Original ABC worksheet
Affiliate Tracking Tool Evaluation Scorecard
A vendor-neutral scorecard for comparing affiliate tracking platforms on measurement, integrations, governance, reliability, workflow, and cost.
ABC Editorial Team · Editorial review: Editorial review completed; the scorecard is vendor-neutral. · Updated 2026-08-19
Score the requirements that affect decisions
Weight each criterion before reviewing products. A mandatory integration or data-governance requirement should count more than a cosmetic preference.
- Attribution and conversion model
- Traffic-source and network integrations
- Reporting latency and raw-data access
- Roles, audit history, and privacy controls
- Reliability, incident communication, and support
- Implementation effort and total operating cost
Require an evidence-based trial
Ask every shortlisted vendor to support the same test campaign. Record whether the requirement was demonstrated, documented, promised, or unavailable. A transparent unknown is safer than assuming a feature works.
Revisit the score after implementation
Compare the sales evaluation with day-to-day operation after the first reporting cycle. Update weights as traffic mix, team size, privacy obligations, and partner integrations change.
Frequently asked questions
Should price have the highest weight in a tracker scorecard?
Usually not by itself. Total cost should include implementation, maintenance, reporting gaps, training, and operational risk. Weight price according to your constraints after mandatory requirements are satisfied.