Multi-Legged Network Attribution Using Tracking Tokens
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems lack an efficient method to track attribution across complex transactions involving multiple partners in online content and marketplace platforms, where conventional tracking tokens fail to accurately attribute credits to all entities involved in a chain of redirects.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of tracking tokens and an attribution stack managed by a tracking service, which generates and associates new tokens with each partner in the transaction flow, allowing for the accumulation of attributions across multiple redirects and enabling accurate attribution of transactions to all participating entities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional tracking tokens are used to track transactions, then the system is simple to implement, but it cannot accurately attribute credits to all entities involved in a chain of redirects
Solution Approach 1:
The tracking token is segmented into multiple components: a redirect token for tracking redirects, a transaction token for tracking transactions, and an attribution stack for accumulating attributions. This segmentation allows the system to handle complex multi-legged transactions while maintaining manageable structure and processing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The attribution stack is nested within the tracking token structure, with each redirect adding a new layer to the stack. This nested structure allows the system to maintain the complete chain of redirects and transactions without requiring separate data structures, thereby improving attribution accuracy while controlling overall system complexity.
2Measurement precision
If the tracking system accumulates attributions for all partners in the chain, then attribution completeness improves, but processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The attribution stack is built incrementally during the redirect chain execution, with each redirect adding its attribution to the stack before the final transaction occurs. This preliminary accumulation of attributions during the normal flow reduces the computational burden at transaction processing time, as the attribution data is already organized and ready for distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The tracking token and attribution stack are continuously updated throughout the entire redirect chain, from the initial redirect through each intermediate redirect to the final transaction. This continuous updating ensures that attributions are accumulated in real-time without requiring separate batch processing, thereby reducing overall processing time while maintaining completeness.
3Measurement precision
If the system tracks all redirects in the chain, then attribution accuracy improves, but network bandwidth usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The critical attribution information is extracted and encoded into the tracking token structure itself, which is passed through the redirect chain. This extraction of essential data into the token eliminates the need to transmit complete transaction histories or multiple separate data structures through each redirect, thereby reducing bandwidth usage while maintaining attribution accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The tracking token serves multiple functions simultaneously: it tracks redirects, tracks transactions, accumulates attributions, and enables credit distribution to all partners in the chain. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate tracking mechanisms, reducing the overall data transmitted through the network while maintaining comprehensive attribution capability.
Data Source
AI summary
Technologies are shown for network attribution tracking for a multi-legged transaction. In accordance with some aspects, a request is received at a second service from a client device via a first redirect including a first token associated with a first service. The second service sends, to a token service, a token request including the first token, wherein the token request causes the token service to associate a second token with the first token. The second service receives, from the token service, a token response including the second token. The second service provides, to the client device, a second redirect to a third service, the second redirect including the second token. In some aspects, a transaction is attributed to at least the first service and the second service based on the association of the second token with the first token.