Cookies are crumbling – so, what’s left on the plate?

[Articles](https://myaffiliates.com/category/articles/) # Cookies are crumbling – so, what’s left on the plate? Our recent poll shows a clear trend: Server-to-Server (S2S) tracking is leading the way with 56% of votes, while First-party cookies sit at 11%, Fingerprinting at 6%, and almost 30% of respondents remain unsure. October 15, 2025  Our recent poll shows a clear trend: **Server-to-Server (S2S) tracking** is leading the way with **56% of votes**, while **First-party cookies** sit at **11%**, **Fingerprinting** at **6%**, and almost **30% of respondents remain unsure**.  There’s been a lot of talk lately about the “cookie-less future,” and as [Vlad Bondarenko](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bondbvs/) pointed out in the comments, affiliate tracking has been moving away from cookies for years.  That’s true – to an extent. But the reality is that many operators **still rely on first-party cookies** to temporarily store tokens, session data, or click IDs before firing a postback. So even in a so-called “S2S” setup, the cookie hasn’t disappeared entirely – it’s just evolved into a **first-party dependency** rather than a third-party one. And that distinction matters. Because the real question isn’t whether cookies exist or not – it’s **where the data lives**, **who controls it**, and **how reliably it’s tied back to conversions** once attribution and compliance layers come into play. This is where the industry is still split: - Some are ready for fully server-side, first-party ecosystems. - Others are still mixing old and new methods – hybrid models that work, but with grey zones in data integrity and transparency. At MyAffiliates, we’ve seen both sides up close – and we’re focused on helping operators **bridge that gap** with flexible, hybrid tracking models that ensure accuracy and compliance without losing visibility or performance. The cookie might be fading, but the complexity of tracking isn’t going anywhere. What’s changing is how much control operators and affiliates have over the data that powers their decisions. ### You May Also Like [](https://myaffiliates.com/top-features-to-look-for-in-affiliate-tracking-software-poll-results-8/) [Articles](https://myaffiliates.com/category/articles/) [AI Search and the Affiliate Shift: What the Data from 2024–2025 Reveals](https://myaffiliates.com/top-features-to-look-for-in-affiliate-tracking-software-poll-results-8/) ### AI Search and the Affiliate Shift: What the Data from 2024–2025 Reveals  [kurt@myaffiliates.com](https://myaffiliates.com/author/kurtmyaffiliates-com/) September 29, 2025 [](https://myaffiliates.com/myaffiliates-to-exhibit-at-sigma-europe-2025-in-rome-stand-1001/) [Press Release](https://myaffiliates.com/category/press-release/) [MyAffiliates to Exhibit at SiGMA Europe 2025 in Rome, Stand 1001](https://myaffiliates.com/myaffiliates-to-exhibit-at-sigma-europe-2025-in-rome-stand-1001/) ### MyAffiliates to Exhibit at SiGMA Europe 2025 in Rome, Stand 1001  [kurt@myaffiliates.com](https://myaffiliates.com/author/kurtmyaffiliates-com/) October 23, 2025 [](https://myaffiliates.com/google-80-release/) [Updates](https://myaffiliates.com/category/updates/) [The impact of Google 80 release on MyAffiliates](https://myaffiliates.com/google-80-release/) ### The impact of Google 80 release on MyAffiliates  [Clemence Dujardin](https://myaffiliates.com/author/clemencemyaffiliates-com/) February 14, 2020 [Share](https://myaffiliates.com/top-features-to-look-for-in-affiliate-tracking-software-poll-results-9/# "Share this") [Share](https://myaffiliates.com/top-features-to-look-for-in-affiliate-tracking-software-poll-results-9/# "Share this") [Share](https://myaffiliates.com/top-features-to-look-for-in-affiliate-tracking-software-poll-results-9/# "Share this") [Pin](https://myaffiliates.com/top-features-to-look-for-in-affiliate-tracking-software-poll-results-9/# "Pin this") ## [Get in Touch](https://myaffiliates.com/contact-us) [Email](mailto:sales@myaffiliates.com) [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/myaffiliates1/) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/myaffiliates)   ###### © 2026. All rights reserved.   [Cookie Policy](https://myaffiliates.com/cookie-policy)  \|  [Privacy Policy](https://myaffiliates.com/privacy-policy) ###### Made by [Growth Gurus](http://www.growthgurus.com/) - [facebook](https://www.facebook.com/myaffiliates1/) - [linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/company/myaffiliates) [Close Menu](https://myaffiliates.com/top-features-to-look-for-in-affiliate-tracking-software-poll-results-9/#)