Start with what the tracking actually is
Tracking decides how much of your traffic revenue survives, and networks describe it in very different terms. The first split is between entries that name a mechanism and entries that make a claim.
Ace Partners documents a Postback / S2S, AdWork Media pairs postback, pixel and XML methods in a Real-time postback, pixel and XML tracking, and 2Performant sets out a Tracking code on advertiser site. Adscod runs the widest stack in this group, combining Argus fraud screening, API plus dwell viewability beacon.
Others answer in adjectives: A8.net offers an accurate tracking system and Afilio claims Unbeatable tracking. Ask every network which of these you actually receive before you weigh anything else, because a method you can inspect beats a promise you cannot.
Cookie windows decide what a click is worth
The attribution window is where a click either survives or expires. 1-800Accountant Affiliate Program runs through ShareASale and records a 90-day cookie via ShareASale, while 100% PURE Affiliate Program works on Impact with a 45-day cookie.
AWEmpire varies the window by payout type and lists a cookie 14 days, 30 days PPS. A longer window rewards a publisher who cannot retarget the visitor, and a shorter one punishes that publisher, so match the window to how you work rather than to the biggest number on the page.
Not every network uses a cookie at all. Boostiny applies coupon attribution, Advidi runs a Server-to-server postback with SubID tracking, and Affiliaty.ma issues a referral link with dashboard tracking to each publisher.
In-house builds against bought-in platforms
Who owns the tracking stack changes what happens when something breaks. AdCombo lists In-house tracking, advertise.ru pairs in-house tracking and logging of deals, and Affiracle runs Affiracle in house alongside Real-time tracking via personal tracking link. belboon takes a middle path with hybrid first-party tracking and AffiliateCube offers first-party tracking.
The alternative is shared software. affi.co and C3PA both sit on Affise, AffiliatePort uses TUNE software for conversion tracking, AdsMain runs HasOffers real-time tracking, and Arbitrage Leads works from HasOffers. Advendor keeps its own build and points to proprietary tracking.
Compare this row first. A network running its own code can adapt methods for a specific campaign, while a network on shared software gives you a more predictable reporting format across many advertisers.
Real-time reporting is the everyday test
Performance checking is where publishers spend the most time, so reporting speed is worth separating from the rest. Adshqip offers real-time analytics, AFFPRO Real-time tracking, AdultForce Real-time tracking, ArabClicks real-time tracking and reporting and Arabian Affiliates Real-time tracking and reporting dashboard.
Two entries make the same promise in their own words. afrofiliate tracks clicks and conversions live and adds a reporting dashboard, while Algo-Affiliates records impressions, clicks and conversions in its partner dashboard. Affmy pairs real-time statistics and reports, and Aff44 Campaigns keeps a tracking link per publisher and campaign so each publisher and campaign reports separately.
Fraud screening protects the payout
A network that does not filter traffic pays you for traffic you cannot repeat. Adscod adds Argus fraud screening, API plus dwell viewability beacon, which combines fraud screening with a beacon for viewable time on a page.
ADCELL pairs Secure tracking, ACCESSTRADE Indonesia runs conversion tracking and validation, and AdPick publishes real-time conversion reporting. A network that reports conversions as they happen and validates them afterwards is easier to reconcile against your own analytics than one that only sends a monthly total.
Network reach and where a program sits
A single program inherits its reach from the network underneath it, so check where the program is hosted before you compare commissions. 1-800Accountant Affiliate Program lists ShareASale, 100% PURE Affiliate Program lists Impact, and 1000Farmacie IT sits on Sovrn through Sovrn.
A program tied to one network inherits that network's tracking limits, so read the two rows together. A long cookie window is worth little if the network underneath reports conversions slowly or without validation.
A short routine for comparing options
Work through the same five rows for every option: the attribution window, the attribution mechanism, reporting speed, fraud screening, and the network the program sits on. Options that look similar on commission often separate sharply on tracking.
To see how the rows stack up, browse the Affiliate networks ranking first, then read the individual write-ups for A8.net, Ace Partners, AdCombo, Admitad, AdPick and Adscod to see how each network describes its own setup.