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BidVertiser traffic source template BidVertiser is a self-serve ad network selling direct navigation, popunder, push, in-page push, contextual (injection) pop and native traffic, on desktop and mobile. This guide sets up BidVertiser as a traffic source in ClickFlare. It covers passing BidVertiser’s click data into your reports and sending conversions, with revenue, back to BidVertiser so its Auto-Optimization and your stats agree. You do everything from the campaign editor. The BidVertiser traffic source is created inline, without leaving the campaign.
In ClickFlare’s template picker the template is spelled BidVeritser. It is the BidVertiser template. Search for bidv to find it.

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At a glance

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How it works

1

BidVertiser sends the click

A visitor clicks your ad. BidVertiser opens your ClickFlare campaign URL and fills in its macros: the click ID in CLICKID, plus the traffic source (subid), keyword, campaign and country.
2

ClickFlare stores the BidVertiser click ID

ClickFlare saves the value of CLICKID as the visit’s External ID and redirects the visitor to your lander or offer.
3

The conversion reaches ClickFlare

Your affiliate network or store posts the conversion back to ClickFlare, matched on the ClickFlare click ID.
4

ClickFlare posts it back to BidVertiser

ClickFlare fires the BidVertiser postback, replacing {external_id} with the stored BidVertiser click ID and {payout} with the revenue. BidVertiser matches it to the original click.
The mirror to keep straight: in the campaign URL you write ClickFlare’s parameter (CLICKID) and BidVertiser’s macro ({BV_CLICKID}). The template does this for you. In the postback URL you write BidVertiser’s parameter (CLICKID) and ClickFlare’s token ({external_id}). The parameter name is the same on both sides. The value is not.

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Before you start

  • Set up your own tracking domain. Run the campaign and the postback on your own custom domain. Shared domains get flagged by networks and blocked by browsers. See Custom Domains.
  • Have an offer ready in ClickFlare, and its affiliate network set up to post conversions back to ClickFlare. See Creating an Offer and Adding an Affiliate Network.
  • Activate BidVertiser’s Global Postback. In BidVertiser, open the Campaign menu on the left and click Global Postback. Activate it to receive your unique postback code. It contains your account ID (AID), which goes into the ClickFlare postback.
  • Plan to track subids. BidVertiser’s optimization tools (Subid Report, Blacklist Subids, Bid Override) all work on the traffic source ID that {BV_SRCID} passes. The template already tracks it.

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Step 1 – Create the campaign and the BidVertiser traffic source

  1. Go to Campaigns and click New.
  2. In Traffic Source, open the dropdown and click + New Traffic Source.
  3. Type bidv in the search box and select the BidVeritser template.
  4. Enter a Name, for example BidVertiser.
  5. Leave Cost currency on USD. BidVertiser bids are in US dollars.
The template fills in the Parameters table for you: The BidVertiser template's Parameters table in ClickFlare, with BidVertiser's macros pre-filled Each tracking field becomes a column you can group reports by. BV_SRCID is the one you will use most. BidVertiser calls it the traffic source, subid or source ID. Grouping by it shows which placements convert, so you can block or rebid them in BidVertiser.
The Cost row’s TS Parameter is BV_BID{BV_BID}. It should be a plain parameter name. As it is, the campaign URL contains BV_BID{BV_BID}={BV_BID}, and BidVertiser replaces the macro on both sides of the =. The parameter name ClickFlare looks for never arrives, so no cost is recorded. Change the TS Parameter to bid and keep {BV_BID} as the TS Token. Or delete the row and use the CPC cost model.
Don’t change or remove the External ID row. Without CLICKID={BV_CLICKID} in the campaign URL, ClickFlare has no BidVertiser click ID to send back, and BidVertiser cannot match conversions.
To pass more BidVertiser data, click Add Parameter, give it a name and parameter, and enter the BidVertiser macro as the TS Token. ClickFlare assigns the next free tracking field. BidVertiser also offers these macros, which the template leaves out: BidVertiser lists the macros your account supports under Destination URL Macros in the Edit Ad window.

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Step 2 – Set up the postback

The postback is what sends conversions to BidVertiser. It lives on the traffic source, so every campaign that uses this BidVertiser traffic source sends conversions the same way. BidVertiser calls its postback the Global Postback. One postback serves all your BidVertiser campaigns. Each campaign only has to pass the click ID macro, which the template does.

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Get your account ID from BidVertiser

  1. In BidVertiser, open the Campaign menu on the left and click Global Postback.
  2. Activate the Global Postback. BidVertiser shows your unique postback code.
  3. Copy the code and find the value of AID in it. That is your BidVertiser account ID.

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Add it to the traffic source in ClickFlare

  1. Back in the New Traffic Source form, scroll to Passing conversion info to traffic source.
  2. Turn on Traffic source postback URL. The template’s postback appears:
The Traffic source postback URL switched on, showing the BidVertiser template's postback
  1. Make two changes:
    • Replace [REPLACE], square brackets included, with your BidVertiser AID.
    • Replace {externalid} with {external_id}, with the underscore. {externalid} is not a ClickFlare token. ClickFlare would send it as literal text, and BidVertiser would match nothing.
    The result:
  1. Compare it with the code BidVertiser gave you. The host, ver=1.0 and AID should match. If BidVertiser’s code uses https, use https too.
  2. In the dropdown on the left, choose the ClickFlare event that should fire the postback. Keep Conversions to send every conversion. If your final action is a custom conversion (for example purchase), choose that instead.
  3. Click Save. You are back in the campaign editor with the BidVertiser traffic source selected.
The template’s postback does not work as shipped. Replace [REPLACE] with your AID, and {externalid} with {external_id}. If either stays, BidVertiser records no conversions, and its Auto-Optimization has nothing to work with.
The postback sends revenue={payout}, the conversion’s payout. BidVertiser uses it for the conversion metrics in your campaign stats, including cost per conversion, and for Auto-Optimization against your ROI goals. Send revenue in USD. If your offers pay in another currency, see Multicurrency in ClickFlare. To learn what each postback token does, see How to Configure a Traffic Source S2S Postback URL.

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Step 3 – Finish the campaign and copy its URL

  1. Name the campaign.
  2. Set the Cost Model. Use Not Tracked if you fixed the Cost row in Step 1. Otherwise use CPC with your bid. See Cost.
  3. Choose Redirect or Direct tracking. Redirect is the usual choice for BidVertiser’s pop, push and direct navigation traffic.
  4. Click Next and, on Destination, add your lander (optional) and your offer.
  5. Save, open Tracking, select your own tracking domain and copy the campaign URL.
The campaign URL already contains every BidVertiser macro from the template, for example CLICKID={BV_CLICKID} and BV_SRCID={BV_SRCID}. If you use a lander, its call-to-action must link to the ClickFlare click URL, not to the offer directly. Otherwise the visit reaches the offer without a ClickFlare click ID, and the conversion cannot be traced back to BidVertiser. See Creating a Campaign in ClickFlare.

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Step 4 – Create the campaign in BidVertiser

  1. In BidVertiser, create a campaign and choose the ad format, targeting and bid as usual.
  2. Create the ad. Paste the ClickFlare campaign URL as the ad’s destination URL.
  3. Save and submit the ad.
Paste the URL exactly as ClickFlare gives it. BidVertiser replaces each {BV_...} macro during the redirect to your page. To check or edit the URL later, open the ad’s Edit Ad window.

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Step 5 – Test the integration

BidVertiser has no test-conversion tool. Test with a small live budget.
  1. Launch the campaign with a low daily budget.
  2. In ClickFlare, check that visits arrive with the Traffic source and Campaign ID columns filled. Empty columns mean the macros were not replaced. See Troubleshooting.
  3. Complete the offer yourself through a BidVertiser click, or wait for the first real conversion.
  4. In ClickFlare, go to Logs → Postback Status and filter by the campaign. A successful request to secure.bidvertiser.com confirms ClickFlare sent the postback. Open it and check that CLICKID holds a real click ID, not the text {externalid}.
  5. In BidVertiser, check that the campaign’s conversion metrics show the conversion. They only appear once BidVertiser records conversions.

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Uploading conversions manually

If you can’t use the postback for some conversions, BidVertiser accepts a manual upload. It also corrects gaps between the postback and your own records.
  1. Collect the BidVertiser click IDs of the missing conversions. ClickFlare stores each one as the visit’s External ID.
  2. In BidVertiser, open the Campaign menu and select Conversions Upload.
  3. Enter one conversion per line: the click ID, a comma, then the revenue. For example CLICK_ID,2.50.
  • Only conversions from the last 30 days are accepted.
  • One conversion per line, click ID and revenue separated by a comma.
  • A click ID that already has a conversion is ignored. Uploads never double-count.
BidVertiser has no documented multi-event postback. Send it the one event it should optimize on, usually your final sale. Earlier steps (leads, add to carts) still show in ClickFlare. They just don’t reach BidVertiser.To send a postback only for some conversions, for example only those above a certain payout, use Event filter under the postback to add conditions.

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Optimizing on subids

The BV_SRCID column in ClickFlare is BidVertiser’s traffic source ID. Use it with BidVertiser’s own tools:
  • Subid Report. Shows visits and requests per subid in BidVertiser. Requests are the ad requests you could have won. A good subid with a low win rate needs a higher bid.
  • Blacklist Subids. Block subids that spend without converting, per campaign, by hand or automatically.
  • Bid Override. Set a different bid for a single subid, higher for the ones that convert.
Give new subids enough visits before judging them. BidVertiser adds sources daily, so check new campaigns often.

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Cost

The template tries to pass cost per click. The Cost row sends {BV_BID}, which BidVertiser describes as your campaign’s bid, in US dollars. It is your bid, not a price set per auction. As shipped, the Cost row records nothing: its TS Parameter, BV_BID{BV_BID}, is malformed. Pick one of two setups:
  • Fix the row and use Not Tracked. Change the Cost row’s TS Parameter to bid (Step 1). On the campaign, set the Cost Model to Not Tracked, so ClickFlare uses the cost passed in the URL.
  • Use CPC. Set the Cost Model to CPC and enter your BidVertiser bid. ClickFlare charges that amount per visit.
{BV_BID} is the campaign’s bid. If you use Bid Override on some subids, the visits from those subids may cost a different amount than {BV_BID} reports. After launch, compare the Cost column with your BidVertiser spend.
When the recorded spend differs from your BidVertiser spend, correct it with a manual cost upload. See Cost Models.

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Delayed revenue

If you run search arbitrage (RSOC or AFD) behind BidVertiser, the feed reports revenue hours or days after the click. To pass that revenue to BidVertiser once it arrives, see Sending Delayed Revenue to Traffic Sources.

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Troubleshooting

  • The postback still contains {externalid}. ClickFlare doesn’t know that token and sends it as literal text. Change it to {external_id}.
  • [REPLACE] was never replaced with your AID.
  • The Global Postback is not activated in BidVertiser.
  • The campaign URL in BidVertiser is missing CLICKID={BV_CLICKID}, or the macro was edited. Copy the URL from ClickFlare again.
  • Traffic source postback URL is off on the BidVertiser traffic source.
  • Disable sending postbacks to traffic source is on in the campaign.
  • The postback is mapped to a different event than the one the conversion logged. Check Logs → Event Logs to see which event was recorded.
  • Check Logs → Postback Status: a failed request shows the status code BidVertiser returned.
The Cost row’s TS Parameter is still BV_BID{BV_BID}. Change it to bid, or switch the campaign’s Cost Model to CPC with your bid. Fixing the row only affects new visits. Correct past costs with a manual cost upload.
The macros were not replaced, usually because the URL was edited. Paste the campaign URL from ClickFlare unchanged. {BV_KEYWORD} is only filled when BidVertiser has search or contextual data for the visit, so some empty values there are normal. See Traffic Source Tokens Arriving Empty.
For the general checklist, see Conversions not showing.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q1: Can I use the same BidVertiser traffic source for all my BidVertiser campaigns?
A1: Yes. BidVertiser’s postback is global, and the ClickFlare postback is set once on the traffic source. Every campaign using it sends conversions the same way.
Q2: Why is the template called “BidVeritser”?
A2: It is a typo in the template name. The template is for BidVertiser. Name your traffic source BidVertiser when you create it.
Q3: Why is it CLICKID in both the campaign URL and the postback?
A3: ClickFlare reads BidVertiser’s click ID from its CLICKID parameter, and BidVertiser expects it back in its own CLICKID parameter. The names match, but the values differ: BidVertiser’s macro {BV_CLICKID} in the campaign URL, ClickFlare’s token {external_id} in the postback.
Q4: Do I need the postback if I only want to block bad subids?
A4: No, but it helps. ClickFlare shows conversions per subid from your own data. The postback adds conversions to BidVertiser’s reports and unlocks its Auto-Optimization.
Q5: Should I use Redirect or Direct tracking with BidVertiser?
A5: Redirect is the usual choice and works with every BidVertiser format. Use Direct only if BidVertiser must see your lander’s domain as the destination. See Direct Campaign Tracking.

Traffic source postbacks

Every token you can use in a postback.

Custom conversions

Split leads and sales into separate events.

Cost models

How CPC, CPA and RevShare costs are calculated.

Conversions not showing

The general checklist when postbacks don’t arrive.