This article will cover the following:
What Is a Campaign?
In CAKE, a campaign is what you get when an affiliate is connected to an offer. The moment that connection is made, CAKE generates a unique tracking link that ties every click, lead, and conversion back to the right affiliate and offer.
| Piece | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affiliate | The publisher or partner driving traffic | An email marketer, influencer, or media buyer |
| Offer | The advertiser's product or promotion | A sign-up form, purchase page, or app install |
| Campaign | The affiliate + offer combination | Affiliate #42 promoting Offer #7 |
| Tracking Link | The unique URL that records all activity | https://track.yournetwork.com/aff_c?offer_id=7&aff_id=42 |
Note:
Each campaign has its own ID in CAKE, which appears in reporting. If you're troubleshooting a conversion issue, the campaign ID is a helpful reference point.
Each campaign has its own ID in CAKE, which appears in reporting. If you're troubleshooting a conversion issue, the campaign ID is a helpful reference point.
How to Generate a Tracking Link
For Affiliates
1
Log in to your affiliate portal and go to Offers.
2
Find the offer you want to promote and click its name to open the detail page.
3
Scroll to the Tracking Link section. Your unique link is displayed there, ready to copy.
4
If the offer supports multiple landing pages or creatives, you'll see options to select them before copying your link.
5
Copy the link and use it in your promotion. Do not alter the URL structure — changing parameters can break tracking.
For Network Managers
1
From the main navigation, go to Campaigns and search by affiliate name, offer name, or campaign ID.
2
Open the campaign record. The tracking link is displayed near the top of the page.
3
To create a new campaign, click Add Campaign, select an affiliate and offer, and save. CAKE generates the tracking link automatically.
Caution:
Never manually construct a tracking link by copying someone else's link and changing the affiliate ID. Each campaign must be properly set up in CAKE so reporting, caps, and payouts work correctly.
Never manually construct a tracking link by copying someone else's link and changing the affiliate ID. Each campaign must be properly set up in CAKE so reporting, caps, and payouts work correctly.
Creative Types
Creatives are the promotional materials attached to an offer that affiliates use to drive traffic. Network managers upload creatives at the offer level, and affiliates browse and select them from the offer page.
| Creative Type | What it is | Common use |
|---|---|---|
| Banners | Static or animated image files (JPG, PNG, GIF) | Display advertising, sidebar placements, ad networks |
| HTML Creatives | Raw HTML code, often for rich media or formatted ads | Email newsletters, custom ad placements |
| Text Links | Plain hyperlinked text | Inline blog links, email copy, social posts |
| Landing Pages | Pre-approved destination URLs for the offer | Sending traffic to a specific version of the offer page |
Note:
Creatives are managed under Offers > Creatives. You can mark creatives as active or inactive, set dimensions for banners, and assign creatives to specific landing pages.
Creatives are managed under Offers > Creatives. You can mark creatives as active or inactive, set dimensions for banners, and assign creatives to specific landing pages.
How to Select a Creative
For Affiliates
1
On the offer detail page, scroll to the Creatives section below your tracking link.
2
Browse available creatives — you'll see the type, dimensions, and a preview.
3
Click Get Code or Get Link next to the creative you want to use.
4
CAKE displays the code or link with your affiliate tracking already built in. Copy it and place it in your promotion.
Caution:
Only use creatives listed as active on the offer. Using outdated or unapproved creatives may violate your agreement with the network or advertiser.
Only use creatives listed as active on the offer. Using outdated or unapproved creatives may violate your agreement with the network or advertiser.
Attaching Creatives to an Offer
For Network Managers
1
Go to Offers and open the offer you want to add creatives to.
2
Click the Creatives tab within the offer record.
3
Click Add Creative and choose the type (banner, HTML, text link, or landing page).
4
Fill in the required fields — name, display URL, destination URL — and upload a file or paste HTML as needed.
5
Set the status to Active and click Save.
Tip:
Upload multiple sizes of banner creatives for each offer — standard sizes like 300×250, 728×90, and 160×600 give affiliates flexibility across different ad placements.
Upload multiple sizes of banner creatives for each offer — standard sizes like 300×250, 728×90, and 160×600 give affiliates flexibility across different ad placements.
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.