Overview
The stand-down attribute utilizes an industry standard universal parameter, afsrc=1, to signal that an affiliate has already referred a shopper to a merchant. This gives publishers a common, recognizable way to identify existing referrals and avoid unnecessary interference.
How It Works
When a shopper arrives at your site through an AvantLink affiliate referral, the afsrc=1 parameter can signal that an affiliate has already referred that shopper. Other publishers—such as browser extensions, toolbars, or coupon tools—can recognize this signal and stand down, meaning they refrain from generating a new referral or interfering with the existing one.
Whether this signal is honored for your program is controlled by your Stand-Down Policy setting.
What This Means for Your Program
Stand-down helps create a more consistent attribution experience by:
- The
afsrc=1parameter helps protect referrals that affiliates have already generated for your program from being overridden by other publishers. - This setting does not determine commission eligibility. It only affects whether existing referral attribution is respected by other publishers.
- Ensures commission goes to the affiliate that originally drove the customer to your site, without doubling commission.
- The stand-down parameter is enabled by default for merchant programs, see AvantLink Stand-Down Policy
Checking or Updating Your Stand-Down Setting
You can check or update your Stand-Down Parameter setting from the "Program Terms" page. This setting is controlled by a simple checkbox.
- From your AvantLink dashboard, navigate to menu > "Account Settings" > "Program Terms".
- Locate the Stand-Down Parameter checkbox and confirm whether it is checked (enabled) or unchecked (disabled)
Please note: Stand-Down Parameter is enabled by default. AvantLink highly recommends leaving this setting enabled to foster good partnerships with affiliates.
Important Notes
- For more information on the AvantLink Stand-Down Policy requirements, see [Link to policy]
Additional Questions?
If you have any questions about the afsrc=1 parameter or the AvantLink Stand-Down policy, please contact AvantLink Support.