PartnerStack

Overview

PartnerStack is a partner relationship management platform focused on SaaS companies with channel sales and affiliate programs. It operates similarly to other affiliate tracking systems but is differentiated by its emphasis on resellers, agencies, and referral partners rather than pure performance publishers. Its tracking scripts appear on SaaS product websites — particularly signup and checkout pages — where partner attribution must be captured at the point of conversion.

What This Script Does

PartnerStack loads a JavaScript snippet typically embedded via a <script> tag referencing js.partnerstack.com. On page load, the script performs the following:

• Parameter capture: Reads ps_partner_key (or gspk) and gses query parameters from inbound referral URLs to identify the referring partner.
• Attribution cookies: Writes first-party cookies on the merchant domain storing the partner key and session ID. Cookie lifetime is typically 90 days.
• Conversion events: On signup or purchase completion pages, the script reads stored attribution cookies and fires a conversion call to PartnerStack's API at api.partnerstack.com, transmitting the transaction details and partner ID.
• SDK initialization: The snippet bootstraps a small SDK object (growsumo or partnerstack) that merchant sites call programmatically to push customer data (email, customer ID) on signup for match-back attribution.

No fingerprinting or cross-site cookie networks are used; attribution relies entirely on first-party cookie persistence.

Consent & Compliance

GDPR and ePrivacy Directive: PartnerStack cookies persist for 90 days and record cross-session visitor attribution for commercial purposes. They are non-essential and require prior explicit consent under the ePrivacy Directive. The SDK's push of customer email addresses to PartnerStack's API at signup also constitutes personal data transfer under GDPR, requiring disclosure in the merchant's privacy policy.

CCPA/CPRA: Transmitting customer email and transaction data to PartnerStack for partner payout attribution may qualify as sharing personal information under CPRA if PartnerStack uses it to build partner-side profiles. Merchants should ensure their PartnerStack data processing agreement covers CCPA obligations.

The consent category is marketing. Partner attribution has no functional necessity; it exists to track commercial referral relationships.

Should You Block This Without Consent?

Yes.

PartnerStack scripts write attribution cookies and transmit customer data to a third-party platform for commercial purposes. These are marketing-category operations with no site-functionality basis. The script should be withheld until the visitor has given consent, ensuring no cookies are set and no personal data is sent to PartnerStack's servers before that point.