How to Resolve the Excessive Unique Sub ID Alert in CAKE

The Excessive Unique Sub ID Alert fires when a single Affiliate sends an unusually high number of unique Sub ID 1 (s1=) values within a short time window. CAKE monitors the ratio of unique Sub ID values to total clicks for each Affiliate, and triggers this alert when that ratio exceeds the configured threshold.

Sub ID 1 is reserved in CAKE as the Affiliate's own publisher or sub-affiliate ID — it identifies which sub-publisher within the Affiliate's network drove each click. When an Affiliate passes a different unique value for every single click (rather than a consistent set of sub-publisher IDs), it often indicates a tracking misconfiguration or potentially fraudulent traffic.

The most common causes are:

• Session or click ID passed in s1= — The Affiliate is passing their own session ID or click ID (a unique value per click) in the s1= parameter instead of a consistent sub-publisher ID. This is the most common cause. The correct parameter for a click ID is s2=.
• Timestamp or random value passed in s1= — The Affiliate's tracking system is dynamically generating a unique value (like a timestamp or UUID) and passing it into s1= on every click.
• Legitimate large sub-affiliate network — The Affiliate genuinely has thousands of sub-publishers and each is sending traffic with a unique ID. In this case the alert is expected but may not indicate a problem.
• Bot or fraudulent traffic — Each bot click arrives with a randomized Sub ID, which triggers the alert as a fraud signal.

Step 1 — Identify the Affiliate

The alert email will name the specific Affiliate triggering it. Navigate to their Affiliate Card in CAKE.

Step 2 — Check their tracking link usage

Go to Reports → Stats Report, filter by the Affiliate, and drill down to the Sub ID 1 dimension. Look at how many unique values are appearing and whether they follow a pattern (sequential numbers, timestamps, UUIDs).

Step 3 — Contact the Affiliate

If the Sub ID values look like session IDs or timestamps, ask the Affiliate to move their click ID or session ID from s1= to s2= in their tracking link. The s1= parameter should only contain stable sub-publisher identifiers (e.g. "email", "social", "publisher_123").

Step 4 — Review for fraud if the pattern continues

If the Affiliate confirms correct configuration but the alert persists, review the traffic quality in the Click Report — look for unusual IP patterns, conversion rates near zero, or bot-like click velocity. Consider pausing the Affiliate's Campaigns while investigating.

To avoid false-positive alerts:

• Communicate to all Affiliates that s1= is reserved for their sub-publisher ID and s2= is the correct place for their click ID or session ID.
• Include this guidance in your onboarding materials and in the Terms and Conditions available in the Affiliate Portal.
• Adjust the alert threshold in Setup → Alerts if the default is too sensitive for your Affiliate base.

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.