What is a tracking link?
A tracking link is a unique identifier tied to a specific job listing and lead source. Every tracking link carries three things:
The job listing it belongs to
A source type (e.g. Facebook, Indeed, company website, referral, recruiter, custom)
A display name that identifies the specific campaign (e.g. "Indeed Campaign Q1")
Every applicant enters Double Nickel through a tracking link — whether they apply through a shared application URL, are pushed in by a marketing partner through the API, or arrive through Zapier. That single design choice is what makes attribution and reporting work.
Why we require tracking links instead of freeform source codes
Some recruiting systems attribute leads with a freeform "reference code" — a text field the sender fills in however they like. That feels flexible, but over time it fragments your data: the same source shows up as "facebook", "FB-Jobs", and "fb_jobs_2026", partners invent new codes mid-campaign, and there's no reliable way to compare sources or campaigns when reporting time comes.
Double Nickel takes a structured approach instead: the tracking link is created ahead of time, and the applicant is attributed the moment they enter the system. Attribution is a property of your pipeline — not text someone typed — so it's consistent, comparable, and correct from day one.
What this enables
Accurate source reporting. Every applicant carries exactly one source and campaign, so funnel metrics — applicants, conversion, hires by source — are trustworthy without any data cleanup.
Automatic job listing association. The tracking link determines which job listing the applicant belongs to. Partners pushing leads through the API don't need to know anything about your job setup — the link handles it.
Campaign-level insight. Create separate links for separate campaigns under the same source type, and you can compare campaigns against each other — not just sources.
Cost and ROI reporting. Because spend can be tied to specific links, you can measure cost per applicant and cost per hire by source and campaign.
Consistency across every channel. An applicant from a shared URL, an API partner, or a Zapier workflow is attributed exactly the same way.
How it works in practice
For your team: create a tracking link for each source or campaign on a job listing, then share the link URL (or its ID, for integrations). See Add a New Tracking Link to an Existing Job Listing and How to Find a Job Listing's Tracking Link ID.
For marketing and lead partners: Double Nickel (or your client) provides the trackingLinkId values to use, and each lead you push includes one — see Creating Applicants (POST /applicants). Use one link per job listing or campaign, and ask for a new link when you launch a new campaign rather than reusing an unrelated one. This works in your favor too: your delivery numbers show up cleanly and correctly in your client's reporting.
Common questions
Can a partner send leads with just a company ID? No — trackingLinkId is required on every applicant created through the API, and it must belong to the same company. This is by design: it's what keeps attribution accurate.
What if a partner runs several campaigns at once? Create one tracking link per campaign. Each shows up separately in reporting, so you can compare campaign performance within the same source.
Does the applicant's source ever change? Attribution comes from the tracking link used when the applicant entered, so make sure the right ID is used for each campaign from the start.
Questions or need help?
Contact the Double Nickel support team at [email protected] — we're happy to help set up tracking links for a new source or partner.