Tracking referrer link from source, to website, to downloaded .exe and .dmg

[keithdu45]

Hi,

We're about to start an affiliate program for our product and I have a technical / feasibility question,

• Referrers will link to our website using a special link (example: ?ref=john1234)
• Visitors will download our software from the site (.exe and .dmg)
• Users will subscribe inside the installed application after a free trial
• The referrer gets a % once the user has subscribed inside the app (using something like Rewardful or Firstpromoter)

Do you know if there is a reliable way to track the referrer from an online source (blog, youtube video...) to an installed software?
We were thinking of tracking IP to say "this user comes from this referrer, so we owe $XX to this referrer", but it's not really reliable..

Thank you

(I've posted the same topic in the Other Affiliate Program section, but I think it's more of a code-related question.. not sure, sorry for the double)

 

[TomTheCat]

There are two options here, from my point of view.

Option 1:

You modify the web server config file so when an .exe or .dmg is downloaded, it will call a script that tracks downloads for each referer. This one doesn't guarantee that the software will be installed.

Option 2:

You add a unique hash for each referer, and rename the .exe or .dmg on the fly and add the hash to the filename. Eg: myapp_hash.exe. You modify the installer that once the app is installed it will call a script on your website with the hash from the filename. This way you can track each installed app for each referer. There is also a problem, if the user modifies the filename. To avoid this, there is also another option to modify the .exe or .dmg header information and add the hash there and you read it from the installer program.

 

[keithdu45]

Thank you Tom, we hadn't thought about this renaming trick.
It's a good idea, not 100% reliable as you say but it could work if we don't find any other method

Editing the header information or file property would be a great way, but I'm not sure that's possible (?) Especially that our .dmg is getting an Apple Notarization on every new build
Would you, or anyone, happen to have any information about that?

Thanks again

 

[TomTheCat]

Editing the header information or file property would be a great way, but I'm not sure that's possible (?) Especially that our .dmg is getting an Apple Notarization on every new build
Would you, or anyone, happen to have any information about that?

The solution will be to sign on the fly each download. This means that you will need a Mac acting as a server to serve just downloads.

https://ohanaware.com/support/v5Pages/how-to-code-sign-dmg-files.html

 

[keithdu45]

The solution will be to sign on the fly each download. This means that you will need a Mac acting as a server to serve just downloads.

https://ohanaware.com/support/v5Pages/how-to-code-sign-dmg-files.html

Never heard of this. Looks difficult but we'll be looking into this.
Thank you for all your help Tom!