A programme or network migration is when an operator moves its affiliate programme from one platform, network or in-house system to another — changing the tracking software, the reporting interface, sometimes the network intermediary, and occasionally the deal terms.
Definition
A programme or network migration is when an operator moves its affiliate programme from one platform, network or in-house system to another — changing the tracking software, the reporting interface, sometimes the network intermediary, and occasionally the deal terms. For affiliates, a migration means new tracking links or parameters, a period where attribution and reporting may be unreliable, potential loss of historical data, and the risk that conversions in the transition window are miscounted or lost.
A well-run migration preserves affiliate deals and historical earnings data, provides new links with clear instructions and a cutover date, runs old and new tracking in parallel during the switch, and reconciles the transition period carefully. A poorly run one drops conversions, resets deal terms without agreement, loses statement history, and leaves affiliates unable to verify what they are owed.
In context
For affiliates, a programme migration is a period of elevated risk that needs active management, not passive waiting. The practical steps: get written confirmation that existing deal terms and any negotiated rates carry over unchanged; export all historical statement and cohort data before the switch in case the new system does not import it; update every tracking link and verify the new links fire correctly with test conversions; keep independent tracking running so the transition period can be reconciled; and watch closely for a conversion or revenue dip that indicates tracking loss rather than a real traffic change.
Disputes cluster around migrations, so documentation matters: the pre-migration deal terms in writing, the historical earnings data, and the affiliate's own tracker numbers for the cutover window are what allow a shortfall to be challenged. If a migration is used as an opportunity to quietly reset rates or drop pending commission, that should be identified and pushed back on immediately.
For affiliate-facing content, the framing is that a programme or network migration is a high-risk transition for the affiliate, that the response is to secure deal terms in writing, export historical data, verify new tracking, keep independent records, and reconcile the transition window carefully, and that migrations are a common point for attribution loss and quiet term changes that affiliates should watch for.
Worked example
An operator migrates its programme to a new platform. The affiliate gets written confirmation its revenue-share rate carries over, exports two years of statements, updates and test-fires all tracking links, and keeps its own tracker running through the cutover.
A 12% conversion dip in the first week traces to a link that did not fire on mobile; the affiliate flags it with test evidence and the missed conversions are credited.
Related terms
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