# Integrate Advocate with Optimize

This guide explains how to integrate Advocate activities with Optimize, ensuring that referral and advocate-driven traffic is accurately tracked and displayed in Optimize reports.

Integrating Advocate with Optimize allows you to:

* Attribute referral traffic and conversions to the Advocate channel. 
* Analyze the performance of advocate-driven campaigns alongside other marketing channels.
* Surface advocate activities in Optimize reports for better decision-making.

### Prerequisites

* [Universal Tracking Tag (UTT)](/integration-guides/for-brands/advocate/advocate-tracking-integrations/implement-with-utt-for-advocate.md) or [Page Load API](https://integrations.impact.com/impact-brand/reference/create-a-pageload) must be implemented on your website to report all referral activity to impact.com.
* Your Advocate program must be active and generating referral links.
* Access to Optimize with permissions to configure channels and rules.

### How Advocate activities are tracked in Optimize

Advocate activities are tracked in Optimize by capturing clicks and conversions that originate from [referral codes or share links](https://help.impact.com/en/support/solutions/articles/155000000935-assign-vanity-share-links-or-referral-codes) generated by your Advocate program. These activities are identified using specific URL parameters and are categorized into the appropriate channel within Optimize.

Optimize uses a combination of the following to allocate traffic to channels:

* UTM parameters (e.g., `utm_source`, `utm_medium`)
* Custom parameters (e.g., `rscode`)
* Referrer data

### Setting up Advocate as a channel in Optimize

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Enable default channels

1. In the left navigation menu, select ![](/files/zm9mkdwQDEB5qaYnKweJ) **Optimize → Settings →** [**Channels**](https://app.impact.com/secure/advertiser/optimize/mediamanager/channels/list-mediasource-channels-flow.ihtml) and ensure that the *Direct* and *Organic Referral* channels are enabled.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/02eHtxtjFhqh60FKsuME" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Configure Rules to Identify (RTI) for Advocate

1. In the left navigation menu, select ![](/files/zm9mkdwQDEB5qaYnKweJ) **Optimize → Settings →** [**Channels**](https://app.impact.com/secure/advertiser/optimize/mediamanager/channels/list-mediasource-channels-flow.ihtml).
2. Select **Create Channel** or select ![](/files/QIUzi1ogqnG2NvotPFQE) **\[More] → Edit** if you already have an existing *Advocate* channel. Learn more about [creating a channel](https://help.impact.com/en/support/solutions/articles/48001239643-create-an-optimize-channel).
3. Ensure that *Identify Channel Traffic* is ![](/files/nF7DY0rLLPpjNDQb5LMS) **\[Toggled on]**.
4. In the *Rules to identify* section, define rules that capture traffic with parameters unique to Advocate referrals (see next section).

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/9Hiumo5KMuCrgfEYhfgw" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Test and save your rule

* Test by generating a referral link from Advocate and clicking through to ensure the activity appears in Optimize under the correct channel.
* Select a [credit group](https://help.impact.com/en/support/solutions/articles/48001237271-credit-groups-explained) to assign the rule to.
* Select **Save** to save your channel configuration.
  {% endstep %}
  {% endstepper %}

### Key parameters for tracking

* `rscode`: A unique referral code parameter appended to Advocate-generated links. Optimize can use this to identify and attribute traffic to the Advocate channel.
* `utm_source`: Indicates the source of the traffic. Set to `referral` for Advocate-generated links (e.g. `utm_source=referral`).
* `utm_medium`: Indicates the marketing medium. Use this to categorise the type of referral traffic (e.g. `utm_medium=affiliate`).
* `utm_campaign`: Identifies the specific campaign associated with the referral link (e.g. `utm_campaign=november-promo`).

{% hint style="info" %}
**Tip:** Always ensure that Advocate-generated links include both `rscode` and relevant UTM parameters for maximum attribution accuracy.
{% endhint %}

### Example request

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="JSON" %}

```json
{
  "user_id": "12345",
  "activity_type": "referral",
  "channel": "email",
  "parameters": {
    "rscode": "ADVOCATE2025",
    "utm_source": "referral",
    "utm_campaign": "november-promo"
  },
  "timestamp": "2024-08-01T00:00:00Z"
}
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

### Example response

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="JavaScript" %}

```javascript
<script>
  {
    "status": "success",
    "message": "Advocate activity recorded.",
    "activity_id": "act_67890",
    "visible_in_optimize": true,
    "caveats": [
      "Activity will be visible in Optimize reports within 15 minutes.",
      "Only activities with valid rscode or utm_source=referral are displayed."
    ]
  }
</script>
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

### Visibility conditions & caveats

Advocate activities are only visible in Optimize if:

* The UTT or Page Load API is correctly implemented and capturing all click data.&#x20;
* The Rules to Identify (RTI) are set up to recognize Advocate-specific parameters.
* The referral traffic is not filtered out by other channel rules with higher priority (check the assigned credit groups).

Caveats:

* If the Advocate program uses non-standard parameters or custom implementations, additional configuration may be required.
* Only last-click attribution is supported for Optimize channels. If your program uses first-click or mixed attribution, results may differ.
* Postback programs (where data is provided by another program) are not supported for Optimize reporting.<br>


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