> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.upstackdata.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Complete How-To Guide for Onboarding Outbrain in Upstack Data

> Onboard Outbrain Amplify in Upstack Data — locate your Marketer ID, configure the click ID tracking, and set up the destination for server-side conversion forwarding.

<Info>
  **New to Upstack?** Follow the [getting started guide](/get-started/install-on-shopify) for a streamlined onboarding walkthrough.
</Info>

<Tip>
  * Configure the **Outbrain destination** in Upstack Data with your **Marketer ID**.
  * Add `obclid={{ob_click_id}}` to your **campaign URL suffix** to capture click IDs.
  * Verify events appear in **Outbrain Amplify Dashboard → Conversions**.
  * Monitor attribution improvements over 7-10 days of campaign traffic.
</Tip>

<Warning>
  **Critical limitation:** Unlike Meta, TikTok, and Reddit, Outbrain does **NOT** support enhanced matching with hashed email or phone. Attribution relies **solely on click ID (`obclid`)**. Events from visitors without a click ID are skipped — they cannot be attributed to any campaign.
</Warning>

## Prerequisites

Before you start, you need:

* An active Upstack Data account ([sign up](https://app.upstackdata.com))
* Admin access to an **Outbrain Amplify** account
* Your **Outbrain Marketer ID** from [Amplify Dashboard → Settings → Tracking](https://amplify.outbrain.com/)
* Active Outbrain campaigns with click ID tracking configured

<Steps>
  <Step title="Configure click ID tracking in your campaigns">
    Add the click ID parameter to your campaign tracking URLs so Upstack can capture and store the click ID for attribution.

    **Add to your campaign URL suffix:**

    ```
    obclid={{ob_click_id}}
    ```

    Help guide:

    [How to configure Outbrain click ID tracking →](/guides/outbrain/how-to-configure-outbrain-click-id-tracking)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Find your Outbrain Marketer ID">
    Locate your Marketer ID (also called OB\_ADV\_ID) in the Outbrain Amplify dashboard. This 32-character hexadecimal string identifies your account for conversion tracking.

    Help guide:

    [How to find your Outbrain Marketer ID →](/guides/outbrain/how-to-find-outbrain-marketer-id)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure the Outbrain destination in Upstack Data">
    In the Upstack dashboard, navigate to **Event Destinations** and add an **Outbrain** destination using your **Marketer ID**.

    Help guide:

    [How to configure the Outbrain destination in Upstack Data →](/guides/outbrain/how-to-configure-outbrain-destination-in-upstack-data)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify the full setup is healthy">
    Confirm each piece of the setup is working:

    * In the Upstack dashboard, **Event Destinations** shows your Outbrain destination as **Healthy** (green).
    * In [Outbrain Amplify Dashboard](https://amplify.outbrain.com/), the **Conversions** page shows recent events.
    * Test with a real ad click — clicking your own ad and completing a purchase should generate a tracked conversion within 5-10 minutes.

    If anything is unhealthy, check the corresponding help guide above for troubleshooting steps.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What to expect after setup

### Attribution limitations

Unlike other ad platforms (Meta, TikTok, Reddit, Google), Outbrain only attributes conversions when a click ID is present:

| Scenario                                              | Attribution                                |
| ----------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| User clicks ad with `obclid`, converts same session   | ✅ Attributed                               |
| User clicks ad with `obclid`, converts within 30 days | ✅ Attributed (if cookie persists)          |
| User visits directly without ad click                 | ❌ Skipped (no click ID)                    |
| User clears cookies between click and conversion      | ❌ Skipped (click ID lost)                  |
| User clicks on mobile, converts on desktop            | ❌ Skipped (different device/cookie)        |
| Known customer with email, no click ID                | ❌ Skipped (email not used for attribution) |

### Conversion reporting timeline

* **Initial conversions** start appearing in Amplify within 5-10 minutes of real ad clicks and purchases.
* **Full attribution picture** emerges over 7-10 days as more users complete the click → conversion journey.
* **Lower attribution rates** compared to Meta/TikTok are expected — this reflects Outbrain's click-only attribution model, not a tracking issue.

### Deduplication

Outbrain deduplicates based on `orderId`. If you're running both the Outbrain browser pixel and Upstack server-side delivery, ensure both send the same `orderId` value for the same transaction to avoid double-counting.

<Note>
  **Need help?**

  If you encounter any issues during setup or don't see conversions appearing after confirming ad clicks, contact our [support team](/support) with your **Outbrain Marketer ID** and we'll help diagnose the problem.
</Note>