Time to read: 7 min.
The article covers the following topics:
Sync rules: what it is and how it works
Sync rules are the set of rules that influence the offer settings when pulling it from CPAPI to Affise. Sync rules are located on the new Campaign setup page as well as on the existing Campaign edit page.
The main goal of Sync rules is to manage synchronization frequency for specific offer fields in Affise.
We highly recommend getting familiar with our guide on general principles of CPAPI working before starting to read the rest of the article.
Sync rules section overview
Sync rules are used to manage synchronization frequency for specific offer fields in Affise. The frequency is determined by:
First Sync - the relevant field will be pulled to Affise offer the first time it appears in the source API response.
Always - the relevant field will be pulled or updated in Affise offer each time synchronization occurs.
Disabled - the relevant field will never be pulled or updated in Affise offer each time synchronization occurs.
Here you can find a short description of each Sync Rule category:
Categories - this section can be used to group offers according to their verticals.
Description - offer description: Offers -> Edit -> General -> Description.
Payments - the following fields are synced: country, OS, devices, total, payouts, currency, payment type
Status - the status assigned to an offer that is being pulled from CPAPI to Affise and will be set forcefully. Leave it According to the source to get the advertiser's accurate offer status only.
URL - you can find the main Tracking URL here:
Caps - here you can find this panel:
As CPAPI uses Affise API for affiliates the validation on caps exists. Here you can find out which cap rules are taken by CPAPI via API according to cap types, country, etc.
Smartlink Categories - defines the smartlink category that an offer will be assigned to in Affise. At first, Smartlink Category should be created in your Affise system (Smartlinks - > Add).
Traffic Targeting - Sync rule is used to manage synchronization frequency for Geo Restrictions. For more information about Targeting Synchronization In CPAPI, see the following link.
Landings - this Sync rule is available only for Affise <-> Affise integration. It pulls Landing pages set up here:
Countries - Country GEO restrictions to filter all offers approved on a source side based on country targeting.
Is CPI - has an informative purpose. Shows the model of payment for affiliates who use your API.
Payments Goal - the goal value to be returned in the goal parameter of a postback when the target action is completed. The default value is 1. Payments Goal synchronization disabling requires disabling of Caps Sync rule.
Title - offer title.
URL Preview - this setting has the following functions:
1) In some cases it works like Trafficback.
2) If you click this link in the Affiliate panel, you can see what this offer is in general.
KPI - has an informative purpose.
❗ We support multilanguage description only for the Affise<>Affise Integration.
Redirect Type - the offer redirect type, which is assigned to an offer in Affise and is set forcefully.
Privacy level - the level of privacy assigned to an offer that is being pulled from CPAPI to Affise: public, pre-moderation, and private.
Impression Destination URL - the link, which an advertiser gives you to let you send information about impressions to them.
Allow impressions - allows impressions tracking in Affise. Check the guide on impressions out.
Notes - additional notes, which an advertiser can pass inside their offer.
❗ If you set up values in some field in the Default values section in the Campaign, but the namesake Sync rule is set up as Disabled, the value will not be applied: the offer will be pulled with a default value. For instance: you set up Meta-redirect in Redirect Type field in Default values section, but the Redirect Type Sync rule is for disabled - the offer will contain HTTP 302 redirect as it is the default one.
Sync rules frequency changing
When you change sync rule frequency (e.g. from Always to First Sync), mind that the changes are applied for all imported offers. Imported offers are those, which CPAPI takes from the advertiser's feed. If the campaign contains 100 offers, but an advertiser gives 90 offers in their API feed, changes are applied for 90 offers only.
Also, when you change sync rules from First Sync or Disabled to Always, changes for offers are delivered to Affise only after an advertiser makes changes in the source.
Sync rule as Always: peculiarities
Example: in the Campaign, you have all Sync rules as the First Sync (or Disabled) except only one: Title. You changed the Title in the offer manually/via API in Affise. These changes will remain till the moment when an advertiser changes anything else (for instance, Caps) on his side. CPAPI will notice such changes. As a Sync rule for Caps is as First Sync, Caps won't be updated, but new Title in Affise will be erased (brought back to version an advertiser has now), as the Sync rule for Title is as Always. This principle is applied to all Sync rules the Campaign has.
Several particular cases you can face when working with CPAPI:
Case No. 1: You have the Title Sync rule as Always and the Cap Sync rule as First Sync, and you’ve changed the Title manually/via API in Affise. CPAPI made an API call to an advertiser and didn’t find any changes at all in Caps - all values in Caps remain the same. Your Title will remain the same at least till the next Api call CPAPI will make.
Case No. 2: You have the Title Sync rule as Always and the Cap Sync rule as First Sync, and you’ve changed the Title manually/via API in Affise. CPAPI made an API call to an advertiser and found that the advertiser did not pass Caps as a whole parameter (there are no both parameters and the value in it). Your Title will remain the same at least till the next API call CPAPI will make.
Case No. 3: You have the Title Sync rule as Always and the Cap Sync rule as First Sync, and you’ve changed the Title manually/via API in Affise. CPAPI made an API call to an advertiser and found that the advertiser passed the empty Caps parameter without any value. Your Title will remain the same at least till the next API call CPAPI will make.
❗ Changes are counted for even if an advertiser passes ‘-’ or ‘0’ - any value matters.
Case No. 4: You have the Title Sync rule as Always and the Cap Sync rule as First Sync, and you’ve changed the Title manually/via API in Affise. CPAPI made an API call to the advertiser and found changes in Caps. It does not matter which frequency has the Sync rule for Caps - your Title will be erased (brought back to the version the advertiser has).
Working with particular Sync rules
Privacy level Sync rule: if this Sync rule is set up as Disabled, all offers are pulled to Affise as Public.
URL & Impression Destination URL Sync rule: as you can set up parameters and macros for both links on the Demand Source setting page, you need to be aware of the following:
If the Sync rule is set up for Disable, both links won't be updated with parameters and macros you've set up.
If the Sync rule is set up for First sync, both links will be updated with parameters and macros only once. If you update parameters and macros on the Demand Source setting page after they were pulled to Affise, they won't be updated once again.
If the Sync rule is set up for Always, both links will be updated with parameters and macros each time when you update them on the Demand Source setting page.
Redirect type Sync rule: if this Sync rule is set up as Disabled, all offers will be pulled to Affise with HTTP 302 redirect type.
Payments Goal Sync rule: if you make it disabled initially when the Campaign creates, all offers will contain ‘1’ as a goal value by default.
Payments Goal & Caps Sync rules: these both Sync rules have mutual validation:
If Caps is for First Sync, Payments Goal can be set up as First Sync or Always.
If Caps is for Always, Payments Goal is to be set up as Always only.
If Caps is for Disabled, Payments Goal can be set up as the First Sync, Always and Disable
Note the case: You set up Caps Sync rule as First Sync, Payments Goal as Always, and caps are set up for a certain goal. With this scenario, there can be an offer update error when payments goal changes in the advertiser's source. It means that caps are set up for a goal that doesn't exist.
The same error can occur when Payments Goal is set up as Always, and you change Caps Sync rule from Always to Disabled.
Caps Sync rule: the Overcap option doesn't depend on Caps Sync rule. For example:
Caps are set up as First sync or Disbaled, and the Overcap is ON on CPAPI and OFF on Affise. Once the synchronization occurs, the Overcap becomes active on Affise.
Caps are absent from the offer on CPAPI, Caps are set up as First sync, and the Overcap is ON on Affise. Once the synchronization occurs, Caps remain in the offer, but the Overcap becomes not active on Affise.
Traffic targeting Sync rule: check our detailed guide out to find more details about this Sync rule working.
❗ If you use CR Automation or Click Automation, it is better to use Traffic targeting Sync rule as the First Sync. Otherwise, blocked sub2 values get erased each time when CPAPI pulls the offer on Affise.
The following articles can be helpful:
If you have some questions regarding Sync rules work please, contact the Support Team via [email protected] or your Dedicated Account Manager.