Getting Started Guide

Welcome to Simple TDS (Traffic Distribution System) – a powerful platform for managing, distributing, and tracking your traffic campaigns with advanced filtering and conversion tracking capabilities.

Table of Contents

1. What is Simple TDS?
2. Key Concepts
3. Creating Your Account
4. First Login
5. Understanding the Dashboard
6. Quick Start: Your First Campaign
7. Next Steps

What is Simple TDS?

Simple TDS is a Traffic Distribution System that helps you:

• Distribute traffic intelligently across multiple destinations
• Filter traffic by country, device, OS, browser, IP address, time, and custom parameters
• Track conversions with multiple tracking methods (postback, pixel, JavaScript)
• Analyze performance with detailed statistics and charts
• Optimize campaigns based on real-time data

Who is it for?

• Affiliate marketers managing multiple offers
• Traffic arbitrage specialists
• Performance marketers running complex campaigns
• Media buyers distributing traffic to different landing pages

Key Concepts

Before you start, familiarize yourself with these core concepts:

Campaign

A Campaign is the top-level container for your traffic distribution setup. Each campaign has:

• A unique campaign token (URL slug for traffic entry)
• A domain where traffic enters
• Multiple flows that handle different traffic segments
• Full tracking and statistics

Example: You create a campaign called "Summer Sale 2024" with token summer2024. Your traffic URL would be: https://yourdomain.com/summer2024/

Flow

A Flow is a traffic processing unit within a campaign. It contains:

• Filters that determine which traffic matches this flow
• Targets (destinations) where matching traffic is redirected
• Priority level for flow selection (higher priority flows are checked first)
• Weight distribution when multiple targets exist

Example: Create a flow for "US Mobile Traffic" with country filter (USA) and device filter (mobile/tablet).

Filter

Filters are rules that determine whether traffic matches a specific flow. Available filter types:

Filtering Logic:

• Filters within a group use AND logic (all must match)
• Multiple filter groups use OR logic (any group can match)
• Supports whitelist (allow only) and blacklist (block) modes

Target

A Target is a destination URL where traffic is redirected. Each target has:

• URL – The destination (offer page, landing page, etc.)
• Redirect type – How traffic is redirected (HTTP 302, Meta refresh, JavaScript, iframe)
• Weight – For traffic distribution when multiple targets exist (weighted random selection)
• Active status – Enable/disable without deletion

Example: Two targets with weights: Target A (weight: 70) receives ~70% of traffic, Target B (weight: 30) receives ~30%.

Click

A Click is a recorded visit to your campaign URL. The system captures:

• IP address, country, city
• Device type, OS, browser
• Language, referrer
• Timestamp
• Custom parameters (UTM tags, etc.)
• Bot detection (crawlers, scanners, fraud clicks)

Note: Simple TDS tracks both total clicks and unique clicks (by IP address). Simple TDS automatically detects and filters bot traffic.

Conversion

A Conversion is a successful action (purchase, signup, lead, etc.) tracked after a click. Conversions are linked to clicks via click_id and can include:

• Conversion type (sale, lead, signup, etc.)
• Conversion value (revenue)
• Timestamp

Creating Your Account

Registration Steps

1. Navigate to Registration Page
   • Go to your Simple TDS installation URL
   • Click "Register" on the login page
2. Fill Registration Form
   • Name: Your full name
   • Email: Valid email address (required for password reset)
   • Password: Minimum 6 characters (see password strength indicator)
   • Confirm Password: Re-enter your password
   • Organization Name: Your company or team name
   • Language: Choose your preferred interface language (English, Ukrainian, Russian, German)
3. Accept Terms
   • Check the box to agree to the terms of service
4. Submit Registration
   • Click "Register" button
   • You'll see a success message: "Registration successful! Please check your email to verify your account."
5. Email Verification
   • Check your email inbox for verification link
   • Click the verification link to activate your account
   • You'll be redirected to the login page

First Login

Login Process

1. Navigate to Login Page
   • Go to your Simple TDS URL and click "Login"
2. Enter Credentials
   • Email: The email you registered with
   • Password: Your password
   • Remember Me: Check this to stay logged in (optional)
3. Language Selection
   • Use the language switcher in the top-right corner if needed
4. Submit Login
   • Click "Login" button
   • You'll be redirected to the Statistics dashboard

What Happens After Login?

On first login, you'll see:

• Getting Started Wizard (Quick Start Guide) – a helpful popup with setup steps
• Empty Statistics Dashboard – No data yet until you create campaigns
• Main Navigation Menu – Access to all system features

Understanding the Dashboard

Main Navigation Menu

The left sidebar contains the main navigation:

Top Bar Features

• Logo: Click "Simple TDS" to return to dashboard
• Notifications: Bell icon (future feature)
• User Menu: Dropdown with:
  • Settings
  • Logout
  • (Theme switcher – currently disabled)

Quick Start Button

At the bottom of the sidebar:

• Quick Start (🚀 Rocket icon) – Reopens the Getting Started Wizard if you closed it

Help & Support

At the bottom of the sidebar:

• Help Button – Link to Telegram support
• Version Number – Current system version

Quick Start: Your First Campaign

Follow these steps to create your first working campaign in minutes.

Step 1: Create a Domain (Optional)

1. Go to Domains in the left menu
2. Click "+ Add Domain" button
3. Fill in the form:
   • Domain Name: Your tracking domain (e.g., track.yourdomain.com)
   • Is Active: Toggle ON
4. Click "Create"

Step 2: Create Target URLs

Targets are your destination URLs (offers, landing pages, etc.).

1. Go to Targets in the left menu
2. Click "+ Add Target" button
3. Fill in the form:
   • Name: Descriptive name (e.g., "Product Landing Page - Mobile")
   • URL: Full destination URL (e.g., https://example.com/offer?aff=123)
   • Redirect Type: Choose redirect method:
     • HTTP 302 – Standard redirect (recommended, fastest)
     • Meta Refresh – HTML meta tag redirect
     • JavaScript – JavaScript-based redirect (bypasses some blocks)
     • iframe – Embeds destination in iframe (rarely used)
   • Is Active: Toggle ON
4. Click "Create"

Best Practice: Create 2-3 targets for A/B testing different landing pages or offers.

Step 3: Create Your First Campaign

1. Go to Campaigns in the left menu
2. Click "+ Add Campaign" button
3. Fill in the form:
   • Campaign Name: Descriptive name (e.g., "Summer Sale - Facebook")
   • Description: Optional notes about the campaign
   • Domain: Select the domain from Step 1
   • Is Active: Toggle ON
4. Click "Create"

Result: Your campaign is created with a unique campaign token. Example: summer-sale-facebook

Step 4: Create a Traffic Flow

Now add a flow to your campaign to handle traffic.

1. After creating the campaign, you'll see the Campaign Detail page
2. Go to the "Flows" tab
3. Click "+ Add Flow" button
4. Fill in the form:
   • Flow Name: Descriptive name (e.g., "USA Mobile Traffic")
   • Priority: 1 (higher numbers = higher priority)
   • Is Active: Toggle ON
   • Is Exit Flow: Leave OFF (Exit flows are fallback flows for unmatched traffic)
5. Click "Create"

Step 5: Add Filters to Your Flow

Filters determine which traffic matches this flow.

1. In the flow you just created, click "Filters" section
2. Click "+ Add Filter" button
3. Choose filter type and configure:

Example: Country Filter

• Filter Type: Country
• Mode: Whitelist (only allow selected countries)
• Countries: Select "United States"
• Click "Add"

Example: Device Filter

• Filter Type: Device
• Mode: Whitelist
• Devices: Select "Mobile" and "Tablet"
• Click "Add"

Step 6: Add Targets to Your Flow

Connect your targets to this flow.

1. In the flow configuration, go to "Targets" section
2. Click "Add Target" button
3. Select the target(s) you created in Step 2
4. Set Weight for each target:
   • If only one target: Weight = 100
   • If two targets for A/B testing: Target A = 50, Target B = 50
5. Click "Save"

Step 7: Get Your Campaign URL

1. Go back to Campaign Detail page
2. Click the "Integration" tab
3. You'll see your Campaign URL:

   https://yourdomain.com/summer-sale-facebook/

4. Click the copy icon to copy the URL

Step 8: Test Your Campaign

1. Open the Campaign URL in a browser (or incognito mode)
2. You should be redirected to your target URL
3. Go to Statistics tab in the Campaign Detail page
4. Click "Update Statistics" button
5. You should see 1 click recorded

Congratulations! 🎉 Your first campaign is working!

Next Steps

Now that your first campaign is running, explore these features:

1. View Statistics

Go to Statistics in the main menu to see:

• Total clicks, unique clicks, conversions
• Click charts by time (hourly, daily, monthly)
• Geographic breakdown (countries, cities)
• Device, OS, browser statistics
• Referrer and UTM parameter tracking
• Export data to CSV

2. Set Up Conversion Tracking

Track conversions (sales, leads, signups) using one of three methods:

Method 1: Postback URL (Server-to-Server)

https://yourdomain.com/c/postback?click_id={click_id}&conversion_type=sale&conversion_value=99.99

Method 2: Pixel Tracking (Image Pixel)

<img src="https://yourdomain.com/c/pixel?click_id={click_id}" width="1" height="1" />

Method 3: JavaScript Tracking

<script src="https://yourdomain.com/c/js?click_id={click_id}"></script>

See the Integration Guide (coming soon) for detailed conversion tracking setup.

3. Create Advanced Filters

Explore advanced filtering options:

• IP filtering: Whitelist/blacklist specific IPs or ranges
• Bot filtering: Block bot traffic automatically

4. Set Up Exit Flows

Create a fallback flow for traffic that doesn't match any filters:

1. Create a new flow
2. Enable "Is Exit Flow" toggle
3. Add generic targets (e.g., a default landing page)
4. Set priority to 0 (lowest)

Use case: USA traffic goes to Flow A, all other traffic goes to Exit Flow B.

Note: Every campaign must have at least one active Exit flow to handle traffic that doesn't match the main flow filters.

5. Use Flow Diagram Visualization

View your campaign structure visually:

1. Go to Campaign Detail page
2. Click "Diagram" tab
3. See a visual flowchart of your campaign → flows → filters → targets
4. Click elements to navigate and edit

6. Monitor Public Statistics

Share campaign performance with partners without giving access:

1. Go to Campaign Detail → "Information" tab
2. Enable "Public Statistics"
3. Copy the public statistics URL
4. Share with partners (they can view stats without login)

Use case: Traffic sellers can see campaign performance in real-time.

7. Optimize Campaign Performance

Use statistics to improve your campaigns:

• Identify top-performing countries → Create dedicated flows
• Find best-converting devices → Adjust weights
• Analyze time patterns → Add time-based filters
• Test different redirect types → Compare performance

Tips & Best Practices

Campaign Organization

✅ DO:

• Use descriptive campaign names (include traffic source, geo, offer)
• Create separate campaigns for different traffic sources
• Use domains to organize campaigns by client or niche
• Keep campaigns active/inactive instead of deleting

❌ DON'T:

• Use generic names like "Campaign 1" or "Test"
• Mix multiple traffic sources in one campaign
• Delete campaigns (you'll lose historical data)

Flow Setup

✅ DO:

• Start with high-priority flows for specific traffic (e.g., USA Mobile)
• Use lower priority for broader traffic (e.g., All International)
• Always create an exit flow for unmatched traffic
• Test filters with small traffic volume first

❌ DON'T:

• Create overlapping filters (traffic will match first flow only)
• Use only one generic flow (you can't optimize)
• Forget to activate flows after creation

Target Management

✅ DO:

• Create multiple targets for A/B testing
• Use weights to control traffic distribution
• Name targets descriptively (include landing page version, offer ID)
• Test target URLs before adding to campaigns

❌ DON'T:

• Use broken or redirect URLs
• Set all weights to 0 (no traffic will be sent)
• Mix different offers in the same flow without testing

Security & Performance

✅ DO:

• Enable bot filtering if you pay for traffic
• Use HTTPS for campaign URLs
• Regularly review statistics for unusual patterns
• Keep conversion tracking URLs secure

❌ DON'T:

• Share your campaign tokens publicly
• Disable bot filtering if buying paid traffic
• Ignore sudden traffic spikes (may indicate fraud)

Common Questions

How do I change the campaign URL?

A campaign receives its unique URL and token upon creation. Changing them means losing all previously configured traffic. If you need to change the campaign URL — select a different domain in the campaign settings.

Can I use the same target in multiple campaigns?

Yes! Targets are shared across your organization. You can reuse the same target URL in multiple campaigns and flows.

What happens if traffic doesn't match any flow?

The system checks for an Exit flow. If none exists — the traffic stays on the final URL without redirect.

Best practice: Always create an Exit flow!

How are unique clicks counted?

By IP address.

Can I export statistics data?

Yes! On the Statistics page:

1. Configure your filters (date range, campaign, etc.)
2. Click the "Export" or "Download" button (varies by tab)
3. Data exports as CSV file

How do I track conversions without access to the offer platform?

Use postback URLs:

1. Get your postback URL from Integration tab
2. Add it to your affiliate network or offer platform
3. Configure them to pass click_id in the postback
4. Conversions will automatically appear in Simple TDS

Getting Help

Support Resources

• Guide Page: Access built-in documentation (Guide menu item)
• Telegram Support: Click Help button in the sidebar
• Community: (If available, link to forum or community)

Troubleshooting

Problem: Campaign URL shows error

• ✅ Check campaign is active
• ✅ Check domain is active
• ✅ Verify at least one flow has matching filters
• ✅ Ensure targets are active

Problem: No statistics showing

• ✅ Click "Update Statistics" button to refresh
• ✅ Check date range filter
• ✅ Verify you're viewing the correct campaign

Problem: Traffic not redirecting

• ✅ Test target URLs directly (open in browser)
• ✅ Check redirect type (try HTTP 302 if others fail)
• ✅ Clear browser cache and test in incognito mode

Problem: Conversions not tracking

• ✅ Verify click_id is passed correctly in postback/pixel
• ✅ Check conversion tracking URL is accessible
• ✅ Test postback URL manually (replace {click_id} with real ID)

What's Next?

Ready to dive deeper? Check out these guides:

• Campaign Management Guide – Advanced campaign features
• Traffic Flows & Filters Guide – Master traffic filtering
• Targets & Conversions Guide – Optimize conversions
• Statistics & Analytics Guide – Analyze performance
• Integration Guide – Set up conversion tracking

Welcome to Simple TDS! Start distributing your traffic smarter today. 🚀

Last updated: December 2025 | Version: 12-25-01