🔀 Forwarding Sub-IDs To The Destination URL

By default, WP Conversion Tracker records the Sub-ID in your own stats and leaves the destination address alone. The visitor arrives at your clean destination with only wct_click_id added. Forwarding is an extra you switch on per link when the page or network at the other end needs to see the Sub-ID too.

Why You Might Want It:

• An affiliate network credits sources only when the Sub-ID is in its own URL, for example https://example.com/offer/your-sub-id/ or https://example.com/offer?sub_id=your-sub-id.
• Your landing page shows different content per source and reads a parameter to decide.
• Your analytics tool should see the same source names your tracker uses.

Where To Find It:

1. Open ➕ Create Link, or click ✏️ Edit on a link in 🔗 All Links.
2. Open the ⚙️ Advanced Options panel at the bottom of the form.
3. Use the 🔀 Forward Sub-ID to Destination URL drop-down.

The Three Choices:

• Off, Sub-ID captured to stats only (default). The destination is untouched apart from wct_click_id.
• On, Append Sub-ID as path segment. The Sub-ID is added to the end of the destination path, for example https://example.com/dest/email-march/?wct_click_id=123. Use it for networks and pages that route on the address itself.
• On, Append Sub-ID as query parameter. The Sub-ID is added as a parameter, for example https://example.com/dest?sub_id=email-march&wct_click_id=123. Use it for most networks, for analytics, and whenever a Sub-ID might contain spaces or unusual characters.

Choosing The Parameter Name:

In query mode, the Custom parameter name box sets the name used. Leave it blank to use sub_id. Type another name, for example platform, and the destination receives ?platform=your-sub-id instead. Letters, numbers, dashes and underscores are accepted.

Setting It Up Step By Step:

1. Open the link's form and the ⚙️ Advanced Options panel.
2. Choose the path or query option.
3. In query mode, type a Custom parameter name if the other side needs one.
4. Click Update Link, or ➕ Create Link for a new link.
5. Test it: open yoursite.com/your-slug/test1 in a private window and look at the address bar on the destination.

A Real Example:

yoursite.com shares its podcast with the link show-notes, which points at yoursite.com/podcast/. Each episode's show notes use their own Sub-ID, such as /show-notes/ep12. Forwarding is set to query parameter with the name source, so a listener from episode 12 lands on yoursite.com/podcast/?source=ep12&wct_click_id=123. The podcast page can greet them, and the Sub ID Breakdown in the tracker shows the same ep10, ep11 and ep12 rows.

WarriorPlus Links:

Leave forwarding Off on links that go to WarriorPlus. The tracker already uses WarriorPlus's own sub-ID fields, aff_sub and the +number on the end of the affiliate link, to carry the click ID, and that is how a sale finds its way back to the click. If path forwarding or an aff_sub parameter name is set on a WarriorPlus link, the plugin leaves those out on that link so the click ID is kept. Your Sub-ID is still recorded on the click.

How It Behaves:

• Forwarding is Off on every new link until you choose otherwise.
• Existing parameters and # parts of the destination are kept.
• If a destination address cannot be read, the visitor is sent to it unchanged, so the redirect always works.

Choosing Between Path And Query Mode:

• Query mode suits almost everything: networks that read a parameter, landing pages, analytics tools, and any Sub-ID with spaces or symbols.
• Path mode suits pages that are built from the address itself, where /dest/email-march/ is a real page or route.
• If you are not sure, start with query mode and check the destination page receives the value.

Tips:

• Your own stats record the Sub-ID either way. Forwarding only adds a copy to the destination.
• For UTM tags and other parameters on the link, see UTM Tags And Custom Parameters. They are passed on by a separate switch in the same panel.
• See Sub-ID Tracking For Traffic Sources for how to choose good Sub-IDs.