Tracking Architecture

For marketers and developers who want to understand what happens under the hood. You do not need to read this to use HikrLink.

How a click is tracked

When someone clicks a HikrLink short link:

The request hits HikrLink's edge server — not the visitor's browser.
HikrLink generates a unique identifier (hkclid) for this click event.
The server logs the click: timestamp, referrer, device type, country.
The server returns a redirect response to the visitor's browser.
The visitor's browser loads the destination page.

Because steps 2–4 happen on the server before the browser redirect, ad blockers have nothing to block. The browser's privacy settings are irrelevant at this stage.

What hkclid is

hkclid is a first-party UUID generated at redirect time. It is appended to the destination URL as a query parameter:

https://yoursite.com/pricing?hkclid=a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890

It identifies this specific click event across your funnel. If your destination page is instrumented with HikrLink's tracking SDK (hikr.js), the hkclid can be associated with downstream conversion events — form submissions, purchases, sign-ups.

How sGTM works with HikrLink (Business)

HikrLink logs the click server-side.
The event is forwarded through sGTM to Meta CAPI and/or Google Enhanced Conversions.
Personal data (email, phone) is hashed using SHA-256 before transmission.
Meta and Google receive the event server-to-server, bypassing browser-layer blocking.

Browser pixel data loss for audiences with high mobile and Safari usage is typically 15–40%. sGTM server-to-server integration bypasses the browser layer and recovers the majority of that signal.

Why iOS updates affect browser-based tracking

Apple's Safari ITP restricts first-party cookies set by JavaScript to 7 days and blocks third-party tracking scripts entirely. Meta's browser pixel loads JavaScript from connect.facebook.net — ad blockers block this domain by default. When the pixel fails to fire, Meta does not receive the conversion event. Server-to-server CAPI bypasses the browser entirely.

The event_id field is matched between the browser pixel (when it does fire) and the server event to prevent double-counting.

Frequently asked questions

Why does ad blocking not affect HikrLink tracking?

Ad blockers intercept JavaScript and block known tracking domains in the browser. HikrLink counts clicks on the server at redirect time, before any browser code runs. There is nothing for the ad blocker to intercept.

Does routing through HikrLink slow down the redirect?

Median redirect latency is under 80ms. The edge proxy adds less than 5ms to that path.

What happens when I send conversion data to Meta or Google Ads?

The backend logs the click event and fans it out through sGTM to Meta CAPI and Google Enhanced Conversions. Personal data is hashed (SHA-256) before transmission.

Is sGTM required for basic click tracking?

No. sGTM is required only if you want to forward conversion events to Meta CAPI or Google Enhanced Conversions. Basic click counting works without it on all plans.