GLOSSARY
Clear definitions of the key terms in marketing tracking, attribution modeling, and digital analytics.
A tracking pixel that loads after the main page content, preventing any impact on page speed. The pixel's JavaScript executes asynchronously — meaning it does not block the browser from rendering the page while the tracking code downloads and initializes. AiTRK uses async JavaScript as its recommended tracking protocol, with a payload under 5KB gzipped for zero measurable performance impact.
A framework for assigning credit to marketing touchpoints along the conversion path. Common models include last-click (all credit to the final touchpoint), first-click (all credit to the first touchpoint), linear (equal credit to all touchpoints), time-decay (more credit to touchpoints closer to conversion), and data-driven (credit assigned by machine learning based on observed patterns). The Atrilyx platform applies multi-touch attribution models that distribute credit across the full conversion path.
The time period after a user interacts with an ad during which a conversion can be attributed to that ad. Also called a lookback window or conversion window. For example, a 30-day attribution window means that if a user clicks an ad and converts within 30 days, the conversion is credited to that ad. Different channels and campaign types often use different attribution windows.
A conversion that occurs after a user clicks on an ad and later completes a desired action on the advertiser's website. This is the most commonly tracked conversion type and the basis of last-click attribution. Click-through conversions represent only a portion of the full conversion picture — view-through conversions account for interactions where users saw but did not click an ad before converting.
A DNS configuration that maps a subdomain (e.g., trk.yourdomain.com) to a tracking endpoint, making cookies first-party. When a tracking cookie is set under the advertiser's own domain via a CNAME record, browsers treat it as a first-party cookie rather than a third-party cookie. AiTRK uses CNAME tracking to bypass browser restrictions like Safari's Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP), which limits the lifespan of cookies set by third-party scripts.
Software that manages user consent for data collection, ensuring compliance with GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy regulations. A CMP displays consent banners, records user preferences, and signals those preferences to tracking tools so they can adapt their behavior accordingly. AiTRK integrates with major CMPs to honor opt-out preferences in real time.
The sequence of marketing touchpoints a user encounters before completing a conversion. A typical conversion path might include a display ad impression, a social media click, a retargeting ad view, and a branded search click — spanning multiple channels, devices, and sessions. AiTRK tracks the full path across channels and devices using identity resolution to connect fragmented sessions into a single journey.
Attribution that measures the impact of marketing across multiple channels (search, social, display, video, email) within a single model. Rather than evaluating each channel in isolation, cross-channel attribution considers how channels work together to drive conversions. This requires a unified data source that captures interactions from all channels — which is the core function of the AiTRK pixel.
Connecting user activity across multiple devices (mobile, desktop, tablet) to build a unified view of the customer journey. Without cross-device tracking, a user who sees an ad on their phone and converts on their laptop appears as two separate users. AiTRK uses deterministic identity resolution to connect cross-device sessions without relying on personally identifiable information.
Tracking user sessions as they move between different domains (e.g., from a landing page on one domain to checkout on another). Standard analytics tools often lose session continuity when a user crosses domain boundaries, creating gaps in attribution data. AiTRK uses first-party cookies with CNAME support for seamless cross-domain tracking without session breaks.
A system that unifies customer data from multiple sources into a single profile. CDPs aggregate data from websites, apps, CRMs, email platforms, and advertising networks to create a comprehensive view of each customer. AiTRK delivers CDP-like outcomes for marketing attribution — unified user profiles built from cross-channel interaction data — without requiring a standalone CDP deployment.
A secure environment where multiple parties can analyze combined datasets without exposing raw data to each other. Data clean rooms are used in privacy-compliant advertising measurement, allowing advertisers and publishers to match their data for attribution and audience analysis without sharing personally identifiable information. They are increasingly important as third-party cookies are deprecated.
A privacy principle requiring that only the minimum necessary data be collected for a stated purpose. Under regulations like GDPR, organizations must not collect more data than is needed to achieve their processing objectives. AiTRK follows data minimization by not collecting PII — it captures only the behavioral signals required for attribution modeling, using anonymous identifiers rather than names, emails, or other personal data.
A cookie set by the domain the user is visiting. First-party cookies are more reliable than third-party cookies because browsers trust them — they are not subject to the same blocking and expiration restrictions. AiTRK uses exclusively first-party cookies, optionally reinforced with CNAME tracking, to ensure persistent and accurate user identification across sessions.
The process of connecting multiple identifiers (device IDs, session IDs, cookies) to a single user profile. Identity resolution is essential for building complete conversion paths that span multiple sessions, devices, and channels. AiTRK uses deterministic methods — matching known identifier pairs — rather than probabilistic methods, and operates entirely without PII to maintain privacy compliance.
A single instance of an ad being displayed to a user. An impression is counted regardless of whether the user interacts with the ad. AiTRK captures impression-level data from integrated ad networks, enabling view-through attribution that credits conversions to ad exposures even when no click occurred.
Apple Safari's privacy feature that limits cross-site tracking by restricting cookie access. ITP caps the lifespan of cookies set by third-party scripts to as little as 24 hours and restricts JavaScript-set first-party cookies to 7 days. AiTRK's CNAME tracking configuration bypasses ITP limitations by setting cookies as true first-party cookies at the DNS level, ensuring full cookie persistence.
An attribution model that gives 100% credit to the final touchpoint before conversion. Last-click is the default model in most analytics platforms, including Google Analytics. While simple to implement and understand, it systematically undervalues upper-funnel and mid-funnel marketing activities (display, video, social) that influence conversions but rarely serve as the last touchpoint. Multi-touch attribution provides a more complete picture.
See Attribution Window.
An attribution approach that distributes credit across multiple touchpoints in the conversion path, providing a more complete picture than last-click attribution. MTA models can use linear weighting (equal credit), time-decay (more credit to recent touchpoints), position-based (more credit to first and last), or data-driven algorithms. The Atrilyx platform uses MTA models that refresh 3 times daily across all 20+ integrated ad networks.
The amount of data (in bytes) that a tracking pixel sends with each event. Smaller payloads load faster and consume less bandwidth, reducing impact on page performance. AiTRK's payload is under 5KB gzipped — among the smallest in the industry — ensuring zero measurable impact on page load speed or Core Web Vitals scores.
Automated buying and selling of digital ad inventory through real-time bidding. Programmatic platforms (DSPs, SSPs, ad exchanges) enable advertisers to purchase ad placements across thousands of websites and apps in milliseconds. AiTRK tracks impression and conversion data from programmatic campaigns, including display, video, native, and connected TV formats, and has tracked over 4M programmatic view-through conversions to date.
Targeting users who have previously interacted with your site or content. Remarketing campaigns serve ads to users who have visited specific pages, added items to a cart, or completed other behavioral signals. AiTRK enables audience creation for remarketing based on tracked behavioral signals, and generates suppression lists to exclude users who have already converted.
Sending tracking data from your server rather than the user's browser. Server-side tracking provides more reliable data collection because it is not affected by ad blockers, browser privacy features, or JavaScript execution errors. It also offers better privacy control, as data can be filtered and anonymized before being sent to analytics platforms. Server-side tracking is often used alongside client-side tracking for maximum data completeness.
A list of users excluded from targeting, typically existing customers or recent converters. Suppression lists prevent wasted ad spend by ensuring that ads are not served to users who have already completed the desired action. AiTRK generates suppression lists based on tracked conversion data, enabling advertisers to exclude recent converters from acquisition campaigns and redirect budget toward new prospects.
Software (like Google Tag Manager) that manages tracking tags without requiring code changes to the website. A TMS provides a container where marketers can add, edit, and remove tracking pixels through a web interface rather than modifying site code directly. AiTRK deploys through GTM and other major TMS platforms, with most implementations completing within days.
A cookie set by a domain other than the one the user is visiting. Third-party cookies have historically been used for cross-site tracking and ad targeting, but are being deprecated by major browsers due to privacy concerns. Safari and Firefox already block them by default, and Chrome is phasing them out. AiTRK does not use third-party cookies — it relies exclusively on first-party cookies for persistent user identification.
A persistent identifier that connects user activity across sessions and touchpoints. Unlike session-based identifiers that reset when a user closes their browser, a universal ID persists across visits, enabling long-term attribution analysis. AiTRK assigns universal IDs for cross-session attribution, maintained through first-party cookies and CNAME tracking for maximum persistence.
A conversion that occurs after a user sees an ad impression but does not click. For example, a user might see a display ad on Monday, not click it, and then visit the advertiser's website directly on Wednesday to make a purchase. The display ad receives view-through credit for influencing the conversion. AiTRK has tracked 4M+ programmatic VTCs, revealing conversion paths that click-only tools miss entirely. Learn more about AiTRK's VTC tracking capabilities.
The percentage of ad impressions that lead to view-through conversions within a specified attribution window. VTR is calculated by dividing the number of view-through conversions by the total number of ad impressions. It is a key metric for evaluating the effectiveness of display and video campaigns where click-through rates are typically low but brand exposure still drives conversions.
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