Question regarding setting of cookies

**matbennett** · 21-03-05

This may sound like a stupid question, but please bear with me for a moment.

As a merchant, it is my understanding that we pay for leads that have been generated by someone sending traffic to our site: ie. someone clicks a link and a cookie is set as they are redirected to us.

Should I be surprised if cookies are being set even if a link is not clicked? For instance - if a cookie is set when a banner is displayed that does not require any user interaction.

**Zanox** · 21-03-05

Cookies are usually set at the point of redirect to your website. Cookies are not set purely for the display of the banner.

The cookie is actually generated at this time on the fly so to speak.

There is however some companies or people that will employ techniques to called cookie stuffing to get the cookie into the browser, popups that display a website for example but again they are acheived from the redirect link.

I am not aware of any network that would put a transactional cookie into a browser just on banner lookup.

can you show me an example of what you mean?

**Mogga** · 21-03-05

Don't dgm do one or two of these odd cookies on banner viewing?

**matbennett** · 21-03-05

Can't post an example at the moment, but I am looking at a site that is setting a tracking cookie for our program without me ever clicking a link off the page.

I'd really like to hear other people's opinions on this if possible.

**Rich** · 21-03-05

TradeDoubler and one other, DGM I think, set cookies on banners display for some programs - do a seach on here for PI cookies or post-impression cookies and you should see where its been discussed in the past.

If you use a particular redirect script for traffic from the networks then you will get users with cookies coming in thru different routes as repeat visitors won't always go thru that redirect. Just including that as I'm not sure where you are seeing for cookies to be set.

edit: ok, I still type too slow! Matt check the source of the page for affiliatelinks to your program and make sure there are none in odd places.

**matbennett** · 21-03-05

Must admit that I was rading up on PI cookies before I posted the first message. Wanted to play dumb(er) to see if I was on the right track.

Might just be going a bit mad today as I can't see anything untowards in the code. Probably just do a few test purchases and check everything is how it should be.