# Set up Direct Traffic Tracking
Take the PXA course
Direct traffic tracking allows your team to track Partner-level traffic without the use of a tracking link.
Most click traffic tracking uses tracking links, embedded links in ads, logos, or text on Partner sites. **Direct Traffic Tracking**, however, identifies the source of consumer traffic arriving on your website without using a tracking link. Instead, information from the landing page URL or the referring URL identifies the source of the traffic.
{% hint style="warning" %}
**Required**: If you want to track events by using direct traffic, you’ll need the [UTT and Identify Function tags](https://help.impact.com/brand/what-would-you-like-to-learn-about/platform-features/tracking/javascript-tag-tracking/tracking-with-universal-tracking-tag-utt) or you’ll need to implement [PageLoad API requests](https://integrations.impact.com/impact-brand/reference/pageload-overview) on every page of your website. If you are not currently using the UTT or PageLoad API and are interested in switching over, [contact support](https://app.impact.com/support/portal.ihtml?createTicket=true&) to guide you through the migration process.
{% endhint %}
#### Set up direct traffic tracking
 This feature is only accessible to specific impact.com editions or add-ons. [Contact us](https://app.impact.com/support/portal.ihtml?createTicket=true) to upgrade your account and get access!
1. From the left navigation menu, select  **\[Engage]** → **Partners**.
2. Hover your cursor over the partner whose traffic you want to view. Then select  **\[More]** **Tracking** → **Direct Traffic Tracking**.
3. Set up your **Rules to identify** the traffic. See the Identification rules reference for more information.
4. Select **Save**.
**Identification rules explained**
There are three ways to identify traffic—by *Landing Page*, by *Referring URL*, or by both. Each tracking method has a sub-section, and, depending on how your Partner’s traffic is recognized, you will need to set up rules to instruct impact.com on how to categorize the inbound traffic.
Each identification rule additionally requires a matching rule, so stricter or more lenient combinations can be set (e.g., `contains`, `starts with`, `does not contain`, etc.).
Landing Page reference
As a referring URL is not always available, setting up landing page rules instead is recommended. Many factors can hinder [Using Referral URL Parameters](https://help.impact.com/en/support/solutions/articles/48001214026-using-the-referring-url-parameter?accountType=ADVERTISER).
| Landing Page | Description |
| ----------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Landing Page URL** | Identify traffic based on landing page URL or porting of it. |
| **Landing Page Domain** | If your program has multiple domains and a domain for each Partner, then make sure to set rules.
• View the Rules reference table below for more information.
|
| **Landing Page Query String** | Match by the parameter name only, regardless of the parameter value.
For example, adding a link with a dynamic value, AID= , so you could match (exactly matches, contains, starts with, etc.) AID parameter name.
|
| **Landing Page Parameter** | Use when the landing page parameter is a fixed name=value pair.
For example, if you want to track when Partners send traffic to brand.com?partner=123, then input partner in the first box, select contains or exactly matches from the drop-down menu, then insert 123 the last box. impact.com also supports multiple values by separating the values with a comma (and regex queries).
|
Referring URL reference
| Referring URL | Description |
| -------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Referring URL** | Configure the Partner traffic to be matched by the referring URL. Specify a list of comma-separated domains, or match part of the domain, using wildcard matching.
For example, matching on the directory part of the URL - *./advertiser.* or [www.petercoupons.com/mysite/](http://www.petercoupons.com/mysite/).
|
| **Referring Domain** | For example, all traffic from petercoupons.com impact.com attributes to the Partner: *Peter Coupons*. |
| **Referring Query String** | Use when a specific parameter name is present in the referring URL.
For example, adding a link with a dynamic value, AID=, so you could match (exactly matches, contains, starts with, etc.) AID parameter name.
|
| **Referring Parameter** | Use when the Referring URL contains a specific name=value query string pair.
For example, if you want to track when the Partners sends traffic to brandadvertiser.com?partner=123; then input partner in the first box, select contains or exactly matches from the 
\[Drop-down menu], then and insert 123 the final box. impact.com also supports multiple values by separating the values with a comma (and regex queries).
|
Rules reference
If both landing page and referring URL domains are enabled, using the following for guidance on how to create a rule:
| Rule | Description |
| ------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **AND** | Requires a match of both the landing page and referring domain. |
| **OR** | This option is more flexible and allows for a match of either the landing page or referring domain. If "OR" is selected, the landing page method takes precedence in the case of any conflicts. |
**Test your direct tracking**
To test your direct tracking setup, learn more about [partner test accounts for brands](https://help.impact.com/brand/what-would-you-like-to-learn-about/account-administration/account-settings/partner-test-accounts-for-brands).