# Goal-Based Payouts

The **goal parameter** is a unique value used to trigger specific payouts. When you set a goal value within a payout rule, any conversion that includes this goal will activate that specific payout. This allows you to track special events and assign a different commission rate instead of using the default one.

***

### How to Setup a Payout With a Goal Value?

Let's explain this with an example.

In this example, the affiliate program has a single payout: affiliates earn 5% of the purchase amount. This is set as a **General payout**, which means it serves as the default payout rate applied to all affiliates.

<figure><img src="https://1097958070-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FHX682uo79XLNkfkN58br%2Fuploads%2FF5DoxbmAVjYOk2lnN6Q0%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=43e5fedf-340f-4604-a668-50527faf5549" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

As mentioned earlier, goals can be used to trigger specific payouts for certain events.

In this example, the special event is a purchase from a specific product category - *Electronics*.\
For regular purchases, affiliates will earn a 5% commission (the default General payout). However, for purchases in the *Electronics* category, we’ll apply a goal-based payout that gives affiliates an 8% commission.

Let's create a new payout, we'll make it a General payout as well because it is relevant for all affiliates, the affiliate commission will be 8% and we'll add a goal value: *electronics*.

<figure><img src="https://1097958070-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FHX682uo79XLNkfkN58br%2Fuploads%2FEixjiYuwIvpj8ksPUNnq%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=da96d215-2375-4b3d-a533-47ed872df6fd" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

By creating this payout, we've added a rule to the system:

When a postback is received, the system will check for a *goal* parameter with the value *electronics*. If this value is found, the system will apply this specific payout (8% commission) instead of any other payout, including the default one.

***

### Passing the Goal Parameter in a Postback

Now that we’ve created a payout with a goal parameter, all that’s needed to trigger it is to include the *goal* parameter in the postback, making sure its value matches the one configured in the payout (*electronics* in this case)

Example of a postback that will **not trigger** the goal-based payout (5% commission will be applied):

<pre><code>https://exmaple-tracking.tracknow.info/postback?click_id={value}&#x26;campaign_id={value}&#x26;order_id=<a data-footnote-ref href="#user-content-fn-1">{value}</a>&#x26;amount={value}&#x26;first_name={value}&#x26;email={value}
</code></pre>

Example of a postback that will **trigger** the goal-based payout (8% commission will be applied):

```
https://exmaple-tracking.tracknow.info/postback?click_id={value}&campaign_id={value}&order_id={value}&amount={value}&first_name={value}&email={value}&goal=electronics
```

{% hint style="info" %}
It is the responsibility of your development team to implement the logic that determines whether the event being sent via postback should include the `goal` parameter. This ensures that goal-specific payouts are only triggered when the appropriate conditions are met.
{% endhint %}

[^1]: