing page.
