How S2S Integration Transforms Affiliate Performance: Case Studies & Key Takeaways

Accurate conversion tracking is critical for advertisers and publishers alike—yet many still rely solely on browser-based tracking, which can miss conversions due to ad blockers, cookie restrictions, and technical complexities. Server-to-server (S2S) integration solves these challenges by enabling direct, reliable data transfer between systems, ensuring no sale or lead goes untracked.

With Admitad Loss Adjustment implementation initiative coming up June 1st , it’s the right time to showcase what our partners, who have already moved to S2S integration, have achieved.

Below, we examine real-world cases where switching to S2S led to higher conversion capture, improved publisher performance, and increased advertiser ROI.

Case 1: A Leading Travel Booking Platform

Challenge:

A global travel brand with a highly dynamic website (multiple APIs, third-party plugins, and real-time booking systems) struggled with conversion loss due to unreliable browser-based tracking.

Solution:

They implemented S2S alongside GTM to capture transactions missed by traditional tracking.

Results (10-month period):

• Total tracked actions: 2,965
  • GTM-only tracked: 19% (552 actions)
  • S2S-tracked: 81% (2,395 actions)
• Revenue impact was quite same – total gross revenue that might be potentially untracked was also 80% of total

Advertiser Benefits:
4x more conversions captured that would have been lost
Full visibility into the customer journey, enabling better optimization
Higher loyalty and trust in publisher performance data – more onboarded publishers

Case 2: A Premium Skincare Brand in Europe

Challenge:

A luxury skincare advertiser noticed inconsistent tracking, leading to undervalued publisher efforts and missed optimization opportunities.

Solution:

They fully transitioned to S2S tracking, ensuring real-time, accurate attribution.

Results:

Publisher Impact:

• Top 3 publishers saw a 159% increase in orders in one month – and started to invest more in campaign promotion
• Overall CR increased, while CR jumped for the Top 3 publishers from 4.46% to 6.21%, indicating higher-quality traffic.

Advertiser Benefits:
More accurate payouts—no more underpaying high-performing publishers leading to more efforts from those publishers
Better campaign optimization with reliable data
Increased publisher trust, leading to stronger partnerships

Case 3: A Global Fashion Retailer (Multiple Markets)

Challenge:

A well-known apparel brand running affiliate campaigns across different regions faced discrepancies in conversion reporting.

Solution:

They adopted S2S tracking, ensuring seamless cross-border transaction tracking.

Results:

Publisher Impact:

• Overall CR decreased due to expanded clicks, but Top-4 publishers CR improved from 16.74% to 17.51%, proving better attribution.
• Publishers saw more tracked clicks from the campaign and started to invest more sources to promote it

Advertiser Benefits:
Identified previously missed cross-device conversions
Optimized budgets toward top-performing publishers
Reduced disputes with accurate, real-time reporting

Case 4: A Major Home & Tools Retailer

Challenge:

An omnichannel home improvement retailer experienced tracking gaps, leading to undervalued affiliate-driven sales.

Solution:

They implemented S2S, capturing previously missed conversions.

Results:

Metric	GTM-Only	With S2S	Increase
Clicks	366,619	500,519	+137%
Orders	13,301	10,856	-18% (due to filtering invalid clicks)
Conversion Rate	3.63%	2.17%	-40% (due to broader click tracking)

Publisher Impact:

• Top 4 publishers saw a 148% order surge in 15 days, meanwhile overall orders decreased due to filtering invalid clicks.
• Overall CR also decreased due to identifying invalid clicks, but CR for Top-4 publishers increased from 9.74% to 13.93%, showing higher-quality traffic.

Advertiser Benefits:
Reduced fraud by filtering invalid clicks and publishers
Improved ROI by focusing on high-converting traffic and publishers
More accurate affiliate payouts, strengthening partnerships

Key Takeaways for Advertisers & Publishers

Why Advertisers Should Switch to S2S:

Recover lost revenue – No more missing conversions due to browser restrictions.
Optimize campaigns effectively – Reliable data means better budget allocation.
Build stronger publisher relationships – Accurate tracking leads to fair payouts and trust leading to more focus and efforts from publishers.

Why Publishers Benefit from S2S:

Higher conversions tracked – More sales mean higher commissions.
Better traffic quality insights – Optimize marketing efforts based on real data.
Fairer attribution – No more missing out on deserved commissions.

Final Thoughts: The Future of Tracking is S2S

As privacy regulations tighten and tracking becomes more complex, S2S integration is no longer optional—it’s essential for maximizing performance in affiliate marketing.

Advertisers gain full visibility into conversions, while publishers enjoy fairer attribution and higher earnings. The cases above prove that those who embrace S2S now will stay ahead in performance marketing.

Ready to upgrade your tracking? Contact your account manager to get help.