How To Configure the IPQualityScore (IPQS) Integration with CAKE

This article will cover:

What Is IPQS

IPQS is a fraud detection software that identifies bots and human fraud on web and mobile devices. The services of IPQS helps marketers better optimize their traffic and build relationships with quality affiliates while maintaining good relationships with advertisers.

How Does The IPQS Integration Work? 

The IPQS integration takes CAKE's performance tracking metrics and pairs them with advanced fraud detection algorithms to assign real-time click and/or conversion value scores. These scores are then run against Global or offer level thresholds to determine the validity as well as redirect or payment results. Additionally, users can choose a strictness level to decide how stringent the thresholds for identifying high risk IPs should be. CAKE and IPQS recommend our users configure their systems by the following scales:

Click Scale:

• 0-74: Allow All Clicks
• 75-100: Suspect

Conversion Scale:

• 0-64: Allow All Conversions
• 65-74: Warning
• 75-79: Suspect
• 80-100: Bad

Strictness Scale:

• 0: (Recommended. Low risk for false-positives)
• 1: (Some risk for false-positives)
• 2: (High risk for false-positives)

How To Configure The IPQS Integration

To integrate CAKE with an IPQS account, follow these steps:

1. Click Setup main tab
2. Click Settings sub tab
3. Click Third Party Integration Settings
4. Navigate to the Fraud Settings section
5. Select IPQualityScore (IPQS) from Fraud Integration drop down
6. Click OK on the Fraud Integration Confirmation pop-up
7. Input IPQS API Key
8. Click Save

How To Configure Click Scoring Globally

To Enable Click Scoring Globally, continue with these steps:

1. Tick the box titled Enable Click Scoring
2. Set a Click Invalidation Threshold between 0-100
3. Set an IPQualityScore (IPQS) Strictness level
4. Click Save
   
   

How To Configure Conversion Scoring Globally

To Enable Conversion Scoring Globally, continue with these steps:

1. Tick the box titled Enable Conversion Scoring
2. Set a Conversion Invalidation Threshold between 0-100
3. Choose an Allowed Conversion Type
4. Set an IPQualityScore (IPQS) Strictness level (if not already set)
5. Click Save

How To Override Global Click Settings Per Offer

Click settings can be overridden or even disabled per Offer. Overriding is used when you need specific Offers to be scored at higher or lower click thresholds and/or with stricter or looser scoring rules. Disabling gives you the flexibility to choose specific Offers that do not need to use click scoring.

To override Global Click settings, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the Home tab of the Offer card
2. Click the Attribution sub tab
3. Set Click Scoring to Yes to override and No to disable
4. If Yes, set a Click Invalidation Threshold between 0-100
5. To increase/decrease the strictness, set IPQualityScore (IPQS) Strictness between 0-2

How To Override Global Conversion Thresholds Per Offer Or Campaign

Once IPQS is enabled Globally, new fields for Conversion Invalidation Threshold will appear in each Offer Card and Campaign Card. The offer and campaign will always default to your Global threshold but CAKE allows you to override at each of these levels. When overridden at the offer level, all campaigns under that offer will adhere to that threshold. 

When overridden at the campaign level, only conversions from that campaign will adhere to that threshold. The campaign is the most granular level and overrides anything set at the offer level.

To override the Global Conversion Threshold per offer, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the Home tab of the Offer card
2. Click the Attribution sub tab
3. Set a Conversion Invalidation Threshold between 0-100
4. Click Save

To override the Global Conversion Threshold per campaign, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the Home tab of the Campaign card
2. Click the Info sub tab
3. Set a Conversion Invalidation Threshold between 0-100
4. Click Save

Redirect Behavior For Invalidated Clicks and Conversions

Clicks that do not meet the threshold configured will adhere to your Redirect Offer settings. Click for more details on where to configure an Offer Redirect.

Conversions that do not meet the threshold configured will adhere to your Conversion Behavior On Redirect settings. Click for more details on where to configure Conversion Behavior On Redirect settings.

How To Enable Click Scoring In Rule Targeting

Users also have the option of configuring rules targets on specific offer contracts. This allows users to specify the redirect at a more granular level and allows for redirection directly to 404 page. If users wish to “black hole” invalidated click traffic this is the best option.

To set a Click Score in Rule Targeting, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the Traffic tab of the Offer card
2. Click the Targeting sub tab
3. Set Rules in the dropdown
4. Click the Apply button
5. Click the New Rule button
6. Add a name for the Rule
7. Tick the Active checkbox to set the Rule live immediately
8. Optionally tick the Shared checkbox to use the rule on other Offers
9. Choose a Redirect option from the dropdown (includes 404)
10. If an offer was selected on the previous step, optionally choose a Landing Page of that offer.
11. Choose Click Score from the Add Rule Target dropdown
12.  Set a Minimum and Maximum Click Score range
13. Click Save
14. Click Create

How To View Click Scoring In Reports

The Master Click Report provides a line-by-line view of all clicks that happened over a period of time. Fraud is indicated in the Click Score and Disposition columns of the report. Clicks that IPQS score as invalidated will appear in the report as "Invalid Score." Valid clicks above the threshold will not have a dispostion assigned. Clicks that IPQS scores but are not invalidated (i.e. Allow All Clicks enabled) will be scored but will not appear with the dispostion of "Invalid Score"

How To View Conversion Scoring In Reports

The Master Conversion Report provides a line-by-line view of all conversions that happened over a period of time. Fraud is indicated in the Conversion Score column of the report. 

Conversions that IPQS scores as invalidated will show "Invalid Score" on the Conversion Card > Pixel Log tab > Unpaid Disposition column. Valid conversion scored above the threshold will not have an Unpaid Dispostion assigned.

FAQ

What if I want to score clicks/conversions at different thresholds for just one of my campaigns?

   You can use the Rule Targeting method and point that single campaign at an Offer Contract with your alternative scoring thresholds.

You may also be interested in:

• Redirect Strategy

• How to Configure Rules Targeting on an Offer

• How to Enable Anura Conversion Scoring in CAKE

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