When a customer clicks a member's affiliate link or BuzzLink, Buzzbassador sets a tracking cookie in their browser. The cookie stores the unique buzz_ref token from the link, which Buzzbassador uses to credit the sale to the correct member when the customer eventually places an order.
This article covers what the cookie does, how to configure its duration, which link types rely on it, and the standard limits of cookie-based tracking.
Choosing the right cookie duration for your program
The right cookie duration depends on your product type, price point, and customer purchase cycle. Here are the most common windows and when each is appropriate:
Duration | Best for | Trade-off |
7 days | Impulse-buy products with short consideration cycles (snacks, low-cost accessories) | Misses customers with longer decision windows |
30 days (default) | Most ecommerce brands. Balanced between fairness and exposure | Works well for the majority of programs |
60 days | Higher-priced products where customers research before buying (premium fashion, electronics, supplements) | Higher commission exposure for sales that happen later |
90+ days | Big-ticket items, B2B, or products with long consideration cycles | Greater chance of attributing sales the ambassador may not have directly influenced |
For context, major affiliate networks like ShareASale and Impact typically use 30 to 60 day windows. Amazon's affiliate program uses just 24 hours, which is unusually short. For most Shopify brands, 30 days is the sweet spot.
Most browsers cap cookies at around 400 days, so we recommend keeping your window between 7 and 90 days for the most reliable behavior.
Which link types use cookies
Of the five attribution methods Buzzbassador supports, three rely on cookie tracking and two do not.
UTM-only link: cookie-based attribution. No discount code is involved.
UTM link with auto-applied code: cookie-based attribution plus an auto-applied code. The cookie is the primary attribution method; the code is what gives the customer their discount.
BuzzLinks: cookie-based attribution plus a one-time code generated on click. The cookie does the attribution work; the popup code provides the customer-facing discount.
Referral code only: no link, no cookie. Attribution depends entirely on the customer entering the referral code at checkout.
Referral code link: no cookie. The URL auto-applies the code, but if the code is removed at checkout, no attribution is recorded.
[ LINK: How order attribution works (all 5 tracking methods) ]
What the cookie stores
The tracking cookie set on click contains the member's unique buzz_ref token (a string like 4818446280850J9). Buzzbassador uses this token to look up which member should receive credit when an order is placed from that browser within the cookie's duration.
The cookie does not store any customer data. It only contains the buzz_ref attribution token.
How to set the cookie duration on a program
The cookie duration is set per program and defaults to 30 days. To change it:
1. Go to Programs in Buzzbassador admin.
2. Click Edit on the program you want to update.
3. Scroll to the Affiliate Links section.
4. Find the Cookie Settings subsection.
5. Update the Cookie Duration (days) field.
6. Click Save Program.
[ SCREENSHOT: Cookie Settings section of program editor ]
The new duration applies to any cookies set after the change. Existing cookies already in customer browsers continue to use whatever duration was in effect when they were created.
What happens when a cookie expires or is overwritten
If a customer clicks a member's link but does not place an order within the cookie duration, the cookie expires and the member loses the chance to be attributed for any future order from that customer, unless the customer clicks the link again (which sets a fresh cookie).
Each new link click overwrites the previous cookie. If a customer clicks Member A's link, then later clicks Member B's link, only Member B's cookie is active. Member A would not be credited even if their original cookie had not yet expired.
[ LINK: How order attribution works (all 5 tracking methods) ]
Edge cases that prevent cookie tracking
Cookie-based tracking is reliable for the standard customer journey, but every UTM-based affiliate system on the web has the same set of edge cases where cookies don't carry through. These are universal limits, not Buzzbassador-specific:
The customer has cookies disabled, or has third-party cookies blocked, in their browser.
The customer uses incognito or private browsing: cookies set in incognito mode are deleted as soon as the customer closes the window. If they click in incognito and come back later through a regular browser session, the cookie is gone.
The customer cleared their cookies: if a customer manually clears their browser cookies between clicking an ambassador's link and placing an order, the attribution is lost.
The customer clicks the link in one browser (e.g., Safari) and checks out in another (e.g., Chrome, or a private or incognito window).
The customer clicks the link on one device (e.g., phone) and checks out on a different device (e.g., laptop).
The customer waits longer than the cookie duration before placing an order.
The customer clicks multiple ambassadors' links: if a customer clicks one ambassador's link, then later clicks a different ambassador's link before purchasing, the most recent click takes priority. This is called last-click attribution and is the standard across affiliate platforms.
In any of these cases, the order goes through normally, but the member will be credited via cookie. If the cookie path fails, attribution can still happen if the customer types the referral code into the discount field at checkout (manually entered codes always take precedence over cookie attribution).
Notes:
Cookie duration is a trade-off. Longer durations capture more delayed conversions but slightly increase the chance of crediting an order that the member's link no longer meaningfully influenced. Most brands stay at the 30-day default. Programs that drive longer purchase cycles (higher-priced or considered purchases) sometimes extend to 60 or 90 days.
The cookie duration setting applies whether the program uses UTM links, BuzzLinks, or both.