Advancing a Fair Affiliate Ecosystem with Soft Click

Few topics in affiliate can get people talking quite like attribution. It’s been an ongoing discussion in affiliate marketing for as long as I’ve been in the industry, especially when it comes to the role browser extensions play in last-click attribution models.  

The industry previously landed on stand down policies to protect upper-funnel publishers from being overwritten by later-touch partners. But since these policies rely on voluntary compliance, effectiveness can be shaky, and top of funnel influence can still go uncredited. That’s exactly why networks can and should take a more active hand in managing fair attribution.  

The truth is, Awin spotted this gap years ago and built a technology called Soft-click, a network-level guardrail that reinforces fair attribution without opt-in or voluntary compliance. Stand Down sets expectations, and Soft-click helps prevent last-second clicks from taking credit within the platform. For example, if an influencer drives a shopper, but a browser extension triggers just before the purchase, the influencer will almost always get the credit. Together, they give the strongest possible protection for both the industry and consumers. 

As anyone in the space knows, every partner brings different value and hence should be properly credited based on that value, and part of a network’s job is to help you reward that value fairly. Soft-click helps make sure publishers get the recognition they deserve while giving brands the ability to best manage their programs. 

Network-level protections like Soft-Click power fair attribution and keep your program running the way it should. I’d love to see the industry lean into them and give credit where it’s earned, helping make the affiliate ecosystem fairer, stronger, and a lot more fun to work in. And the best part? Awin is here to back you up and help make it happen.  

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