Geo & Device Targeting for Offers in CAKE

Jeff Olliver

Modified on: Sat, 20 Jun, 2026 at 8:28 PM

This article will cover the following:

What Is Targeting?
Country and Region Targeting
Device Targeting
OS and Browser Targeting
Fallback Offers for Non-Matching Traffic

What Is Targeting?

Targeting lets you define which audiences are eligible to convert on an offer. CAKE checks each incoming click against your targeting rules — country, region, device, OS, browser — and routes traffic accordingly. Non-matching clicks can be redirected to a fallback offer rather than dropped.

Note:
Targeting rules are set at the offer level. Affiliates promoting that offer automatically inherit the restrictions — they don't need to configure anything separately.

Country and Region Targeting

Open the offer and scroll to the Targeting section.

Under Geo Targeting, choose whether to allow (whitelist) or block (blacklist) specific countries. Most advertisers use a whitelist.

Begin typing a country name and select it from the dropdown. Add as many as needed.

For region targeting, a secondary field appears after selecting a country — use it to target specific states or provinces.

Save your changes. Rules take effect immediately for new clicks.

Caution:
Removing a country from a live offer takes effect instantly. Affiliates currently running traffic from that country will be redirected to your fallback. Notify them before making changes.

CAKE uses visitor IP address to determine location. This is accurate for the vast majority of traffic, but VPNs and proxy services can occasionally misidentify a visitor's location.

Device Targeting

In the Targeting section, find Device Targeting.

Select the device types you want to allow: Desktop, Mobile, and/or Tablet. No selection means all device types are allowed.

Save the offer. Device type is detected from the visitor's user agent on each click.

Note:
Tablets are categorized separately from mobile phones. If your offer should accept both smartphones and tablets, make sure both are selected.

OS and Browser Targeting

Beyond device type, you can target specific operating systems and browsers — especially useful for iOS vs. Android app install campaigns or browser-extension offers.

In the Targeting section, find OS Targeting and select the operating systems to allow (iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux).

Optionally specify minimum OS versions if your platform supports it.

Find Browser Targeting and select browsers to allow (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge).

Save the offer.

Note:
In-app browsers (Instagram, TikTok) often identify themselves differently from standalone browsers. If mobile traffic isn't converting as expected, in-app browser detection differences are worth investigating.

Fallback Offers for Non-Matching Traffic

A fallback offer is where CAKE sends visitors who click a tracking link but don't match targeting rules. Without a fallback, those clicks are dropped — the visitor sees an error and the affiliate loses the traffic.

In the offer's Targeting section, scroll to Fallback Offer (sometimes labeled Redirect Offer or Default Offer).

Select an offer with broad or no targeting restrictions so most visitors can still reach a valid destination.

Alternatively, paste a fallback URL if your platform supports it.

Save the offer.

Caution:
If you don't set a fallback and an offer becomes fully capped or restricted, clicks will result in error pages for end users. Always configure a fallback.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your dedicated CAKE Client Success Manager/Account Manager or contact the CAKE Support Team at support@getCAKE.com.