The email and the list
- Solo ad
- A promotional message that a list owner sends to subscribers, usually for a fee.
- Swipe
- Draft email copy supplied by a buyer or seller. Confirm who approves the final message.
- List segment
- A subset of subscribers grouped by criteria such as interest, geography or previous behavior. Ask how a segment was created.
- Buyer list
- An audience described as having made earlier purchases. The definition, recency and relevance of those purchases matter.
Delivery language
- Ordered clicks
- The volume agreed in the order.
- Delivered clicks
- The seller's recorded eligible clicks under the agreed rules.
- Unique clicks
- Visits deduplicated by a specified method and time window; tools may differ.
- Tier 1 traffic
- A seller shorthand for a selected country group. Ask for the exact countries, not a universal definition.
- Overdelivery
- Extra reported clicks above the contracted minimum; not necessarily extra qualified leads.
Funnel language
- Opt-in rate
- Consenting sign-ups divided by a clearly defined visitor or click count.
- CPC
- Spend divided by counted clicks.
- CPL
- Spend divided by qualified leads under your definition.
- Conversion rate
- Purchases or another desired action divided by the appropriate eligible population.
- Attribution window
- The period during which a later action can be credited to a tracked visit.
Definitions vary across vendors. Use this page alongside the delivery guide and ask providers to put ambiguous terms in writing before you order.
Terms that should be written into an order
- Unique click
- A click deduplicated under the provider's stated rules. Ask what identifies a repeat and how long the deduplication window lasts; two tools may disagree.
- Total click
- Every counted click event under the reporting system's rules. A single person may generate several; total clicks are not distinct visitors.
- Tier 1 / geo targeting
- A seller-specific shorthand for preferred countries. Ask for the actual country list and exclusions rather than assuming a universal definition.
- Swipe
- The promotional email text or creative supplied to the list owner. Determine who writes and approves it and whether your landing page matches it.
- Over-delivery
- More clicks than the ordered amount. Extra clicks do not automatically compensate for an audience or reporting mismatch.
- Opt-in / lead
- A contact who completes the agreed sign-up event. A lead may still be unqualified; record the exact form and confirmation rules.
- Conversion
- A specified action such as sign-up or purchase. “50% conversion” is ambiguous without naming the event and its denominator.
- Attribution window
- The period in which later outcomes are associated with the campaign. Changing the window can change apparent performance.
How to use this vocabulary in a real conversation
Instead of asking, “Are these premium clicks?”, ask, “Do you quote unique clicks? Which countries qualify? Can you send an example of the anonymized report, and what is your remedy if the contract count is short?” Instead of asking, “What conversion rate will I get?”, ask what the vendor measured, with which offer, for how long, and whether the figure means sign-ups or purchases.
Terminology is useful only when both parties attach the same operational meaning to it. Copy definitions from the vendor's written quote into your campaign record. If a term is undefined, resolve it before payment rather than litigating it after the send.
Useful next steps
Guide reviewed September 19, 2026. Provider recommendations and purchase terms can change; confirm current details before ordering.