In online advertising, traffic refers to the flow of users to an advertiser's site.
To attract traffic means to encourage users to go to the advertiser's site by clicking your affiliate link. The goal is to interest them in the advertiser's product and convince them to complete a target action on the site.
Traffic can be divided into several categories based on:
- the kinds of ad spaces it comes from;
- the way advertisements are placed;
- how the traffic is handled.
Before you begin working with a program, make sure that the type of traffic you'll be attracting is allowed under the rules of the program. How to check
Traffic types in Admitad
Below you'll find a description of the traffic types in Admitad, as well as information about what kinds of ad spaces, advertising, and traffic work format are tied to each.
- Social media groups and blogs
- Messaging services
- YouTube channels
- Content sites
- Cashback services
- Coupon services
- Loyalty programs
- Targeted advertising
- Contextual advertising
- Brand bidding
- Email newsletter
- Mobile traffic
- API traffic
- Incentive traffic
- Adult traffic
- Teaser and banner advertising
- Lead call
- Toolbar
- PopUp/ClickUnder
Social media groups and blogs
Social media groups and blogs — this traffic type involves publishing affiliate links in groups/communities or on personal accounts on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, etc.
- Ad space type: Social media
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Subtypes: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Other
Messaging services
Messaging services — this traffic type involves publishing affiliate links in channels, groups, and chats in services such as WhatsApp and Telegram.
- Ad space type: Messaging services
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Subtypes: WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram, Other
YouTube channels
YouTube channels — this traffic type involves publishing affiliate links in content on a YouTube channel.
- Ad space type: Social media
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Subtype: YouTube
Content sites
Content sites — this traffic type involves publishing affiliate links on a website (topic-related, news, etc.) or on forums, affiliate store sites, or price comparison services.
- Ad space type: Website, Web service
- Website subtypes: Forum, Affiliate store, Financial showcase, Dropshipping, Other
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Web service subtypes: Price comparison service
Cashback services
Cashback services — this traffic type involves encouraging users to complete an order or purchase by promising to pay back a portion of the money they spend. Here's how it works:
1. On the cashback service's site, the user finds a product they can purchase and receive a cashback reward for.
2. From that site, the user follows an affiliate link to the advertiser's site and completes a target action there (a purchase or order).
3. The owner of the cashback service (publisher) is paid a reward for this action from the advertiser.
4. Then the publisher passes on a portion of this reward to the user who completed the purchase. This is the cashback reward.
This type of traffic is widely used in CPA networks, but some advertisers do not allow it in their programs.
- Ad space type: Web service
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Subtype: Cashback
Coupon services
Coupon services — this traffic type involves mass publication of coupons and promo codes from advertisers on an ad space. Built into these coupons and codes are affiliate links to a good or service. These ad spaces are usually aggregator sites completely devoted to discounts, promos, and similar offers.
- Ad space type: Web service
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Subtype: Coupon
Loyalty programs
Loyalty programs — this traffic type involves publishing affiliate links on a site with a bonus program. When the user follows a link and completes a target action, they receive points through the loyalty program. These can be used to pay for goods or services from the site that runs the loyalty program or for purchases in other stores.
- Ad space type: Web service
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Subtype: Loyalty programs
Targeted advertising
Targeted advertising — this traffic type involves publishing advertisements targeted at users who have certain characteristics (age, location, hobbies, etc.).
Targeted ads differ from contextual ads mainly in the ways that the target audience is segmented. Targeted advertising relies on the user data that's available, while contextual advertising is based on keywords and search queries.
- Ad space type: Traffic purchase
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Subtypes: Facebook, Instagram, myTarget, TikTok, and more.
Contextual advertising
Contextual advertising — this traffic type involves publishing advertisements (text, graphics, or video) based on users' interests or search queries. Contextual advertising can be applied in search systems or on resources run by affiliate network partners (sites, apps, etc.).
- Ad space type: Traffic purchase
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Subtypes: Google Ads, Yahoo, Bing Ads, Yandex.Direct
Brand bidding
Brand bidding is essentially a type of contextual advertising but is categorized separately since advertisers often forbid it. It involves publishing ads containing keywords with the advertiser's brand name or a translation, transliteration, or modification of it.
Email newsletters
Email newsletters — this traffic type involves publishing affiliate links in emails sent to a subscriber base.
Here, it's crucial that subscribers consent to receiving emails. If they don't, then the newsletters are considered spam.
- Ad space type: Web service
- Subtype: Email database
If you work with this traffic type, be sure to study the program's requirements for emails carefully. Advertisers often ask to approve all drafts before emails get sent.
Mobile traffic
Mobile traffic — in this traffic type, target actions are completed on mobile devices (phones or tablets). The way the ad is placed and its format don't matter. That is, mobile traffic can come from basically any ad space type.
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Ad space type: Social media, Messaging services, Programs and apps, Website, Web service, Traffic purchase
API traffic
API traffic — this traffic type is used primarily in financial programs, and the target actions are typically users' submission of requests for a financial service (opening an account, getting a loan, getting a card, etc.).
The user goes to your site and submits a request for a financial service. Then you pass on all of the requests submitted to the advertiser's server through Admitad API.
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Ad space type: Website, Web service
Incentive traffic
Incentive traffic — this traffic type involves using rewards (points, bonuses, or gifts) to encourage users to complete target actions. Users are interested primarily in receiving the reward, not in the advertiser's product itself.
Advertisers typically forbid this type, as the traffic is off-target and low-quality, and thus isn't of value for the advertiser.
However, there are exceptions: for example, some mobile programs and online games allow incentive traffic, since their main goal is to get as many registrations/installs as possible and appear high in the Google Play or AppStore rankings.
Admitad strictly forbids the use of Active Advertising Systems (CAP, WmMail, Seosprint, etc.), buxes, and other systems that allow you to create a task and set a price for its completion. Violation will lead to the blocking of your account.
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Ad space type: Social media, Messaging services, Programs and apps, Website, Web service, Traffic purchase
Adult traffic
Adult traffic — this traffic type involves publishing affiliate links on resources that contain adult content (erotic or pornographic sites, sites of adult stores, etc.).
- Ad space type: Website, Social media, Messaging services, Traffic purchase
Advertisers often forbid this traffic type in order to protect their reputation and brand.
Teaser and banner advertising
Teaser and banner advertising — this traffic type involves placing banners or ads on social media: small blocks with provocative images and short, intriguing descriptions.
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Ad space type: Traffic purchase
Lead call
Lead call — this traffic type is equivalent to call tracking. Here's how it works:
1. The user calls a number on the publisher's ad space.
2. The call goes to a call center operator and is prescored.
3. The call is then transferred to the advertiser.
4. The system links target actions (purchases made over the phone) to the publisher who attracted the user in question.
The lead call type has been launched in test mode and is currently only available to publishers working with traffic from Russia.
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Ad space type: Website, Web service
Toolbar
Toolbar — this traffic type involves using a browser extension as an ad space. An extension is a piece of software that allows the browser to perform additional functions.
Among the most popular toolbars are those that offer lists of deals and promo codes to users who come to a site.
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Ad space type: Web service
PopUp/ClickUnder
PopUp/ClickUnder — this traffic type involves placing affiliate links in popups or in clickunders (windows that open when a user clicks anywhere on a page).
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Ad space type: Website, Web service, Traffic purchase
How to see which traffic types a program allows
On the program page, go to the section Traffic types (Program rules → Traffic types).
Some traffic sources have subtypes. To see them, click the 
To the right of the traffic type name, you'll see the permission status:
- Allowed — you can use this traffic type in the program.
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Needs approval — provide the advertiser additional information explaining how you intend to attract traffic. You can provide it:
- through the form that opens when you submit a request on the program page, or
- through a request to Admitad support.
- Forbidden — the program does not allow this traffic type.
Attracting users through a prohibited source is a violation of program rules. Advertisers may respond by declining all actions and removing the ad space from its program. In the case of repeat violations, your account may be blocked.
