Outbrain results by publisher,section and ad

The Outbrain template captures ob_click_id plus publisher, section and ad macros. ClickFlare posts each conversion to tr.outbrain.com with its order value and currency under your event name, and the cost integration pulls spend by campaign, content, publisher and section.

Start for free

Read the setup guide

Outbrain

Native ads, now part of Teads

At a glance

How it connects

S2S postback + cost API (Outbrain login)

What syncs

Conversions and order value out; cost by publisher and section in

Sync schedule

Real time, per conversion

Key parameters

ob_click_id, publisher_id, publisher_name, section_id, ad_id

Works with

Native recommendations on publisher sites

Good to know

Outbrain API access for cost takes 2 to 5 business days

Native ad network

Section-level data

S2S postback

Bid by Outbrain section, not just by campaign

Sections that convert

Outbrain bids and blocks at publisher and section level. publisher_name and section_name show you which placements pay.

Order value in Outbrain

The postback sends orderValue and currency with each conversion, so Outbrain's conversion-based bidding works from real revenue.

Cost down to the section

The cost integration pulls spend for campaigns, content, publishers and sections, so ROI holds at every level you bid on.

How it works

From ad click to profit per campaignattributed revenueattributed salesa matched conversion

Your ad

Visitor clicks

Ad on Outbrain

ClickFlare

Click recorded

A unique cf_click_id is created

Your offer

Conversion

Lead, sale or custom event

ClickFlare

Sent back to Outbrain

Through the Conversion API or postback

Cost API

Spend pulled in

Outbrain cost matched to each campaign

Your ad

Outbrain click

Macros fill the tracking URL

ClickFlare

Click recorded

Zone, site and device data stored

Offer or lander

Visitor converts

On your page or the offer

ClickFlare

Conversion logged

With payout and event type

Postback

Reported to Outbrain

So its optimization sees the result

Your ad

Visitor clicks

Any traffic source

ClickFlare

Click recorded

A unique cf_click_id is created

Your article

Keyword block

Click ID passed to the feed

Results page

Paid click

Conversion fired to ClickFlare

Outbrain API

Revenue matched

Pulled on a schedule and reconciled

Your ad

Visitor clicks

Any traffic source

ClickFlare

Click recorded

cf_click_id passed to the offer

Outbrain

Offer or call

The network tracks the action

Outbrain

Conversion

Lead, sale, call or rebill

Postback

Payout in ClickFlare

Matched to the original click

Your ad

Visitor clicks

Any traffic source

ClickFlare

Click recorded

A unique cf_click_id is created

Outbrain

Store or funnel

Click ID kept through checkout

Events

View, cart, checkout

Each step tracked

ClickFlare

Purchase recorded

Order value matched to the ad

Native ad network

Event-based conversions and double-brace macros

Outbrain writes its macros in double curly braces and fills them when the ad is clicked. ClickFlare stores ob_click_id and sends it back in a parameter of the same name, with the name of the event-based conversion you created.

URL-based conversions don't work for S2S
Conversion status updates about once an hour
No Recent Activity after 72 hours without conversions

Today, one campaign

example

Spend pulled from Outbrain

cost

$412.30

Conversions recorded

today

Sent back to Outbrain

per event

38/38

Profit

campaign

$227.70

Example numbers. Cost and conversions sit in the same report row.

Captured on every Outbrain click

key macros

ob_click_id, publisher_id, publisher_name, section_id, ad_id

captured

From the Outbrain template in ClickFlare. Use them as report columns and rules.

Revenue for one click

example

Paid click

day 0

$0.00

First revenue pull

+1h

$0.41

Scheduled updates

next days

$0.58

Final pull

last sync

$0.62

Example amounts. Sync timing for Outbrain is in the facts above.

Events for one click

example

Lead

day 0

$0.00

Sale

day 0

+$40.00

Upsell

day 1

+$15.00

Refund

day 9

−$15.00

Example events. Each one arrives by postback and is matched to the click.

One visitor's path

example

Product view

step 1

—

Add to cart

step 2

—

Checkout

step 3

—

Purchase

step 4

$68.00

Example order. Each event is tied to the ad that brought the visitor.

Tracking fields captured

2-5 days

Outbrain API approval

2.3B

Events tracked

Setup

Connected in four steps

You need an Outbrain account with an event-based conversion, approved Outbrain API access for cost, and a ClickFlare account with your own tracking domain.

Create an event-based conversion In Outbrain, open Pixels → Conversions and click Add Conversion. Choose Event-Based Conversion, enter a unique event name such as purchase, set the Window and save.
Add the Outbrain traffic source In the campaign editor, add a traffic source from the Outbrain template. Turn on Traffic source postback URL and replace REPLACE in &name= with your exact event name.
Split the URL in Outbrain Use the part of the campaign URL before the ? as the ad's landing page, with no trailing /. Paste everything after the ? into the campaign's Tracking section.
Connect Outbrain cost Once Outbrain approves API access, add the Outbrain cost integration with your login and a matching timezone. Select it on the traffic source and set Cost Model to Not Tracked.

Outbrain postback from the ClickFlare template

https://tr.outbrain.com/unifiedPixel?ob_click_id={external_id}&name=REPLACE&orderValue={payout}&currency={payout_currency}

app.clickflare.com/integrations

Outbrain

Native ad network

Connected

Outbrain account connected

Signed in from ClickFlare

Cost syncing

Spend matched to campaigns

Conversions sent back

Your chosen events

Outbrain template selected

Macros pre-filled

Tracking URL in Outbrain

Click ID captured

Conversions reported

Payout included where supported

Outbrain connected

Credentials saved in ClickFlare

Conversion event set

Click ID passed to the feed

Revenue syncing

On the feed's schedule

Outbrain added

Offer URL carries the click ID

Postback set in Outbrain

Payout and event included

Conversions arriving

Matched to the click

Outbrain connected

Click ID kept to checkout

Events mapped

View, cart, checkout, purchase

Purchases tracked

Order value in reports

Ready to track

Event names are case-sensitive: Purchase and purchase are two different events to Outbrain. If REPLACE stays in the URL, nothing shows up in Outbrain.

Outbrain cost integration guide

Open the guide

In your reports

What you see once it's connected

ROI by publisher
Results by section
Results by ad and title
Cost by campaign and content
Results by click timestamp
Promoted link breakdown

Use cases

How media buyers run it

Outbrain → lander → offer

Send the sale as the event closest to revenue and choose it as the campaign's conversion goal for bidding.

Outbrain → article → RSOC

Feed revenue arrives hours or days later. Pass it to Outbrain with a delayed revenue postback once it lands.

Section pruning

Group by section_name and cut the sections where cost runs ahead of order value.

Frequently asked questions

Questions about Outbrain

No items found.

Related integrations

More templates that plug into the same ClickFlare account.

MGo

MediaGo

Baidu's native ad platform

Native ad network

MGID

Native ad network

Revcontent

Native content discovery network

Native ad network

Taboola

Native advertising platform

Native ad network

AppLovin

Ad platform with a Conversion API

Ad platform

BIGO Ads

In-app ads on BIGO apps and network

In-app ad network

Browse all integrations ->

Setup guides

Outbrain cost integration guide

Outbrain postback setup guide

{"@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [{"@type": "Question", "name": "Does ClickFlare integrate with Outbrain?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. ClickFlare has an Outbrain traffic source template with an S2S postback, and a cost integration that pulls spend from Outbrain's API."}}, {"@type": "Question", "name": "Why is ob_click_id on both sides?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "Outbrain uses the same name in its macro and its postback. ClickFlare reads it from the campaign URL and sends {external_id} back in ob_click_id."}}, {"@type": "Question", "name": "Do I need to install Outbrain's pixel?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "No. The S2S postback replaces it. You can skip the code snippet Outbrain shows when you create the conversion."}}, {"@type": "Question", "name": "How do I get Outbrain API access for cost?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "Ask your account manager or fill in Outbrain's partner API form. Review takes 2 to 5 business days."}}, {"@type": "Question", "name": "Why does Outbrain show no conversions?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "Check that REPLACE is gone and the name matches exactly, that the conversion is event-based, and that it happened within the conversion Window."}}, {"@type": "Question", "name": "Can I pass Outbrain cost in the URL?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "Outbrain documents a cpc macro in USD. You can try it in the Cost row, but test it first. The API integration is more accurate."}}]}

Outbrain results by publisher,section and ad

Bid by Outbrain section, not just by campaign

Sections that convert

Order value in Outbrain

Cost down to the section

From ad click to profit per campaignattributed revenueattributed salesa matched conversion

Event-based conversions and double-brace macros

Connected in four steps

What you see once it's connected

How media buyers run it

Outbrain → lander → offer

Outbrain → article → RSOC

Section pruning

Questions about Outbrain

Related integrations

Your Outbrain campaigns, tracked section by section.