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This is tracking that ignores the customer's browser entirely, with the customer now being defined purely by session/click generated from the parent page. Because this type of tracking ignores the client/browser, client-based tracking is not possible via platform. There MUST be a tracking link for every postback placed along the customer flow.
To illustrate the basic concept as it occurs in our context, most the time:
The most important parts of this are:
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To illustrate a more detailed flow using our predefined Entities:
In general – postbacks are considered the most accurate form of tracking, because they do not rely on the client/browser working 100% of the time. However – they are not wildly used, because they always require a tracking link, and they do not collect as much data as the browser/client provides.
Remember – they also can't piggyback javascript/iFrame pixels, which are the primary tracking method of Ad Platforms.
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To illustrate in the same format as postbacks (non-direct linking):
Therefore at any time, we can have a maximum of 3 different cookies, with the most significant being the Advertiser, followed by the Network, followed by the Affiliate. If the Advertiser cookie/session is dropped, the Network pixel won't fire, and neither will the Affiliate. If the Network pixel session is dropped, the Advertiser will still fire, but the Affiliate won't, and so forth. This is the CASCADING hierarchy.
When can a cookie/session drop?
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The more detailed diagram: 
In short - in some ways, on the front of it, tracking via client-side seems easier than tracking via postbacks - because you don't need to worry about the session, the session is handled for you.
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