Testing and diagnostics

Before real customers arrive, run your integration once from click to report. On this page you'll learn how test mode works, how to run an end-to-end test, where the diagnostics on the integration page are, and what every error code means. Test mode lets you do all this without moving money.

In short:

• Add "test": true to a conversion report. It goes through every check but never moves money.
• A test needs a real ref code, so the programme must be live and you need a publisher link.
• Recent refusals on the integration page lists refused reports with their code and what to do.
• A refused report answers with a code in error: 403 for REF_PROGRAM_MISMATCH, 422 for the others.

Test mode

Add "test": true to a conversion report. The report goes through every check a real one does: API key, signature, ref code, cookie window, amount and commission rules. Then:

• it's recorded as a test conversion that never moves money. No credit is reserved and the publisher earns nothing;
• the answer shows the commission a real report would have earned, with "test": true and status REJECTED;
• it appears under Test conversions on the integration page, not in your conversion list or statistics;
• if you've set a status callback, your endpoint receives conversion.recorded with "test": true.

Test conversions have their own order-id space. A test never blocks the real conversion with the same order id. Repeating a test with the same orderId returns the first result with "duplicate": true. Use a new order id for each run.

Run an end-to-end test

A test needs a real ref code, which only exists after a real click. So the programme has to be live, which means approved. You also need a publisher link for it, for example from a publisher you've accepted.

1. Open the publisher link in a browser. You land on your shop with ?ref=... in the address bar.
2. Check that your shop has stored the code. See Capture the ref code.
3. Place an order, or trigger your reporting code with test: true.
4. Check the answer and the Test conversions list on the integration page.

Try the API by hand

Copy the ref code from the address bar and send it with cURL:

curl -i -X POST https://cli.gs/api/v1/track/conversion \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "ref": "PASTE_REF_CODE_HERE",
    "orderId": "TEST-0001",
    "amount": "149.99",
    "currency": "EUR",
    "customerType": "NEW",
    "test": true
  }'

A working setup answers 201 Created:

{ "ok": true, "conversionId": "cmg3x1q2w0001abcd9876efgh", "status": "REJECTED", "commission": 12, "duplicate": false, "confirmed": false, "test": true }

If you sign requests, test with the signed version from Signed requests before you switch on Refuse unsigned requests.

The diagnostics section

At the bottom of the integration page you find four blocks:

• Integration status shows two checks. Link check opens your target URL once a day the way a visitor would. It checks that the ref parameter survives your redirects. Shop reports compares every hour the conversions your shop reports with the errors we log and the clicks we send.
• Recent refusals lists reports from your shop we couldn't accept, newest first. Each entry shows the code, the time, the ref code and what to do.
• Test conversions lists your recent test reports with amount and commission.
• Postbacks sent to your shop lists deliveries to your status callback with their status, attempts and last HTTP code.

Refusals that can't be traced to your programme aren't listed there, for example a ref code that doesn't exist at all. The API answer always contains the code, so log the answers your shop receives.

Error codes

A refused conversion report is answered with the code in error: HTTP 403 for REF_PROGRAM_MISMATCH, HTTP 422 for the others. The same codes appear under Recent refusals.

Other answers

These answers don't appear under Recent refusals:

Checklist before going live

• The ref code is captured on every landing page, survives redirects and is saved with the order.
• Your server reports every paid order with orderId, the net amount and currency. It retries on 5xx or timeouts.
• A test conversion shows the commission you expect under Test conversions.
• Returns and cancellations trigger a reversal.
• Requests are signed and Refuse unsigned requests is on.
• Your shop removes "test": true for real orders.

Next steps

Once real conversions arrive, review them under Conversions: see Review conversions.