# Tracking Link Parameters Explained

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Any parameters you want to pass in an ad's tracking link are managed via your [Gateway Tracking Settings](https://help.impact.com/brand/what-would-you-like-to-learn-about/account-administration/program-settings/tracking-settings/configure-gateway-tracking-settings), with the exception of the *Shared ID* and *Param* parameters. These two parameters must be added to tracking links by your partners, and are useful to you when you want more tracking data to be passed and displayed in your impact.com reporting.

Partners have a similar parameter useful to them called a *Sub ID*. This is solely for their tracking purposes, and there's no way for you to view the data unless they send you a report.

#### Shared ID vs. Param parameters

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Shared ID parameter" %}
The *Shared ID* is the simpler of the two kinds of parameters partners can pass to you. The tracking data for this parameter is shared with both you and your partners, and neither party is reliant on the other to view the tracking results. Partners are likely to be open to discussing what information passed via Shared ID would be most valuable to the partnership.
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Param parameters" %}
*Param parameters* function very similarly to Shared IDs, but partners don't see the passed data in impact.com reporting. The tracking data for this parameter is only viewable to you by default, however, you can share the results with them by sending them custom [Advanced Action Listing](https://help.impact.com/brand/what-would-you-like-to-learn-about/platform-features/multi-program-reports/performance-reports-for-brands/advanced-action-listing-report) reports.
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

|                            |                                                                           |                                                                            |
| -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Detail**                 | **Shared ID**                                                             | **Param parameter**                                                        |
| Implementation Difficulty  | Easy                                                                      | Moderate                                                                   |
| Who Controls What's Passed | Partners                                                                  | Partners                                                                   |
| How to Implement           | impact.com Partner UI                                                     | Partner manually appends to tracking links                                 |
| Who Views Results          | Brands and Partners                                                       | Brands by default, but partners can be sent reports with tracking results. |
| Character Limit            | 255 Characters                                                            | 255 Characters                                                             |
| Relevant Brand Report      | <p>• Performance by Partner Shared ID</p><p>• Advanced Action Listing</p> | • Advanced Action Listing                                                  |

{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:** If a partner doesn't know how to add the Param parameter to a tracking link, you can send them this article on [Sub ID, Shared ID, and Param parameters](https://app.gitbook.com/s/b2rE79d9UhOKZQLgzSqx/what-would-you-like-to-learn-about/platform-features/tracking/tracking-links/link-parameters/sub-id-and-shared-id-parameters-explained-for-partners).
{% endhint %}

#### How these parameters work

When a customer clicks on an impact.com tracking link with a Shared ID or Param parameter appended, the additional tracking data is passed to impact.com's tracking servers and stored. impact.com then correlates the click to the action.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Example:** `https://trackingdomain.net/c/mpid/adid/campaignid?`**`parameter=value`**
{% endhint %}

In the example above:

* **trackingdomain.net** is the unique tracking domain provided by impact.com.
* **mpid** is the ID of the partner with whom the tracking link is associated.
* **adid** is the ID impact.com assigned to the ad.
* **campaignid** is the ID of the program with which the tracking link is associated.
* **parameter=value** refers to the added Shared ID or Param passing through additional tracking data and reported by impact.com.

**View reports on passed parameters**

Once your partner has added a Shared ID or Param parameter into tracking links, you can view the results in the [Advanced Action Listing Report](https://help.impact.com/brand/what-would-you-like-to-learn-about/platform-features/multi-program-reports/performance-reports-for-brands/advanced-action-listing-report).

* For the *Shared Id* parameter, simply select which parameter values you want to see from the report filters.
* For the *Param* parameter, add the necessary column to the report via the *Show* drop-down filter.