Adobe® Experience Cloud

Adobe Analytics Implementation

 Contents

Implementation roadmap........................................................................................9
Popular Implementation Links...............................................................................................10
Release Notes.......................................................................................................................10

Analytics Basics....................................................................................................11
Alerts.....................................................................................................................................11
Analytics Code......................................................................................................................11
Classifications.......................................................................................................................12
Conversion Variables (eVar)..................................................................................................13
Data Collection......................................................................................................................13
Code Manager.........................................................................................................................................16

Data Layer.............................................................................................................................17
Events...................................................................................................................................17
Metrics...................................................................................................................................17
Processing Rules..................................................................................................................18
Reports and Report Suites....................................................................................................19
Segments..............................................................................................................................20
Traffic Props and Conversion eVars......................................................................................20
Comparing Props and eVars....................................................................................................................21
Using Props as Counters.........................................................................................................................23
Counting Content Hierarchies..................................................................................................................24
What is a Predefined Event?....................................................................................................................24
What is a Custom Event?.........................................................................................................................26
Hash Collisions........................................................................................................................................26

Frequently Asked Questions about Analytics Implementation.........................28

Prepare to Implement Analytics...........................................................................32

Business Requirements Document.......................................................................................32

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 Contents

Business Governance Questionnaire....................................................................................32

Technical Questionnaire........................................................................................................32
Technical Specification..........................................................................................................33
Review Website or Application..............................................................................................33
Dashboard Creation..............................................................................................................35

Choose an implementation method.....................................................................36

Getting Started with Analytics Implementation......................................................................36

Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag Management........................................40

Create Web Property.............................................................................................................40
Configure Hosting Options....................................................................................................42
Add Header and Footer Code...............................................................................................43
Verify Header and Footer Code................................................................................................................45

Add Adobe Analytics Tool......................................................................................................46

General....................................................................................................................................................49
Library Management................................................................................................................................50
Global Variables.......................................................................................................................................52
Page Views and Content..........................................................................................................................53
Link Tracking.............................................................................................................................................53
Referrers and Campaigns........................................................................................................................54
Cookies....................................................................................................................................................55
Customize Page Code.............................................................................................................................56
Frequently Asked Questions About the Adobe Analytics Tool..................................................................56

Create a Data Element..........................................................................................................57

Manually implement Adobe Analytics (legacy).........................................................................................58

Create New Rule...................................................................................................................60

Create Conditions for Event-Based Rules................................................................................................61
Create Conditions for Page-Load Rules...................................................................................................63
Create Conditions for Direct-Call Rules...................................................................................................65
Set Up Actions for the Condition to Trigger..............................................................................................65
Test Unpublished Rules for Akamai Hosting............................................................................................68
Test Rules for Library Download or FTP..................................................................................................68

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Implement Analytics using JavaScript................................................................69
Example Page Code and Global Configuration.....................................................................70
About AppMeasurement for JavaScript.................................................................................72
Migrating to AppMeasurement for JavaScript..........................................................................................73
AppMeasurement Plug-in Support...........................................................................................................74

Accelerated Mobile Pages ....................................................................................................75

Facebook Instant Articles......................................................................................................80
Additional Web and Mobile Measurement Libraries..............................................................83
Implementing Analytics using HTML image tags.....................................................................................84
Mobile Tracking over WAP and I-Mode Protocols.....................................................................................88

Variables for Analytics Implementation and Reporting..........................................................91

Configuration Variables............................................................................................................................92
Context Data Variables...........................................................................................................................110
Dynamic Variables..................................................................................................................................112
Page Variables.......................................................................................................................................114
Additional eVars and Events..................................................................................................................150
Variables and Limitations.......................................................................................................................151
Illegal JavaScript Characters..................................................................................................................155

Merchandising Variables.....................................................................................................155
Implementing a Merchandising Variable.................................................................................................156
Instances on Merchandising Variables...................................................................................................158

The s.t() Function - Page Tracking.......................................................................................159

The s.tl() Function - Link Tracking.......................................................................................160
Automatic Tracking of Exit Links and File Downloads............................................................................162
Manual Link Tracking Using Custom Link Code.....................................................................................163
Link Tracking Using an Image Request..................................................................................................164
Setting Additional Variables for File Downloads, Exit Links, and Custom Links.....................................164
Using Function Calls with Custom Link Code........................................................................................165
Popup Windows with useForcedLinkTracking ........................................................................................166
Links from URL Shorteners....................................................................................................................167
Link Tracking Variables in doPlugins......................................................................................................167
Validating File Downloads, Exit Links, and Custom Links......................................................................168

The s.sa() Function.............................................................................................................168

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The s.clearVars() Function..................................................................................................168

The s_gi() Function.............................................................................................................169
Util.cookieRead...................................................................................................................169
Util.cookieWrite...................................................................................................................170
Util.getQueryParam.............................................................................................................170
Offline Tracking....................................................................................................................171
Data Collection....................................................................................................................172
Data Collection Query Parameters.........................................................................................................172
Data Collection HTTP Headers..............................................................................................................177
Variable Overrides..................................................................................................................................178
Report Suite IDs - Dynamic Accounts....................................................................................................179
Collecting Data From Form Elements....................................................................................................181
Tracking Across Different Implementation Types....................................................................................182
AJAX-Tracking Rich Media Applications.................................................................................................183
External Email Tracking..........................................................................................................................186
Implementing Adobe Opt-Outs...............................................................................................................188

Implementation Plug-ins......................................................................................................191
Calling Plug-ins with doPlugins Function...............................................................................................191
s.abort flag.............................................................................................................................................192
appendList..............................................................................................................................................192
doPlugins Function.................................................................................................................................195
getAndPersistValue................................................................................................................................196
getDaysSinceLastVisit............................................................................................................................197
getLoadTime..........................................................................................................................................198
getNewRepeat........................................................................................................................................199
getPageVisibility.....................................................................................................................................200
getVisitStart............................................................................................................................................202
getPercentPageViewed..........................................................................................................................203
getPreviousValue...................................................................................................................................204
getQueryParam......................................................................................................................................206
getTimeParting.......................................................................................................................................208
getValOnce.............................................................................................................................................209
getVisitNum............................................................................................................................................211
hitGovernor.............................................................................................................................................212

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 performanceTiming................................................................................................................................213
trackTNT.................................................................................................................................................216

Pathing................................................................................................................................217
Enabling Pathing on a prop....................................................................................................................217
Pathing by Campaign or Tracking Code.................................................................................................217
Reasons Pathing may not be Recorded.................................................................................................218
Moving from Section to Section..............................................................................................................218
Moving from Page Template to Page Template......................................................................................218
Segmenting Paths by User Type............................................................................................................218

Purchase Events.................................................................................................................219
Event Serialization...............................................................................................................220
Methods of Event Serialization...............................................................................................................220

Identifying Unique Visitors...................................................................................................223

Custom Visitor ID...................................................................................................................................223
Experience Cloud ID Service.................................................................................................................224
Analytics Visitor ID.................................................................................................................................224
Fallback ID Methods...............................................................................................................................224
Identifying Mobile Devices......................................................................................................................225

Cross-Device Visitor Identification.......................................................................................227

Connecting Users Across Devices.........................................................................................................227
Data Impact of Cross-Device Visitor Identification.................................................................................228
Example visit..........................................................................................................................................229
Visitors...................................................................................................................................................230
Visits.......................................................................................................................................................231
Create Segments...................................................................................................................................231
Geo-Segmentation Data........................................................................................................................231
Attribution and Persistence....................................................................................................................231

Visitor Migration...................................................................................................................233
Using Timestamps Optional................................................................................................234
Redirects and Aliases.........................................................................................................238
Analytics and Redirects..........................................................................................................................238
Implementing Redirects.........................................................................................................................239

Testing and Validation.........................................................................................242

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Testing and Validation Process............................................................................................242

Identifying the s_account Variable in the DigitalPulse Debugger...........................................................242
JavaScript JS File...................................................................................................................................242
Code Modifications.................................................................................................................................243
Variables and Values..............................................................................................................................243
Custom Variables...................................................................................................................................244
Implementation Acceptance...................................................................................................................244
Data Accuracy Validation........................................................................................................................245

Experience Cloud Debugger...............................................................................................246

Install the debugger in Chrome..............................................................................................................246
Install the debugger in Firefox (not supported).......................................................................................247
Install the debugger in Internet Explorer (not supported).......................................................................247

Packet Analyzers.................................................................................................................247
NS_Binding_Aborted in Packet Monitors...............................................................................................248

Common Syntax Mistakes...................................................................................................248

Putting Analytics Code in the Head Tag.................................................................................................248
Using s.linkTrackVars and s.linkTrackEvents..........................................................................................250
Common Mistakes in the Products Variable...........................................................................................250
Setting the PageType Variable Correctly................................................................................................252
Using White Space in Variable Values....................................................................................................252
Using Quotes.........................................................................................................................................253
Replacing Your Analytics Code...............................................................................................................253
Table of Common Syntax Mistakes........................................................................................................254

Vulnerability Scanner...........................................................................................................254
Optimizing your Implementation..........................................................................................255
Page Naming..........................................................................................................................................255
Variable Length......................................................................................................................................257
HTML Code Snippet...............................................................................................................................257
Javascript Library File............................................................................................................................257
Caching Directives.................................................................................................................................257
Tables.....................................................................................................................................................258
File Compression...................................................................................................................................258
Secure Pages.........................................................................................................................................258
Content Delivery Services/Networks......................................................................................................258

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 JavaScript File Location and Concurrency.............................................................................................258
Peering...................................................................................................................................................259

Report to Variable Mapping.................................................................................................259

Variable to Report Mapping.................................................................................................265

Analytics for Digital Assistants..........................................................................269

Digital Experience Architecture Overview...........................................................................269
Where to implement Analytics.............................................................................................270
Analytics Implementation for Digital Assistants...................................................................270
Analytics Reporting for Digital Assistants...............................................................................................273
Example.................................................................................................................................................273

Contact and Legal Information...........................................................................276

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Implementation roadmap 9

Implementation roadmap
New Users
If you are new to Adobe Analytics, you can quickly create your first Analytics report suite (data repository) using the
Getting Started with Adobe Analytics guide. Then, you can deploy Analytics code using Launch.

Implementation Roadmap

Step Task Description

Choose an
Common ways to implement Analytics include:
implementation method.
• Launch (Recommended)

This guide tells you everything you need to know about using Adobe's website
tag and mobile SDK management capabilities and how to implement them.
• Dynamic Tag Management

This guide contains Analytics-specific information to guide you through a

Dynamic Tag Management implementation.
• JavaScript

This guide contains a description of data collection variables and details on

implementing data collection code in JavaScript, including video.
• Analytics SDKs

Use Analytics SDKs to manage:

• Mobile apps on iOS

• Mobile apps on Android

Set up the Experience

(Formerly Visitor ID service.) See Set Up the Experience Cloud ID Service for
Cloud ID service.
Analytics.

Use the chosen

Place the page code just after the opening <body> tag on each page you want
implementation method
to track. At a minimum, update the following variables:
to update and deploy
page code. • var s=s_gi("INSERT-RSID-HERE")
• s.pageName="INSERT-NAME-HERE" // for example,
s.pageName=document.title

Validate the
Testing and Validation Provides information about validating your
implementation.
implementation.

Use the Adobe

Install the Experience Cloud Debugger. After it is installed, load a page where
Experience Cloud
you have deployed page code and then open the debugger. The debugger
debugger to verify that
displays details about the collection data that was sent.
data is being sent.
Implementation roadmap 10

More Information
For information about the differences between Launch, Dynamic Tag Management and JavaScript methods, see
Choose an implementation method.

For a concise overview of the getting started process and help on quickly setting up your first Analytics report suite,
see Getting Started with Analytics Implementation in the Getting Started with Analytics guide.

Popular Implementation Links

During implementation, you might find the following documents useful:

• Accelerated Mobile Pages
• Experience Cloud Debugger
• Implementation Plug-ins
• Variables for Analytics Implementation and Reporting
• Processing Rules
• VISTA rules (in Admin Help)
• Experience Cloud ID Service documentation
• Experience Cloud & Core Services documentation

Release Notes

Release notes can be found at the following locations:

• Experience Cloud - All Solutions
• AppMeasurement Libraries - All Platforms
Analytics Basics 11

Analytics Basics
Learn about the basics of Analytics, including terms, what's in the code, and how data is collected.

Logging In to Adobe Analytics

To learn how to log in to Analytics, refer to Logging In to Reports and Analytics in the Reports & Analytics Interface
Help.

Experience Cloud Debugger

The Adobe Debugger (previously DigitalPulse Debugger) is a free tool provided by Adobe that lets you view the
data being collected from your site on any given page.

See .

Alerts

Intelligent Alerts let you create and manage alerts in Analysis Workspace, complete with alert preview and rule
contribution.
You can

• Build alerts based on anomalies (90%, 95%, or 99% thresholds; % change; above/below).
• Preview how often an alert will trigger.
• Send alerts by e-mail or SMS with links to auto-generated Analysis Workspace projects.
• Create "stacked" alerts that capture multiple metrics in a single alert.

You can access this new Alerts system from More > Alerts in any report in Reports & Analytics.

See Alerts in the Reports and Analytics Help.

Analytics Code

Data is sent to a report suite to display in reporting. The easiest and most common way to send data to Analytics is
by using the DTM implementation. You can also enter the code with the JavaScript implementation.
For information about using Dynamic Tag Management to create the header and footer code for you, see Add Header
and Footer Code.

Here is an example of AppMeasurement JavaScript file, showing the code parts:

Analytics Basics 12

Classifications

Classifications are created by grouping (classifying) granular data from a source report.
For example, you might want to analyze display ads, but they are mixed with email, partner, text ad, and social
media campaigns. You can create groups so that you can analyze them separately.

For more details, see:

• Classifications in the Analytics Help and Reference guide

Analytics Basics 13

Conversion Variables (eVar)

The Custom Insight Conversion Variable (or eVar) is placed in the Adobe code on selected web pages of your site.
Its primary purpose is to segment conversion success metrics in custom marketing reports.
eVars are best used to measure cause and effect, such as:

• Which internal campaigns influenced revenue

• Which banner ads ultimately resulted in a registration
• The number of times an internal search was used before making an order

Important: When implementing Analytics, it is important to know which eVars you will use, and how many.
You should also understand how to configure those eVars in the Admin Console. For detailed information
about eVars, see Conversion Variables (eVar) in the Analytics Help and reference documentation.

An eVar can be visit-based and function similarly to cookies. Values passed into eVar variables follow the user for
a predetermined period of time.

When an eVar is set to a value for a visitor, Adobe automatically remembers that value until it expires. Any success
events that a visitor encounters while the eVar value is active are counted toward the eVar value.

Note: Only a single value can be stored in an eVar in an image request. If multiple values are desired in an
eVar value, we recommend that you implement List variables (list vars).

For more information about variables, see:

• Variables for Analytics Implementation and Reporting in this help

• Variables - How They Are Used in Reporting in the Analytics help
• Page Variables in this help
• Campaign variable in this help
• Products Variable in this help
• Products Variable in the Mobile SDK documentation

Data Collection

Learn how visits to your web site become a report in Adobe Analytics.
Adobe has created multiple ways to send data into Analytics.These methods include tracking information in real-time
from:

• Applications that can access the Internet

• Campaigns
• Client-server applications
• Emails
• Mobile devices
• Web-based kiosks
• Web sites

1. When a visitor comes to your site, a request is made to your web server.
Analytics Basics 14

2. Your site's web server sends the page code information, and the page displays in the browser.

3. The page loads, and the Analytics JavaScript code runs.

The JavaScript code sends an image request to the Adobe server, passing the variables, metrics, and page data
that you defined in your implementation.

Example JavaScript Code: The JavaScript code is placed within the body tags of a web page:

Example Image Request: A snippet of an image request with the page name outlined:
Analytics Basics 15

Note: Each image request contains a random number string to prevent browser caching and ensure that
subsequent image requests are made by the browser.

4. Adobe returns a transparent pixel image.

The code automatically collects additional details (such as operating system, browser type, browser height and
width, IP address, and browser language).
5. Adobe servers store web analysis data in report suites (your data repository).

A report suite defines the complete, independent reporting on a chosen website, set of websites, or subset of
web pages.
6. Report suite data populates the reports that you can access in a web browser.

Example report:
Analytics Basics 16

The JavaScript code execution occurs quickly and does not noticeably affect page load times. This approach
allows you to count pages that were displayed when a visitor clicked Reload or Back to reach a page, because
the JavaScript runs even when the page is retrieved from cache.

For more details, see:

• Data Collection in this help documentation

• Create a Data Element in this help documentation
• Data Warehouse in the Analytics Help and Reference guide
• Ad Hoc Analysis help
• Exclude by IP Address in the Analytics Help and Reference guide
• Data Sources whitepaper
• Data Connectors in Using FTP and sFTP with the Adobe Experience Cloud
• Clickstream Data Feeds help

Code Manager
Code manager lets you download data collection code for web and mobile platforms.
Analytics > Admin > Code Manager.

After you download the library, you must configure the code to send data to the correct tracking server and report
suite. Additional implementation resources are available at Developer & Implementation.
Analytics Basics 17

Code Manager Page Descriptions

Column Description

Name The name matches the platform where you want to enable data collection. Native
libraries are provided for each platform listed in this column.

Type Type of applications that can be measured using each library.

Version List the latest version of the library. Click the version number to view the release history.

Documentation View the library reference documentation.

Data Layer

A "data layer" is a framework of JavaScript objects that developers insert into pages. The data layers can be used
by tracking tools (including tag management systems like Dynamic Tag Management) to populate reports.
Implementing a data layer on your site provides ultimate control and flexibility over your implementation and allows
easiest maintenance in future phases. The names of these JavaScript objects are theoretically arbitrary, but the
best practice is to use something consistent and predictable. The developers may already have a data layer, or a
preference for the format. There are few different standards the tracking community has created as a starting point.
The Data Layer for Analytics Implementation specification document uses the W3C standard "digitalData" object
that is accepted by the widest variety of tracking technology, in case there is a need to use the data layer for more
than this DTM implementation.

Events

Events keep track of when a visitor has performed a specified action.

An event should be considered a milestone within a site. Success events are most commonly populated on the final
confirmation page of a process, such as a registration process or newsletter sign-up.

Common types of events include:

• Success events
• Currency events
• Custom events

For detailed information, refer to Configure Events.

Success events are described in detail in the Analytics Help and Reference.

Metrics

Metrics are quantitative information about visitor activity, such as Views, Click-Throughs, Reloads, Average Time
spent, Units, Orders, and Revenue.
Analytics Basics 18

Metrics are the foundation of reports and help you view and understand data relationships. They let you perform
side-by-side comparisons of different data sets about your website.

Metric Type Definitions

Traffic metrics Page View: One Web page load in a user’s browser (one execution of
the Reports & Analytics code).

Visit: Any number of page views when visitor comes to your site. A visit
ends after 30 minutes of inactivity.

Unique Visitor: A person visiting your site for the first time during a
given time frame, such as Hour, Day, Week, Month, Quarter or year.
(This also includes Unique Visitors for any time frame.)

Conversion metrics These show data about success events, such as purchases, downloads,
or any other action that you want users to take on your website.

Video metrics Analytics provides support for tracking a number of video metrics,
including total views, time spent, and completion rates.

Social metrics You can measure your brand's presence on the social web. Social metrics
work with Analytics standard metrics. By combining these with calculated
metrics, you can view a report that shows how often a product is
mentioned, gauge product sentiment, and see how Social metrics
correlate with Analytics key performance indicators.

Calculated metrics Calculated metrics enable you to combine metrics to create mathematical
operations that are used as new metrics. These metrics can be created
for a report to which you add metrics. Administrators can create
calculated metrics for all users of a report suite.

See Metrics in Analytics Help and Reference for metric definitions.

Processing Rules

Processing rules simplify data collection and manage content as it is sent to reports.
Processing rules help simplify interaction with IT groups and Web developers by providing an interface to:

• Set an event on the product overview page

• Populate campaign with a query string parameter
• Concatenate category and page name in a prop for easier reporting
• Copy an eVar into a prop to see paths
• Clean up misspelled site sections
• Pull internal search terms or a campaign ID from the query string into an eVar

For details about processing rules, see:

• Processing Rules in the Analytics Help and Reference guide

Analytics Basics 19

• Create New Rule in this help documentation

• Getting Started with Marketing Channels in the Marketing Channels documentation
• VISTA Rules in the Analytics Help and Reference guide
• Bot Rules in the Analytics Help and Reference guide

Reports and Report Suites

A report suite defines the complete, independent reporting on a chosen website, set of websites, or subset of web
pages. Usually, a report suite is one website, but it can be a global segment where you have combined several sites'
numbers to get totals. When you log in to the marketing reports, ad hoc analysis, and report builder, you select one
report suite to use (except when you use roll-ups that combine report suites).

Reports provide information about the data collected by Analytics, based on specific parameters.

You can run an Analytics report after implementing Adobe Analytics. Reporting provides insights into your traditional
web-based channels as well as evolving channels like mobile, video, and social networking. Some examples of
marketing reports include:

• How many people visit your site

• How many of those visitors are unique visitors (counted only once)
• How they came to the site (such as whether they followed a link or came there directly)
• What keywords visitors used to search site content
• How long visitors stayed on a given page or on the entire site
• What links visitors clicked, and when they left the site
• Which marketing channels are most effective at generating revenue or conversion events
• How much time they spent watching a video
• Which browsers and devices they used to visit your site
High-level report types include:

• Traffic: Gives you in-depth insight into how visitors interact with your website, and your customized traffic statistics.
• Conversion: Displays information about success indicators that you define.
• Paths: Enable you to track and record entire browsing paths of visitors.

You can use Analysis Workspace to remove the typical limitations of a single Analytics report. It provides a robust,
flexible canvas for building custom analysis projects. Drag-and-drop any number of data tables, visualizations, and
components (dimensions, metrics, segments, and time granularities) to a project. Instantly create breakdowns and
segments, create cohorts for analysis, create alerts, create segments, and curate reports for sharing with anyone
in your business.

See Also
• Reports and Analytics help
• Real-Time Reports
Analytics Basics 20

• Adobe Report Builder help

• Data Extracts in the Reports and Analytics help
• ClickMap in the Reports and Analytics help
• Activity Map in the Reports and Analytics help
• Report Suite Manager
• Analytics Product Comparison and Requirements
• Reports and Analytics Interface Help
• Analysis Workspace Help
• Report Descriptions
• Dashboards and Reportlets
• Bookmarks
• Virtual Report Suites
• Anomaly Detection in the Report Builder Documentation
• Contribution Analysis in the Contribution documentation

Segments

Segments are custom subsets of data, or data filtered by rules that you create.
Segments are based on:

• Hits
• Visitors
• Visits

For information about using segments for cross-device visitor identification, see Create Segments.

For in-depth information on Adobe Analytics Segmentation, please refer to the Segmentation Guide.

Traffic Props and Conversion eVars

Custom traffic variables, also called props (s.prop) or property variables, are counters that count the number of
times each value is sent into Analytics.
When determining which variables are assigned where, it is important to understand the differences between Prop
and eVar functionality. Understanding these differences allows your organization to decide which type of variable
is best to use. For detailed information, see Comparing Props and eVars.

Props also let you correlate custom data with specific traffic-related events. These variables are embedded in the
Analytics code on each page of your website. Through s.prop variables, Analytics lets you create custom reports,
unique to your organization, industry, and business objectives.

For example, if you are an automobile manufacturer, you may be interested in seeing "Most Popular Car Model" to
complement your "Pages" report. You can accomplish this by allocating one of your traffic properties to represent
car model. Then implement your code to pass in car model on the appropriate pages.

Note: Analytics supports up to 75 s.prop variables.

Props are used in pathing reports or in correlation reports. For example, property variables can be used to show
content type, sub-section, or template name. The resulting Custom Traffic reports show which content type,
sub-section, or template is viewed most often.
Analytics Basics 21

There are endless business questions that can be answered through the custom traffic variables, depending on
what you are capturing from your website. The following list contains a few common goals and objectives:
• Understanding user navigation through the website
• Understanding internal user search behavior
• Segmenting traffic by navigation or category
• Segmenting visitor behavior by demographics
eVars (or Custom Conversion Insight variables) are used to identify how well specific attributes or actions contribute
to success events on your site. For example, for a media site, eVars may be used to identify how well internal
promotions bring visitors to register. When a visitor clicks on the internal promotion, an eVar can be used to store
a unique identifier for that promotion. When the same visitor completes registration and a custom success event is
fired, the original unique identifier receives credit for the registration event.

In a conversion site, eVars may be used to track how logged-in visitors compare to non-logged in visitors in completing
a purchase. When a visitor logs in, an eVar is set to "logged in." When that visitor reaches the checkout page, the
checkout event is attributed to the "logged in" value. When a visitor reaches the Thank You page after purchasing,
the products and purchase amounts are attributed to the "logged in" value. The resulting Custom eVar report shows
the total number of checkouts and orders for "logged in" and "non-logged in" visitors.

For additional information, see Traffic Variable in the Analytics Help and Reference.

For information about setting up properties in Digital Tag Management, see Create Web Property.

Comparing Props and eVars

There are several types of variables available in the Experience Cloud. The two most popular types, Props and
eVars, allow your organization to report on custom dimensions to your site that standard out-of-the-box reports do
not offer.
When determining which variables are assigned where, it is important to understand the differences between Prop
and eVar functionality. Understanding these differences allows your organization to decide which type of variable
is best to use.

Props vs eVars

The following are the main differences between props and eVars:
• Naming convention: Props are considered traffic variables, meaning they are used to report on popularity of
various dimensions of your site. eVars are considered conversion variables. They are used to determine which
dimensions of your site contribute the most to success events.
• Persistence: Props do not persist beyond the image request they were fired on. They cannot be associated with
other variables that are not in the same image request. eVars, however, are persistent. A back-end variable is
used to preserve the value originally fired so it can associate itself with success events later on.
• Success events: Success events, also known as conversion events, are metrics that measure the number of
times a visitor reaches a goal. This event can be anything from purchasing something on your site, to subscribing
to a newsletter. eVars are designed to report on conversion events, to show you which values are most successful
in influencing visitors to reach your goals. Traffic variables do not have this same functionality. However, you can
view participation metrics if you configure your report suite correctly.
• Pathing: Props can use pathing, which allows your organization to see a given path a user took within the context
of the variable being viewed. An Adobe representative can enable pathing, if requested. eVars cannot use pathing.
• Potentially available metrics: The metrics available between props and eVars vary widely based on the variable's
settings and data platform/version. The following list illustrates what can be enabled, not what is enabled by default.
If you want a specific metric in reporting but do not see it, have one of your organization's supported users contact
Customer Care.
Analytics Basics 22

Metric Props eVars

(Traffic Variables) (Conversion Variables)

Average Page Depth

Average Time Spent

Bounce Rate

Bounces

Calculated Metrics

Custom Conversion Events

Entries

Exits

Instances

Page Views

Participation Metrics

Purchase Metrics

Reloads

Shopping Cart Metrics

Single Access

Total Time Spent

Unique Visitors

Visits
Analytics Basics 23

• Breakdowns: Props use correlations, which display page views for other traffic variables fired in the same image
request. eVars use subrelations, which provide a breakdown on other conversion variables in relation to success
events.

Exclusive advantages to Props or eVars

With the release of version 15, the capabilities between Props and eVars are much less distinct. eVars have recently
been updated to include capabilities such as visits/unique visitors with minimal processing load, as well as pathing
metrics.

Props hold a couple advantages of eVars, some of which can be circumvented:

• Prop data is collected and available in reporting almost instantly. eVars can take upwards of 30 minutes to appear
in report suite data.
• All Props can have flowchart-like reports enabled, which let you see the path visitors take to your site. These pathing
flow reports are available for both Props and eVars in Ad Hoc Analysis.
• Props can be correlated multiple levels, where eVars can only be subrelated once. This limitation can be mitigated
by using segmentation, giving identical data as correlations.
• Participation metrics allow you to see what prop values participated before a success event.

eVars on the other hand hold several advantages over the limited nature of Props:

• eVars can use success events as metrics. Props cannot.

• eVar expiration can be customized, including having an expiration of every hit (no persistent values whatsoever).
Props don't persist in any way.

Pathing metrics, such as Total Time Spent, Entries, and Exits, were originally not available for eVars. However,
recent updates have made these metrics available, increasing the value of eVars.

Which to Use
Props: If latency is the largest concern, and you intend to only measure traffic (not success events) with this
dimension.

eVars: If data breakdowns and relationships are the largest concerns.

Tip: If you don't want an eVar to persist, you can change its expiration to 'hit' so it doesn't keep any data
beyond the hit.

Using Props as Counters

A counter stores (and sometimes displays) the number of times a particular event or process has occurred.
You can use a prop to count the number of times an event occurs. For example, you want to track the use of the
Real Player vs. the Windows Media Player on your site. Each page contains Code to Paste, in which you can see
s.prop variables. Use s.prop 1 to track the players. For page A, enter a value in s.prop1 to represent Real Player.
s.prop1="RealPlayer"

For page B, enter a similar value in s.prop1 for Windows Media Player, as shown below.
s.prop1="WindowsMP"

Note: Adobe offers up to 75 s.prop variables for you to use.

Analytics Basics 24

As visitors come to your site and visit the pages containing the Real Player or Windows Media Player, Analytics is
able to segment the users based on which pages they visited. The Custom Traffic report then shows the number
of visits to each page.

Note: The name of the Custom Traffic report can be customized. For example, the Custom Traffic report
can be renamed to "Player Types Report."

Counting Content Hierarchies

A common usage of content hierarchies is to show the different paths visitors have taken from a certain page,
level, and so forth.
How should I track my content hierarchy?

You must first understand the reporting requirements for tracking content hierarchies. If the requirements for
tracking the hierarchy are very detailed, often times the hierarchy (hier) variable is recommended. Hierarchies usually
require a strict, predefined taxonomy where the same child node rarely lives under multiple parent nodes. Consider
the following example:

Global Hierarchy

All Sites > Regions > Countries > Language > Category

In this example, the hierarchy could begin to break down at the language level. If a requirement is to report on overall
"English" traffic, you can run into the problem where English appears under USA, England, Australia, and so forth.
Hierarchies allow you to only drill down. In order to slice horizontally across multiple hierarchies, the best practice
is to use a custom traffic variable (prop).

If you want to provide users with the ability to drill down through the site (similar to how users would browse the site)
and report on Unique Visitors at each level of the hierarchy, the hierarchy variable is recommended.

There are occasions when using both props and the hier variable makes sense. The following is a supported prop
for each variable type:

Props Hierarchy
Correlations

Pathing

Page View

Unique Visitors

Classifications

What is a Predefined Event?

List of predefined events.
Analytics Basics 25

prodView Success event occurs any time a visitor views a product.

scView Success event occurs any time a shopping cart is viewed.
scOpen Success event occurs any time a visitor opens a shopping
cart for the first time.
scAdd Success event occurs any time a product is added to a
shopping cart.
scRemove Success event occurs any time an item is taken out of a
shopping cart.
scCheckout Success event occurs on the first page of a checkout.
purchase Success event occurs on the final page of a checkout
(includes Revenue, Orders, and Units).

When one of the predefined events above occurs, an instance of the event is incremented.You can view the metrics
related to the event in several different reports. See below for an example of the code used to configure predefined
events.
s.events="scAdd"
s.events="scOpen,scAdd"

• In the first example above, scAdd is the value of the event. Any time an item is added to the shopping cart, the
event is incremented.
• In the second example, two values are captured at the same time. When multiple success events occur on the
same page, each event is incremented.

Detailed Product View Page

The products variable is used for tracking products and product categories (as well as purchase quantity and purchase
price).
A success event should always be set in conjunction with the products variable.
s.events="prodView"

Note: While prodView is treated in implementation like an event, it does not have the same flexibility in the
interface. The prodView event is an instance of the product and is only available in the products report. Adobe
recommends you use a custom event in addition to the prodView event. This way, you can see the product
view metrics alongside other metrics in other conversion reports.

s.products=";diamond earrings (54321)"

Note: The products string syntax must begin with a semicolon. This is a legacy syntax requirement. It was
previously used to delimit the category and product, but that creates a limitation within the interface should
you ever want to change how you are classifying products. For the maximum flexibility in your reporting, it is
best to leave this blank and use Classifications to set up categories.

Shopping Cart Page (scOpen, scAdd, scRemove)

s.events="scOpen,scAdd"
s.products=";SKU"
Analytics Basics 26

First Checkout Page

s.events="scCheckout"
s.products=”;SKU"

Confirmation Page
s.events="purchase"
s.products=";SKU"

Note: While using the SKU in the product string may make the products report less readable, it provides the
maximum flexibility later when you want to classify your products. You can create categories from the SKU
that indicate finish, manufacturer, category, and sub-category.

When the products variable is set in conjunction with the purchase event, the purchase quantity and total purchase
price are included in the products value as shown above.

What is a Custom Event?

Custom events let you define the success type that you want to track.
Although similar to predefined events, custom events let you define your own success metric. For example, if you
have a newsletter, your success event could be "Registration." Clearly, "Registration" is not part of the predefined
events. By using a custom event, you can track the number of visitors who register for your newsletter. Custom
events follow the standard syntax shown below.
s.events="event3"

The code above shows how to assign an event to the events variable. If you do not modify the event name in the
interface, then "event3" would display in the interface.

By default, success events are configured as "counter" events. Counter events count the number of times a success
event is set. Some success event uses require an event be incremented by some custom amount. These events
can be set either as "numeric" events or "currency" events. You can change the event type using Admin Console.

Hash Collisions
Describes what a hash collision is and how it can manifest.
By default, Adobe treats prop and eVar values as strings, even if the value is a number. Sometimes these strings
are hundreds of characters long, other times they are short. To save space, improve performance, and make
everything uniformly sized, the strings are not used directly in the processing tables. Instead, a 32-bit or 64-bit hash
is computed for each value. All reports run on those hashed values until the data is presented, where each hash is
replaced by the original text. Without this compression, reports would likely take minutes to run.

For most fields, the string is first converted to all lower case (reducing the number of unique values). Values are
hashed on a monthly basis (the first time they are seen each month). From month to month there is a small possibility
that two unique variable values will be hashed to the same hash value. This is known as a hash collision.

Hash collisions can manifest in reporting as follows:

• If you are trending a value and you see a spike for a month, it is likely that another values for that variable got
hashed to the same value as the value you are looking at.
• The same things happens for segments for a specific value.
Hash Collision Example
Analytics Basics 27

The likelihood of hash collisions increases with the number of unique values in a dimension (eVar). For example,
one of the values that come in late in the month could get the same hash value as a value earlier in the month. The
following example may help explain how this can cause segment results to change. Suppose eVar62 receives "value
100" on February 18. Analytics will maintain a table that may look like this:

eVar62 String Value Hash

Value 99 111

Value 100 123

Value 101 222

If you build a segment that looks for visits where eVar62="value 500", Analytics determines if "value 500" contains
a hash. Because "value 500" does not exist, Analytics returns zero visits. Then, on February 23, eVar62 receives
"value 500", and the hash for that is also 123. The table will look like this:

eVar62 String Value Hash

Value 99 111

Value 100 123

Value 101 222

Value 500 123

When the same segment runs again, it looks for the hash of "value 500", finds 123, and the report returns all visits
that contain hash 123. Now, visits that occurred on February 18 will be included in the results.

This situation can create problems when using Analytics. Adobe continues to investigate ways to reduce the likelihood
of these hash collisions in the future. Suggestions to avoid this situation are to find ways to spread the unique values
between variables, remove unnecessary values with processing rules, or otherwise reduce the number of values
per variable.
Frequently Asked Questions about Analytics 28
Implementation

Frequently Asked Questions about Analytics

Implementation
Frequently asked questions about implementation, and links to more information.

Question Answer

How do I manage For information about managing users and groups, refer to User Management in the
Analytics users and Adobe Analytics help.
groups?

eVar Expiration - Why are Expire After specifies a time period, or event, after which the eVar value expires (no
the eVars getting attributed longer receives credit for success events). If a success event occurs after eVar
to ‘None’ in the reports? expiration, the None value receives credit for the event (no eVar was active). If you
select an event as an expiration value, the variable expires only if the event occurs. If
the event does not occur, the variable never expires. More...

Custom Event Visibility - In the Visibility column, you can hide standard (built-in) metrics, custom events, and
Why do Custom Events built-in events in the Menu, Metric Selectors, Calculated Metrics Builder, and the
not appear in the reports Segment Builder. This setting does not impact the data collection for that metric or
menu? event; it affects only its visibility in the user interface. More...

Timestamps - What do I Using the Timestamps Optional feature, you can combine non-timestamped data with
need to consider before timestamped data without incurring data loss. Offline data with timestamps generated
changing timestamp from a mobile device can be combined with live, non-timestamped data from a web
settings? page—or integrated with data from any platform using a client-side timestamp call.
More...

Visitor ID - How does the If you have multiple JavaScript files that are sending data to the same report suite, or
Visitor ID grace period if you are using other technologies on your site such as Flash video measurement, we
work and how is it recommend configuring a grace period. More...
enabled?

Visitor ID - What is the The Experience Cloud ID service assigns a unique, persistent identifier to all your site
difference between the visitors. With this ID, visitors and their data can be shared among other solutions in the
Experience Cloud Visitor Experience Cloud. Also, this ID can replace or work with solution-specific IDs such as
ID and the Analytics Visitor the Analytics Visitor ID. More...
ID?

Visitor ID - How is the If the standard s_vi cookie is unavailable, a fallback cookie is created on the domain
Visitor ID set if cookies are of the website with a randomly generated unique ID. This cookie, named s_fid, is set
blocked? with a 2-year expiration and is used as the fallback identification method going forward.
More...
Frequently Asked Questions about Analytics 29
Implementation

Dynamic Tag Management If your event-based rule does not fire, then there is likely an issue with the selector or
- Why does my DTM rule condition of the rule. Locate the element on your site where the desired event action
not fire? occurs, right click and select Inspect element. Inspect the highlighted script in the box
that opens and ensure you are targeting the correct element. More...

How do I implement This section contains instructions on downloading the video heartbeat SDKs and
Heartbeat Video Tracking? developer guides for your platform. Make sure you also download the developer guide
that is in the docs folder when you download the SDK as it contains the specific
implementation instructions for video heartbeat.

The cookieDomainPeriods variable determines the domain on which the Analytics

How do I add cookies to cookies s_cc and s_sq are set by determining the number of periods in the domain of
the right subdomain? the page URL. This variable is also used by some plug-ins in determining the correct
domain to set the plug-in's cookie.More...

Tracking Server - How do When you configure an implementation to send data to Adobe Analytics servers, you
I correctly populate my must send it to the correct location. Failure to do so causes inflated visitor counting or
tracking server? data loss. More...

Performance - Can a No. The JavaScript file is not hosted on Adobe servers, so an Adobe outage will not
failure to load the external affect the JavaScript execution. If dynamic tag management is employed, the JavaScript
Adobe JavaScript, whether file is hosted by Akamai, or on a server location determined by customers.
due to internet connection,
See Will Dynamic Tag Management reduce my website's performance? at the Dynamic
proxy, firewall, or service
Tag Management FAQ.
interruption at Adobe,
affect performance? Additionally, you can host your own core dynamic tag management file if you are not
comfortable relying on Akamai's CDN. See Embed Code and Hosting Options.

Performance - Can the The JavaScript file is cached in the visitor's browser after it is initially loaded, and is
loading of the external typically downloaded no more than once per session. The file is not downloaded on
Adobe JavaScript cause a each page, even though it is used by every page on the site. On most web sites, users
reduction in performance? average more than a few page views per session, so transferring JavaScript that is
used multiple times into this file can result in less overall downloaded data.

JavaScript for AppMeasurement Compression: If you are concerned about the page
weight (size) of Adobe's JavaScript client, Adobe recommends that you consider
compressing the file using GZIP. GZIP is supported by all major browsers and offers
better performance than JavaScript compression to compress and decompress the
core s_code.js JavaScript file.

Performance - Can the The Adobe JavaScript file creates an image object within the HTML page, and the
sending of data from the browser then requests the image object from Adobe servers. If the Adobe servers were
browser to Adobe services to be slow or unresponsive, the thread handling that request would be delayed until
reduce performance? the image returns or a timeout occurs. Because browsers handle images with multiple
threads, an Adobe outage would have a minimal impact on the page load time, tying
up one thread while the others continue to function.
Frequently Asked Questions about Analytics 30
Implementation

Performance - Can a No. See preceding performance answers.

JavaScript event from
Adobe impact system
behavior or functionality?

How can I change Use processing rules to simplify data collection and manage content as it is sent to
collected data, based on reporting. learn more
defined conditions of my
own?
Which is the latest version This section contains a release history for AppMeasurement libraries across web and
of s_code file? mobile platforms. The latest version of each library can be downloaded in Reports &
Analytics > Admin Tools > Code Manager. learn more
How do I debug s_code The Adobe Debugger (previously DigitalPulse Debugger) is a free tool provided by
file? Adobe that lets you view the data being collected from your site on any given page.
learn more
How do I track different link File downloads and exit links can be automatically tracked based on parameters set
types? in the AppMeasurement for JavaScript file. learn more
How do I track video ? JavaScript can be used to track a wide variety of players. To track using JavaScript,
you add code to the web page that contains your player and track the player using
event handlers. learn more
How do I track a mobile Acquisition links with unique tracking codes can be generated in Adobe Mobile services.
App? When a user downloads and runs an app from the Apple App Store after clicking on
the generated link, the SDK automatically collects and sends the acquisition data to
Adobe Mobile services. iOSAndroid
How do I implement video You can track media players by creating functions attached to the video player event
tracking? handlers This lets you call Media.open, Media.play, Media.stop, and Media.close at
the appropriate times. learn more
How do I set up the First Analytics uses cookies to provide information on variables and components that do not
Party Cookie? persist between image requests and browser sessions. These harmless cookies
originate from a domain hosted by Adobe, known as third-party cookies. learn more
How do I get an SSL Determine whether your site uses https:// protocol. If it does, requesting a CSR and
certificate? purchasing an SSL certificate is required. Note: An SSL certificate is not required if you
do not have any secure pages or content. This entire step may be skipped if you use
only http:// protocol on your site. learn more
Where do I find information SSL certificates expire each year, meaning that Adobe requires an updated certificate
about the certification request each time this happens. The FPC specialist provides sufficient warning when
expiration notice? this occurs, however, it is recommended to be proactive in monitoring the expiration
and providing Adobe with this updated certificate. learn more
What are plugins? AppMeasurement for JavaScript plug-ins are programs or functions that perform several
advanced functions. These plug-ins extend the capabilities of your JavaScript file to
give you more functionality that is not available with a basic implementation. Adobe
offers a number of other plug-ins as part of advanced solutions. Contact your Account
Manager if you want to capture data using JavaScript but are unsure how to proceed.
learn more
Information about data Adobe has created multiple ways to send data into Analytics. learn more
insertion API?
Frequently Asked Questions about Analytics 31
Implementation

What is a 500 error? Information about the internal server error which caused a "500 Query Error" status.
pageType variable
Prepare to Implement Analytics 32

Prepare to Implement Analytics

There are tasks you should complete and information you should gather when preparing to implement Analytics.
The information and documents in this section are gathered directly from Adobe Consulting. Following these guidelines
and filling out the provided questionnaires will help you implement Analytics, whether you implement by yourself or
work with Adobe Consulting (recommended).

If you are working with an Adobe Consultant, it is not required that you know the information in these documents
before implementing Analytics. However, being familiar with the documents Consulting will create and the questions
they will ask can help to speed the pre-implementation process.

Business Requirements Document

The Business Requirements Document (BRD) is used to document the key business objectives and requirements.
Consulting will work with you to compile the BRD. The contents of this document depend on a number of factors,
such as the nature of your site or application, and your business vertical (such as retail, media, travel, or lead gen).

Consulting will also work with you to compile a Solution Design Reference (SDR), which documents the solution
architecture, and a validation checklist to validate the implementation.

Business Governance Questionnaire

There are six pillars of digital analytics that can help you understand whether your organization is positioned to make
the most of the business intelligence your data can provide.
• Clear objectives
• Organization-wide scope
• Right expertise
• Tools and technology
• Process
• Governance (that ties them all together)

Organizations that successfully make the most of their data have put into place well-defined and well-communicated
roles and responsibilities. This holds teams and people accountable across the full spectrum of activities required
to collect, analyze, and use data to measure and act on business goals. This is known as governance.

Responsibility is another aspect of governance. Governance is the process of outlining who has responsibility for
making collection, analysis, implementation and assessment a success and how these activities can be supported.
This can range from ownership and responsibility of a particular area to simply being informed and aware of the
progress or setbacks. The Business Governance Questionnaire contains business questions that need to be filled
by our client before the Analytics implementation kick-off meeting.

Technical Questionnaire

Adobe uses proven methodologies and enlists professional help to guide our clients to accurately plan in the initial
stages of the project and to successfully complete the implementation.
Prepare to Implement Analytics 33

The Technical Pre-Implementation Questionnaire contains technical questions, which should be filled out before the
Analytics implementation kick-off meeting.

Technical Specification

Your Adobe Consultant will discuss the technical specifications of your implementation with you.
It can be useful for you to be familiar with the content of the Technical Specifications document used by Consulting,
although it is not required for you to know this information if you are working with a Consultant. This document is
used as the standard guide for deploying Adobe Analytics on a given site. The document is divided into different
sections, each of which describes a different component of the overall Analytics solution.

The industry specific Tech Specs cover the fundamental solutions and can be leveraged as a starting point for
creating a more complete document.

Review Website or Application

A site or application walk-through is a key step in the implementation process, in which you lead your Implementation
Consultant through the site and explain the technical factors and business flows.
This step should be carried out whenever there is a requirement for implementation or implementation changes.

• This step happens in the "strategy planning" phase, in the "onboard" process of an engagement lifecycle.
• This step typically takes place after the kick-off call between your organization and Consulting,
Prepare to Implement Analytics 34

Prerequisites
It is important to work with your implementation consultant to provide a good understanding of your business and
the overall objective of your site or application. Some of the places best suited to give some background information
are:

• Contract/Pre-Kick-off call with Sales Team

• Company website (For example, the About and News pages)
• Review Industry vertical playbook & related resources
• Review important concepts in Wikipedia (such as Revenue, Affiliates, and Competitors)
• review Play Store and App Store descriptions and reviews

Key Stakeholders
Adobe:

• Implementation Consultant
• Business Consultant
• Solution Architect
• Project Manager

Client:

• Site Master
• Business Lead
• Technical Lead

Methodology
• The site/app walkthrough happens over a phone with screen share or on a site visit
• Your Consultant will ask you to demonstrate the key business flows that impact revenue
• The Consultant will observe, record, and document the outcomes

The Adobe Pre-Implementation questionnaire and Digital Assets Governance document contain the questions that
you should answer during the walkthrough session.

Key Outcomes
The following information should be known following the webite or app review:

Business:

• Purpose and the reason why the site exists

• Strategic importance of the site
• Relationships or groups with other internal/external sites (if any)
• Site sub-functions (service or account details, or referral)
• Key business processes that a visitor will go through

Technical:
• Internal and external domain names
• Secure content (if any)
• Hosted conversion process
Prepare to Implement Analytics 35

• Currency and time zone settings

• Hybrid app details

Dashboard Creation

As part of the implementation process, your Adobe Consultant will help you create a dashboard.
Your Consultant will schedule and hold a dashboard kickoff meeting. During the meeting, You and your Consultant
will gather requirements and fill out the Dashboard Requirements Document (DRD). After the call, your Consultant
will give you a final copy of the DRD and identify the next steps.

Adobe Analytics Dashboard Fundamentals

Dashboards help your business:

• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs)

• Understand your customers better
• Respond to competitive pressures more quickly
• Assist in quick decision making and planning

Before Adobe can help your organization with the visual design of a dashboard, it is important to help your Consultant
understand your requirements. The following questionsshould be answered:

1. How often should the data be updated in the dashboard?

2. Who will use the dashboard? Is it for a single person, a single group, or people in several different departments?
3. What will they use the dashboard to do? What questions will they use it to answer? What actions will they take
in response to these answers?
4. What specific information should be displayed on the dashboard? List all of the data items that should be included
on the dashboard. Also indicate the level of summary/detail at which each item should be expressed on the
dashboard.
5. Which of the data items listed above are the key (most important) items needed to meet the objectives supported
by the dashboard?
6. What are the logical groupings that could be used to organize these data items on the dashboard? Into which of
these groups does each data item belong?
7. What are the useful comparisons that will allow the dashboard's users to see the data items listed above in
context?

The Adobe Analytics Dashboard Fundamentals document contains a list of questions that will help Adobe create
an initial dashboard structure. Once in place, you and your Consultant can customize the dashboards according to
your business needs.
Choose an implementation method 36

Choose an implementation method

There are multiple ways to implement Adobe Analytics.
• Launch (Recommended)
• Dynamic Tag Management
• JavaScript

Launch
Launch is the next generation of website tag and mobile SDK management capabilities from Adobe. Launch gives
you a simple way to deploy and manage all of the analytics, marketing, and advertising integrations necessary to
power relevant customer experiences.

Launch empowers anyone to build and maintain their own integrations with Launch, called Extensions. These
extensions are available to web and mobile Launch customers in an app-store experience, so customers can quickly
install, configure, and deploy their integrations.
For more information, see Getting Started with Launch.

Dynamic Tag Management

Dynamic Tag Management (DTM) automates much of the detail work required to implement Analytics. Enter the
required information in a form-based interface, and Dynamic Tag Management generates the code you need to add
to your pages.

Although Dynamic Tag Management greatly simplifies the implementation process, you should be familiar with basic
before you begin. It is also useful to be familiar with JavaScript.

For example, you should understanding the following:

• What an eVar is and how it works

• When to use a custom event

For information about getting access to Dynamic Tag Management and getting up and running, see Getting Started
in the Dynamic Tag Management Product Documentation.

For more information, see Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag Management.

JavaScript
The JavaScript implementation method requires you to configure the JavaScript codes on your pages manually.
Much of this effort can be simplified if you use the Dynamic Tag Management implementation method. However,
some users might require the JavaScript method.

The JavaScript implementation requires:

• Strong JavaScript skills

• Solid understanding of Analytics concepts and terminology

For more information, see Implement Analytics using JavaScript.

Getting Started with Analytics Implementation

Learn about the first-time customer experience for implementing Adobe Analytics implementation.
Choose an implementation method 37

New users can quickly create your first Analytics report suite (data repository) using this Getting Started with Adobe
Analytics setup modal. Then, you can deploy Analytics code using Dynamic Tag Management.

Dynamic Tag Management allows you to manage your Adobe Analytics implementation without needing to make
changes to your site every time. If you're implementing a Mobile app, you can get the SDK that you need to begin
collecting valuable data from your apps.

In this procedure enables you to:

• Quickly create your first report suite.
• Deploy Analytics and the Experience Cloud ID Service.
• Run reports on basic page-level data.

Note: Before you begin, verify that Analytics is enabled in the Adobe Experience Cloud (the solution provisioning
process). If you received an email inviting you to log in to Analytics in the Enterprise Dashboard, you've
completed this prerequisite.

To run the simplified implementation modal

1. Log in to the Adobe Experience Cloud (<your company>.marketing.adobe.com).

When you access Analytics, the system determines if you have a report suite. If not, the Getting Started with
Adobe Analytics page displays.

Alternatively, you can run this setup in Analytics by clicking Help > Welcome to Adobe Analytics.
2. Specify the following basic information about your business:

Element Description

Property Type Is your implementation for web, mobile, or both?

Industries Specify how your company makes money (products, customer services, leads,
brand awareness, and ads).
Choose an implementation method 38

Element Description

Data Layer (Recommended) A JavaScript array which is used to store information. If you
perform the automatic setup using Dynamic Tag Management, you will be using
a data layer.

For a blog on data layers, see Data Later: From Buzzword to Best Practice.

Data Repository (Report A report suite is a discrete data set that typically corresponds to a single property
Suite) (site or app) or brand. Each report suite has its own set of reports and metrics.

Time Zone Your local time zone. (Automatically detected.)

Estimated Page Views Roughly the number of page views your site receives per day.

Base Currency The currency in which you do business.

3. Click Next.
The system creates a report suite.
4. To begin deployment, click Next, then click one of the following options:

Element Description

Deploy Launches Dynamic Tag Management, where you can log in and deploy Analytics.
This process automatically implements the AppMeasurement.js file and the
Experience Cloud ID service (VisitorAPI.js).

Important: In a new browser tab, a help page is displayed that walks you
through Adobe Analytics deployment via Dynamic Tag Management.

Download Downloads the installation file, named INSTALL-ME <report suite name>.js.
This option is for experienced users who understand JavaScript Implementation.

Important: Downloading the code does not constitute deploying Analytics.

This is a manual deployment that you perform on the pages of your site, or
through Adobe consulting services.

5. Run a report.
After deploying the Analytics tool, you can run a report in Reports & Analytics to confirm that data is coming to
your site. (See Sign in and Navigate to get familiar with the Analytics interface.)
For example, a Site Metrics > Real-Time lets you see immediate data.

Note: The Real-Time report requires some configuration prior to running. See Configure Real-Time Report.

Example Real-Time Report

Choose an implementation method 39
Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 40
Management

Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag Management

You can use Dynamic Tag Management (DTM) to implement Adobe Analytics.
Use Dynamic Tag Management to manage tags and collect and distribute data across digital marketing systems.
Dynamic Tag Management provides a single data layer that pushes data from multiple sources. Dynamic Tag
Management also enables responsive delivery of user-specific content.

This help section provides specific information about using Dynamic Tag Management to implement Adobe Analytics.
For detailed information about Dynamic Tag Management, refer to the Dynamic Tag Management Product
Documentation. For information about accessing DTM and common tasks when starting to use DTM, see Getting
Started in the Dynamic Tag Management Product Documentation.

For a detailed summary of the Dynamic Tag Management implementation steps, refer to Deploy Adobe Analytics
Using Dynamic Tag Management in Getting Started with Adobe Analytics.

Overview of Implementation Steps

This guide leads you through the following steps to implement Analytics using DTM:

1. Create a web property.

2. Configure your hosting options.
3. Add header and footer code to each managed page.
4. Add the Adobe Analytics Tool.
5. Create data elements, rules and conditions, and actions.
6. Publish tools and rules to the production server.

Create Web Property

A web property can be any grouping of one or more domains and subdomains with a library of rules, included in
one embed code.

Note: Only a user with Admin rights can create a property. For more information about roles, see Create and
Manage Groups in DTM in the Dynamic Tag Management Product Documentation.

You can manage and track these assets with DTM. For example, suppose that you have multiple websites based
on one template and you want to track the same assets on all of these websites. You can apply one web property
to multiple domains.

Tip: Plan ahead to determine how many web properties you need. See Getting Started with Adobe Dynamic
Tag Management.

For general information about web properties and best practices, see Web Properties in the Dynamic Tag Management
Product Documentation.

1. Navigate to your company page, then click Add Property.

Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 41
Management

2. Fill in the fields:

Element Description
Name
The name of your property.

URL
The base URL of the property.

This site spans multiple

You can add and remove domains if you want visitor data to persist between domains.
domains
If this option is selected, data for the visit persists across subdomains.

This setting lets you specify how you would like to track traffic moving between your
associated subdomains or domains. Links to subdomains are treated as outbound
links. Visits to subdomains are tracked separately.

3. (Optional) Configure Advanced Settings.

Element Description
Allow Multi-Rule
Allows multiple rules for this property to be approved at one time.The default approval
Approvals
allows only single-rule approval.

Enable Selective Publish

Specifies whether to allow users to select which approved rules are published. This
is the default option.
Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 42
Management

Element Description
Tracking Cookie Name
Overrides the default tracking cookie name. You can customize the name that
Dynamic Tag Management uses to track your opt-out status for receiving other
cookies.

Tag Timeout
Specifies how long Dynamic Tag Management waits for a tag to fire before timing
out and cancelling the tag request.

Because of how Dynamic Tag Management works, don't worry about this being a
high number. DTM has effective methods of ensuring that slow tags do not affect
the user experience.

Anchor Delay
Specifies how long Dynamic Tag Management waits for tags to fire on clicked links
before moving to the next page. The default value is 100 milliseconds.

Longer delays improve tracking accuracy. Adobe recommends a delay of 500

milliseconds or less, which the user will not perceive.

Dynamic Tag Management will wait up to the time specified, but if the beacon fires
sooner, the delay is cut short. (That is, user won't always wait the full length of the
delay.)

4. Click Create Property.

Configure Hosting Options

You can deploy Dynamic Tag Management using one or more of the available hosting options.
Dynamic Tag Management provides a number of options to host the required JavaScript files.

For detailed information about hosting, see Embed Code and Hosting Options in the Dynamic Tag Management
Product Documentation.

On the Embed tab, select a hosting option.

Hosting Option Description Implementation

Akamai The simplest hosting option to implement. 1. Dynamic Tag Management generates
custom JavaScript libraries.
Globally distributed delivery network.
2. Dynamic Tag Management exports the
Adds additional third-party infrastructure custom JavaScript libraries to Akamai.
dependencies (DNS lookup, Akamai
3. The target website references the
availability).
Akamai-hosted Dynamic Tag Management
For more detailed information, see Akamai in libraries directly at the page level.
the Dynamic Tag Management Product
Documentation.
Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 43
Management

Hosting Option Description Implementation

Self-hosting: FTP
A push approach, whereby Dynamic Tag 1. Dynamic Tag Management generates
Delivery
Management exports custom JavaScript custom JavaScript libraries.
libraries directly to the web content server host 2. Dynamic Tag Management exports the
via the FTP protocol. custom JavaScript libraries to host server
This solution requires an FTP server and via FTP.
credentials to be available on the web content 3. The target website locally references the
server to publish changes to the custom custom Dynamic Tag Management
Dynamic Tag Management libraries. libraries.

For more detailed information, see FTP in the

Dynamic Tag Management Product
Documentation.

Self-hosting:
A pull approach, whereby the application 1. Dynamic Tag Management generates
Library Download
exports custom JavaScript libraries. There, the custom JavaScript libraries.
libraries can be accessed by a hosted 2. Dynamic Tag Management exports the
server-side process. custom JavaScript libraries to Akamai.
Additionally, the libraries are available via web 3. Custom Dynamic Tag Management
download directly from the Dynamic Tag libraries are manually or programmatically
Management interface. moved to the web content server.
4. The target website locally references the
This solution requires either a manual retrieval
custom Dynamic Tag Management
and publication of the Dynamic Tag
libraries.
Management libraries or the creation of an
automated process that pulls the libraries from
Akamai onto the web content server.

This approach takes the most time to set up,

but is also the most secure and flexible option.

To check if the latest version of your library file

is being referenced, use the command

For more detailed information, see Library

Download in the Dynamic Tag Management
Product Documentation.

You can use more than one hosting option. For example, you might host your staged files using Akamai, but
self-host your production site. Note that each hosting type has its own embed code, and only one embed code
can be added to a page.

Add Header and Footer Code

Use Dynamic Tag Management to add header and footer code that determines the loading of JavaScript and page
content on your site. You must install both the header and footer code on every page of your site, regardless of the
hosting option used.
Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 44
Management

Because Dynamic Tag Management includes a snippet of code in both your header and footer, you can run rules
at the beginning or end of a page. This ability allows you to implement testing tools and other technologies while
retaining control over tracking your pages.

Dynamic Tag Management creates staging and production embed codes you can use to test your changes in your
staging environment before pushing changes to your production environment.

Important: For a successful implementation, it is critical that you follow these instructions as they appear in
Adobe Help. Specifically, you must place the header code in the <head> section of your document templates.
Also, you must place the footer code just before the closing </body> tag. Placing either of these embed codes
elsewhere in your markup, or using asynchronous methods to append the embed codes, or wrapping the
embed codes in any way, are not a supported implementations of Dynamic Tag Management. The embed
codes must be implemented exactly as provided.

An unsupported implementation will yield unexpected results and prevent Customer Care and Engineering
from assisting with your implementation.

1. In the Dynamic Tag Management interface, open the Embed tab and select your hosting option (such as Akamai),
then toggle the switch to "On."
2. Copy the production header code provided in the Embed tab of Dynamic Tag Management and place it within
the HEAD section of your site HTML.
Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 45
Management

Place the code as close to the <head> tag as possible. This code snippet should be placed on every page of
your live production site.

Note: Production embed code reflects only the published items in that property. However, embed code
for staging reflects all items in the associated property, regardless of the published or unpublished state.
To test unpublished items on your production site, locally enable staging in the console by following the
instructions in Test Unpublished Rules for Akamai Hosting.

3. Copy the production footer code and place it in the BODY section of your site HTML.
Place the code as close to the </body> tag as possible.
4. Copy the staging header and footer code, then repeat the steps above on your staging site.

Note: The difference between production and staging code snippets is the addition of -staging to the
filename in the staging version. The footer code remains the same in staging and production.

Verify Header and Footer Code

Verify that your Dynamic Tag Management library is loading properly on your site.
Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 46
Management

1. Open your site in your browser.

2. Open the Developer Console by right-clicking and choosing Inspect Element > Console.
3. Press Enter.
If the code was properly installed, you will see true display in the console.

If the code was not properly installed, you will see the reference error:

_satellite is not defined

If you receive this error, ensure that:

• You have included the full header code on every page of the site in the HEAD section, as close to the <head>
tag as possible.
• You do not have unexpected characters appearing in the code snippet, potentially as a result of copying and
pasting from a formatted document.

Add Adobe Analytics Tool

Deploy Adobe Analytics (Standard and Premium) using Dynamic Tag Management by creating the Adobe Analytics
tool and configuring the page code either automatically or manually. The automatic method is recommended for
most users.

Note: For improved visitor tracking, it is strongly recommended that you enable Experience Cloud ID Service.

This section contains the following information:

• Add an Adobe Analytics Tool

• Edit an Existing Adobe Analytics Tool

Add an Adobe Analytics Tool

1. Click Web Property Name > Overview > Add a Tool > Adobe Analytics.
Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 47
Management

2. Fill in the fields:

Element Description
The type of tool, such as Adobe Analytics.
Tool Type

A descriptive name for this tool. This name displays on the Overview tab under
Tool Name Installed Tools.

Configuration Method Automatic (Recommended): Use dynamic tag management to manage the
configuration. This method enables automatic synchronization of Adobe Analytics
report suites via a Experience Cloud login or Web Services ID, and manages
the AppMeasurement code.

After the accounts are connected, Dynamic Tag Management pulls the Adobe
Analytics report suite IDs and names into the tool configuration interface, allowing
for increased speed in tool deployment with less possibility for user errors.

Fill in the fields specific to automatic configuration:

• Experience Cloud: (Default) Uses Experience Cloud single sign-on. Specify
your Experience Cloud ID and password.
• Web Services: Specify your Web Services username and shared secret.

Shared secret credentials are located in Admin Tools > Company Settings
> Web Services.

Developers, see Get Web Service Access to the Enterprise API for help with
obtaining Web Services credentials.
Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 48
Management

Element Description

Manual: Manually manage the AppMeasurement code. You can download the
AnalyticsAppMeasurement code from Admin Tools > Code Manager.

Click JavaScript (new) for information about downloading the code locally to copy
and paste in the Edit Code field in Library Management.

Fill in the fields specific to a manual configuration:

• Production Account ID: (Required) Your production account for data collection.
For Analytics, this is your report suite ID. Dynamic Tag Management
automatically installs the correct account in the production and staging
environment.
• Staging Account ID: (Required) Used in your development or test environment.
For Analytics, this is your report suite ID. A staging account keeps your testing
data separate from production.
• Tracking Server: Specify the information for your tracking server.

The Tracking Server and SSL Tracking Server variables are used for first-party
cookie implementation to specify the domain at which the image request and
cookie is written. For more information, see the Correctly Populate the
trackingServer and trackingServerSecure Variable article.
• SSL Tracking Server: Specify the information for your SSL tracking server.

3. Click Create Tool to create the tool and display it for editing.

Tools are displayed on the Overview tab, under Installed Tools.

4. (Conditional) Configure the tool further as necessary by following the directions in the links below (General,
Library Management, Global Variables, Pageviews & Content, Link Tracking, Referrers & Campaigns,
Cookies, and Customize Page Code).

See Frequently Asked Questions About the Adobe Analytics Tool for additional information about this tool.

Edit an Existing Adobe Analytics Tool

You can edit an existing Adobe Analytics tool to change its configuration settings.

1.
Click the icon next to an installed tool from the Overview tab.
2. Edit the fields as desired.

The following table includes only those elements that differ from the elements available when you are creating
an Analytics tool, as described above. However, you can change any element on the page, as described in both
tables.

Element Description

Enable Automatic
Note: Enabling this setting changes a manually configured implementation
Configuration to the automatic configuration method described in Configuration Method.
Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 49
Management

Element Description

This option lets Dynamic Tag Management automatically retrieve your Adobe
Analytics account's configuration.

The latest available AppMeasurement code is used and upgrade notifications

are displayed for selection as new versions become available. You can also roll
back to previous AppMeasurement versions as necessary, such as for
compatibility reasons. Up to five previous versions are displayed.

Update Credentials Refresh the API, for example, to update report suites associated with a user.

3. (Conditional) Configure the tool further as necessary by following the directions in the links below (General,
Library Management, Global Variables, Pageviews & Content, Link Tracking, Referrers & Campaigns,
Cookies, and Customize Page Code).
4. Click Save Changes.

General
Field descriptions for the General settings in dynamic tag manager, for deploying Adobe Analytics.

Property > Edit Tool > General

Element Description

Enable EU compliance for Adobe Analytics Enables or disables tracking based on the EU privacy cookie.

When a page is loaded, the system checks to see if a cookie called

sat_track is set (or the custom cookie name specified on the
Edit Property page). Consider the following information:
• If the cookie does not exist or if the cookie exists and is set to
anything but true, the loading of the tool is skipped when this
setting is enabled. Meaning, any portion of a rule that uses the
tool will not apply.

If a rule has analytics with EU compliance on and third-party

code, and the cookie is set to false, the third-party code still runs.
However, the analytics variables will not be set.
• If the cookie exists but it is set to true, the tool loads normally.
You are responsible for setting the sat_track (or custom named)
cookie to false if a visitor opts out. You can accomplish this using
custom code:
_satellite.setCookie(“sat_track”, “false”);

You must also have a mechanism to set that cookie to true if you
want a visitor to be able to opt in later:
_satellite.setCookie(“sat_track”, “true");
Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 50
Management

Element Description

Character Set Displays the available character encoding sets.

Currency Code Displays the supported currency codes for selection.

Tracking Server The domain at which the image request and cookie is written.

See trackingServer.

SSL Tracking Server The domain at which the image request and cookie is written.
Used for secure pages. If not defined, SSL data goes to
trackingServer.

See trackingServerSecure.

Data Center The Adobe data center used for data collection.

Library Management
Descriptions of the fields and options in the Library Management settings in Dynamic Tag Management.

Property > Edit Tool > Library Management

Note: If more than one Adobe Analytics tool is used in a single web property, each tool must have a unique
tracker variable name. Duplicative object variable names between Adobe Analytics tools within a single web
property will cause conflicts.

Element Description

Page code is already present Prevents Dynamic Tag Management from installing Adobe Analytics page code if
the code is already present on your site.

This feature allows you to use Dynamic Tag Management to add to your existing
implementation rather than starting from scratch. Be sure to properly set your
tracker variable name when checking this box.

Load library at <Page Top or Specifies where and when to load the page code. Regardless of your selection,
Page Bottom> any rules using the Analytics tool will need to have the same setting.

Managed by Adobe Enable Dynamic Tag Management to manage your library.

(Recommended)
If you select this option, the following option becomes available:

Library Version: Select the latest version from the Library Version menu. Dynamic
tag management notifies you when new versions are available. You can revert to
a previous version as necessary.

Custom You can configure the library code.

Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 51
Management

Element Description
If you select this option, the following options become available:

Set report suites using custom code below: When this box is checked, Dynamic
Tag Management looks for a variable in your custom code called s_account. This
variable should contain a comma-separated list of the report suites to which you
want to send data.

Code Hosted: Choose an option to host the s_code:

• In DTM: You can host the s_code within Dynamic Tag Management. Click Edit
Code to cut and paste the file directly into the editor.
• URL: If you have a good s_code file and are happy with the process of updating
it, you can provide the URL to the file here. Dynamic tag management then
consumes that s_code file for its implementation of Adobe Analytics.
Open Editor: Lets you insert core AppMeasurement code. This code is populated
automatically when using the automatic configuration method described in Add
Adobe Analytics Tool.

Tracker Variable Name: If you want to run two instances of Adobe Analytics in
parallel (one within Dynamic Tag Management and one natively), you can rename
the main s object. Renaming the object name avoids collisions.

Insert Core AppMeasurement code

Insert AppMeasurement code when manually deploying Dynamic Tag Management in Adobe Analytics.

1. On the Adobe Analytics tool page, expand the General section, then click Open Editor.
2. Unzip the AppMeasurement_JavaScript*.zip file you downloaded in deploy Adobe Analytics.
If you opt for custom library, when you open the window it will already have the most recent code version present.
There is no need to download the zip from the Admin Console.
3. Open AppMeasurement.js in a text editor.
4. Copy and paste the contents into the Edit Code window.
Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 52
Management

5. Adobe recommends adding the following code above the Do Not Alter Anything Below This Line:
var s_account="INSERT-RSID-HERE"
var s=s_gi(s_account)

Important: If you add this code, it is recommended that you also select the Set report suites using
custom code below checkbox in the overall library settings.

6. Click Save and Close.

If you are using the Media Module, Integrate Module, or implementation plug-ins, you can copy them into the
code section as well. The managed code in Dynamic Tag Management can be configured exactly like the
JavaScript file in a typical implementation.

Global Variables
Field descriptions and information about variables when using Dynamic Tag Management to deploy Adobe Analytics.
These variables fire on all page load rule beacons. You can accomplish the same effect by using a Page-Load rule
set to fire on all pages. These variables might not fire inDirect-Call and Event-Based rules.

Global Variables - Field Descriptions

Property > Edit Tool > Global Variables

Element Description

Server The predefined variable populates the Servers report in Adobe Analytics.

See server.

eVars The eVar variables are used for building custom conversion reports.
Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 53
Management

Element Description
See eVarN.

Props Property (prop) variables are used for building custom traffic reports.

See propN.

Dynamic Variable A special prefix to the start of the value. The default prefix is "D=".
Prefix
See Dynamic Variables.

Page Views and Content

Field descriptions in Dynamic Tag Management for page views and content settings when deploying Analytics.

Property > Edit Tool > Page Views & Content

Element Description
Page Name
The name of each page on your site.

See pageName.

Page URL Override

Overrides the actual URL of the page.

See pageURL.

Channel (Site Section)

Identifies a section of your site.

See channel.

Hierarchy
Determines the location of a page in your site's hierarchy.

See hierN.

Link Tracking
Field descriptions in Dynamic Tag Management for link tracking when deploying Analytics.

Property > Edit Tool > Link Tracking

Element Description
Enable ClickMap
Determines whether visitor click map data is gathered.

See s.trackInlineStats.

Track download links

Tracks links to downloadable files on your site.

See s.trackDownLoadLinks.
Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 54
Management

Element Description
Download Extensions
If your site contains links to files with any of the listed extensions, the URLs of these
links will appear in reporting.

See s.linkDownloadFileTypes.

Track outbound links

Determines whether any link clicked is an exit link.

See s.trackExternalLinks.

Single-Page App Considerations: Because of the way some SPA websites are
coded, an internal link to a page on the SPA site might look like it is an outbound
link.

You can use one of the following methods to track outbound links from SPA sites:
• If you do not want to track any outbound links from your SPA, insert an entry into
the Never Track section.
For example, http://testsite.com/spa/#

All # links to this host are ignored. All outbound links to other hosts are tracked,
such as http://www.google.com.
• If there are some links that you want to track on your SPA, use the Always Track
section.

For example, if you have a spa/#/about page, you could put "about" in the Always
Track section.

The "about" page is the only outbound link that is tracked. Any other links on the
page (for example, http://www.google.com) are not tracked.

Note that these two options are mutually exclusive.

Keep URL Parameters

Preserves query strings.

See s.linkLeaveQueryString.

Referrers and Campaigns

Field descriptions in Dynamic Tag Management for referrers and campaign options when deploying Dynamic Tag
Management in Adobe Analytics.

Property > Edit Tool > Referrers & Campaigns

Element Description

Referrer Override
Overrides the value set in the s.referrer variable, which is typically populated by
the referrer set in the browser.

See referrer.
Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 55
Management

Element Description

Campaign
A variable that identifies marketing campaigns used to bring visitors to your site.
The value of campaign is usually taken from a query string parameter.

See campaign.

Use the DTM interface to choose whether you want to use a Query String or Value (which could pull from a data
element):

You can either enter your query string directly in the interface, or you can reference a separate data element if you
have other means of tracking a campaign.

Cookies
Field descriptions for the Cookies global settings used for deploying Dynamic Tag Management in Adobe Analytics.

Property > Edit Tool > Cookies

Element Description
Visitor ID
Unique value that represents a customer in both the online and offline systems.

See visitorID.

Visitor Namespace
Variable to identify the domain with which cookies are set.

See visitorNamespace.

Domain Periods
The domain on which the Analytics cookie s_cc and s_sq are set by determining
the number of periods in the domain of the page URL. This variable is also used
by some plug-ins in determining the correct domain to set the plug-in's cookie.

See s.cookieDomainPeriods.

FP Domain Periods
The fpCookieDomainPeriods variable is for cookies set by JavaScript (s_sq, s_cc,
plug-ins) that are inherently first-party cookies, even if your implementation uses
the third-party 2o7.net or omtrdc.net domains.

See s.fpCookieDomainPeriods.

Transaction ID
Unique value that represents an online transaction that resulted in offline activity.
Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 56
Management

Element Description
See transactionID.

Cookie Lifetime
Determines the life span of a cookie.

See s.cookieLifetime.

Customize Page Code

Use field descriptions in Dynamic Tag Management to customize page code when deploying Analytics.
Add plugins to ensure that the code runs at the same time as the Analytics tool. For more information about the
Analytics plugins, see Implementation Plug-ins.

Property > Edit Tool > Customize Page Code

Element Description

Open Editor You can insert any JavaScript call that must be triggered before the final s.t() call, which is
contained in the s_code.

Execute Before UI settings: Interface settings take precedence over the custom code (for example,
if you want to override an eVar if a setting in the interface was enabled).

After UI settings: Custom code takes precedence over interface settings.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Adobe Analytics Tool

A FAQ about the automatic configuration of the Adobe Analytics deployment. The automatic configuration method
manages the AppMeasurement code for you.

Question Answer

Where do I put my plugins when If using DTM to manually host the s_code, plugins can be added in the same
implementing Adobe Analytics via editor as the hosted s_code, just as it would be in a typical Adobe Analytics
DTM? implementation.

However, it is also an option to place the plugins in the editor within the
Customize Page Code section of the tool settings. Both implementation
methods should be equally effective.

See DTM Switch Plugins.

If I make configuration changes in Yes.

the new version of the tool, can I test
All changes can be tested in staging just like you normally would before
in staging before publishing to
deploying to a production environment. If you choose not to publish, because
production?
you notice issues in staging, the production code will continue to function as
it did before the new integration was released.
Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 57
Management

Question Answer

If I switch from manual configuration No.

(the default setting for existing tools)
to automatic configuration, will my
current settings be affected?

If I switch from manual library Any user code that you have specified is overwritten with the base
management to Managed by Adobe, AppMeasurement library. You must move this code to the new Custom Page
will my current settings or code be Code section at the end of the tool configuration so that the code continues
affected? executing. This method allows the AppMeasurement library to be managed
(and upgraded) separately from the user's custom code.

Will the revision history for the Yes.

Adobe Analytics tool be retained
when the new integration is
released?

See Add Adobe Analytics Tool for configuration information.

Potential Pitfalls
There is a small chance that the integration could cause data collection issues if you currently use Adobe Analytics.
These issues could arise only if you publish your library to production subsequent to the release. (Production code
remains intact until publishing occurs.)

To avoid these issues, ensure that:

• Report suite IDs are correctly entered in the tool.
• Report suite IDs in the tool match the IDs in the AppMeasurement code.
• The currency code, character set, tracking server, and SSL tracking server configuration fields are correctly set
with supported values.
• Custom code is defined in Library Management.

Create a Data Element

Create a data element in Dynamic Tag Management.

1. Create Web Property, if you haven't done so already.

2. In the web property, click Rules > Data Elements.
3. Click Create New Data Element.
4. Complete the following fields and options:
Option Description
Name
The data element friendly name that a marketer can recognize. For example, Product
ID.
Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 58
Management

Option Description

Note: The name is referenced by the rules builder, not an ID. If you change the
name of the Data Element , you must change its reference in every rule that uses
it.

Type
Specifies where the data is pulled from, such as JS Object, CSS Selector, Cookie, URL
Parameter, or Custom Script.

Depending on which type you select, different options display. See Types of Data Elements
in the Dynamic Tag Management Product Documentation for more information and
examples.

Default Value
A default element. This value ensures that the data element always has a value, even if
a URL parameter does not exist or cannot be found by Dynamic Tag Management.

Note: If there is no value and no default value, then nothing is returned. Any variable
referencing that data element won't get set. Note also that the default value field is
ignored if it's a "custom code" data element.

Force lowercase
Dynamic Tag Management automatically makes the value lowercased.
value
Remember this
How long you want Dynamic Tag Management to remember this value.
value for
Valid values include:
• Session: Session-based timing can vary depending on the implementation. Session
data elements are set to the session cookie. However, this setting could be based on
a web server or the browser. It is not related to the session used in marketing reports
& analytics.
• Pageview
• Visitor

See Data Elements in the Adobe Tag Management Product Documentation for more information about how to
use data elements.
5. Click Save Data Element.

Manually implement Adobe Analytics (legacy)

Create an Adobe Analytics tool for deployment using Dynamic Tag Management. This procedure describes a manual
(legacy) implementation.
For information about automatic implementation management, see Add Adobe Analytics Tool.

If you want to change a manual configuration to automatic, edit a tool and click Enable Automatic Configuration.

1. Download Analytics measurement code:

a) In Adobe Experience Cloud, click Reports & Analytics > Admin Tools.
Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 59
Management

b) Click Code Manager.

c) Click JavaScript (new) to download the code locally.
2. In Dynamic Tag Management, create a web property.

After you create the web property, it is available for editing on the Web Properties tab on the Dashboard.
Activating the web property is not required
3. Add an Adobe Analytics tool to the property:
a) On the Web Properties tab, click the property.
b) On the Overview tab, click Add a Tool.
c) From the Tool Type menu, select Adobe Analytics.

d) Configure the following fields:

Element Description

Tool Type The Experience Cloud solution, such as Analytics, Target, Social, and so on.

Tool Name The name for this tool.This name displays on the Overview tab under Installed
Tools.
Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 60
Management

Element Description

Production Account ID A number for your production account for data collection. Dynamic Tag
Management automatically installs the correct account in the production and
staging environment.

Staging Account ID A number used in your development or test environment. A staging account
keeps your testing data separate from production.

4. Click Create Tool.

The installed tool displays on the Overview tab.

5. To configure the code, click Settings ( ).

At a minimum, click Cookies and configure your tracking server and SSL tracking server.
6. Click General and insert the core AppMeasurement code.
7. Define a page load rule to collect Analytics data.
You are now ready to define rules to collect analytics data. You might want to define a few data elements first.
Data elements let you extract data from the page that you can use to configure your rule. To get started, you can
define a page load rule that does not have any conditions to collect Analytics data on each page.
8. Add the header and footer code on the Embed tab.
For staging, you can leave the default Amazon hosting option.You can change it if needed before your production
rollout.
9. (Optional) Click Settings ( ) on the Options tab, and configure the Adobe Analytics code.

Note: The settings on the Adobe Analytics page (General, Cookies, and so on) override settings in your
s_code. If these settings exist in your s_code, there is no need to reiterate them here.

Create New Rule

Steps that describe how to create rules in Dynamic Tag Management.

1. Create Web Property, if you haven't done so already.

2. In the web property, click the Rules tab.
3. Select the type of rule you wish to create from the left navigation pane, such as Event Based Rules or Page Load
Rules.
4. Click Create New Rule.
5. Name the rule and select a category, if you wish.
6. Next, set up the condition(s) for the rule. The setup differs depending on the type of rule you are implementing.
Type of Rule Refer to this Topic
Event-based rule Create Conditions for Event-Based Rules
Page Load rule Create Conditions for Page-Load Rules
Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 61
Management

Type of Rule Refer to this Topic

Direct Call rule Create Conditions for Direct-Call Rules

The category field is only for your own organizational purposes and is not required. You can delete categories
by clicking the x icon in the category.
7. Set Up Actions for the Condition to Trigger.

Create Conditions for Event-Based Rules

Conditions determine when an event-based rule is triggered.

1. Select the type of interaction you want to track, such as mouse clicks, or submitting a form.

For more information, see Event Types in the Adobe Tag Management Product Documentation.
2. Enable the following options as necessary:
Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 62
Management

Element Description

Delay Link Activation Enable if the event activates a link and you want the link to delay until the
event has time to fire.

Apply event handler directly to Applies the event handler to the specific element that is targeted. This
element setting is tied to the bubbling and layering concept in a browser.

For example, when you click an image inside an anchor tag like <a href="abc.html"><img
src="xyz.png"/></a>, you might expect the click to be associated with the anchor tag, because the tag is in
the bubble stream. However, when you inspect the click in the developer tools, the click may actually affect only
the <img> tag. To ensure that the event is handled correctly, associate the click with the <img> tag and do not
depend on the browser to bubble up the click to a parent element. An event like a click can potentially bubble up
to <body>. It is important to understand where the event is actually bound, and target it specifically to make sure
that the rule fires correctly.

Bubbling means that the event is first captured and handled by the inner most element and then propagated to
outer elements.
3. Indicate the name of the tag you want to track, and additional properties the tag has that you want to match.

See Using the CSS Selector in the Dynamic Tag Management Product Documentation for information about
finding the correct element tag.
4. Select and set up any additional criteria or condition types you wish to bind to the rule.
Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 63
Management

5. Indicate your preference regarding event bubbling.

Event bubbling is one way of event propagation in HTML DOM.
If you... Check this option

Want related interactions on child elements of the rule Allow events on child elements to bubble.
selector you identified to fire the rule.

Want to prevent bubbling when the child element already Do not allow if child element already triggers
triggers its own event. event.

Don't want the events of the rule selector you identified to Do not allow events to bubble upwards to
go beyond the element itself in the event hierarchy. parents.

Create Conditions for Page-Load Rules

Create rules that determine on what pages a rule is triggered.

1. Specify where on the page you want the rule to trigger.

The timing of where the rule fires on the page becomes more important when there are dependencies on page
content within the rule.
Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 64
Management

2. Specify the condition that causes the rule to fire.

For example, you can select Path to identify specific pages for which you want the rule to fire.
Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 65
Management

Create Conditions for Direct-Call Rules

Create conditions for direct-call rules.

In the Conditions dialog, specify the string that will be passed to _satellite.track() in your direct call, without
quotes.

Note: If you specify the string that will be passed to _satellite.track() in your direct call using the UI,
as described above, do not use quotation marks. If you insert customized page code using the editor, you
must use quotation marks.

Set Up Actions for the Condition to Trigger

Set up actions that you want the condition to trigger.
Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 66
Management

After setting up the condition, you must set up the actions that you want the condition to trigger. These actions can
include Analytics events, third-party tags, and custom scripts. This example describes how to set up scripts or
third-party tags.

Beyond integrated tools like Adobe Analytics and Google Analytics, Dynamic Tag Management can trigger any type
of JavaScript or inject HTML into your site, in select pages or in specific scenarios.

Each rule can trigger as many scripts or HTML injections as you want.

Note: Because DTM allows you to inject custom code into your page, please take care not to create cross-site
scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities (see OWASP’s guide for more info). Using data elements within a script requires
particular attention. Always assume data element values might come from an untrusted source.

To set up actions for the condition to trigger

1. Click JavaScript / Third Party Tags to add a new script to your rule.

2. Click Add New Script.

3. Name the script.

 Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 67
Management

4. Specify how you want the script to trigger, and paste the desired content into the text

r a
 Implement Analytics with Dynamic Tag 68
Management

5. Click Save Code, and the script will be added to the queue for the

u r

Test Unpublished Rules for Akamai Hosting

Test unpublished rules from your console if you use Akamai hosting.
The Switcher plugin is often the easiest way to test. See Search Discovery Plugins in the Dynamic Tag Management
Product Documentation for more information.

The following steps show how to test without using the Switcher plugin:

1. Access your web console on your site and type localStorage.setItem('sdsat_stagingLibrary',

true).
2. Press Enter.
3. Type _satellite.setDebug(true), then press Enter.
4. Refresh the page.
This action loads your staging library and sets the debugger, so that you can see details of all available (published
/ unpublished) rules firing on the page.
5. When finished, run localStorage.setItem('sdsat_stagingLibrary', false), then press Enter.

Test Rules for Library Download or FTP

If you use library download or FTP delivery, or you do not have a testing environment, you can use a Rewrite tool
such as Charles to test unpublished rules. This need varies based on your specific implementation.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 69

Implement Analytics using JavaScript

To begin using Analytics, data must be sent to a report suite to display in reporting.
The easiest and recommended way to send data to Analytics is by using Dynamic Tag Management. However, in
some cases, you might want to implement Analytics using the older JavaScript method.

Note: This section describes the legacy method of implementing Analytics. All Analytics customers have
access to Dynamic Tag Management which is the standard method to deploy Experience Cloud tags.

Implementation Steps
To successfully implement a page with code to collect data, you must have access to your hosting servers to upload
new content to your website. It is also useful to have an existing site to implement code.

The following steps walk you through a basic Analytics implementation.

Step Task Description

Download
The download is available in Code Manager.
AppMeasurement for
JavaScript and the This download zip contains several files.AppMeasurement.js and
Visitor ID service.
VisitorAPI.js are the relevant files when implementing Analytics.

Set up the Experience

(Formerly Visitor ID service.) See Set Up the Experience Cloud ID Service for
Cloud ID service.
Analytics.

Update
Copy the Example AppMeasurement.js Code and paste it at the beginning of
AppMeasurement.js.
your AppMeasurement.js file. At a minimum, update the following variables:
• s.account="INSERT-RSID-HERE"
• s.trackingServer="INSERT-TRACKING-SERVER-HERE"
• s.visitorNamespace = "INSERT-NAMESPACE-HERE"
• s.visitor = Visitor.getInstance("INSERT-MCORG-ID-HERE")
See Correctly populate the trackingServer and trackingServerSecure variable
or contact Client Care if you are unsure about any of these values. If they are
not set correctly, data will not be collected by your implementation.

Host
These core JavaScript files must be hosted on a web server that is accessible
AppMeasurement.js
and VisitorAPI.js. to all pages on your site. You need the path to these files in the next step.

Reference
Include the Visitor ID Service by adding the following line of code in the <head>
AppMeasurement.js
and VisitorAPI.js on or <body> tag on each page. VisitorAPI.js must be included before
all site pages. AppMeasurement.js:
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript"
src="http://INSERT-DOMAIN-AND-PATH-TO-CODE-HERE/VisitorAPI.js"></script>

Include AppMeasurement for JavaScript by adding the following line of code in

the <head> or <body> tag on each page:
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript"
src="http://INSERT-DOMAIN-AND-PATH-TO-CODE-HERE/AppMeasurement.js"></script>
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 70

Step Task Description

Update and deploy page
Copy the Example Page Code and paste it just after the opening <body> tag
code.
on each page you want to track. At a minimum, update the following variables:
• var s=s_gi("INSERT-RSID-HERE")
• s.pageName="INSERT-NAME-HERE" // for example,
s.pageName=document.title

Use the DigitalPulse

Install the bookmarklet. After it is installed, load a page where you have
Debugger to verify that
data is being sent. deployed page code and then open the debugger.The debugger displays details
about the collection data that was sent.

Caching
The JavaScript file is cached in the visitor's browser after it is initially loaded, and is typically downloaded no more
than once per session. The file is not downloaded on each page, even though it is used by every page on the site.
On most websites, users average more than a few page views per session, so transferring JavaScript that is used
multiple times into this file can result in less overall downloaded data.

JavaScript for AppMeasurement Compression

If you are concerned about page weight (size) of H Code (AppMeasurement for JavaScript 1.0 is pre-compressed),
Adobe recommends that you consider compressing the file using GZIP. GZIP is supported by all major browsers
and offers better performance than JavaScript compression to compress and decompress the core s_code.js
JavaScript file.

The following links help explain how you can use GZIP functionality on your site to handle compression of the
s_code.js JavaScript code:

Apache Module mod_deflate

Enabling gzip compression with Tomcat and Flex

Example Page Code and Global Configuration

This section contains example code for your core JavaScript file and the pages on your site.

Important: This example uses the visitor ID service, which is deployed as part of your Implement Analytics
using JavaScript. Enabling the visitor ID service in AppMeasurement before you have included the Visitor API
JavaScript file on all site pages could result in duplicate visitor counts. To avoid duplicate visitor counts, make
sure that you understand and follow the process described in Visitor ID Service.

Example AppMeasurement.js Code

Important: Configuration variables should be set above the doPlugins function.

For new implementations, you can paste the following global configuration code at the beginning of
AppMeasurement.js to get started:
//initialize AppMeasurement
var s_account="INSERT-RSID-HERE"
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 71

var s=s_gi(s_account)

/******** VISITOR ID SERVICE CONFIG - REQUIRES VisitorAPI.js ********/

s.visitor=Visitor.getInstance("INSERT-MCORG-ID-HERE")

/************************** CONFIG SECTION **************************/

/* You may add or alter any code config here. */
/* Link Tracking Config */
s.trackDownloadLinks=true
s.trackExternalLinks=true
s.trackInlineStats=true
s.linkDownloadFileTypes="exe,zip,wav,mp3,mov,mpg,avi,wmv,pdf,doc,docx,xls,xlsx,ppt,pptx"
s.linkInternalFilters="javascript:" //optional: add your internal domain here
s.linkLeaveQueryString=false
s.linkTrackVars="None"
s.linkTrackEvents="None"

/* uncomment below to use doPlugins */

/* s.usePlugins=true
function s_doPlugins(s) {

// use implementation plug-ins that are defined below

// in this section. For example, if you copied the append
// list plug-in code below, you could call:
// s.events=s.apl(s.events,"event1",",",1);

}
s.doPlugins=s_doPlugins */

/* WARNING: Changing any of the below variables will cause drastic

changes to how your visitor data is collected. Changes should only be
made when instructed to do so by your account manager.*/
s.trackingServer="INSERT-TRACKING-SERVER-HERE"
s.trackingServerSecure="INSERT-SECURE-TRACKING-SERVER-HERE"

/************************** PLUGINS SECTION *************************/

// copy and paste implementation plug-ins here - See "Implementation Plug-ins" @

// https://marketing.adobe.com/resources/help/en_US/sc/implement/#Implementation_Plugins
// Plug-ins can then be used in the s_doPlugins(s) function above

/****************************** MODULES *****************************/

// copy and paste implementation modules (Media, Integrate) here

// AppMeasurement_Module_Media.js - Media Module, included in AppMeasurement zip
// AppMeasurement_Module_Integrate.js - Integrate Module, included in AppMeasurement zip

/* ============== DO NOT ALTER ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE ! ===============

Example Page Code

For new implementations, you can paste the following page code just after the opening <body> tag on pages you
want to track:
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript"><!--
/* You may give each page an identifying name, server, and channel on
the next lines. */
s.pageName=""
s.server=""
s.channel=""
s.pageType=""
s.prop1=""
s.prop2=""
s.prop3=""
s.prop4=""
s.prop5=""
/* Conversion Variables */
s.campaign=""
s.state=""
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 72

s.zip=""
s.events=""
s.products=""
s.purchaseID=""
s.eVar1=""
s.eVar2=""
s.eVar3=""
s.eVar4=""
s.eVar5=""
var s_code=s.t();if(s_code)document.write(s_code)//--></script>

Make sure that you have also included a reference to AppMeasurement.js and VisitorAPI.js on each page. See
Implement Analytics using JavaScript for instructions.

About AppMeasurement for JavaScript

AppMeasurement for JavaScript is a new library that provides the same core functionality of s_code.js, but is
lighter and faster for use on both mobile and desktop sites.

Things to know before you migrate

The following list contains changes you need to understand before switching to this new AppMeasurement version:
• Some plug-ins are no longer supported. See AppMeasurement Plug-in Support.
• The library does not support dynamic account selection (s.dynamicAccountList, s.dynamicAccountMatch, and
s.dynamicAccountSelection).
• The library and page code can be deployed inside the <head> tag.
• The Media and Integrate modules are supported using updated module code that is in the JavaScript
AppMeasurement download package. The Survey module is not supported.
• Your existing page code is compatible with the new version.
• The library provides native utilities to get query parameters, read and write cookies, and perform advanced link
tracking.

Frequently Asked Questions

See the FAQ for information about performance, video tracking, mobile, and more.

Initialization process
Call s_gi(), passing the report suite ID to initialize an AppMeasurement instance:
var s_account="INSERT-RSID-HERE"
var s=s_gi(s_account)

When s_gi is called, if an AppMeasurement instance does not exist for the specified s_account, a new instance is
created. Otherwise the existing instance is returned. This helps avoid creating duplicate objects for the same account.

Retrieve an AppMeasurement instance

Throughout your code, call the global s_gi() function to retrieve an existing AppMeasurement instance.

Utilities
JavaScript AppMeasurement provides the following built-in utilities:
• Util.cookieRead
• Util.cookieWrite
• Util.getQueryParam
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 73

Clear Vars
A new clearVars method is available to clear the following values from the instance object:
• props
• eVars
• hier
• list
• events
• eventList
• products
• productsList
• channel
• purchaseID
• transactionID
• state
• zip
• campaign
For example:
s.clearVars()

Benefits
• 3-7x faster than H.25 code.
• Only 21k uncompressed and 8k gzipped (H.25 code is 33k uncompressed and 13k gzipped).
• Native support for several common plugins ().
• Small and fast enough to be used with mobile sites, and robust enough to be used on the full desktop web, allowing
you to leverage a single library across all web environments.

Migrating to AppMeasurement for JavaScript

The following table contains a list of tasks you need to perform to migrate your implementation.

Note: We recommend migrating to the Experience Cloud ID Service when you migrate to AppMeasurement
for JavaScript.

Step Task Where Description

Check plug-in compatibility s_code.js Some plug-ins are longer supported. See
AppMeasurement Plug-in Support .
Download the new Admin Console > Code
The download zip contains a minified
AppMeasurement Manager
AppMeasurement.js file, and Javascript files
for the Media and Integrate modules.

Copy your s_code.js s_code.js and

Move all code that appears before the DO NOT
customization to AppMeasurement.js
AppMeasurement.js. ALTER ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE section
in s_code.js to the beginning of
AppMeasurement.js.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 74

Step Task Where Description

(Optional) Update plug-ins AppMeasurement.js
If you are using the getQueryParam plug-in,
update these calls to use the new utility,
Util.getQueryParam.

(Optional) Update Media and

AppMeasurement.js If you are using either of these modules, copy
Integrate modules
and paste the code from
AppMeasurement_Module_Media.js
and/or
AppMeasurement_Module_Integrate.js
and paste it just before the DO NOT ALTER
ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE in
AppMeasurement.js.

Deploy new JavaScript Your website

The new JavaScript file can be deployed
according to your standard process. Your
existing page code is compatible with this
version.

AppMeasurement Plug-in Support

Plug-in support has changed in the new version of JavaScript AppMeasurement.

Tested Plug-ins
The following plug-ins were tested and verified as compatible:
• appendList
• crossVisitParticipation
• userAgentManager
• getTimeParting
• join
• split
• getDaysSinceLastVisit
• getNewRepeat
• getTimeToComplete
• manageVars (requires s.pt plugin utility)
• channelManager
• Cookie Combining Utility
• getPageName

Untested Plug-ins
The following plug-ins should continue to work since the underlying functionality is still supported, but they have not
been tested and verified as compatible. You should test these plug-ins in your development environment before
migration.
• getActionDepth
• getAndPersistValue
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 75

• getCookiesAccepted
• getValOnce

Unsupported Plug-ins
These plug-ins are not supported and no longer function due to their use of functionality that no longer exists in the
new AppMeasurement for JavaScript library.
• callBack
• channelExtract
• detectRIA
• deviceOrientationChanges
• DynamicObjectIDs
• Form Analysis
• manageQueryParam
• HTML5Storage

Accelerated Mobile Pages

Implement the Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) project in Adobe Analytics.

AMP is an open source project that lets you build web pages for static content that renders quickly. This feature is
ideal for publishers who want to create mobile-optimized content once, and have it load instantly everywhere. Topics
include:
• How it Works
• Using the amp-analytics tag with the "adobeanalytics" template
• Using the amp-analytics tag with the "adobeanalytics_nativeConfig" template
• Summary
• Frequently Asked Questions
Additional Documentation and Examples
• External, open-source AMP project documentation
• Setup examples

How it Works
AMPs have specially tagged HTML pages cached around the web on different content delivery networks (CDNs) of
participating technology partners and publishers. By doing this, AMP content is delivered from the closest possible
source with the lowest possible latency. This creates an analytics challenge because you can never be 100% sure
where a publisher's content will be loaded from, and third-party cookies are troublesome for visitor identification.

In addition, to dramatically reduce page weight and speed page load time, AMPs restrict the use of JavaScript and
cookies. While this is advantageous for your mobile device because it reduces the amount of processing, it introduces
challenges to accurately measuring unique visitors and understanding user acquisition and retention.

To solve these problems, Adobe has collaborated with AMP partners and publishers on two options that a publisher
can choose from to best suit their business needs, both using the amp-analytics tag. The first approach uses the
"adobeanalytics" tracking template to construct the Analytics request directly from within the AMP. The second
approach uses the "analytics_nativeConfig" tracking template, which uses an iframe containing the
AppMeasurement code you deploy on your normal site. The following table gives you an idea of the pros and cons
of each approach.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 76

"adobeanalytics" template "adobeanalytics_nativeConfig" template

Visitor/visit counts (in existing report High inflation Minimal inflation
suite)
Using a separate report suite Recommended Not necessary
New vs. return visitors Not supported Supported
Visitor ID service Not supported Supported
Video & link tracking Partial support Not yet supported
Difficulty of implementation Somewhat difficult Relatively easy
Experience Cloud integrations Not supported Supported with caveats

Using the amp-analytics tag with the "adobeanalytics" template

The "adobeanalytics"tracking template utilizes the amp-analytics tag to construct a tracking request directly.
Using the "adobeanalytics" template in the amp-analytics tag, you can specify hit requests that fire on specific
page events, like the page becoming visible or on a click (and in the future, video views and more). Click events can
be customized to apply to certain element IDs or classes by specifying a selector. Adobe has made this easy to set
up using the "adobeanalytics" template specifically designed for Adobe Analytics. You can load the template by
adding type="adobeanalytics" to the amp-analytics tag.

In the following code example, there are two triggers defined: pageLoad and click. The pageLoad trigger will fire
when the document becomes visible and will include the pageName variable as defined in the vars section. The
second trigger click will fire when a button is clicked. eVar 1 will be set for this event with the value button
clicked.
<amp-analytics type="adobeanalytics">
<script type="application/json">
{
"requests": {
"myClick": "${click}&v1=${eVar1}",
},
"vars": {
"host": "metrics.example.com",
"reportSuites": "reportSuiteID",
"pageName": "Adobe Analytics Using amp-analytics tag"
},
"triggers": {
"pageLoad": {
"on": "visible",
"request": "pageView"
},
"click": {
"on": "click",
"selector": "button",
"request": "myClick",
"vars": {
"eVar1": "button clicked"
}
}
}
}
</script>
</amp-analytics>

In the click trigger, you can specify a selector to ensure that whenever the specific DOM element is clicked (in this
case, any button), the buttonClick request is fired and will be automatically set to denote this hit as a non-stage
event (i.e. trackLink call).
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 77

Additionally, amp-analytics supports a number of variable substitutions so that AMP can provide data values that
it is aware of. You can learn all about those and more by visiting: amp-analytics variable documentation.

Be aware that if you want to incorporate any technology or DOM variables (such as browser, screen size, device,
referrer, etc.) you will have to explicitly add them to any request, as they are not automatically generated for you.
Documentation on each of our available query string parameters used for tracking can be found here.

If you inspect the hits created by amp-analytics, you will notice that in each request, Adobe has included the vid
query parameter. We set the vid based on a built-in AMP function to set a custom Analytics cookie ID named
adobe_amp_id. This ID is independent of any other ID being set by Adobe Analytics elsewhere (e.g.s_vi cookie)
and creates new visitors in any report suite the hits are sent to.

There are a few caveats to be aware of. When using the amp-analytics tag as mentioned above, visitors will be
independent of your normal tracking, and because the AMP can be loaded from any content delivery network, you
will get a unique visitor for each CDN a visitor sees this AMP on (hence the visitor inflation mentioned previously).
For this reason, Adobe recommends that if you use the "adobeanalytics" template for amp-analytics, you put
your data into a separate report suite specific to AMP. Also, the Experience Cloud ID service (formerly, visitor ID
service) is not supported using this method, so if your business requires additional Experience Cloud integrations,
or will in the future, this is probably not the option for you.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, this amp-analytics solution requires that the tracking server you specify in
the vars section matches the tracking server on your main site, so that your existing privacy policy controls are
respected. Otherwise, you must create a separate privacy policy just for AMPs.

Using the amp-analytics tag with the "adobeanalytics_nativeConfig" template

The "adobeanalytics_nativeConfig" tag is easier to implement, as it will use the same tagging methodology you
use on your normal web pages. To accomplish this, add the following to your amp-analytics tag:
<amp-analytics type="adobeanalytics_nativeConfig">
<script type="application/json">
{
"requests": {
"base": "https://${host}",
"iframeMessage":
"${base}/stats.html?campaign=${queryParam(campaign)}&pageURL=${ampdocUrl}&ref=${documentReferrer}"

},
"vars": {
"host": "statshost.publishersite.com"
},
"extraUrlParams": {
"pageName": "Adobe Analytics Using amp-analytics tag",
"v1": "eVar1 test value"
}
}
</script>
</amp-analytics>

This approach sends data to a utility web page via special query string parameters added to the iframeMessage
request parameter. In this case, notice that we have added the ampdocUrl AMP variable, and the documentReferrer
to the query string parameters pageURL, and refer respectively to the iframeMessage request above. These extra
query string parameters can be named whatever you like, as long as your stats.html page (shown below) is
configured to collect the appropriate data from them.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 78

The "adobeanalytics_nativeConfig" template also adds query string parameters based on the variables listed
in the extraUrlParams section of the amp-analytics tag. In this case, you can see we have specified the pageName
and v1 parameters , which will be used by our stats.html page.

Be aware that you can only use a single amp-analytics template at a time and can not use the "adobeanalytics"
template as well as the "adobeanalytics_nativeConfig" template on the same AMP. If you attempt to do so, you
might see an error in the browser console, and you will erroneously inflate your visitor count.
<html>
<head>
<title>Stats Test</title>
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript" src="VisitorAPI.js"></script>
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript" src="AppMeasurement.js"></script>
<html>
<head>
<title>Stats Test</title>
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript" src="VisitorAPI.js"></script>
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript" src="AppMeasurement.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
<script>
var v_orgId = "1234567@PublisherOrg";
var s_account = "reportSuite";
var s_trackingServer = "metrics.publisher.com";
var s_visitorNamespace = "publisherNamespace";
var visitor = Visitor.getInstance(v_orgId);
visitor.trackingServer = s_trackingServer;
var s = s_gi(s_account);
s.account = s_account;
s.trackingServer = s_trackingServer;
s.visitorNamespace = s_visitorNamespace;
s.visitor = visitor;
s.pagename = s.Util.getQueryParam("pageName");
s.eVar1=s.Util.getQueryParam("v1");
s.campaign=s.Util.getQueryParam("campaign");
s.pageURL=s.Util.getQueryParam("pageURL");
s.referrer=s.Util.getQueryParam(“ref”);
s.t();
</script>
</body>
</html>

As shown above, you can use or link to your existing VisitorAPI.js and AppMeasurement.js (as in our
example), or whatever your existing implementation uses, then add the correct configuration parameters. To capture
the correct values into the correct variables, you can use the provided s.Util.getQueryParam function to grab the
value(s) that you passed in from the iframeMessage URL and set the appropriate variables, just as you would on
a typical page. If you use tag management software like Adobe's Dynamic Tag Manager, the query string parameters
should be straightforward to capture. In this case, s.pageName is set to the value we passed in the query string
parameter pageName. Here, the page name would be set to Adobe Analytics Example 2.

Important: Due to restrictions on iframes in the AMP framework, your stats.html page must be hosted
on a separate subdomain from the domain the AMP itself is hosted on. The AMP framework does not allow
for iframes from the same subdomain that the AMP page itself exists on. For example, if your AMP is hosted
on amp.example.com, be sure to host your stats.html page on a separate subdomain such as
ampmetrics.example.com or something similar.

Because the utility page is hosted on your original site, no additional work is needed to support your existing privacy
policy across all AMPs. This means that if an end user opts out of tracking on your primary site, they are also opted
out of tracking on all your AMPs, with no additional steps required. Using this utility page also means that AMP can
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 79

support Adobe's Experience Cloud ID service so that you can integrate the measurement captured on your AMPs
with the rest of the Experience Cloud (for targeted advertising using Adobe Audience Manager for example).

To reiterate, if your organization is not yet using the Experience Cloud ID service (or has tag management software
like Adobe's Dynamic Tag Manager), you can tag the stats.html page however you want. Use your existing
implementation as a reference point. The only difference from your standard implementation is that you will get the
applicable data points from the amp-analytics iframeMessage URL (or document.URL from within the stats.html
page ) for each of the variables you want to set. Also, if you want to use any of the AMP specific variables (as
mentioned above) like the AMP referrer or AMP page URL, please include them in the iframeMessage object as
shown in our example above.

As flexible as this solution is, there are caveats. Due to inherent restrictions in the amp-analytics iframeMessage,
it can only be loaded on a page load once. This means you will not be able to do link tracking or video tracking with
the "adobeanalytics_nativeConfig" template. Moreover, some DOM values that are typically captured automatically
by our AppMeasurement code, such as referrer (which impacts the Search Engine Keyword reports, Referrer,
and Referrer Type reports, or may include a marketing campaign tracking code) will have to be passed manually to
the iframeMessage using whatever AMP variables are available. For this reason, Adobe recommends setting a
custom variable with the value AMP if you put AMP data into an existing report suite, so that you can segment out
AMP traffic when viewing the aforementioned reports. That said, standard technology reports, such as browser,
device, screen size or resolution, should work automatically.

Finally, because the iframe loads as a separate page and fully executes the JavaScript on that page, the AMP is
not as lightweight as the AMP standard intended. To be clear, this does not affect page load time (the iframe loads
after the page is done loading), but the CPU and network will be doing slightly more than they otherwise would,
which might impact scrolling smoothness. In practice, we have not seen a large impact, but we are working with
Google to minimize the user experience impact of this approach.

Summary
If you need click tracking and don't mind visitors being counted as entirely new visitors separate from your site, use
the "adobeanalytics" tracking template, with our recommendation that you put the data into a separate report
suite. If you need the Experience Cloud ID service, do not want visitor or visit inflation, and are okay with only firing
Analytics on page load, we recommend using the "adobeanalytics_nativeConfig" solution.

Adobe Analytics is excited to partner with Google and our publishers to bring industry leading analytics capabilities
to publishers on the mobile web in a blazing fast user experience. Although these two solutions currently offer their
own tradeoffs, we are committed to building the best long term solution to answer the evolving analytics needs our
customers have.

The AMP Project is moving fast and changes occur frequently, so check back here frequently for updates to our
examples. What we've shown you here should be enough to get started, but expect changes as we improve our
integrations further and as more publishers adopt AMP over time.

If you have questions or problems, please reach out to your Adobe Consultant or Customer Care.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question Answer

Is video tracking available for either Unfortunately, not yet. The AMP standard supports only triggers for "visible",
the "adobeanalytics" or "click", and "timer", and does not yet support explicit triggers for video tracking
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 80

Question Answer

"adobeanalytics_nativeConfig" that can be listened to by the amp-analytics tag. Also, because the
template? "adobeanalytics_nativeConfig" tag can only be loaded once, it is not
compatible with video viewing which occurs after the AMP has loaded.

You mention that visitor inflation is The “adobeanalytics” template does not allow Adobe Analytics to set a
lower for the visitor identification cookie; this means all visits and visitors to your AMP
"adobeanalytics_nativeConfig" page will be treated as a new and independent visit and visitor in your report
template in your comparison. What suite.
does that mean? What would cause
The “adobeanalytics_nativeConfig” template, however, allows the Adobe
visitor inflation in either the
Analytics visitor identification cookie to be set in nearly all cases, except for
"adobeanalytics" or the
new visitors using the Safari browser. This means that any visitors from Safari
“adobeanalytics_nativeConfig”
who have not previously visited a publisher’s site will be inflated in Adobe
solution?
Analytics reporting.

Should I use a separate report suite We recommend using a separate report suite for AMPs if you use the
for AMPs? adobeanalytics template, because of the visitor/visit inflation issue. However,
we will also set the JavaScript version to "AMP vX.X" from the amp-analytics
tag template so that you can segment that traffic out of a combined report
suite if necessary.

What is the Experience Cloud ID The Experience Cloud ID Service (formerly visitor ID service) enables
service? Do I need it? Experience Cloud core services and allows integrations between different
Adobe Experience Cloud solutions. If you have integrations with Adobe
Audience Manager or Adobe Target, you are likely using this service. This
service is also the foundation for many upcoming Adobe Analytics features.
If you need ID service support or will need it in the future, we recommend
using the iframeMessage solution.

For the The AMP standard does not allow for iframes to load from the exact domain
"adobeanalytics_nativeConfig" and subdomain of the AMP itself. As such, we recommend that you host the
template, where should I host my utility page on a separate subdomain from your main site, especially if your
utility page? company has its own CDN that plans on caching AMPs. For maximum
compatibility, pick a subdomain such as ampmetrics.publisher.com
that is apart from where the actual AMP content will reside.

Isn't this similar to Facebook Instant Facebook Instant Articles support a similar solution to the nativeConfig
Articles? How do I setup Adobe solution outlined above. In fact, the stats.html page created above can serve
Analytics with Facebook Instant your analytics needs for both AMP and FIA simultaneously. For more
Articles? information on implementing tracking on FIA, see Facebook Instant Articles

Facebook Instant Articles

How to implement Analytics in Facebook Instant Articles.

Implement Analytics using JavaScript 81

Facebook Instant Articles is a new method for publishers to build fast, interactive articles on Facebook. Instant
Articles can load content up to 10 times faster than mobile web.

Adobe Analytics can be embedded within the Facebook Instant Articles to track visitor behavior as they interact with
the content. Because publisher content is within the Facebook app and not on the publisher's websites, the tagging
approach is slightly different than a standard Analytics implementation.

1. Embed an Analytics HTML page

When creating your Facebook Instant Article content, you can embed the analytics HTML content within an iFrame.
For example:
<iframe class="no-margin" src="http://[your-domain-here]/analytics.html" height="0"></iframe>

2. Modify your Analytics HTML

The sample HTML below can be used to capture stats from the instant articles. This file would typically be hosted
on one of your company's web servers. Each time an Instant Article is loaded, it loads the file in an iframe as outlined
in step one, which triggers sending the analytics data to Adobe.
<html>
<head>
<title>Facebook Stats</title>
<script language="javaScript" type="text/javascript"
src="http://[your-domain-here]/js/VisitorAPI.js"></script>
<script language="javaScript" type="text/javascript"
src="http://[your-domain-here]/js/AppMeasurement.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
<script>
//Standard Variable Configuration
var v_orgId = "[your-marketing-cloud-org-id]@AdobeOrg";
var s_account = "[your-report-suite-id]";
var s_trackingServer = "[your-tracking-server]";
var s_visitorNamespace = "[your-namespace]";

//Instantiation
var visitor = Visitor.getInstance(v_orgId);
visitor.trackingServer = s_trackingServer;

var s = s_gi(s_account);
s.account = s_account;
s.trackingServer = s_trackingServer;
s.visitorNamespace = s_visitorNamespace;
s.visitor = visitor;

//Custom Variables
s.pageName = s.Util.getQueryParam("pageName");
s.prop10 = "Facebook Instant Article";

//Page View Image Request Call

s.t();
</script>
</body>
</html>

To modify this sample HTML for your specific implementation

1. It is recommended to host the latest copies of unmodified versions of the VisitorAPI.js and AppMeasurement.js
on a common directory on your company's web servers.

These files can also be downloaded from within the Code Manager in the Analytics UI if required.
2. Include your Analytics implementation standard configuration variables:
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 82

a. Your Experience Cloud Org ID.

b. The report suite ID where the Facebook Instant Article traffic will be captured.
c. Your company's tracking server domain.
d. Your visitor namespace variable. Note: Many of these values can be found within your standard Analytics
implementation. Customer Care or Adobe Consulting can assist in providing the proper values if necessary.

3. Set custom variable and event tracking.

4. Include the page view image request syntax ( s.t()).

3. Set custom variable and event tracking

Custom variables and events can be tracked within your analytics HTML via different approaches. The first approach
is to include JavaScript logic in your custom configuration, similar to what you might do with a standard Analytics
implementation. For example, to set the value of a prop, simply use the same syntax that you would use in a normal
implementation:
s.prop10 = "Facebook Instant Article";

You can also dynamically send variables to the iframe by leveraging query string parameters in the iframe src
attribute. For example:
<iframe class="no-margin"
src="http://[your-domain-here]/analytics.html?prop1=dynamic%20article%20title&eVar1=facebook%20page%20name&pageName=your%20page%20name%20here&cmpId=your%20campaignID%20here"
height="0"></iframe>

Those query string parameters can subsequently be set in the custom variables section of your analytics HTML
JavaScript by using the Util.getQueryParam function within the default AppMeasurement library, as follows:
s.pageName = s.Util.getQueryParam("pageName");
s.campaign = s.Util.getQueryParam("cmpId");
s.eVar1 = s.Util.getQueryParam("eVar1");
s.prop1 = s.Util.getQueryParam("prop1");

Visitor Tracking
As long as the Analytics HTML page is hosted on your web server, Adobe can support your existing privacy policy
across all Facebook Instant Articles. This means that if an end user has opted out of tracking on your primary site,
they will also be opted out of tracking on all your Facebook Instant Articles, with no additional steps required. Using
this utility page also means that the Experience Cloud ID service (visitor ID) is supported so that you can integrate
the metrics and variables captured on your Facebook Instant Articles with the rest of the Experience Cloud. (An
example is for targeted advertising using Adobe Audience Manager).

Tracking Limitations
There are few issues that should be noted with this approach. Any DOM values that are typically only accessible
via JavaScript on the Facebook Instant Article (such as referrer) will not be retrievable in the iframe for tracking.
However, standard technology reports like browser, device, screen size or resolution should work normally. Moreover,
the pageURL can be obtained by referencing document.referrer from your utility page.

What's Next?
Adobe Analytics is excited to partner with Facebook and our publishers to bring industry leading analytics capabilities
to publishers on the mobile web in a blazing fast user experience. We are committed to building the best long term
solution to answer the evolving analytics needs our customers have.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 83

The Facebook Instant Article project is moving quickly and changes are happening all the time, so check back with
us frequently for updates. Expect changes as we improve our integrations further and as more publishers adopt
Facebook Instant Articles in the future.

If you have questions or problems, please reach out to your Adobe Consultant or Customer Care.

Additional Web and Mobile Measurement Libraries

Lists the available measurement libraries.

The following table outlines the libraries available to collect Analytics data across all available platforms. For more
information, see Data Collection in Analytics.

Location Options
Web Browser
All Experience Cloud customers have access to Dynamic Tag Management, which is the
standard for deploying JavaScript and HTML page tags for all solutions to your website.
Other ways of implementing JavaScript and HTML measurement are described in the
Analytics Implementation Guide.

Web Server
You can use native PHP and Java libraries on your web server to send analytics data.

The Data Insertion API lets you send XML data directly to the data collection server using
HTTP POST and GET, and Data Sources lets you send delimited hit data directly to
Analytics.
• PHP AppMeasurement
• Java AppMeasurement
• Data Insertion API
• Data Sources

Mobile Device
Native libraries are provided for iOS, Android, Windows Phone 8, Blackberry, Symbian,
and others.
• iOS AppMeasurement 4.x (latest version)
• iOS AppMeasurement 3.x
• Android AppMeasurement 4.x (latest version)
• Android AppMeasurement 3.x
• Windows Phone 8 AppMeasurement 3.x (latest version)
• Silverlight, .NET, XBOX, and Windows Phone 7 AppMeasurement

Flash
Flash apps using ActionScript can be measured on the desktop and on the web.

Flash, Flex, and OSMF AppMeasurement

Desktop • WinRT for Windows 8 AppMeasurement 3.x (latest version)

• OS X AppMeasurement 3.x (latest version)
• Java AppMeasurement
• Silverlight, .NET, XBOX, and Windows Phone 7 AppMeasurement
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 84

Location Options
Video
Video measurement across all platforms is available in the following guides:
• Heartbeat video measurement (latest version)
• Milestone video measurement

REST and SOAP Web Services (on Developer Connection)

• Getting Started
• API Documentation Home

Implementing Analytics using HTML image tags

Implement Analytics using an HTML image tag (hardcoded image request).
The browser then requests the image. Data moves with this image request via variables in the query string of the
image request. The JavaScript combines browser-level variables with page-level variables for a comprehensive
data collection solution. In some cases, a fully server-created image tag is appropriate. The standard elements of
a JavaScript-based implementation are listed as follows:

HTML Code This portion consists of JavaScript code that is placed in HTML pages (or
templates) that set the value of JavaScript variables.
JavaScript Library
This file contains common code that:
• Queries the browser about various properties, such as JavaScript version,
OS version, the size and resolution of monitor being used, and other variables
• Encodes and concatenates all the variables into an image request (<img>)
that transports these variables to the data collection servers. It then references
a JavaScript library file which is loaded and executed.

<noscript> tag A simplified version of the image request is placed within a <noscript> tag that
executes if the user has disabled JavaScript, or does not have JavaScript
capabilities. This part of the implementation is optional and generally applies
to approximately 2% of the Internet population.

JavaScript can detect browser settings that are not available to a server, such as browser window height/width,
monitor resolution, and Netscape plug-ins. By using a server-side method to create an image tag, these variables
cannot be captured. The JavaScript sets a random number in the image request to overcome browser and proxy
server caching. This allows all page views to be accurately tracked. In certain situations, server-side code has
advantages over the JavaScript-based code, including the following:
• JavaScript is very accurate (98-100%). There are times when the utmost accuracy is desired, even in situations
where a user quickly clicks to another page before the JavaScript has executed. Creating the image tag server-side
increases the accuracy level by several percentage points.
• For tracking conversion events, such as purchases, where accuracy is very important.
• This strategy may also be used to fully populate the image request within the <noscript> tag for tracking users
without JavaScript, or with JavaScript disabled.

Note: The use of server-generated image tags requires additional time to implement, and is more difficult to
debug, deploy, and maintain. Adobe strongly encourages clients to use JavaScript-based data collection on
every page where possible. Various reports and features, including visitor click map, download links, exit links,
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 85

and browser-based variables (browser width/height, etc.) cannot be collected or supported using this
implementation method.

Implementing without JavaScript Guidelines

There are additional requirements and configurations for implementing Analytics without JavaScript.
You can view sample code to further understand the implementation. The following table outlines the additional
requirements and configurations:

Requirement Description
Case-Sensitive The parameter names (pageName, purchaseID, and so forth) are
case-sensitive and will not properly record data unless they appear as
designated in the table displayed in Data Collection Query Parameters.
Encode Query Parameters
The values for each of the query string parameters must be URL encoded.
URL encoding converts characters that are normally illegal when appearing
in a query string, such as a space character, into an encoded character
beginning with %. For example, a space character is converted into %20.

The JavaScript version of this function is called escape (and to decode,

unescape). Microsoft IIS Version 5.0 also includes an Escape and
Unescape function for encoding query strings. Other Web server scripting
languages also provide encoding/decoding utilities.

Maximum Variable Length Each variable has a maximum length. This length is specified for each
variable in Analytics Variables. Exceeding the maximum length for a
variable causes the value of this variable to be truncated for storage and
display in Analytics.
Invalid Characters Characters with character codes above decimal 128 are invalid, as are
not-printing character codes under 128. HTML formatting ("<h1>") is also
invalid, as are trademark, registered trademark, and copyright symbols.
Secure (https:> vs. Non-Secure (http:)
On pages that are accessed via https (secure protocol), the URL portion
Image Requests
of the image request changes to accommodate a different set of data
collection servers.

The following table illustrates the different URLs used for secure and
non-secure image requests.

Protocol URL

https: https://namespace.<data
center-specific…>.207.net/b/ss/ reportsuite
/1/G.5--NS/…

http: http://namespace.<data center-specific

URL*>.207.net/b/ss/ reportsuite /1/G.5--NS/…

The * in the URL above denotes a data-center specific URL that is provided
to you by your Adobe Consultant. Adobe uses several data centers, and
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 86

Requirement Description
it is necessary to implement the correct URL your organization has been
assigned. Any code downloaded out of Admin Console within your company
account has the correct data center supplied automatically. Code provided
from external sources may need to be corrected in order to point to the
correct data center.

For clients who use multiple report suites, they should be listed only in the
directory section, and not the domain section of the URL, as shown below.

Protocol URL

https: https://102.112.207.net/b/ss/ suite1,suite2

/1/G.5--NS/...

http: http:// suite1 .112.207.net/b/ss/ suite1,suite2

/1/G.5--NS/...

The * in the URL above denotes a data-center specific URL that is provided
to you by your Adobe Consultant. Adobe uses several data centers, and
it is necessary to implement the correct URL to which your organization
has been assigned.

URL and Referring URL The URL and Referring URL may be populated from the server in the g=
and r= variables. Use the Request ServerVariables (HTTP_REFERRER)
or Request ServerVariables (URL) (IIS/ASP), or the appropriate variable
for your server/scripting technology. The referring URL (r=) is extremely
important for tracking referring URLs, domains, search engines, and search
terms.
If pageName is not being used, it is imperative that the Current URL field
is uniquely populated. If neither pageName nor Current URL (g=) is
populated, the record is invalid and is not processed. At a minimum, the
URL is a required field in order to process the record.

Effects of Caching
HTML and other Web pages can be cached by browsers or servers that
are between the visitor and the website that is serving the content. Caching
prevents an accurate count of page views and other events unless a
"cache-busting' technique is employed.

Adobe's standard JavaScript includes a dynamic method of changing the

image request to avoid page and image caching, allowing an accurate
count of page views.

However, in creating a server-side image request, this randomization does

not occur. Page reloads and cached pages (either in the browser's cache
or in a proxy server) are not counted in certain cases when using
server-side image requests.

SSL (https:) pages are not, by definition, ever cached so this warning
applies only to non-secure (http:) pages. Additionally, pages with
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 87

Requirement Description
parameters (http://www.samplesite.com/page.asp?parameter=1)
or certain file extensions (.asp, .jsp, etc.) are also not cached.

The examples below also illustrate a minimal JavaScript solution that

primarily assembles the image request server-side, and tacks on a random
number in the browser. This method overcomes the caching that would
otherwise be encountered on static HTML pages accessed via the http:
protocol.

nameSpace Variable
The nameSpace query string parameter is required for non-JavaScript
implementations.

Example: ns=nameSpace

Contact your Adobe Consultant or Account Manager to obtain your

organization's nameSpace value.

Sample Code

Examples to illustrate the use of a server-generated image tag within a HTML sample page.
The table below displays the values used in the sample.

Variable Value
pageName Order Confirmation
Current URL https://www.somesite.com/cart/confirmation.asp
events purchase,event1
c1 Registered
purchaseID 0123456
products Books;Book Name;1;19.95
state CA
zip 90210
a random # 123456

Example 1
The example below displays a server-side image tag. The highlighted random number prevents caching of the
image.
<html>
<head>
</head>
<body>
Order Confirmation<br>
Thanks for your order #0123456.
<img src="https://102.112.207.net/b/ss/suite1,suite2/1/G.4--NS/123456?pageName=Order%20
Confirmation&events=purchase%2Cevent1&c1=Registered&purchaseID=0123456&products=Books%3BBook%20Name%3B1%3B19.95&state=CA&zip=90210&g=https%3A//www.somesite.com/cart/confirmation.asp"
width="1" height="1" border="0" />
</body>
</html>
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 88

Example 2
The example below shows a minimal JavaScript image tag.
<html>
<head>
</head>
<body>
Order Confirmation<br>
Thanks for your order #0123456.
<script language="javascript"><!—
s.s_date = new Date();
s.s_rdm = s.s_date.getTime();
s.s_desturl="<img width=\"1\" height=\"1\"
src=\"https://102.112.207.net/b/ss/suite1,suite2/1/G.4--NS/" + s.s_rdm +
"?pageName=Order%20Confirmation&events=purchase%2Cevent1&c1=Registered
&purchaseID=0123456&products=Books%3BBook%20Name%3B1%3B19.95&state=CA&zip=90210&g=http
s%3A//www.somesite.com/cart/confirmation.asp\">";
document.write(s.s_desturl);
//--></script>
</body>
</html>

Mobile Tracking over WAP and I-Mode Protocols

This section describes the tracking methodology for legacy mobile devices that do not use http browsers.

Mobile Network Protocols

WAP and I-Mode are the two major protocols or standards used today. WAP is mostly used in the US, and I-Mode
is popular in Japan and Europe.
Sites must often be designed separately for different protocols. The Adobe image tag does not need to be customized
for each protocol.

WAP 1.0 WAP 1.0 is quickly losing popularity in the US. This required pages be built in WML, and had
its own protocol.
WAP 2.0 Most phones are WAP 2.0 compliant, meaning they support XHTML MP (a mobile version of
XHTML).
I-Mode
I-Mode supports CHTML (compact HTML) and does not download third-party images. First-party
collection domain implementations should always be used with I-Mode sites so images are
downloaded.

Mobile Protocol Network Gateway

When a mobile device requests a page from a Web server, the request is sent through a gateway, which converts
the mobile request (usually in the WAP or I-Mode protocol) into an HTTP request that is sent to a Web server.
When a mobile device requests a page from a Web server, the request is sent through a gateway, which converts
the mobile request (usually in the WAP or I-Mode protocol) into an HTTP request that is sent to a Web server. The
Web server responds to the gateway, which forwards the request to the phone. This gateway acts much like a
standard proxy server. The gateway does, however, pass the user agent string of the mobile device on to the Web
server. This lets the Web server respond with a page that is built specifically for the device requesting it.

Because screen size on WAP mobile devices is so limited, mobile pages are very light, often containing only text
and one cached image. When the image tag is added to the pages, a request is sent on every page for an image
from Adobe servers. When the image, a WBMP, is returned, Adobe servers instruct the browser not to cache it.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 89

Consequently, the image is requested again on subsequent pages. The random number described above should
be used to protect against browsers that do not obey the Adobe no-cache directives.

Tagging Pages For Mobile Protocols

Mobile tracking code is placed on the page in the form of a server-generated image tag.
Mobile tracking code is placed on the page in the form of a server-generated image tag. Because scripting languages
like JavaScript and WMLScript are not generally supported across mobile devices, the tracking beacon cannot be
generated dynamically via a scripting language.

· While the mobile beacon image is actually 2x2 pixels, to ensure support for all mobile devices, you should set
height and width properties to 5. For example:
<img sr c="http://metric.mydomain.com/b/ss/<Report_Suite_Name>/5/<random_number>?pageName="
alt="" width="5" height="5"/>

Use a Random Number to Prevent Caching

While Adobe servers instruct browsers not to cache the tracking beacon, not all browsers are guaranteed to follow
those instructions. To further prevent caching of the beacon, it is recommended that the Web server dynamically
generate a random number in the image URL path. Doing so insures greater accuracy of reporting. The random
number should be in the last section of the path, as shown here:
<img src="http://rsid.112.2O7.net/b/ss/rsid/5/H.5--WAP/12345?pageName=" />.

Include an ALT Tag

Some mobile browsers require that all images have alt text included in the image tag. The following shows how the
ALT attribute should appear in the image tag:
<img src="http://rsid.112.2O7.net/b/ss/rsid/5/H.5--WAP/12345?pageName=" alt=""/>.

It is important that the /5/ always appears correctly in the path. This is used by Adobe servers to identify mobile
devices. If the standard /1/ is used, Adobe servers attempt to set a cookie on the mobile device.

Change the Default Image Type

If the default image type is not supported on a particular device, no data is returned. To avoid this, you can force
the Adobe data collection server to return a particular graphic type that the mobile device supports. The code following
the report suite name specifies the image type:

• /5/ returns the default image type.

• /5.1/ or /1/ always returns a GIF image.
• /5.5/ always returns a WBMP image.

SeeIdentifying Mobile Devices.

Reports for Devices Using Mobile Protocols

Because mobile devices are tracked via a beacon, just like other visitors, most reports are available and correct.
VISTA can be used to alter data collected from both Mobile and standard methods. All CustomInsight (prop and
eVar), Event, Site Traffic, and Pathing reports are supported.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 90

Search Engines, Search Keywords, Referring Domains, and Referrers

These reports only have data if the referrer is populated in the image request sent from the mobile page. The referrer
is populated via the "r" query string parameter, as outlined in the Implementing without JavaScript white paper. You
must also manually pass the referrer information into the image request.

The ‘r’ query string parameter must include the protocol of the referrer. If the protocol is left off, the referrer report
is not populated. For example, use r=http://msn.com not r=msn.com.

Geosegmentation and Domains

Geosegmentation reports are based on the IP address of the device sending the request. Because mobile devices
rely on a gateway to request images from Adobe servers, the gateway's IP address is used to determine the
geo-location of the user. Because gateways and their IP addresses are registered for large networks, the associated
geo-location is often less accurate.

Domains are also based on the IP address of the gateway, which means the domains report often contains the name
of the carrier who owns the gateway. Due to Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs), this may not be accurate.

Connection Types
Adobe maintains a known range of IP addresses that belong to mobile carriers. When a hit is received from an IP
range that belongs to a known mobile carrier, the hit appears as "Mobile Carrier" on the Connection Type Report.
Otherwise, mobile traffic is listed under "Lan/Wifi".

Time Zones, Cookies, Java, JavaScript, Monitor Colors and Resolutions, Browser Width and Height, and
Netscape Plug-ins
These reports are all collected by using JavaScript to detect specific settings of the browser. Because JavaScript
is not used to create the image beacon on mobile devices, data collected from mobile users is not included in these
reports.

Custom Link Measurement on Mobile Protocols

Many mobile device users download files to their devices such as podcasts, ring tones, and similar files. Because
many mobile devices do not support JavaScript, link measurement must be implemented through redirects. To use
redirects, you must modify the href links in the html to include the REDIR element. The general format for a custom
link is as follows:
http://<your_Namespace>.112.2o7.net/b/ss/<RSID>/4/REDIR/
?url=<destination_URL>&pe=<link_type>&pev1=<current_URL>&pev2=<link_name>

Keep in mind the following when creating link reference:

• The URL value must be URL encoded.
• You should set a pageName or page URL (g) parameter.
• Dynamic variables can read the URL parameter but not set it.
• If no cookie is set, Adobe servers perform a normal cookie handshake.
• To track links, you must include pe, pev1, and pev2 parameters.
A custom link measurement URL looks similar to the following:
<a href=" http://johnny_appleseed.122.2o7.net/b/ss/appleseedpodcasts/4/REDIR/
?url=https%3A%2F%2Fround-lake.dustinice.workers.dev%3A443%2Fhttp%2Fwww.johnny_appleseed.org%2Fmpegs%2Fplanting_apple_trees.mpeg&pe=lnk_d
&pev1=https%3A%2F%2Fround-lake.dustinice.workers.dev%3A443%2Fhttp%2Fwww.johnny_appleseed.org%2Fmpegs%2Fplanting_apple_trees.mpeg&pev2=pl
anting_apple_trees&">Planting an Apple Tree</a>
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 91

For more information, see the Exit Link Tracking Redirects whitepaper.

Variables for Analytics Implementation and Reporting

Analytics provides a number of variables to collect Analytics data. For example, the value in the pageName variable
is the name of the Web page being reported. This section lists the variables that are supported by AppMeasurment.
For a listing of how each variable appears in Analytics reports, see Variables - How They Are Used in Reporting.

How to Set Variables

AppMeasurement requires that all configuration variables be set before the initial call to the track function, t(). If
configuration variables are set after the call to t(), unexpected results may occur.

Configuration variables are set inside the doPlugins function, which is called during the execution of the track function.
The specific configuration variable causing this issue is trackInlineStats, which enables ClickMap data collection.
This leaves the ClickMap module in an indeterminate state, which results in the first tracking call appending the
string "undefined" to the Adobe Analytics beacon, affecting the currency code.
To resolve this issue, move all configuration variables above the doPlugins function.
/************************** CONFIG SECTION **************************/
/* Ensure these variables are correct before deploying */
var s_account="[INSERT-REPORT-SUITE-ID-HERE]"
var s=s_gi(s_account)
s.trackingServer="[INSERT-TRACKING-SERVER-HERE]"
s.visitorNamespace="[INSERT-VISITOR-NAMESPACE-HERE]"
s.charSet="ISO-8859-1"
s.currencyCode="USD"
s.trackDownloadLinks=true
s.trackExternalLinks=true
s.trackInlineStats=true
s.linkDownloadFileTypes="exe,zip,wav,mp3,mov,mpg,avi,wmv,doc,pdf,xls"
s.linkInternalFilters="javascript:,three,two,one,dev16,.,nike"
s.linkLeaveQueryString=false
s.linkTrackVars="None"
s.linkTrackEvents="None"
s.debugTracking=true

s.usePlugins=true;
function s_doPlugins(s) {
//add your custom plugin code here
}
s.doPlugins=s_doPlugins;

/*
============== DO NOT ALTER ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE ! ===============

AppMeasurement for JavaScript version: 1.5.3

Copyright 1996-2016 Adobe, Inc. All Rights Reserved
More info available at http://www.omniture.com
*/
function AppMeasurement(){var a=this;a.version="1.5.3";var
k=window;k.s_c_in||(k.s_c_il=[],k.s_c_in=0);a._il=k.s_c_il;a._in=k.s_c_in;a._il[a._in]=a;k.s_c_in++;a._c="s_c";var
q=k.AppMeasurement.zb;q||(q=null);var
r=k,n,t;try{for(n=r.parent,t=r.location;n&&n.location&&t&&""+n.location!=""+t&&r.location&&""+n.location!=""+r.location&&n.location.host==t.host;)r=n,n=r.parent}catch(u){}a.ob=function(a){try{console.log(a)}catch(b){}};a.za=function(a){return""+parseInt(a)==""+a};a.replace=function(a,b,d){return!a||
0>a.indexOf(b)?a:a.split(b).join(d)};a.escape=function(c){var b,d;if(!c)return
c;c=encodeURIComponent(c);for(b=0;7>b;b++)d="+~!*()'".substring(b,b+1),0<=c.indexOf(d)&&(c=a.replace(c,d,"%"+d.charCodeAt(0).toString(16).toUpperCase()));return
c};a.unescape=function(c){if(!c)return c;c=0<=c.indexOf("+")?a.replace(c,"+"," "):c;try{return
decodeURIComponent(c)}catch(b){}return unescape(c)};a.gb=function(){var
c=k.location.hostname,b=a.fpCookieDomainPeriods,d;b||(b=a.cookieDomainPeriods);if(c&&!a.cookieDomain&&
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 92

Configuration Variables
Configuration variables set in the AppMeasurement.js.
Configuration variables control the way data is captured and processed in reporting. The most-common configuration
variables that are typically set in the main global JavaScript (AppMeasurement.js). These variables can be set
within the Reports & Analytics page-level code and links when appropriate.

Not all of these variables appear in the code by default when you generate code through the Admin Tool > Code
Manager. Some of these configuration variables may not be applicable to your site's implementation needs.

Some of the goals of using these configuration variables are:

• Track multiple sites/domains.
• Use any currency on purchases.
• Capture data indifferent languages.
• Link tracking (number of downloaded files, links to external sites.
• Track custom links for unique purposes.

Note: AppMeasurement requires that all configuration variables are set before the initial call to the track
function, t(). If configuration variables are set after the call to t(), unexpected results may occur. To ensure
proper data collection, all configuration variables must be above the doPlugins function.

s.account

The s.account variable determines the report suite where data is stored and reported.
If sending to multiple report suites (multi-suite tagging), s.account may be a comma-separated list of values. The
report suite ID is determined by Adobe.

Parameters

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

40 Bytes In the URL path N/A N/A

Each report suite ID must match the value created in the Admin Console. Each report suite ID must be 40 bytes or
less, but the aggregate of all report suites (the entire comma-separated list) has no limit.

The report suite is the most fundamental level of segmentation in reporting. You can set as many report suites as
your contract allows. Each report suite refers to a dedicated set of tables that are populated in Adobe's collection
servers. A report suite is identified by the s_account variable in your JavaScript code.

Within Analytics, the site drop-down box in the upper left of the reports displays the current report suite. Each report
suite has a unique identifier called a report suite ID. The s_account variable contains one or more report suite IDs
to which data is sent. The report suite ID value, which is invisible to Analytics users, must be provided or approved
by Adobe before you use it. Every report suite ID has an associated "friendly name" that can be changed in the
report suites section of the Admin Console.

The s_account variable is normally declared inside the JavaScript file (s_code.js). You can declare the s_account
variable on the HTML page, which is a common practice when the value of s_account may change from page to
page. Because the s_account variable has a global scope, it should be declared immediately before including Adobe's
JavaScript file. If s_account does not have a value when the JavaScript file is loaded, no data is sent to Analytics.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 93

Adobe's DigitalPulse Debugger displays the value of s_account in the path of the URL that appears just below the
word "Image," just after /b/ss/. In some cases, the value of s_account also appears in the domain, before 112.2o7.net.
The value in the path is the only value that determines the destination report suite. The bold text below shows the
report suites that data is sent to, as it appears in the debugger. See .
http://mycompany.112.207.net/b/ss/mycompanycom,mycompanysection/1/H.1-pdv-2/s21553246810948?[AQB]

Syntax and Possible Values

The report suite ID is an alphanumeric string of ASCII characters, no more than 40 bytes in length. The only
non-alphanumeric character allowed is a hyphen. Spaces, periods, commas and other punctuation are not allowed.
The s_account variable may contain multiple report suites, all of which receive data from that page.
var s_account="reportsuitecom[,reportsuite2[,reportsuite3]]"

All values of s_account must be provided or approved by Adobe.

Examples
var s_account="mycompanycom"
var s_account="mycompanycom,mycompanysection"

Configuring the Variable in Analytics

The friendly name associated with each report suite ID can be changed by Adobe Customer Care. The friendly name
can be seen in Analytics in the site drop-down box in the top, left section of the screen.

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• If s_account is empty, not declared, or contains an unexpected value, no data is collected.
• When the s_account variable is a comma-separated list (multi-suite tagging), do not put spaces between report
suite IDs.
• If s.dynamicAccountSelection is set to 'True,' the URL is used to determine the destination report suite. Use the
DigitalPulse Debugger to determine the destination report suite(s).
• In some cases, VISTA can be used to alter the destination report suite. UsingVISTA to re-route or copy the data
to another report suite is recommended when using first-party cookies, or if your site has more than 20 active report
suites.
• Always declare s_account inside the JS file or just before it is included.

s.dynamicAccountSelection

The dynamicAccountSelection variable lets you dynamically select the report suite based on the URL of each page.

Note: dynamicAccountSelection does not work with custom link tracking.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

N/A N/A N/A False

Note: Both dynamicAccountList and dynamicAccountMatch are ignored if the dynamicAccountSelection

variable is not declared or set to 'false.'

Syntax and Possible Values

s.dynamicAccountSelection=[true|false]
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 94

Only 'true' and 'false' are allowed as values of dynamicAccountSelection.

Examples
s.dynamicAccountSelection=true
s.dynamicAccountSelection=false

Configuration Settings
None

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• Dynamic account selection is not supported by About AppMeasurement for JavaScript.
• Always use the DigitalPulse Debugger to determine which report suite is receiving data from each page.

s.dynamicAccountList

AppMeasurement for JavaScript can dynamically select a report suite to which it sends data. The dynamicAccountList
variable contains the rules used to determine the destination report suite.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

N/A N/A N/A ""

This variable is used in conjunction with the dynamicAccountSelection and dynamicAccountMatch variables. The
rules in dynamicAccountList are applied if dynamicAccountSelection is set to 'true,' and they apply to the section of
the URL specified in dynamicAccountMatch.

If none of the rules in dynamicAccountList matches the URL of the page, the report suite identified in s_account is
used. The rules listed in this variable are applied in a left-to-right order. If the page URL matches more than one
rule, the left-most rule is used to determine the report suite. As a result, your more generic rules should be moved
to the right of the list.

In the following examples, the page URL is http://www.mycompany.com/path1/?prod_id=12345,

dynamicAccountSelection is set to 'true,' and s_account is set to "mysuitecom."

DynamicAccountList Value DynamicAccountMatch Value Report Suite to Receive Data

mysutie2=www2.mycompany.com;mysutie1=mycompany.com" window.location.host mysuite1
"mysuite1=path4,path1;mysuite2=path2" window.location.pathname mysuite1, mysuite2
"mysuite1=path5" window.location.pathname mysuitecom, mysuite1
"myprodsuite=prod_id" window.location.search?window.location.search:"?") myprodsuite

Syntax and Possible Values

The dynamicAccountList variable is a semicolon-separated list of name=value pairs (rules). Each piece of the list
should contain the following items:
• one or more report suite ID (separated by commas)
• an equals sign
• one or more URL filters (comma-separated)
s.dynamicAccountList=rs1[,rs2]=domain1.com[,domain2.com/path][;...]

Only standard ASCII characters should be used in the string (no spaces).
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 95

Examples
s.dynamicAccountList="mysuite2=www2.mycompany.com;mysuite1=mycompany.com"
s.dynamicAccountList="ms1,ms2=site1.com;ms1,ms3=site3.com"

Configuration Settings
None

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• Dynamic account selection is not supported by About AppMeasurement for JavaScript.
• If the page URL matches multiple rules, the furthest rule on the left is used.
• If no rules match, the default report suite is used.
• If your page is saved to someone's hard drive or translated via a web-based translation engine (such as Google's
translated pages), the dynamic account selection probably won't work. For more precise tracking, populate the
s_account variable server-side.
• The dynamicAccountSelection rules apply only to the section of the URL specified in dynamicAccountMatch.
• When using dynamic account selection, be sure to update dynamicAccountList every time you obtain a new domain.
• Use the DigitalPulse Debugger when trying to identify the destination report suite. The dynamicAccountSelection
variable always overrides the value of s_account.

s.dynamicAccountMatch

The dynamicAccountMatch variable uses the DOM object to retrieve the section of the URL to which all rules in
dynamicAccountList are applied.
This variable is only valid when dynamicAccountSelection is set to 'True.' Since the default value is
window.location.host, this variable is not required for Dynamic Account Selection to work. For additional
information, see dynamicAccountList.

The rules found in dynamicAccountList are applied to the value of dynamicAccountMatch. If dynamicAccountMatch
only contains window.location.host (default), the rules in dynamicAccountList apply only to the domain of the
page.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

N/A N/A N/A window.location.host

Syntax and Possible Values

The dynamicAccountMatch variable is usually populated by the Adobe consultant who provides the AppMeasurement
for JavaScript file. However, the values listed below may be applied at any time.
s.dynamicAccountMatch=[DOM object]

Description Value
Domain (default) window.location.host
Path window.location.pathname
Query String (window.location.search?window.location.search:"?")
Domain and Path window.location.host+window.location.pathname
Path and Query String window.location.pathname+(window.location.search?window.location.search:"?")
Full URL window.location.href
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 96

Examples
s.dynamicAccountMatch=window.location.pathname
s.dynamicAccountMatch=window.location.host+window.location.pathname

Configuration Settings
None

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• Dynamic account selection is not supported by About AppMeasurement for JavaScript.
• When pages are saved to a hard drive, window.location.host is empty, causing those page views to be sent
to the default report suite (in s_account).
• When a page is translated via a web-based translation engine, such as Google, the Dynamic Account Selection
does not work as designed. For more precise tracking, populate the s_account variable server-side.

s.dynamicVariablePrefix

The dynamicVariablePrefix variable allows deployment to flag variables, which should be populated dynamically.
Cookies, request headers, and image query string parameters are available to be populated dynamically.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

N/A D= Any D=

Syntax and Possible Values

s.prop1="D=User-Agent”

OR USE CUSTOM FLAG FOR DYNAMIC VARIABLES

s.dynamicVariablePrefix=".."

Examples
s.prop1="D=User-Agent”

OR USE CUSTOM FLAG FOR DYNAMIC VARIABLES

s.dynamicVariablePrefix=".."
s.prop1="..User-Agent"

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• Dynamic variables can be used to significantly reduce the total length of the URL by copying values into other
variables.
• Dynamic variables can be used to collect data from headers and cookies not otherwise available for data collection.

s.charSet

The charSet variable translates the character set of the Web page into UTF-8.
If the charSet variable contains an incorrect value, the data in all other variables are translated incorrectly. If JavaScript
variables on your pages (e.g. pageName, prop1, or channel) contain only ASCII characters, charSet does not need
to be defined. However, if the variables on your pages contain non-ASCII characters, the charSet variable must be
populated.

Parameters
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 97

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

N/A CE N/A ""

The charSet variable is used to identify the character set of the page. For more information on character sets, see
the Multi-byte Character Sets white paper before using the charSet variable.

Syntax and Possible Values

The charSet variable may only contain one of a predefined set of values, as listed in Multi-byte Character Sets.
s.charSet="character_set"

Examples
s.charSet="ISO-8859-1"
s.charSet="SJIS"

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• The value of charSet must match the possible values listed in Multi-byte Character Sets.
• The value of charSet should reflect the character set of the page.

s.currencyCode

The currencyCode variable determines the conversion rate to be applied to revenue.

All monetary amounts are stored in a currency of your choice. If that currency is the same as that specified in
currencyCode, or currencyCode is empty, no conversion is applied.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

N/A cc Conversion > Purchases > "USD"
Revenue
All Conversion reports
showing Revenue or
monetary values

If your site allows visitors to purchase in multiple currencies, you should use the currencyCode variable to make
sure revenue is stored in the appropriate currency. For example, if the base currency for your report suite is USD,
and you sell an item for 40 Euros, you should populate the currencyCode with "EUR" on the HTML page. As soon
as data collection receives the data, it uses the current conversion rate to convert the 40 Euros to its USD equivalent.

Populating the currencyCode variable on the HTML page instead of in the JavaScript file is recommend if you sell
in multiple currencies. If you want to use your own conversion rates rather than the conversion rates used by Adobe,
set the currencyCode to equal the base currency of your report suite. You then convert all revenue before sending
it into Analytics.

Currency conversion applies to both revenue and any currency events. These are events that are used to sum
values similar to revenue, such as tax and shipping. The revenue and currency events are specified in the products
string. For more information on products, see events. For more details on how currencies are managed, see
Multi-Currency Support..
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 98

Syntax and Possible Values

s.currencyCode="currency_code"

Only the currency codes listed in Multi-Currency Support are allowed.

Examples
s.currencyCode="GBP"
s.currencyCode="EUR"

Configuration Settings
Adobe Customer Care can change the default currency setting for your report suite. When you change the base
currency for a report suite, the existing revenue in the system is not converted. All new revenue values will be
converted accordingly.

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• If you notice surprisingly large amounts of revenue in reports, ensure that the currencyCode variable and base
currency of the report suite are set correctly.
• The currencyCode variable is not persistent, meaning that the variable must be passed in the same image request
as any revenue or other currency-related metrics.
• Currency events should not be used for non-currency purposes. If you need to count arbitrary or dynamic values
that are not currency, use the numeric event type.
• When the currencyCode variable is empty, no conversion is applied.

s.cookieDomain

The cookieDomain variable determines the domain on which the Analytics cookies s_cc and s_sq are set.
Commonly, s.cookieDomainPeriods is used to generate s.cookieDomain from window.location.hostname.
Instead of using s.cookieDomainPeriods, you can explicitly set s.cookieDomain to what you want to use in your
implementation. For example, you could set cookies at the fully qualified page-name using:

s.cookieDomain = window.location.hostname;

s.cookieDomainPeriods

The cookieDomainPeriods variable determines the domain on which the Analytics cookies s_cc and s_sq are set
by determining the number of periods in the domain of the page URL. This variable is also used by some plug-ins
in determining the correct domain to set the plug-in's cookie.
The default value for cookieDomainPeriods is "2". This is the value that is used if cookieDomainPeriods is omitted.
For example, using the domain www.mysite.com, cookieDomainPeriods should be "2". For www.mysite.co.jp,
cookieDomainPeriods should be "3".

If cookieDomainPeriods is set to "2" but the domain contains three periods, the JavaScript file attempts to set cookies
on the domain suffix.

For example, if setting cookieDomainPeriods to "2" on the domain www.mysite.co.jp, the s_cc and s_sq cookies
are created on the domain co.jp. Because co.jp is an invalid domain, almost all browsers reject these cookies.
As a consequence, visitor click map data is lost, and the Visitor Profile > Technology > Cookies report indicates
that almost 100% of visitors reject cookies.

If cookieDomainPeriods is set to "3" but the domain contains only two periods, the JavaScript file sets the cookies
on the subdomain of the site. For example, if setting cookieDomainPeriods to "3" on the domain www2.mysite.com,
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 99

the s_cc and s_sq cookies are created on the domain www2.mysite.com. When a visitor goes to another subdomain
of your site (such as www4.mysite.com), all cookies set with www2.mysite.com cannot be read.

Note: Do not include additional subdomains as part of cookieDomainPeriods. For example,

store.toys.mysite.com would still have cookieDomainPeriods set to "2". This variable definition correctly
sets the cookies on the root domain, mysite.com. Setting cookieDomainPeriods to "3" in this example would
set cookies on the domain toys.mysite.com, which has the same implications as the prior example.

See also s.fpCookieDomainPeriods.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

N/A CDP Affects multiple reports as "2"
it controls how the visitor ID
is stored and handled.

Note: Some cloud computing services are considered Top-Level Domains, which do not allow cookies to be
written. (For example, *.compute.amazonaws.com, *.herokuapp.com, *.googlecode.com, and so
on.) If you implement on those services, you could potentially be affected by Analytics privacy setting that
removes users who have blocked all cookies if you don't have your own domain set up (for example, if you're
testing your implementation). In this case, any hit where the system has determined that cookies are disabled,
non-functional, or inaccessible is opted out and thus excluded from reporting.

Examples
Setting the variable manually:
s.cookieDomainPeriods = "3";

Several examples to dynamically set the variable if your core JavaScript file hosts both types:
document.URL.indexOf(".co.") > 0 ? s.cookieDomainPeriods = "3" : s.cookieDomainPeriods = "2";
s.cookieDomainPeriods = "2";
var d=window.location.hostname;
if(d.indexOf(".co.uk") > 0 || d.indexOf(".com.au") > 0)
{s.cookieDomainPeriods = "3";}
s.cookieDomainPeriods = "2";
if(window.location.indexOf(".co.jp") > 0 || window.location.indexOf(".com.au") > 0)
{s.cookieDomainPeriods = "3";}

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• If you notice that visitor click map data is absent, or that the Traffic > Technology > Cookies report shows a large
percentage of visitors who reject cookies, check that the value of cookieDomainPeriods is correct.
• If cookieDomainPeriods is higher than the number of sections in the domain, cookies will be set with the full domain.
This can cause data loss as visitors switch between subdomains.
• The cookieDomainPeriods variable was used in deprecated implementations prior to trackingServer to set the
visitor ID cookie. Though only present in outdated code, failure to correctly define cookieDomainPeriods in this
circumstance puts your implementation at risk of data loss.

s.fpCookieDomainPeriods

The fpCookieDomainPeriods variable is for cookies set by JavaScript (s_sq, s_cc, plug-ins) that are inherently
first-party cookies even if your implementation uses the third-party 2o7.net or omtrdc.net domains.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 100

The fpCookieDomainPeriods variable should never be dynamically set . If you use cookieDomainPeriods, it is good
practice to specify a value for fpCookieDomainPeriods as well. fpCookieDomainPeriods inherits the
cookieDomainPeriods value. Note that fpCookieDomainPeriods does not affect the domain on which the visitor ID
cookie is set, even if your implementation treats this as a first-party cookie.

The name "fpCookieDomainPeriods" refers to the number of periods (".") in the domain when the domain begins
with "www." For example, www.mysite.com contains two periods, while www.mysite.co.jp contains three periods.
Another way to describe the variable is the number of sections in the main domain of the site (two for mysite.com
and three for mysite.co.jp).

The AppMeasurement for JavaScript file uses the fpCookieDomainPeriods variable to determine the domain with
which to set first-party cookies other than the visitor ID (s_vi) cookie. There are at least two cookies affected by
this variable, including s_sq and s_cc (used for visitor click map and cookie checking respectively). Cookies used
by plug-ins such as getValOnce are also affected.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

N/A N/A N/A cookieDomainPeriods

Sample Code for Setting Cookie Domain Variables

s.fpCookieDomainPeriods="2"
var d=window.location.hostname
if(d.indexOf('.co.uk')>-1||d.indexOf('.com.au')>-1)
s.fpCookieDomainPeriods="3"

Syntax and Possible Values

The cookieDomainPeriods variable is expected to be a string, as shown below.
s.fpCookieDomainPeriods="3"

Examples
s.fpCookieDomainPeriods="3"
s.fpCookieDomainPeriods="2"

Configuration Settings
None

s.cookieLifetime

The cookieLifetime variable is used by both JavaScript and data collection servers in determining the lifespan of a
cookie.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

N/A cl Traffic > Technology > ""
Cookies All visitor-related
reports

If cookieLifetime is set, it overrides any other cookie expirations for both JavaScript and data collection servers, with
one exception, described below. The cookieLifetime variable can have one of three values:
• Analytics Cookies
• Cookies
• JavaScript Settings and Plugins
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 101

Syntax and Possible Values

s.cookieLifetime="value"

The possible values are listed as follows:

• ""
• "NONE"
• "SESSION"
• An integer representing the number of seconds until expiration

Examples
s.cookieLifetime="SESSION"
s.cookieLifetime="86400" // one day in seconds

Configuration Settings
None

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

cookieLifetime affects Analytics tracking. If, for example, cookieLifetime is two days, then monthly, quarterly, and
yearly unique visitor reports will be incorrect. Use caution when setting cookieLifetime.

s.doPlugins

The doPlugins variable is a reference to the s_doPlugins function, and allows the s_doPlugins function to be called
at the appropriate location within the JavaScript file.
The s_doPlugins function is called each time any of the following occurs:
• The t() function is called
• The tl() function is called
• An exit or download link is clicked
• Any page element being tracked by visitor click map is clicked
The doPlugins function is used to run customized routines to gather or alter data. If you are using an object name
other than "s," make sure that the s_doPlugins is renamed appropriately. For example, if your object name is s_mc,
the s_doPlugins function should be called s_mc_doPlugins.

Syntax and Possible Values

The s_doPlugins function should not be in quotes, and doPlugins should always be assigned to the exact name of
the s_doPlugins function (if that function is renamed).
s.doPlugins=s_doPlugins;

Examples
s.doPlugins=s_doPlugins;
s_mc.doPlugins=s_mc_doPlugins;

Configuration Settings
None
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 102

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• The only reason to change the object name (such as from s to s_mc) is if you share content with or pull content
from other customers. Renaming the s_doPlugins function to s_mc_doPlugins ensures that another client's
JavaScript file does not overwrite your doPlugins function.
• If you unexpectedly start pulling in content from another Adobe customer, and your s_doPlugins function is being
overwritten, it is possible to simply rename the s_doPlugins function without changing the object name. While the
best solution is to use a different object name than other JavaScript files on the same page, doing so is not required.

s.trackDownLoadLinks

Set trackDownloadLinks to 'true' if you would like to track links to downloadable files on your site.
If trackDownloadLinks is 'true,' linkDownloadFileTypes is used to determine which links are downloadable files.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

N/A N/A N/A True

The trackDownloadLinks variable should only be set to 'false' if there are no links to downloadable files on your site,
or you don't care to track the number of clicks on downloadable files. If trackDownloadLinks is 'true,' when a file
download link is clicked, data is immediately sent to Analytics. The data that is sent with a download link includes
the link download URL, and visitor click map data for that link. If trackDownloadLinks is 'false,' then visitor click map
data for links to downloadable files on your site is likely to be under reported.

Syntax and Possible Values

The trackDownloadLinks variable is expected to be either 'true' or 'false.'

Examples
s.trackDownloadLinks=true
s.trackDownloadLinks=false

Configuration Settings
None

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• When trackDownloadLinks is 'false,' links that people use to download files on your site are likely to be under
reported in visitor click map.
• When trackDownloadLinks is 'true,' data is sent each time a visitor clicks a file download link.

s.trackExternalLinks

If trackExternalLinks is 'true,' linkInternalFilters and linkExternalFilters are used to determine whether any link clicked
is an exit link.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

N/A N/A N/A True

The trackExternalLinks variable should only be set to 'false' if there are no exit links on your site, or if you don't care
to track the number of clicks on those exit links. An exit link is any link that takes a visitor off of your site. If
trackExternalLinks is 'true,' then when you click an exit link, tracking data is immediately sent. The data that is sent
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 103

with an exit link includes the link URL, link name, and visitor click map data for that link. If trackExternalLinks is
'false,' then visitor click map data for exit links on your site is likely to be under reported.

Syntax and Possible Values

The trackExternalLinks variable is expected to be either 'true' or 'false.'
s.trackExternalLinks=true|false

Examples
s.trackExternalLinks=true
s.trackExternalLinks=false

Configuration Settings
None

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• When trackExternalLinks is 'false,' links that take people away from your site are likely to be under reported in
visitor click map.
• When trackExternalLinks is 'true,' data is sent each time a visitor clicks on an exit link (before link target loads).

s.trackInlineStats

The trackInlineStats variable determines whether ClickMap data is gathered.

If trackInlineStats is 'true,' data about the page and link clicked are stored in a cookie called s_sq. If 'false,' s_sq will
have a value of "[[B]]," which is considered null.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

N/A N/A ClickMap False

Syntax and Possible Values

s.trackInlineStats=true|false

The trackInlineStats variable is expected to be either 'true' or 'false.'

Examples
s.trackInlineStats=true
s.trackInlineStats=false

Configuration Settings
None

s.linkDownloadFileTypes

The linkDownloadFileTypes variable is a comma-separated list of file extensions.

If your site contains links to files with any of these extensions, the URLs of these links will appear in the File
Downloads report.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 104

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

N/A N/A Traffic > Site Traffic > File
"exe,zip,wav,mp3,mov,mpg,avi,wmv,
Downloads
doc,pdf,xls"

The linkDownloadFileTypes variable is only relevant when trackDownloadLinks is set to 'True.'

Only left-mouse-clicks on a link are counted in the File Downloads report. All file downloads that start automatically
when a page loads, or that are only downloaded after a redirect, are not counted in the File Downloads report.
When you right-click a file and select the "Save Target As..." option, it is not counted in the File Downloads report.

The linkDownloadFileTypes variable may be used to track clicks to RSS feeds. If you have links to RSS feeds with
a .xml or other extension, appending ",xml" to the linkDownloadFileTypes list allows you to see how often each RSS
link is clicked.

The following sections contain more information:

• Syntax and Possible Values
• Examples
• Configuration Settings
• Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

Syntax and Possible Values

Only include file extensions (no spaces).
s.linkDownloadFileTypes="type1[,type2[,type3[...]]]"

Any file extension may be included in the list. Be careful not to include a common file extension, such as htm or
aspx, in linkDownloadFileTypes. Doing so causes an extra image request to be sent for each click, which will be
billed as a primary server call.

Examples
s.linkDownloadFileTypes="exe,zip,wav,mp3,mov,mpg,avi,wmv,doc,pdf,xls"
s.linkDownloadFileTypes="exe,zip,wav,mp3,mov,mpg,avi,wmv,doc,pdf,xls,xml"

Configuration Settings
None

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• Only left-clicks on download files cause the URL to appear in the File Downloads report.
• Including a common file extension in linkDownloadFileTypes may significantly increase the total server calls sent
to Adobe's servers.
• Links to server-side redirects or HTML pages that automatically begin downloading a file are not counted unless
the file extension is in linkDownloadFileTypes.
• Links that use JavaScript (such as javascript:openLink( )) are not counted in file downloads.

s.linkInternalFilters

The linkInternalFilters variable is used to determine which links on your site are exit links.
It is a comma-separated list of filters that represent the links that are part of the site.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 105

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

N/A N/A Paths > Entries & Exits >
Exit Links

Note: We had previously suggested setting the linkInternalFilters to javascript:. However, this resulted in all
domains being considered external, including the current domain on which the tag resides. If you want several
domains to be considered internal, you can add those, as shown in the examples below.

The linkInternalFilters variable is used to determine whether a link is an exit link, which is defined as any link that
takes a visitor away from your site. Whether the target window of an exit link is a pop-up, or the existing window,
does not affect whether the link appears in the exit links report. Exit links are only tracked if trackExternalLinks is
set to "true". (See Link Tracking in the Dynamic Tag management documentation for information about how DTM
handles exit links.) The filters in linkInternalFilters are not case-sensitive.

The list of filters in linkInternalFilters applies to the domain and path of any link by default. If linkLeaveQueryString
is set to "true", then the filters apply to the entire URL (domain, path, and query string). The filters are always
applied to the absolute path of the URL, even if a relative path is used as the href value.

Be careful that all the domains of your site (and any partners who are using your JavaScript file) are included in
linkInternalFilters. If you do not have all domains included in the list, all links on and to those domains are considered
exit links, increasing the server calls sent. If you would like multiple domains or companies to use a single
AppMeasurement for JavaScript file, you may consider populating linkInternalFilters on the page, overriding the
value specified in the JavaScript file. If you have vanity domains that immediately redirect to your main domain,
those vanity domains do not need to be included in the list.

The following example illustrates how this variable is used. In this example, the URL of the page is
http://www.mysite.com/index.html.
s.trackExternalLinks=true
s.linkInternalFilters="mysite.com"
s.linkExternalFilters=""
s.linkLeaveQueryString=false
...
<a href="http://www.mysite.com">Not an Exit Link</a>
<a href="/careers/job_list.html">Not an Exit Link</a>
<a href="http://www2.site3.com">Exit Link</a>
<a href="http://www2.site1.com/partners/">Exit Link</a>

Syntax and Possible Values

The linkInternalFilters variable is a comma-separated list of ASCII characters. No spaces are allowed.
s.linkInternalFilters="site1.com[,site2.com[,site3.net[...]]]"

Examples
s.linkInternalFilters="mysite.com"
s.linkInternalFilters="mysite.com,mysite.net,vanity1.com"

Configuration Settings
None

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• Include all domains that the AppMeasurement for JavaScript file may be served under in the filter list.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 106

• Periodically check the Paths > Entries & Exits > Exit Links report to make sure that none of the entries in that
report are incorrect.
• Periodically review partner contracts to determine if they contain restrictions on link tracking. For example, you
might be prohibited from tracking links that appear in partner display ads. Filter partner links by adding their domain
to linkInternalFilters:
s.linkInternalFilters="mysite.com,mysite.net,mypartner.net/adclick"

s.linkLeaveQueryString

By default, query strings are excluded from all reports.

For some exit links and download links, the important portion of the URL can be in the query string, as shown in the
following sample URL.
http://www.mycompany.com/download.asp?filename=myfile.exe

The download file name can be defined in the query string and, consequently, the query string is necessary to make
the File Downloads report more accurate.

The linkLeaveQueryString variable determines whether or not the query string should be included in the Exit Links
and File Download reports.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

N/A N/A Exit Links false
File Downloads

Note: Setting linkLeaveQueryString=true includes all query string parameters for all exit links and download
links.

Syntax
s.linkLeaveQueryString=[false/true]

Examples
s.linkLeaveQueryString=false

Possible Values
s.linkLeaveQueryString=false
s.linkLeaveQueryString=true

Configuring the Variable

No configuration is necessary for this variable.

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• Setting s.linkLeaveQueryString=true includes all query string parameters for all exit links and download links.
• The linkLeaveQueryString variable does not affect recorded page URLs, visitor click map, or Path reports.

s.linkTrackVars

The linkTrackVars variable is a comma-separated list of variables that are sent with custom, exit, and download
links.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 107

If linkTrackVars is set to "", all variables that have values are sent with link data. To avoid inflation of instances or
page views associated with other variables, Adobe recommends populating linkTrackVars and linkTrackEvents in
the onClick event of a link that is used for link tracking.

All variables that should be sent with link data (custom, exit, and download links) should be listed in linkTrackVars.
If linkTrackEvents is used, linkTrackVars should contain "events."

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

N/A N/A Any "None"

When populating linkTrackVars, do not use the 's.' prefix for variables. For example, instead of populating linkTrackVars
with "s.prop1," you should populate it with "prop1." The following example illustrates how linkTrackVars should be
used.
s.linkTrackVars="eVar1,events"
s.linkTrackEvents="event1"
s.events="event1"
s.eVar1="value A"
s.eVar2="value B"
s.t() // eVar1, event1 and event2 are recorded
<a href="http://google.com">event1 and eVar1 are recorded</a>
<a href="test.php" onClick="s=s_gi('rs1');s.eVar1='value C';s.events='';s.tl(this,'o')">eVar1
is recorded</a>

Because the link to google.com is an exit link (unless you are Google), event1 and eVar1 are sent with the exit link
data, increasing the instances associated with eVar1 and the number of times event1 is fired. In the link to test.php,
eVar1 is sent with a value of 'value C' because that is the current value of eVar1 at the time that tl() is called.

Syntax and Possible Values

The linkTrackVars variable is a case-sensitive, comma-separated list of variable names, without the object name
prefix. Use 'eVar1' instead of 's.eVar1.'
s.linkTrackVars="variable_name[,variable_name[...]]"

The linkTrackVars variable may contain only variables that are sent to Analytics, namely: events, campaign,
purchaseID, products, eVar1-75, prop1-75, hier1-5, channel, server, state, zip, and pageType.

Examples
s.linkTrackVars="events,prop1,eVar49"
s.linkTrackVars="products"

Configuration Settings
None

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• If linkTrackVars is blank, all variables that have values are tracked with all server calls.
• Any variable listed in linkTrackVars that has a value at the time of any download, exit, or custom link, are tracked.
• If linkTrackEvents is used, linkTrackVars must contain "events."
• Do not use the "s." or "s_objectname." prefix for variables.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 108

s.linkTrackEvents

The linkTrackEvents variable is a comma-separated list of events that are sent with a custom, exit, or download
link.
If an event is not in linkTrackEvents, it is not sent to Analytics, even if it is populated in the onClick event of a link,
as shown in the following example:
s.linkTrackVars="events"
s.events="event1,event2"
s.t() // both event1 and event2 are recorded
<a href="help.php" onClick="s=s_gi('rs1');s.tl(this,'o')">event1 is recorded</a>
<a href="test.php" onClick="s=s_gi('rs1');s.events='event2';s.tl(this,'o')">No events are
recorded</a>

In the first link to help.php, notice that the events variable retains the value that was set before the link was clicked,.
This allows event1 to be sent with the custom link. In the second example, the link to test.php, event2 is not
recorded because it is not listed in linkTrackEvents.

To avoid confusion and potential problems, Adobe recommends populating linkTrackVars and linkTrackEvents in
the onClick event of a link that is used for link tracking.

The linkTrackEvents variable contains the events that should be sent with custom, download, and exit links. This
variable is only considered if linkTrackVars contains "events."

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

N/A N/A Conversion "None"

Syntax and Possible Values

The linkTrackEvents variable is a comma-separated list of events (no spaces).
s.linkTrackEvents="event1[,event2[,event3[...]]]"

Only event names are allowed in linkTrackEvents. These events are listed in Events. If a space appears before or
after the event name, the event can not be sent with any link image requests.

Examples
s.linkTrackEvents="purchase,event1"
s.linkTrackEvents="scAdd,scCheckout,purchase,event14"

Configuration Settings
None

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• The JavaScript file only uses linkTrackEvents if linkTrackVars contains the "events" variable. "events" should be
included in linkTrackVars only when linkTrackEvents is defined.
• Beware if an event is fired on a page, and is listed in linkTrackEvents. That event is recorded again with any exit,
download, or custom links unless the events variable is reset prior to that event (in the onClick of a link or after
the call to the t() function).
• If linkTrackEvents contains spaces between event names, the events are not recorded.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 109

s.linkExternalFilters

If your site contains many links to external sites, and you do not want to track all exit links, use linkExternalFilters
to report on a specific subset of exit links.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

N/A N/A Paths > Entries & Exits > ""
Exit Links

The linkExternalFilters variable is an optional variable used in conjunction with linkInternalFilters to determine whether
a link is an exit link. An exit link is defined as any link that takes a visitor away from your site. Whether the target
window of an exit link is a popup or the existing window, it does not affect whether the link appears in the exit links
report. Exit links are tracked only if trackExternalLinks is set to 'true.' The filters in linkExternalFilters and
linkInternalFilters are case insensitive.

Note: If you don't want to use linkExternalFilters, delete it or set it to "".

The filters list in linkExternalFilters and linkInternalFilters apply to the domain and path of any link by default. If
linkLeaveQueryString is set to 'true,' the filters apply to the entire URL (domain, path, and query string). These filters
are always applied to the absolute path of the URL, even if a relative path is used as the href value.

Most companies find that linkInternalFilters gives them enough control over exit links that they don't need
linkExternalFilters. Using linkExternalFilters simply decreases the likelihood that an exit link is considered external.
If linkExternalFilters has a value, then a link is considered only external if it does not match linkInternalFilters and
does match linkExternalFilters.

The following example illustrates how this variable is used. In this example, the URL of the page is
http://www.mysite.com/index.html.
s.trackExternalLinks=true
s.linkInternalFilters="javascript:,mysite.com"
s.linkExternalFilters="site1.com,site2.com,site3.com/partners"
s.linkLeaveQueryString=false
...
<a href="http://www.mysite.com">Not an Exit Link</a>
<a href="/careers/job_list.html">Not an Exit Link</a>
<a href="http://www2.site3.com">Not an Exit Link</a>
<a href="http://www.site1.com">Exit Link</a>
<a href="http://www2.site3.com/partners/offer.asp">Exit Link</a>

Syntax and Possible Values

The linkExternalFilters variable is a comma-separated list of ASCII characters. No spaces are allowed.
s.linkExternalFilters="site1.com[,site2.com[,site3.net[...]]]"

Any portion of a URL might be included in linkExternalFilters, separated by commas.

Examples
s.linkExternalFilters="partnersite.com,partnertwo.net/path/"
s.linkExternalFilters=""

Configuration Settings
None
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 110

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• Using linkExternalFilters can result in fewer links on your site being exit links. Do not use this variable in place of
linkInternalFilters to force internal links to become exit links.
• If linkExternalFilters should be applied to the query string of a link, make sure linkLeaveQueryString is set to 'true.'
See linkLeaveQueryString before setting to "true".
• To disable exit link tracking, set trackExternalLinks to "false".

s.usePlugins

If the s_doPlugins function is available and contains useful code, s_usePlugins should be set to 'true.'
When usePlugins is 'true,' the s_doPlugins function is called prior to each image request.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

N/A N/A N/A True

Syntax and Possible Values

s.usePlugins=true|false

The usePlugins variable is expected to be either 'true' or 'false.'

Examples
s.usePlugins=true
s.usePlugins=false

The usePlugins variable should only be false (or not declared) if the s_doPlugins function is not declared in your
JavaScript file.

Configuration Settings
None

Context Data Variables

Context data variables let you define custom variables on each page that can be read by processing rules.
Instead of explicitly assigning values to props and eVars in your code, you can send data in context data variables
that are mapped using processing rules. Processing rules provide a powerful graphical interface to make changes
to data as it is received. Based on the values sent in context data, you can set events, copy values to eVars and
props, and execute additional conditional statements.

Note: Context data variables are not case sensitive. For example, the following 2 variables are effectively
identical:
s.contextData['article_title'] = 'Weekend Concert Controversy';

and
s.contextData['ARTICLE_TITLE'] = 'Weekend Concert Controversy';

Using context data helps prevent you from making code updates to support different report suite configurations.

For example, you can define the following s.contextData variable:

s.contextData['myco.rsid'] = 'value'
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 111

Using processing rules you can add a condition that checks for a myco.rsid context data variable. When this variable
is found, you can add an action to copy it to a prop or eVar.

Context data variables can also be defined directly in the processing rules interface to temporarily store a value, or
to collect values from a context data variable you know will be used on the report suite. For example, if you need to
swap two values, you could create a context data variable to store a value during the swap.

Since processing rules are applied only when data is collected, it is important to set up processing rules before you
start sending context data. Context data values that are not read by processing rules when a hit is processed are
discarded.

Rules

Rule Description

Supported names and characters Context data variable names can contain only alphanumeric characters,
underscores and dots. Any additional characters are stripped out. Context
cata variables do not have a numeric designation. Rather, they are named.

For example, the context data variable login_page-home automatically

becomes login_pagehome. All data sent to the login_page-home variable
is allocated under login_pagehome.

Namespace A good practice is to prefix your variables with your company name, site name,
or a similar value to make sure the name is unique across your report suite.

Context data variables can be named similar to other JavaScript variables.

Be aware that the namespace a.* is reserved for use by Adobe products in
context variable names. For example, the AppMeasurement Library for iOS
uses a.InstallEvent to measure application installations.

URL Limits for Internet Explorer You might encounter a older URL limitation for Internet Explorer 6 and 7,
where URLs are truncated at 2000 bytes. You can use the DigitalPulse
debugger to determine the size of a URL string.

With the recent updates to AppMeasurement (September 2014),HTTP POST

is used with Internet Explorer 8+, which eliminates truncation issues.

Supported AppMeasurement version Context data variables require at least H23 code or higher.

Sending Context Data on a Track Link Call

Include ContextData + the name of the variable that you would like included in s.linkTrackVars:
s.contextData['myco.value'] = "some value";
s.linkTrackVars = "contextData.myco.value";
s.tl(true,"o","Link Name");
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 112

Examples
Possible ways to replace implementation of the s.pageName variable, assuming that processing rules are set up
correctly for each:

s.contextData['page'] = "Home Page"

s.contextData['pagename'] = document.title // Takes the web page's title and passes it into
the pageName context data variable
s.contextData['pagevar'] = s.pageName // This example would be considered redundant, as both
the pageName and contextData variable are available in Processing rules

Other examples to implement context data variables:

s.contextData['owner'] = "Jesse"
s.contextData['campaign'] = "Campaign A"
s.contextData['author'] = "Sheridan Andrius"

For an example, see Copy a Context Data Variable to an eVar in Analytics Reference.

Dynamic Variables
Dynamic variables let you copy values from one variable to another without typing the full values multiple times in
the image requests on your site.
Dynamic variables are used when capturing the same data (for example, campaign tracking codes) in multiple
variables concurrently. This is a common practice in cases where different reports offer unique and important metrics.
For example, capturing internal search keywords in a Custom Conversion variable and in a Custom Traffic variable
lets you view the Revenue and the Weekly Unique Visitors metrics associated with these keywords, respectively.

Dynamic variables are also useful for viewing data under various reporting conditions. A campaign tracking code
can be captured in multiple eVars with various allocation and cookie expiration settings. This lets users choose the
way they want to attribute conversion metrics to these campaigns.

Note: Dynamic variables are not supported in conjunction with cookies (s_cc, s_sq, s_fid, s_vi and any cookie
that is set by a plugin). You can not use D=<cookie value>.

A significant benefit of dynamic variables is the ability to capture long strings of data in multiple variables without
actually passing the long string repeatedly. Some browsers limit the maximum length of HTTP GET requests (including
the Adobe image request). Using dynamic variables ensures that all data is captured by reducing the length of the
request to Adobe servers in cases where data is duplicated across several variables.
In the Adobe image request that occurs on the page view, if you are using dynamic variables to copy the value of
Custom Traffic 1 to Custom Conversion 1, you would see v1=D=c1. If eVar1 received a value previously in the
request, Adobe's servers dynamically copy the value of Custom Traffic 1 to Custom Conversion 1 during data
processing. As a result, the value originally passed using Custom Traffic 1 also appears in the Custom Conversion
1 reports.

Dynamic variables are passed by setting a variable to the desired value and then setting other variables to
D=[variable abbreviation]. For abbreviations for each variable, see Data Collection Query Parameters. Dynamic
variables can pull data from the following locations:
• Other query-string variables
• HTTP headers (except for the Cookie HTTP header)
To create a dynamic variable, add a special prefix to the start of the value. The default prefix is "D=". There are two
methods of flagging dynamic variables:
• Use a default prefix of D= (For example: s.prop1="D=User-Agent" )
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 113

• For non-JavaScript implementations, you can define a custom prefix using the "D" query-string parameter. For
example, if the query-string parameter is "&D=$", you can create a dynamic variable with the following command:
s.prop1="$User-Agent" .

The variable abbreviation used must match the variable parameter name passed in the image request. Some
variables have multiple accepted parameters used in different cases. For example, pageName= and gn= both pass
the page name, but the latter is most often used in mobile and hard-coded implementations. If the image request
uses pageName= to pass the page name, then D=pageName is acceptable but D=gn is not. If the image request uses
gn=, then D=gn is acceptable, but D=pageName is not.

The following information applies to dynamic variables:

• Dynamic variables work with all versions of AppMeasurement code.
• Dynamic variables are case sensitive.
• Dynamic variables support literal strings contained in quotes.
• Dynamic variable replacement occurs before processing rules, VISTA, and other processing.
• The dynamic variable prefix "D=" must be at the start of the variable value not in the middle. For example, use
c2='D="test7"+User-Agent' rather than c2='"test7"+D=User-Agent' .
• As with all implementation techniques, Adobe strongly recommends testing dynamic variable implementations
heavily in a development environment before deploying to production. Because the full strings that are copied are
not visible in client-side debugging tools, review the affected Analytics reports to confirm successful implementation.
• When copying values between variables with different maximum lengths, note that copying a value that exceeds
the maximum length of the destination variable causes truncation. For example, Custom Traffic variables have
100-character limits and Custom Conversion variables have 255-characters limits. When copying a 150-character
value from s.eVar1 to s.prop1 using dynamic variables, this value is truncated in the Custom Traffic report at
100 characters.

Dynamic Variable Examples

Examples of dynamic variables you can use in Analytics.

In the Adobe image request that occurs on the page view, if you are using dynamic variables to copy the value of
Custom Traffic 1 to Custom Conversion 1, you would see v1=D=c1. If eVar1 received a value previously in the
request, Adobe's servers dynamically copy the value of Custom Traffic 1 to Custom Conversion 1 during data
processing. As a result, the value originally passed using Custom Traffic 1 also appears in the Custom Conversion
1 reports.

Note that the D=[variable] value should be in quotes. The Analytics code treats this as a string. The string will be
URL encoded when passed into Analytics (as you will see if viewing the request in the DigitalPulse Debugger or a
similar utility). This is normal. Adobe's servers recognize the D=[variable] construction and will copy the appropriate
value when they encounter this string.

Note: When using the image request to track links, the type of link (download=lnk_d, exit=lnk_e, or custom
link=lnk_o) must be defined, as does the Link URL/Name (pev2). Links require manual implementation by
inserting code within the <a href> tag.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 114

Note: Dynamic variables are not supported in conjunction with cookies (s_cc, s_sq, s_fid, s_vi and any cookie
that is set by a plugin). You can not use D=<cookie value>.

JavaScript Example Description

s.eVar1="D=pageName"
Captures the pageName value in eVar1.

s.prop1='D=v2+":"+c2'
Concatenates eVar2:prop2 into prop1.

s.prop1=s.eVar1="D=g"
Passes the page URL into both prop1 and eVar1.

s.eVar1="D=v0"
Captures the campaign in eVar 1.

s.prop1='D=User-Agent+" - "+Accept-Language'
Concatenates the user agent and accept language
headers in prop1.

s.prop1="D=User-Agent"
Captures the user agent in prop1,

Image Request Example Description

/b/ss/rsid/?gn=Home&D=~~&c1=~~v0
/b/ss/rsid/?gn=Home&D=~~&c1=~~campaign Four ways to set prop1 to a campaign
/b/ss/rsid/?gn=Home&c1=D%3dv0%3d is
/b/ss/rsid/?gn=Home&c1=%5b%5bv0%5d%5d%5b

/b/ss/rsid/?gn=Home&D=~~&c2=~~x-up-subno
Pulls the x-up-subno header into prop2

&c1=D%3DUser-Agent
Makes prop1 a dynamic variable filled in with the HTTP
header User-Agent

&c1=D%3D%22test%22
Makes prop1 a dynamic variable filled in with the string
"test". This becomes more useful when used with
concatenation which utilizes the + operator.

&c1=D%3D%22US%3A%20%22%2BUser-Agent
Makes prop1 a dynamic variable filled in with the
User-Agent prefixed by "UA:"

&vid=D%3DX-TM-ANTID
This example searches for a unique header, which in this
case is X-TM-ANTID.

Page Variables
Page variables directly populate a report, such as pageName, List Props, List Variables, and so on.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 115

Additional eVars and Events

If you want to track additional information, but don’t have enough variables to do so, you now have access to additional
eVars and success events:

Note: JavaScript H-Code does not support these additional eVars and events.

Entitlements to Custom Dimensions and Events

Adobe Analytics
Product
Adobe Analytics - 75 props 200 eVars 1000 Events
Foundation
Adobe Analytics - Select 75 props 200 eVars 1000 Events
Adobe Analytics - Prime 75 props 200 eVars 1000 Events
Adobe Analytics - 75 props 250 eVars 1000 Events
Ultimate

Populating Variables and Events

• Variables can be populated in the data collection library if you are using these versions of AppMeasurement:
• AppMeasurement for JavaScript version 1.4+
• AppMeasurement for Flash version 3.9+
• AppMeasurement for Java version 1.2.8+
• AppMeasurement for Silverlight/.NET version 1.4.2+
• AppMeasurement for PHP version 1.2.2+
• If you are on an earlier version of code, or on JavaScript H.*, you can populate context data and use processing
rules to populate variables.
• All versions of data collection code can populate events 101-1000.
• Processing rules can be used to populate eVars 76-250 based on context data or other variables.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Will all Adobe Analytics interfaces have immediate access to these new variables?
These interfaces will have immediate access: Analysis Workspace, Reports & Analytics, Report Builder, Ad Hoc
Analysis, APIs, and Data Workbench.
• Will these additional eVars and events automatically show up in my data feeds?
Data feeds will have access to the new variables and events once enabled. New eVar columns will not appear
until you choose to include them. However, new events will appear in the event_list column as soon as they’re
enabled, and the events lookup table contains the event names for those event IDs. Do not enable new events
unless you are ready to consume them in Data Feeds.
• How do I request new data feed columns?
To request new columns, refer to Configuring Data Feeds.
• What if I am an Analytics Ultimate customer who wants to go back to Analytics Prime and I currently have
more than 200 eVars enabled?
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 116

Adobe will not disable any of your existing eVars, but you will not be able to enable more. If you disable eVars,
you cannot turn them back on until you are below the Analytics Prime limit of 200 enabled eVars.

browserHeight

The browserHeight variable displays the height of the browser window.

This variable is populated after the page code and before doPlugins is run.

Note: This variable should only be read and never set.

You may read these values and copy them into props/eVars, but you should never alter them. This variable is
introduced with version H.11 of the JavaScript file.

Parameters

Query Param Value Example Reports Affected

bh A positive integer 865 Traffic > Technology >

Browser Height

browserWidth

The browserWidth variable displays the width of the browser window.

This variable is populated after the page code and before doPlugins is run.

Note: This variable should only be read and never set.

You may read these values and copy them into props/eVars, but you should never alter them. This variable is
introduced with version H.11 of the JavaScript file.

Parameters

Query Param Value Example Reports Affected

bw A positive integer 1179 Traffic > Technology >

Browser Width

campaign

The campaign variable identifies marketing campaigns used to bring visitors to your site. The value of campaign is
usually taken from a query string parameter.
Parameters

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

255 Bytes v0 Conversion > Campaigns ""

> Tracking Code
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 117

Every element in a marketing campaign should have an associated unique tracking code. For example, a paid search
engine keyword may have a tracking code of 112233. When someone clicks the keyword with the 112233 tracking
code and is routed to the corresponding website, the campaign variable records the tracking code.

There are two main ways to populate the campaign variable:

• The getQueryParam plug-in, used in the JavaScript file, retrieves a query string parameter from the URL. For
more information on the getQueryParam plugin, see Implementation Plug-ins.
• Assign a value to the campaign variable in the HTML on the Web page.
With either method of populating the campaign variable, the Back button traffic may inflate the actual number of
click-throughs from a campaign element.

For example, a visitor enters your site by clicking a paid search keyword. When the visitor arrives on the landing
page, the URL contains a query string parameter identifying the tracking code for the keyword. The visitor then clicks
a link to another page, but then immediately clicks the Back button to return to the landing page. When the visitor
arrives a second time on the landing page, the URL with the query string parameter identifies the tracking code
again. And a second click-through is registered, thereby falsely inflating the number of click-throughs.
To avoid this inflation of click-throughs, Adobe recommends using the getValOnce plugin to force each campaign
click-through to be counted only once per session. For more information on the getValOnce plugin, see Implementation
Plug-ins.

Syntax and Possible Values

s.campaign="112233"

The campaign variable has the same limitations as all other variables. Adobe recommends limiting the value to
standard ASCII characters.

Case Sensitivity
eVars are case insensitive, but they are displayed in the capitalization of the first occurrence. For example, if the
first instance of eVar1 is set to "Logged In," but all subsequent instances are passed as "logged in," reports always
show "Logged In" as the value of the eVar.

Examples
s.campaign="112233"
s.campaign=s.getQueryParam('cid');

Configuration Settings
Each campaign value remains active for a user, and receives credit for that user's activities and success events
until it expires. You can change the expiration of the campaign variable in the Admin Console.

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• To keep click-throughs from being inflated, use the getValOnce plugin to let the click-through for a campaign be
counted only once per session. For more information on the getValOnce plug-in, see Implementation Plug-ins.
• For more information on tracking marketing campaigns and keyword buys, see Campaigns.
• Use the DigitalPulse Debugger to see the actual value of campaigns (v0 in the debugger). If v0 does not appear
in the debugger, no campaign data is recorded for that page.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 118

channel

The channel variable is most often used to identify a section of your site.
For example, a merchant may have sections such as Electronics, Toys, or Apparel. A media site may have sections
such as News, Sports, or Business.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

100 Bytes CH Site Content > Site Sections ""

Adobe recommends populating the channel variable on every page. You can also turn on a correlation between the
channel and page name variables.

When sections have one or more levels of subsections, you can show those sections in the channel variable or use
separate variables to identify levels.

Syntax and Possible Values

s.channel="value"

The channel variable has no extra limitations on its values.

Examples
s.channel="Electronics"
s.channel="Media"

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

If your site contains multiple levels, you can use the hierarchy or another variable to designate those levels. The
channel value does not persist, but the success events fired on the same page are attributed to the channel value.

colorDepth

The colorDepth variable is used to show the number of bits used to display color on each pixel of the screen.
For example, 32 represents 32 bits of color on the screen. This variable is populated after the page code and before
doPlugins is run.

Note: This variable should only be read and never set.

You may read these values and copy them into props/eVars, but you should never alter them. This variable is
introduced with version H.11 of the JavaScript file.

Query Param Value Example Reports Affected

c 8,16, and 32 32 Traffic > Technology >
Monitor Color Depth

connectionType
The connectionType variable, in Internet Explorer, indicates whether the browser is configured on a LAN or modem
connection.
This variable is populated after the page code and before doPlugins is run.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 119

Note: This variable should only be read and never set.

You may read these values and copy them into props/eVars, but you should never alter them. This variable is
introduced with version H.11 of the JavaScript file.

Query Param Value Example Reports Affected

ct lan or modem lan Traffic > Technology >
Connection Type

cookiesEnabled

The cookiesEnabled variable indicates whether a first-party session cookie could be set by JavaScript.
This variable is populated after the page code and before doPlugins is run.

Note: This variable should only be read and never set.

You may read these values and copy them into props/eVars, but you should never alter them. This variable is
introduced with version H.11 of the JavaScript file.

Query Param Value Example

k Y or N Y

dc

(Deprecated) The dc variable lets you select the data center to which your data is sent.

Note: The dc variable is deprecated. You should set trackingServer for all implementations to the value that
is generated by Code Manager in s_code.js.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

N/A N/A N/A 112

The data center is identified in the dc variable in order to match ActionSource.

eVarN

The eVar variables are used for building custom reports.

When an eVar is set to a value for a visitor, the value is remembered until it expires. Any success events that a
visitor encounters while the eVar value is active are counted toward the eVar value.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

255 Bytes V1-v75 (or v100 or v250) Custom Conversion ""

Expiration
eVars expire after a time period you specify. After the eVar expires, it no longer receives credit for success events.
eVars can also be configured to expire on success events. For example, if you have an internal promotion that
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 120

expires at the end of a visit, the internal promotion receives credit only for purchases or registrations that occur
during the visit in which they were activated.

There are two ways to expire an eVar:

• You can set the eVar to expire after a specified time period or event.
• You can use force the expiration of an eVar, which is useful when repurposing a variable.

If an eVar is used in May to reflect internal promotions and expires after 21 days, and in June it is used to capture
st
internal search keywords, then on June 1 , you should force the expiration of, or reset, the variable. Doing so will
help keep internal promotion values out of June's reports.

Case Sensitivity
eVars are case insensitive, but they are displayed in the capitalization of the first occurrence. For example, if the
first instance of eVar1 is set to "Logged In," but all subsequent instances are passed as "logged in," reports always
show "Logged In" as the value of the eVar.

Counters
While eVars are most often used to hold string values, they may also be configured to act as counters. eVars are
useful as counters when you are trying to count the number of actions a user takes before an event. For example,
you may use an eVar to capture the number of internal searches before purchase. Each time a visitor searches, the
eVar should contain a value of '+1.' If a visitor searches four times before a purchase, you will see an instance for
each total count: 1.00, 2.00, 3.00, and 4.00. However, only the 4.00 receives credit for the purchase event (Orders
and Revenue Metrics). Only positive numbers are allowed as values of an eVar counter.

Subrelations
A common requirement for a Custom eVar report is the ability to break down one Custom eVar report by another.
For example, if one eVar contains gender, and another contains salary, you may ask the following question: of the
female visitors to my site, how much revenue was generated by women who make more than $50,000 per year.
Any eVar that is fully sub-related allows this type of break down in reports. For example, if the gender eVar has full
subrelations enabled, all other custom eVar reports can be broken down by gender, and gender can be broken down
by all others. To see the relationship between two reports, only one of them needs full subrelations enabled. By
default, Campaigns, Products, and Category reports are fully sub-related (any eVar can be broken down by
campaign or products).

Syntax and Possible Values

While eVars may be renamed, they should always be referred to in the JavaScript file by eVarX, where X is a number
between 1 and 75 (or 100, or 250).
s.eVarX="value"

When not used as a counter, eVars have the same limitations as all other variables. If the eVar is a "counter," it is
expected to receive numeric values like "1" or "2.5." If more than two decimal places are given, the eVar counter
rounds to two decimal places. An eVar counter may not contain negative numbers.

Examples
s.eVar1="logged in"
s.eVar23="internal spring promo 4"
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 121

Configuration Settings
eVars can be configured in the Admin Console. All eVars can be configured with a Name, Type, Allocation, Expire
After Setting, or Reset. Each configuration setting is addressed separately.

Setting Description
Name Allows you to change the name of the eVar report within Analytics.
The eVar should still be referenced as s.eVarX in the JavaScript code, no matter
what name is given to the report in Analytics.

Type Allows you to show whether the eVar is a Text String or Counter.
Allocation Used to configure which value of the eVar receives credit for success events.
If Allocation is set to "Most Recent (Last)," then B receives credit.

If Allocation is set to "Original Value (First)" then A receives credit.

If Allocation is set to "Linear", then both A and B receive credit for half the purchase
value.

Expire After Lets you determine whether an eVar expires on a specific event, like purchase, or
after a custom or predefined time period.
Reset By selecting the Reset check box for an eVar, and clicking Save at the bottom of
the page, all values of that eVar are immediately expired. After this happens, only
new values of the eVar receive credit for success events.

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• Unlike prop variables, eVar variables are not allowed to be lists of delimited values. If you populate an eVar with
a list of values, for example "one,two,three," then that exact string appears in reports.
• eVar counters may not contain negative numbers.

Configure Events

The s.events variable is used to record common shopping cart success events as well as custom success events.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

No Limit events N/A
Shopping Cart Events

Custom Events

An event should be considered a milestone within a site. Success events are most commonly populated on the final
confirmation page of a process, such as a registration process or newsletter sign-up. Custom events are defined by
populating the events variable with the literal values defined in the Possible Values section below.

By default, success events are configured as counter events. Counter events count the number of times a success
event is set (x+1). Events can also be configured as numeric events. Numeric events allow you to specify the number
to increment (as might be necessary when counting dynamic or arbitrary values, such as the number of results
returned by an internal search).
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 122

A final event type, currency, allows you to define the amount to be added (similar to numeric events), but displays
as currency in reports, and is subject to currency conversions based on the s.currencyCode value and the default
currency setting for your report suite. For additional information on using numeric and currency events, see Products.

Configuring the Variable

The s.events variable is enabled by default for all implementations. The seven pre-configured conversion events
are automatically enabled for all new report suites. New custom events (event1-event100 or event1000) can be
enabled by any admin-level user using the Admin Console.

Possible Values
The following is a list of possible values for the events variable:

Event Description Reports Populated

prodView Product Views Products
scOpen Open / Initialize a new shopping cart Carts
scAdd Add item(s) to the shopping cart Cart Additions
scRemove Remove item(s) from the shopping Cart Removals
cart
scView View shopping cart Cart Views
scCheckout Beginning of the checkout process Checkouts
purchase Completion of a purchase (order) Orders
event1 - event1000 (event100 for Custom events Custom Events
point product)

Syntax and Examples

Counter Events
Counter events are set by placing the desired events in the s.events variable, in a comma-separated list (if multiple
events are to be passed).
s.events="scAdd"
s.events="scAdd,event1,event7"
s.events="event5"
s.events="purchase,event10"

If on H23 code or higher, counter events can have integers greater than one assigned to them.
s.events="event1=10"
s.events="scRemove=3,event6,event2=4"

Implementing counter events with assigned integer values treat the event as if it fired multiple times within the image
request. Counter events do not allow decimals- it is recommended to use numeric events instead if this functionality
is required.
Numeric/Currency Events
Numeric and currency events must be included in the s.events variable, though they typically receive their numerical
value (e.g., 24.99) in the s.products variable. This allows you to tie specific numeric and currency values to individual
product entries.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 123

With Products
s.events="event1"
s.products="Footwear;Running Shoes;1;99.99;event1=4.50"
s.events="event1,event4"
s.products="Footwear;Running Shoes;1;99.99;event1=4.50|event4=1.99"

Without Products
You can also track these types of events by leaving the product and category fields blank. This was the process to
measure data such as tax and shipping before support was added for decimal values outside of the products string.
If you want to pass a numeric or currency value but do not want to tie these to an individual product (such as a
discount applied to an entire order, or a value captured outside of the product view or shopping cart process), this
can be done by using s.products as shown below, but leaving the product and category fields blank.
s.events="event1"
s.products=";;;;event1=4.50"
s.events="event1,event4"
s.products=";;;;event1=4.50|event4=1.99"

In the Events List

Numeric/Currency Events that are given a value directly in events list apply to all products in the products list.

This is useful to track order-wide discounts, shipping, and similar values, without modifying the product price or by
tracking it in the product list separately. For example, if you configured event10 to contain order-wide discounts, a
purchase with a 10% discount might appear similar to the following:
s.events="purchase,event10=9.95"
s.products="Footwear;Running Shoes;1;69.95,Running Essentials;Socks;10;29.50"

On Numeric/Currency Event reports, the report total represents the de-duplicated event total (in this example, the
total amount of discounts during the reporting period), not the sum of the event values for each product.

Note: if a value for a Numeric/Currency Event is specified in the products string and in the event string, the
value from the event string is used.

Combining Counter Events and Numeric/Currency Events

Counter events can be passed along with numeric/currency events by passing all desired events in the s.events
variable, and then passing only the numeric/currency events in the s.products variable.

Event Serialization
By default, an event is counted every time the event is set on your site.

See Event Serialization for more information.

Syntax
s.events="event1:3167fhjkah"

Examples
s.events="scAdd:003717174"
s.events="scAdd:user228197,event1:577247280,event7:P7fhF8571"

hierN

The hierarchy variable determines the location of a page in your site's hierarchy.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 124

This variable is most useful for sites that have more than three levels in the site structure. For example, a media
site may have 4 levels to the Sports section: Sports, Local Sports, Baseball, and Red Sox. If someone visits the
Baseball page, Sports, Local Sports, and Baseball, all levels reflect that visit.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

255 Bytes H1-H5 Hierarchy ""

There are five hierarchy variables available, which must be enabled by Adobe Customer Care. At the time the
hierarchy is enabled, you should decide on a delimiter for the variable and the maximum number of levels for the
hierarchy. For example, if the delimiter is a comma, the sports hierarchy may display as follows.
s.hier1="Sports,Local Sports,Baseball"

Make sure that none of your section names have the delimiter in them. For example, if one of your sections is called
"Coach Griffin, Jim," then you should choose a delimiter other than comma. Each hierarchy section is limited to 255
bytes, while the total variable limit is 255 bytes. After a delimiter is chosen (at the time the hierarchy is created) it is
not easily changed.

Contact Adobe Customer Care about changing the delimiter for an existing hierarchy. Delimiters may also consist
of multiple characters, such as || or /|\, which are less likely to appear in a hierarchy section.

Syntax and Possible Values

Do not put a space between each delimiter. In the following example syntax, N is a number between one and five.
s.hierN="Level 1[<delimiter>Level 2[<delimiter>Level 3[...]]]"

Do not use the delimiter except to delimit the levels of the hierarchy. The delimiter may be any character or characters
of your choice.

Examples
s.hier1="Toys|Boys 6+|Legos|Super Block Tub"
s.hier4="Sports/Local Sports/Baseball"

Configuration Settings
None

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• The delimiter may not be changed after the hierarchy is set up. If the delimiter for your hierarchy must be changed,
contact Adobe Customer Care.
• The number of levels may not be changed after the hierarchy is set up.

Note: Changes to hierarchies can result in a service charge.

homepage

The homepage variable, in Internet Explorer, indicates whether the current page is set as the user's home page.
This variable is populated after the page code and before doPlugins is run.

Note: This variable should only be read and never set.

Implement Analytics using JavaScript 125

You may read these values and copy them into props/eVars, but you should never alter them. This variable is
introduced with version H.11 of the JavaScript file.

Query Param Value Example Reports Affected

hp Y or N Y Traffic > Technology >
Home Page

javaEnabled

The javaEnabled variable indicates whether Java is enabled on the browser.

This variable is populated after the page code and before doPlugins is run.

Note: This variable should only be read and never set.

You may read these values and copy them into props/eVars, but you should never alter them. This variable is
introduced with version H.11 of the JavaScript file.

Query Param Value Example Reports Affected

v Y or N Y Traffic > Technology > Java

javascriptVersion

The javascriptVersion variable indicates the version of JavaScript supported by the browser.
This variable is populated after the page code and before doPlugins is run.

Note: This variable should only be read and never set.

You may read these values and copy them into props/eVars, but you should never alter them. This variable is
introduced with version H.11 of the JavaScript file.

Query Param Value Example Reports Affected

j 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, … 1.7 1.7 Traffic > Technology >
JavaScript Version

Version H.10 and higher of the JavaScript file accurately detect up to version 1.7 (the highest version at the time
H.10 was released). Prior versions of the JavaScript file only detected up to version 1.3

linkName

The linkName variable is an optional variable used in Link Tracking that determines the name of a custom, download,
or exit link.
The linkName variable is not normally needed because the third parameter in the tl() function replaces it.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

100 bytes pev2 ""
File Downloads

Custom Links
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 126

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

Exit Links

Custom Links refer to links that send tracking data. The linkName variable (or the third parameter in the tl() function)
is used to identify the value that appears in the Custom, Download, or Exit Links report. If linkName is not populated,
the URL of the link appears in the report.

Syntax and Possible Values

s.linkName="Link Name"

There are no limitations on linkName outside of the standard variable limitations.

Examples
s.linkName="Nav Bar Home Link"
s.linkName="Partner Link to A.com"

Configuration Settings
None

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• The linkName variable is replaced by the third parameter in the tl() function.
• If the linkName variable and the third parameter in the tl() function are blank, the full URL of the link (with the
exception of the query string) appears in the report (even if the link is relative).

linkType

The linkType variable is an optional variable used in link tracking that determines which report a link name or URL
appears (custom, download, or exit links).
The linkType variable is not normally needed because the second parameter in the tl() function replaces it.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

One character pe=[lnk_o|lnk_d|lnk_e] ""
File Downloads

Custom Links
Exit Links

Custom links send data to Analytics. The linkType variable (or the second parameter in the tl() function) is used to
identify the report in which the link name or URL appears (Custom, Download, or Exit Links report).

For exit and download Links, the linkType variable is automatically populated depending on whether the link clicked
is an exit or download link. A custom link may be configured to send data to any of the three reports with this variable
or with the second parameter in the tl() function. By setting linkType to 'o,' 'e,' or 'd,' the linkName or link URL is sent
to the Custom Links, Exit Links, or File Downloads report respectively.

Syntax and Possible Values

The linkType variable syntax depends on whether you use XML or a query string.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 127

If you are using XML, the variable may only contain a single character, namely 'o,' 'e,' or 'd.'
s.tl(this,’o’,’Link Name’);

If you are using the query-string pe, you need to use lnk_d, lnk_e, or lnk_o.

Examples
<a href="index.html" onClick="
var s=s_gi('rsid'); **see note below on the rsid**
s.tl(this,'o','Link Name');
">My Page</a>

Configuration Settings
None

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• If linkType is not specified, custom links ('o') is assumed.

List Props

List props are a delimited list of values that are passed into a variable, then reported as individual line items. List
props are most commonly implemented on pages that contain user-selectable values, such as listed items with
check boxes or radio buttons. They are useful in any circumstance where you want to define multiple values in a
variable without sending multiple image requests.
Considerations
• List props are enabled only on traffic variables (props).
• Pathing and correlations cannot be enabled for list props.
• Analytics provides visits and unique visitors to almost every report, including all list prop reports.
• Classifications are supported for list props.
• Any custom traffic variable can become a list prop. (Exceptions: pageName, channel, and server.)
• When defining duplicate values in the same image request, instances are deduplicated. Identical values appearing
multiple times in the same hit are only counted once.
A prop can be changed into a list prop on the Admin Tools > Report Suite > Traffic Variables page by enabling List
Support and then selecting a delimiter. Popular delimiters are colons, semi-colons, commas, or pipes. The delimiter
can technically be any of the first 127 ASCII characters.

Implementation Examples
When you request enabling of list props, indicate the delimiter that you would like to use. After the s.prop of your
choice is enabled, multiple values can be set in the variable as shown in the following examples:

A list prop delimited by a pipe, passing in two values:

s.prop1="Banner ad impression|Sidebar impression"

A list prop delimited by a comma passing in several values:

s.prop2="cerulean,vermilion,saffron"

List props can also be sent with a single value:

s.prop3="Single value"

The delimiter can be changed at any time. However, the implementation must match the new delimiter. Failure to
use the correct delimiter results in the list prop value being treated as a single concatenated line item in reporting.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 128

Because a list prop is still a Traffic Variable, it is subject to Traffic Variable limitations. List props are limited to 100
bytes of data and are affected by case sensitivity settings.

List Variable

Also known as List Var. Similar to how List Props function, List Vars allow multiple values within the same image
request. They also act similarly to eVars, which persist beyond the image request they were defined on. You can
use these variables to see cause and effect among multiple elements on a single page, such as product lists, wish
lists, lists of search refinements, or lists of display ads.
Considerations:
• List Vars remember their specific values by referencing the VisitorID cookie in the visitor's browser.
• A limit of 250 maximum values are stored at one time per visitor. If 250 values per visitor are exceeded, the latest
250 values are used. Expiration for these values is based on the configured expiration for the variable.
• Each delimited value can contain a maximum of 255 characters (or less if using multi-byte characters). This is the
maximum length of each element.
• There is no limit to the number of characters within this variable. The only exception to this limitation is within older
Internet Explorer browsers, which impose a 2083-character limitation on all URL requests.
• A total of three List Vars are available per report suite.
• Using List Vars requires H23 code or higher.
• List Vars can be classified.
• If duplicate values are defined in the same image request, list vars deduplicate all instances of those values.
• The most granular list vars can be segmented is on a hit (or page view) level. If you have a list var with three values
in the same image request, any segment rules that match one value will pull all three into reporting. Conversely,
if an exclude rule is defined that matches a single value, all three values are excluded.

Configuration
You can access the configuration in the Admin Console and update it without Adobe Client Care having to get
involved:

1. Go to Analytics > Admin > Report Suites

2. Select the report suite.
3. Click Edit Settings > Conversion > List Variables.
• Name: Each delimited value can contain a maximum of 255 characters (or less if using multi-byte characters). This
is the maximum length of each element.
• Value Delimiter: The character used to separate values within the List Var. Most commonly these are characters
such as commas, colons, pipes, or something similar.

Note: Multi-byte characters are not supported as delimiters in List Vars. The delimiter must be single byte.

• Expiration: Similar to eVar expiration, this determines the amount of time that can occur between the List Var and
the conversion event for them to be related.
• At a page view or visit level: Success events beyond the page view or visit would not link back to any values
within the List Var.
• Based on a time period, such as day, week, month, etc: Success events beyond the specified time period
would not link back to any values within the List Var. A custom number of days can be defined as well.
• Specific conversion events: Any other success events that fire after the specific event designated would not
link back to any values within the List Var.
• Never: Any amount of time can pass between the List Var and success event.
• Allocation: This setting determines how success events divide credit between values:
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 129

• Full: All variable values defined prior to the variable's expiration get full credit for success events.
• Linear: All variable values defined prior to the variable's expiration get credit divided credit for conversion events.
• Variable values are never overwritten, but instead added to the values that get credit for success events.
• Max Values: Designates the number of active values allowed for this list variable. For example, if set to 3, only
the last 3 values captured is saved and any previous values captured are discarded. Note that if multiple values
for the same list var are sent in on the same hit and you have restricted using max values, each value will have
the same timestamp and there is not guarantee as to which value is saved.

A limit of 250 maximum values are stored at one time per visitor. If 250 values per visitor are exceeded, the latest
250 values are used. Expiration for these values is based on the configured expiration for the variable.

The Max Values setting is useful to limit attribution to a specific number of values. For example, if a list var is set
to "A,B,C" on the first page of a visit, then set to "X,Y,Z" on the next page, attribution is distributed to these six
values based on the allocation. If you wanted to limit attribution to only "X,Y,Z", you can set max values to three.

To set up or edit List Vars, go to Analytics > Admin > Report Suites > Edit Settings > Conversion > List
Variables.

Implementation Examples
Each of the following examples use a comma for the value delimiter.

Defining a single value within a List Var:

s.list1="Cat";

Passing in multiple values:

s.list2="Tabby,Persian,Siamese";
s.list1="Product 1,Product 2,Product 3";

Attributing revenue to a List Var:

//Define this code on the landing page:
s.list3="Top Banner Ad,Side Bar Ad,Internal Campaign 1";

//Have these variables fire on the purchase confirmation page:

s.products=";Kitten;1;50"
s.events="purchase";

This result would show three line items with $50 each in revenue. (Top Banner Ad; Side Bar Ad; and Internal
Campaign 1.) Note the total for this report deduplicates revenue, so the total would also reflect $50.

Attributing revenue to a List Var that was set multiple times during a visit:

Allocation: Full

Expiration: Visit

Page s.list1 s.events/s.products

Page 1 s.list1=”value1,value2,value3”; (not set)
Page 2 s.list1=”value4,value5,value6”;
s.events=”purchase”;

s.products=”;product;1;200”

Result: All values set in the list var1 at any point during the visit (value1,value2,value3,value4,value5,value6) get
full credit for the purchase.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 130

maxDelay

The s.maxDelay variable is used primarily in Genesis DFA integrations to determine the timeout period in contacting
the DFA host. If Adobe does not receive a response from DFA's servers within the specified period set in the
s.maxDelay variable, the connection is severed, and data is processed normally. Implement this variable if you are
concerned with DFA's response time on each page. It is recommended to experiment with this value to determine
the optimum timeout period.
Implementation Example
s.maxDelay="750";

Properties
• This variable is an optional event metric populated via the JavaScript implemented on your site.
• If the DFA host does not respond within the given amount of time, the event designated to Timeout runs (assigned
via the Genesis integration wizard).
• This variable can only contain a numeric value.
• The amount of time specified is measured in milliseconds.
• Increasing the wait time collects more DFA data, but also increases the risk of losing Analytics hit data.
Losing Analytics hit data would occur when the user navigates away from the page during the s.maxDelay period.
• Decreasing the wait time will lower the risk of losing Analytics hit data, but can reduce the amount of DFA data
sent with hit data.
Losing DFA integration data would occur when the s.maxDelay period does not accommodate enough time for the
DFA host to respond.

Note: Adobe does not have control over DFA's response time. If you are seeing consistent issues even after
raising the max delay period to a reasonable time frame, consult your organization's DFA account administrator.

mediaLength

The mediaLenght variable specifies the total length of the media being played.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

No max size for entire pev3 pev3 Time Spent on Video; None
request - size is limited to
Video Segments Viewed
the browser's URL length
limit.

Syntax and Possible Values

autoTrack Method:

If using s.Media.autoTrack, the mediaLength variable does not need to be implemented explicitly. It is determined
automatically by the AppMeasurement for JavaScript code.

Manual Tracking Method:

Syntax:
s.Media.open(mediaName,mediaLength,mediaPlayerName)

Possible Values:
s.Media.open("de_bofr_1045Making_400k", "414","Windows Media Player 11.0.5721.5230")
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 131

Examples
s.Media.open("de_bofr_1045Making_400k", "414","Windows Media Player 11.0.5721.5230")
Resulting pev3 parameter syntax: pev3= [Asset Name]--**--[Total length of asset]--**--[Player
name]--**--[Total seconds consumed]--**--[Timestamp]--**--[Chronological record of all starts
and stops along with accompanying markers]

Possible pev3 values: pev3=de_bofr_1045Making_400k--**--414--**--Windows Media Player

11.0.5721.5230--**--288--**--1207893838--**--S0E0S0E256S0E32

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• You must call the media tracking methods only if the player cannot be tracked using s.Media.autoTrack = true.
• If not tracking using autoTrack, be sure to set the length in seconds.

mediaName

This variable specifies the name of the video or media item.

It is only available via the Data Insertion API and Full Processing Data Source.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

64 KB pev3 Videos; Next Video Flow; None
Previous Video Flow; Video
Segments Viewed; Time
Spent on Video

Syntax and Possible Values

autoTrack Method:

If using s.Media.autoTrack, the mediaName variable does not need to be implemented explicitly. It is determined
automatically by the AppMeasurement for JavaScript code.

Manual Tracking Method:

Syntax:
s.Media.open(mediaName,mediaLength,mediaPlayerName)
s.Media.play(mediaName,mediaOffset)
s.Media.stop(mediaName,mediaOffset)
s.Media.close(mediaName)

Possible Values:
s.Media.open("de_bofr_1045Making_400k", "414","Windows Media Player 11.0.5721.5230")
s.Media.play("de_bofr_1045Making_400k", "0")
s.Media.play("de_bofr_1045Making_400k", "414")
s.Media.close("de_bofr_1045Making_400k")
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 132

Examples
s.Media.open("de_bofr_1045Making_400k", "414","Windows Media Player 11.0.5721.5230")
s.Media.play("de_bofr_1045Making_400k", "0")
s.Media.play("de_bofr_1045Making_400k", "414")
s.Media.close("de_bofr_1045Making_400k")
Resulting pev3 parameter syntax: pev3=[Asset Name]--**--[Total length of asset]--**--[Player
name]--**--[Total seconds consumed]--**--[Timestamp]--**--[Chronological record of all starts
and stops along with accompanying markers]

Possible pev3 Values:

pev3=de_bofr_1045Making_400k--**--414--**--Windows Media Player
11.0.5721.5230--**--288--**--1207893838--**--S0E0S0E256S0E32

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• You must call the media tracking methods only if player cannot be tracked using s.Media.autoTrack = true.
• This variable is stored as a mySQL TEXT variable as opposed to VARCHAR(100).

mediaPlayer

This variable specifies the player used to consume a video or media item.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

100 Bytes pev3 Video Players None

Syntax and Possible Values

autoTrack Method:
s.Media.playerName = "My Custom Player Name" //configure player name in global JavaScript or
ActionSource

Manual Tracking Method:

s.Media.open(mediaName,mediaLength,mediaPlayerName)

Possible Values:
s.Media.open("de_bofr_1045Making_400k", "414","Windows Media Player 11.0.5721.5230")

Examples
s.Media.open("de_bofr_1045Making_400k", "414","Windows Media Player 11.0.5721.5230")
Resulting pev3 parameter syntax: pev3=[Asset Name]--**--[Total length of asset]--**--[Player
name]--**--[Total seconds consumed]--**--[Timestamp]--**--[Chronological record of all starts
and stops along with accompanying markers]

Possible pev3 Values: pev3=de_bofr_1045Making_400k--**--414--**--Windows Media Player

11.0.5721.5230--**--288--**--1207893838--**--S0E0S0E256S0E32

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

You must call the media tracking methods only if player cannot be tracked using s.Media.autoTrack = true.

mediaSession

This variable specifies the segments of a video or media asset consumed.

Implement Analytics using JavaScript 133

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

255 Bytes pev3 Time Spent on Video None
Video Segments Viewed

Syntax and Possible Values

autoTrack Method:

If using s.Media.autoTrack, the mediaName does not need to be implemented explicitly. It will be determined
automatically by the AppMeasurement for JavaScript code.

Manual Tracking Method:

Syntax:
s.Media.open(mediaName,mediaLength,mediaPlayerName)
s.Media.play(mediaName,mediaOffset)
s.Media.stop(mediaName,mediaOffset)

Possible Values:
s.Media.open("de_bofr_1045Making_400k", "414","Windows Media Player 11.0.5721.5230")
s.Media.play("de_bofr_1045Making_400k", "0")
s.Media.play("de_bofr_1045Making_400k", "414")

Examples
s.Media.open("de_bofr_1045Making_400k", "414","Windows Media Player 11.0.5721.5230")
s.Media.play("de_bofr_1045Making_400k", "0")
s.Media.play("de_bofr_1045Making_400k", "414")
Resulting pev3 parameter syntax: pev3=[Asset Name]--**--[Total length of asset]--**--[Player
name]--**--[Total seconds consumed]--**--[Timestamp]--**--[Chronological record of all starts
and stops along with accompanying markers]
Possible pev3 Values: pev3=de_bofr_1045Making_400k--**--414--**--Windows Media Player
11.0.5721.5230--**--288--**--1207893838--**--S0E0S0E256S0E32

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

You must call the media tracking methods only if player cannot be tracked using s.Media.autoTrack = true.

Media.trackEvents

The Media.trackEvents variable identifies which events should be sent with a media hit.
It is only applicable with JavaScript and ActionSource.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

N/A N/A N/A s.Media.trackEvents="None"

Syntax and Possible Values

Event names such as event1 or purchase.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 134

Examples
s.Media.trackEvents=”event1,purchase”

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

Make sure to populate trackVars with "events" whenever this variable is populated.

Media.trackVars

The Media.trackVars variable identifies which variables should be sent with a media hit.
It is only applicable with JavaScript and ActionSource.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

N/A N/A N/A s.Media.trackVars="None"

Syntax and Possible Values

Variable names such as propN, eVarN, events, channel, and so forth.

Examples
s.Media.trackVars=”prop2,events,eVar3”

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• Even if eVar3 is specified in trackVars, it is sent with the media hit.

mobile

The mobile variable controls the order in which cookies and subscriber IDs are used to identify visitors.
See Mobile Tracking over WAP and I-Mode Protocols.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

N/A /5/ or /1/ in path of image url N/A None

Syntax and Possible Values

s.mobile="any_string" //subscriber id used first, produces /5/ in path of image url
s.mobile="" // if set to an empty string or not set at all, cookies used first, produces /1/
in path of image url

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

Use cross-visitor identification to mitigate possible spikes in visitor traffic when using the s.mobile variable with the
JavaScript cookie implementation.

pageName

The pageName variable contains the name of each page on your site.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

100 bytes pageName page URL
Pages

Paths
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 135

The pageName variable should be populated with a value that business users recognize. In most cases the pageName
value is not the URL or the path to the file. Common pageName values include names such as "Home Page,"
"Checkout," "Purchase Thank you," or "Registration."

Be careful not to allow new-line, -em or -en dashes, or any HTML characters to appear in the page name and other
variables. Some browsers send new line characters while others don't, which causes the data in Analytics to be split
between two seemingly identical page names. Many word processors and email clients will automatically convert a
hyphen into an -en or -em dash when typing. Since -en and -em dashes are illegal characters in Analytics variables
(ASCII characters with codes above 127), Analytics won't record the page name containing the illegal character and
show the URL instead.

If pageName is left blank, the URL is used to represent the page name. Leaving pageName blank is often problematic
because the URL may not always be the same for a page (www.mysite.com and mysite.com are the same page
with different URLs).

Syntax and Possible Values

The pageName variable should contain a useful identifier for business users of Analytics.
s.pageName="page_name"

There are no limitations on pageName outside of the standard variable limitations.

Examples
s.pageName="Search Results"
s.pageName="Standard Offer List"

Configuration Settings
Administrators have the ability to change the visible page name in Analytics with the Name Pages tool, which is
potentially dangerous and may negatively affect your reports. Please contact Adobe Customer Care before using
the Name Pages tool.

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

Make sure the pageName doesn't contain illegal characters.

pageType

The pageType variable is used only to designate a 404 Page Not Found Error page.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

20 bytes pageType Paths > Pages > Pages ""
Not Found

The pageType variable captures the errant URL when a 404 Error page is displayed, which allows you to quickly
find broken links and paths that are no longer valid on the custom site. Set up the pageType variable on the error
page exactly as shown below.

Do not use the page name variable on 404 error pages. The pageType variable is only used for the 404 Error page.

In most cases, the 404 Error page is a static page that is hard-coded. In these cases, it is important that the reference
to the .JS file is set to an appropriate global or relative path/directory.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 136

Syntax and Possible Values

The only allowable value of pageType is "errorPage" as shown below.
s.pageType="errorPage"

Examples
s.pageType="errorPage"

Configuration Settings
None

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

To capture other server-side errors (such as 500 errors), use a prop to capture the error message and put "500
Error: <URL>" where <URL> is the URL requested, in the pageName variable. By following this course of action,
you can use Pathing reports to see which paths caused users to generate 500 errors. The prop explains which error
message is given by the server.

pageURL

The pageURL variable overrides the actual URL of the page.

In rare cases, the URL of the page is not the URL that you would like reported in Analytics.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

No Limit* Traffic > Segmentation > Page URL
G Most Popular Pages Paths

Note: Although Adobe allows pageURL values up to 64k, some browsers impose a size limit on the URL of
image requests. To prevent truncation of other data, page URLs longer than 255 bytes are split, with the first
255 bytes appearing in the g= parameter, with the remaining bytes appearing later in the query sting in the
-g= query parameter.

Syntax and Possible Values

The pageURL variable must be a valid URL, with a valid protocol. The domain will be forced to display in lower-case
before being populated in reports, and the query string may be stripped, depending on Analytics settings.
s.pageURL="proto://domain/path?query_string"

Only URL-compatible characters are allowed as the page URL.

Note: It is strongly advised that you contact your Adobe consultant or Customer Care before using the pageURL
variable for custom purposes.

Examples
s.pageURL="http://mysite.com/home.jsp?id=1224"
s.pageURL="http://www.mysite.com/"
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 137

Configuration Settings
None

plugins

The plugins variable, in Netscape and Mozilla-based browsers, lists the plugins installed on the browser.
This variable is populated after the page code and before doPlugins is run.

Note: This variable should only be read and never set.

You may read these values and copy them into props/eVars, but you should never alter them. This variable is
introduced with version H.11 of the JavaScript file.

Query Param Value Example Reports Affected

p Recognized plugins IE Tab Plug-in;QuickTime Traffic > Technology >
Plug-in 7.1.6;Mozilla Default Plugins
Plug-in;iTunes Application
Detector;Adobe
Acrobat;ActiveTouch
General Plugin
Container;Shockwave
Flash;Microsoft Office
2003;Java(TM) Platform SE
6 U1;Windows Media
Player Plug-in Dynamic Link
Library;Microsoft® DRM;

products

The products variable is used for tracking products and product categories as well as purchase quantity and purchase
price. Products is typically set in conjunction with a cart event or a prodView event.

Important:
We updated the logic that sets the prodView event automatically, which happens when there is a product but
no event. This update may cause an increase in prodView events. prodViews will increase only when:

1. The events variable contains nothing but an unrecognized event, such as shoppingCart or cart, which are
not valid events.
2. The products variable is not empty.

A possible side effect is that merchandising eVars triggered by prodView events could be associated with an
empty product, but only if the product list contains only an invalid product (such as a semicolon with no product
listed).

The products variable tracks how users interact with products on your site. For instance, the products variable can
track how many times a product is viewed, added to the shopping cart, checked out, and purchased. It can also
track the relative effectiveness of merchandising categories on your site. The scenarios below are common for using
the products variable.

The products variable should always be set in conjunction with a success event.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 138

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

products Products ""
The "Product" and
"Category" sections of Categories (optional)
products each have a limit Revenue (optional)
of 100 bytes. Adobe does
not impose a size limit on Units (optional)
products, though most Custom Events (optional)
browsers impose a size limit
eVars (optional)
on the total URL length of
image requests.

Syntax of the Products Variable

"Category;Product;Quantity;Price;eventN=X[|eventN2=X2];eVarN=merch_category[|eVarN2=merch_category2]"

Field Definition
Category Contains the associated product category. In version 15, products can be associated with
multiple categories which fixes a limitation present in version 14. If you were previously not
recording a product category, you are encouraged to start populating this field for report suites
that are on version 15.
Product (Required) The identifier used to track a product. This identifier is used to populate the Products
report. Be sure to use the same identifier through the checkout process.
Quantity The number of units purchased. This field must be set with a purchase event to be recorded.
Price Refers to the combined cost of the total quantity purchased (units x individual unit price), not
to the individual price. This field must be set with a purchase event to be recorded.
Events Currency events associated with the specified product. See Product-Specific Currency Events
and Order-Wide Currency Events.
eVars Merchandising eVar values associated with a specific product. See Merchandising Variables.

The values included in the products variable are based on the type of event you are recording. The category/product
delimiter (;) is required as a place holder when omitting Category. Other delimiters are required only if they are
necessary to distinguish which parameter you are including, as shown in the examples on this page.

Setting products with Non-Purchase Events

The products variable must be set in conjunction with a success event.
Syntax
s.events="prodView"
s.products="Category;Product[,Category;Product]"

In the examples below, product attributes (category) are separated by semicolons. Multiple products are separated
by commas.
Example 1: Single Product
s.events="prodView"
s.products="Footwear;Running Shoes"

Example 2: Multiple Products

s.events="prodView"
s.products="Footwear;Running Shoes,;Running Socks"
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 139

Setting products with a Purchase Event

The purchase event should be set on the final confirmation ("Thank You!") page of the order process. The product
name, category, quantity, and price are all captured in the products variable. Although the purchaseID variable is
not required, it is strongly recommended in order to prevent duplicate orders.
Syntax
s.events="purchase"
s.products="Category;Product;Quantity;Price[,Category;Product;Quantity;Price]"
s.purchaseID="1234567890"

Example 1: Single Product

s.events="purchase"
s.products="Footwear;Running Shoes;1;69.95"
s.purchaseID="1234567890"

Example 2: Multiple Products

s.events="purchase"
s.products="Footwear;Running Shoes;1;69.95,Running Essentials;Running Socks;10;29.99"
s.purchaseID="1234567890"

Note: Price refers to the total price (unit price x units). For instance, 3 widgets purchased at 19.99 each would
equal 59.97 (such as ";Widget;3;59.97" ).

Product-Specific Currency Events

If a currency event receives a value in the products variable instead of the events variable, it applies only to that
value. This is useful to track product-specific discounts, product shipping, and similar values. For example, if you
configured event 1 to track product shipping, a product with a "4.50" shipping charge might appear similar to the
following:
s.events="event1"
s.products="Footwear;Running Shoes;1;99.99;event1=4.50"

In this example, the value of 4.50 is associated directly with the "Running Shoes" product. If you add event1 to the
products report, you'll see "4.50" listed for the "Running Shoes" line item. Similar to Price, this value should reflect
the total for the quantity listed. If you have 2 items with a 4.50 shipping charge each, event1 should be "9.00".
Example 1: Single Numeric/Currency Event
s.events="purchase,event1"
s.products="Footwear;Running Shoes;1;69.95;event1=7.59"

Example 2: Multiple Numeric/Currency Events

s.events="purchase,event1,event2"
s.products="Footwear;Running Shoes;1;69.95;event1=7.59|event2=19.45"

Order-Wide Currency Events

If a currency event receives a value in the events list instead of the products variable, it applies to all products in the
products variable. This is useful to track order-wide discounts, shipping, and similar values, without modifying the
product price or by tracking it in the product list separately.

For example, if you configured event10 to contain order-wide discounts, a purchase with a 10% discount might
appear similar to the following:
s.events="purchase,event10=9.95"
s.products="Footwear;Running Shoes;1;69.95,Running Essentials;Running Socks;10;29.50"
s.purchaseID="1234567890"
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 140

On currency event reports, the report total represents the de-duplicated event total (in this example, the total amount
of discounts during the reporting period), not the sum of the event values for each product. For example, you would
see "9.95" listed for both "Running Shoes" and "Running Socks", and the total would also be "9.95".

Note: if a value for the same Numeric/Currency Event is specified in the products variable and in the events
variable, the value from the events is used.

Setting products with Merchandising eVars

See Merchandising Variables.

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• The products variable should always be set in conjunction with a success event (events). If no success event is
specified, the default event is prodView.
• Strip all commas and semicolons from product and category names before populating products.
• Strip all HTML characters (registered symbols, trademarks, and so forth).
• Strip currency symbols ($) from the price.

Examples

s.products=”Category;ABC123”

s.products=”Category2;ABC123,;ABC456”

s.products=”Category3;ABC123;1;10”

s.products=”Category;ABC123;1;10,;ABC456;2;19.98”

s.events=”event1”

s.products="Category;ABC123;;;event1=1.99"

s.events=”event1”

s.products="Category;ABC123;1;10;event1=1.99"

s.events=”event1”

s.products="Category;ABC123;1;10;event1=1.99,;ABC123;2;19.98;event1=1.99"

s.events=”event1,event2”

s.products="Category;ABC123;1;10;event1=1.99|event2=25"

s.events=”event1,event2”

s.products="Category;ABC123;1;10;event1=1.99|event2=25;evar1=2 Day Shipping"

s.events=”event1,event2”

s.products="Category;ABC123;1;10;event1=1.99|event2=25;evar1=2 Day Shipping|evar2=3 Stars"

s.events=”event1,event2”

s.products="Category;ABC123;1;10;event1=1.99|event2=25;evar1=2 Day Shipping,

;ABC456;2;19.98;event1=1.99|event2=100;evar1=Ground Shipping"
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 141

s.events=”event1,event2,event3”

s.products="Category;ABC123;1;10;event1=1.99|event2=25;evar1=2 Day
Shipping,;ABC456;2;19.98;event1=1.99|event2=100;evar1=Ground Shipping,;;;;event3=2.9;evar3=20%
off"

s.events=”event1,event2,event3=9.95”

s.products="Category;ABC123;,;ABC456;2;19.98;event1=1.99|event2=100;evar1=Ground
Shipping,;;;;event3=2.9;evar3=20% off"

propN

Property (prop) variables are used for building custom reports within the Traffic Module.
The props variable may be used as counters (to count the number of times a page view is sent), for pathing reports,
or in correlation reports.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

100 bytes c1-c75 Custom Traffic ""

Syntax and Possible Values

s.propN="value"

There are no limitations on property variables outside of the standard variable limitations.

Examples
s.prop2="editorial"
s.prop15="toy category"

Configuration Settings
Contact Adobe Customer Care about showing Visit, Visitor, and Path metrics for prop variables.

purchaseID

The purchaseID is used to keep an order from being counted multiple times in reporting.
Whenever the purchase event is used on your site, you should use the purchaseID variable.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

20 bytes purchaseID Conversion > Purchases > ""
Revenue Conversion

When a visitor purchases an item from your site, purchaseID is populated on the "Thank You" page at the same
place the purchase event is fired. If the purchaseID is populated, the products on the "Thank You" page are counted
only once per purchaseID. This is critical because many visitors to your site will save the "Thank You" or "Confirmation
Page" for their own purposes. The purchaseID keeps purchases from being counted each time the page is viewed.

In addition to keeping the purchase data from being counted twice, the purchaseID, when used, keeps all conversion
data from being double counted in reports.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 142

Syntax and Possible Values

s.purchaseID="unique_id"

The purchaseID must be 20 characters or fewer, and be standard ASCII.

Examples
s.purchaseID="11223344"
s.purchaseID="a8g784hjq1mnp3"

Configuration Settings
None

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

The purchaseID variable allows all conversion variables on the page to be counted only once in reports.

referrer

The referrer variable can be used to restore lost referrer information.

Server-side and JavaScript redirects are often used to route visitors to proper locations. However, when a browser
is redirected, the original referring URL is lost.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

255 bytes R Traffic > Finding Methods document.referrer
Conversion > Finding
Methods

Many companies use redirects in many places throughout their websites. For example, a visitor may be sent through
a redirect from a search engine paid search result. When a browser is redirected, the referrer is often lost. The
referrer variable may be used to restore the original referrer value on the first page after a redirect. The referrer may
be populated server-side, or via JavaScript from the query string.

For Analytics to record a referrer, it must be "well formed," meaning that it must follow the standard URL format,
with a protocol and appropriate location.

Syntax and Possible Values

s.referrer="URL"

Only URL-compatible values should be in the referrer. Make sure the string is URL encoded (no spaces).

Examples
s.referrer="http://www.google.com/search?q=search+string"
s.referrer=<%=referrerVar%> // populated server-side
if(s.getQueryParam('ref')
s.referrer=s.getQueryParam('ref')

Configuration Settings
None

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

The referrer must look like a standard URL and include a protocol.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 143

resolution

The resolution variable indicates the monitor resolution of the visitor viewing the web page.
This variable is populated after the page code and before doPlugins is run.

Note: This variable should only be read and never set.

You may read these values and copy them into props/eVars, but you should never alter them. This variable is
introduced with version H.11 of the JavaScript file.

Query Param Value Example Reports Affected

s WxH 1680x1050 Traffic > Technology >
Monitor Resolution

s_objectID

The s_objectID variable is a global variable that should be set in the onClick event of a link.
By creating a unique object ID for a link or link location on a page, you can either improve visitor activity tracking or
use Activity Map to report on a link type or location, rather than the link URL.

Note: A trailing semicolon (;) is required when using s_objectID with Activity Map.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

100 Bytes OID Activity Map, ClickMap The Absolute URL of a
Clicked Link

There are three common reasons to use s_objectID:

• To aggregate visitor activity that changes often during a day.
• To separate link activity that Activity Map combines.
• To improve the accuracy of Activity Map data reporting.

Aggregate Clicks on Highly Dynamic Links

If your site is highly dynamic, and links on some pages change throughout the day, s_objectID may used to identify
the location of a link on the page. If s_objectID is set to "top left 1" or "top left 2," which represents the first link in
the top left of the page for example, then all links that appear in that location (or that have s_objectID set to the same
value) are reported together with visitor click map. If you don't use s_objectID, you see the number of times that a
specific link was clicked, but you lose insight into how all the other links in that location were used by visitors to your
site.

Separate Clicks Combined

If the pageName variable on your site is used to show the section or template a visitor is viewing, rather than the
specific page the visitor is viewing, you may want to use s_objectID to separate links that appear on multiple versions
of that page template. For example, if you have a template page for all products on your site, it is likely that there is
a link to your home page and to a search box from that template on all pages. If you want to see how those links
are used on an individual product basis (rather than a template basis), you can populate s_objectID with a product
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 144

specific value such as "prod 123789 home page" or "prod 123789 search." Once completed, Activity Map reports
on those links at an individual product basis.

Improving Activity Map Accuracy

In some cases, browsers other than Internet Explorer, Firefox, Netscape, Opera, and Safari are not reported. Although
this is a small percentage, it accounts for some clicks and other metrics. Use s_objectID within links to uniquely
identify the addresses the browser reporting issue. The following is an example of how to update your links to use
s_objectID:
<a href="/art.jsp?id=559" onClick="s_objectID='top left 1'">Article 559</a>
<a href="/home.jsp" onClick="s_objectID='prod 123789 home page';">Home</a>

Syntax and Possible Values

s_objectID may contain any text identifier.
s_objectID="unique_id"

There are no limitations on s_objectID outside of the standard variable limitations.

Examples
s_objectID="top left 2"
s_objectID="prod 123789 search"

Configuration Settings
None

server

The server variable is used to show either the domain of a web page (to show which domains people come to) or
the server serving the page (for a load balancing quick reference).

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

100 bytes server Servers ""

If your site has more than one domain serving the same content, the server variable can be used to track which of
those domains visitors are using. The following JavaScript will populate the domain of the page into the server
variable.
s.server=window.location.hostname

If you are using the server variable to give a quick guide to load balancing, you could put a server name or number
into the server variable. See the following example:
s.server="server 14"

While the Most Popular Servers report may be used as a load balancing quick reference, it is not a precise measure
of server load. For example, back-button traffic does not increase server load, but is shown in reports. The report
does not show which servers are serving images or large downloads.

Syntax and Possible Values

s.server="server_name"

There are no limitations on the server variable outside of the standard variable limitations.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 145

Examples
s.server="server 18"
s.server=window.location.hostname

Configuration Settings
None

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

The server variable can be used to show which domains are most popular or which servers are serving the most
pages.

state

The state and zip variables are conversion variables.

They are like eVars in that they capture events, but unlike eVars, they don't persist. The zip and state variables are
like eVars that expire immediately.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

50 bytes state Conversion > Visitor Profile ""
> Visitor State

Because the state and zip variables expire immediately, the only events associated with them are events that are
fired on the same page on which they are populated. For example, if you are using state to compare conversion
rates by state, you should populate the state variable on every page of the checkout process. For conversion sites,
Adobe recommends using the billing address as the source for the Zip Code, but you may choose to use the shipping
address instead (assuming there is only one shipping address for the order). A media site may choose to use zip
and state for registration or ad click-through tracking.

Syntax and Possible Values

s.state="state"

The state variable does not impose any special value or format restrictions. There are no limitations on state outside
of the standard variable limitations.

Examples
s.state="california"
s.state="prince edward island"

Configuration Settings
None

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• Populate state on every page that a relevant event is fired (such as each page of the checkout process).
• The zip and state variables act like eVars that expire on the Page View.

timestamp

This variable lets you customize the timestamp of a hit similar to the AppMeasurement libraries for other platforms.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 146

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

4 bytes Date/Time Not reported directly. Set by data collection
servers.

Syntax
s.timestamp="UNIX or ISO-8601 format timestamp"

The timestamp variable must be in the format explained in the next section.

Important: Your report suite must be timestamp-enabled by Customer Care before you can use the timestamp
variable. After timestamp support is enabled, all hits sent to this report suite from JavaScript must have a
timestamp manually set (using s.timestamp) or the hits will not be recorded.

Additionally, if you enable timestamp support on a report suite to support offline tracking, all hits sent to this
report suite from JavaScript must also have a timestamp manually set (using s.timestamp). You cannot send
both time-stamped and non-time-stamped hits to the same report suite.

You can also use the Timestamps Optionalsetting to mix timestamped and non-timestamped data in the same
global report suite, send timestamped data from a mobile app to a global report suite, and upgrade apps to
employ timestamps without having to create a new report suite.

Timestamp Formats
Timestamps must be in UNIX (seconds since Jan 1st 1970) or ISO-8601 format, with the following restrictions on
the accepted ISO-8601 format:
• Both date and time must be provided, separated by "T"
• The date must be a calendar date with full precision (year, month, and day). . Week dates and ordinal dates are
not supported.
• The date can be in standard or extended format (YYYY-MM-DD or YYYYMMDD), but they must include the hour and
minute. Seconds are optional (HH:MM, HH:MM:SS, HHMM, or HHMMSS). Fractional minutes and seconds can be passed
in, but the fractional part is ignored.
• An optional time zone can be specified in standard or extended format (±HH, ±HH:MM, ±HH, ±HHMM, or Z)
UNIX timestamps continue to be supported (seconds since Jan 1st 1970).

Examples
s.timestamp=Math.round((new Date()).getTime()/1000);
s.timestamp="2012-04-20T12:49:31-0700";

The following list contains examples of valid ISO-8601 format timestamps:

2013-01-01T12:30:05+06:00
2013-01-01T12:30:05Z
2013-01-01T12:30:05
2013-01-01T12:30

Configuration Settings
A report suite must be enabled to accept custom timestamps by Customer Care before you can use this variable.
After custom timestamps are enabled, all hits sent to the report suite must contain a timestamp or they are discarded.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 147

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• Timestamps are primarily used to track offline data on mobile platforms. Custom timestamps are typically disabled
unless you are collecting both web and offline app data in the same report suite.
• Data is timestamped when offline data is enabled in the mobile SDK (default setting) or anytime a report suite is
configured to accept time-stamped data. Data collected offline on mobile devices may be sent hours or weeks after
the date when it happened. These hits may be queued within the Analytics platform for minutes or hours longer
than hits without timestamps:
• For time-stamped data sent in very near current time, the probable delay is 10-15 minutes.
• For time-stamped data sent in from yesterday, the probable delay is about 2 hours.
• For time-stamped data sent in that is older than yesterday, every day adds about 1 hour of delay, up to 15 days
ago, when the delay stops going up.
• Timestamp-enabled session data is kept for up to 92 days.

trackingServer

The trackingServer variable is used for first-party cookie implementation to specify the domain at which the image
request and cookie is written.
Used for non-secure pages. If trackingServer is defined, nothing goes to 2o7.net. If trackingServer is not defined
(and dc is not defined), data goes to 112.2o7.net.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

N/A N/A N/A ""

A list of Adobe data centers can be found here.

trackingServerSecure

The trackingServerSecure variable is used for first-party cookie implementation to specify the domain at which the
image request and cookie is written.
Used for secure pages. If trackingServerSecure is not defined, SSL data goes to trackingServer.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

N/A N/A N/A ""

transactionID

Integration Data Sources use a transaction ID to tie offline data to an online transaction (like a lead or purchase
generated online).
Each unique transactionID sent to Adobe is recorded in preparation for a Data Sources upload of offline information
about that transaction. See Data Sources.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

100 bytes xact n/a ""
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 148

Enabling Transaction ID Storage

Before transactionID values are recorded, Transaction ID Storage must be enabled for the report suite selected
in the Report Suite Manager. This setting is located at
Analytics > Admin > Report Suites > Edit Settings > General > General Account Settings.

To see whether transactionID Storage is enabled for a report suite, go to

Analytics > Admin > Data Sources > Manage

Syntax and Possible Values

s.transactionID="unique_id"

The transactionID should contain only alphanumeric characters. If multiple transactionIDs should be recorded in
a single hit, you can use a comma to delimit multiple values.

Examples
s.transactionID="11123456"
s.transactionID="lead_12345xyz"
s.transactionID=s.purchaseID

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• If transactionID recording is not enabled, transactionID values will be discarded and unavailable for use with
Integration Data Sources. Make sure to set a conversion variable or event (an eVar or the events variable) on
the page where transactionID is set. Otherwise, no data is recorded for the transactionID.
• If you are recording transactionIDs for multiple systems, such as purchases and leads, make sure the value in
transactionID is always unique. This can be accomplished by adding a prefix to the ID, such as lead_1234 and
purchase_1234. Integration Data Sources do not function as expected (Data Source data will tie to the wrong
data) if a unique transactionID is seen twice.
• By default, transactionID values are remembered for 90 days. If your offline interaction process is longer than 90
days, contact Customer Care to have the limit extended.

Note: The transactionID variable can contain any character other than a comma. It should be in the same
location where the character limit (100 bytes) is specified. If multi-byte characters are used, multi-byte character
support must be enabled in order to avoid problems with unexpected characters in the transactionID.

visitorID

Visitors can be identified by the visitorID variable or by IP address/User Agent.

The visitorID can be up to 100 alpha-numeric characters and must not contain a hyphen.

If you explicitly set a custom ID, it will always be used before the other ID methods.

This is the order of use: s.visitorID > s_vi > s_fid > IP/UA.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

100 bytes vid n/a ""

Syntax and Possible Values

s.visitorID="visitor_id"
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 149

Note: The visitorID variable should not contain a hyphen.

Examples
s.visitorID="abc123"

Configuration Settings
None

visitorNamespace

The visitorNamespace variable is used to identify the domain with which cookies are set.
If visitorNamespace is used in your JavaScript file, do not delete or alter it. If visitorNamespace changes, all visitors
reported in Analytics may become new visitors. Visitor history becomes disconnected from current and future traffic.
Do not alter this variable without approval from an Adobe representative.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

N/A ns N/A ""

Analytics uses a cookie to uniquely identify visitors to your site. If visitorNamespace is not used, the cookie is
associated 2o7.net. If visitorNamespace is used, the cookie is associated with a sub-domain of 2o7.net. All visitors
to your site should have their cookies associated with the same domain or sub-domain.

The reason for using the visitorNamespace variable is to avoid the possibility of overloading a browser's cookie limit.
Internet Explorer imposes a limit of 20 cookies per domain. By using the visitorNamespace variable, other companies'
Analytics cookies will not conflict with your visitors' cookies.

Syntax and Possible Values

The value of visitorNamespace must be provided by Adobe and is a string of ASCII characters that don't contain
commas, periods, spaces, or special characters.
s.visitorNamespace="company_specific_value"

Visitor Identification across Report Suites

If you do not specify a visitorNamespace, each report suite in your company receives its own visitor ID cookie
written as s_vi_[random string]. If you specify visitorNamespace, the same s_vi cookie will be used for all
report suites that send data to the specified trackingServer. If you have implemented multi-suite tagging, make
sure you specify the visitor namespace so the same cookie is used by each report suite.

Examples
s.visitorNamespace="company_name"
s.visitorNamespace="Adobe"

Configuration Settings
None

zip

The state and zip variables are conversion variables.

Implement Analytics using JavaScript 150

They are like eVars in that they capture events, but unlike eVars, they don't persist. The zip and state variables are
like eVars that expire immediately.

Max Size Debugger Parameter Reports Populated Default Value

50 bytes zip Conversion > Visitor Profile ""
> ZIP/Postal Codes

Since the state and zip variables expire immediately, the only events associated with them are events fired on the
same page that are populated. For example, if you are using zip to compare conversion rates by Zip Code, you
should populate zip on every page of the checkout process. Adobe recommends using the billing address as the
source for the Zip Code. You may choose to use the shipping address instead (assuming there is only one shipping
address for the order). A media site may choose to use zip and state for registration or ad click-through tracking.

Syntax and Possible Values

s.zip="zip_code"

The zip variable does not impose any value or format restrictions. There are no limitations on zip outside of the
standard variable limitations.

Examples
s.zip="92806"
s.zip="92806-4115"

Configuration Settings
None

Pitfalls, Questions, and Tips

• Populate zip on every page in which a relevant event is fired (such as each page of the checkout process).
• The zip and state variables act like eVars that expire on the Page View.

Additional eVars and Events

If you want to track additional information, but don’t have enough variables to do so, you now have access to additional
eVars and success events:

Note: JavaScript H-Code does not support these additional eVars and events.

Entitlements to Custom Dimensions and Events

Adobe Analytics
Product
Adobe Analytics - 75 props 200 eVars 1000 Events
Foundation
Adobe Analytics - Select 75 props 200 eVars 1000 Events
Adobe Analytics - Prime 75 props 200 eVars 1000 Events
Adobe Analytics - 75 props 250 eVars 1000 Events
Ultimate
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 151

Populating Variables and Events

• Variables can be populated in the data collection library if you are using these versions of AppMeasurement:
• AppMeasurement for JavaScript version 1.4+
• AppMeasurement for Flash version 3.9+
• AppMeasurement for Java version 1.2.8+
• AppMeasurement for Silverlight/.NET version 1.4.2+
• AppMeasurement for PHP version 1.2.2+
• If you are on an earlier version of code, or on JavaScript H.*, you can populate context data and use processing
rules to populate variables.
• All versions of data collection code can populate events 101-1000.
• Processing rules can be used to populate eVars 76-250 based on context data or other variables.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Will all Adobe Analytics interfaces have immediate access to these new variables?
These interfaces will have immediate access: Analysis Workspace, Reports & Analytics, Report Builder, Ad Hoc
Analysis, APIs, and Data Workbench.
• Will these additional eVars and events automatically show up in my data feeds?
Data feeds will have access to the new variables and events once enabled. New eVar columns will not appear
until you choose to include them. However, new events will appear in the event_list column as soon as they’re
enabled, and the events lookup table contains the event names for those event IDs. Do not enable new events
unless you are ready to consume them in Data Feeds.
• How do I request new data feed columns?
To request new columns, refer to Configuring Data Feeds.
• What if I am an Analytics Ultimate customer who wants to go back to Analytics Prime and I currently have
more than 200 eVars enabled?
Adobe will not disable any of your existing eVars, but you will not be able to enable more. If you disable eVars,
you cannot turn them back on until you are below the Analytics Prime limit of 200 enabled eVars.

Variables and Limitations

High-level look at variables and their limitations.

Note: See Configuration Variables and Page Variables for an in-depth look at the most common Analytics
variables.

The following table provides at-a-glance information about Analytics variables:

Variable Description
s_account Determines the report suite where data is stored and reported.
browserHeight Displays the height of the browser window.
browserWidth Displays the width of the browser window.
campaign Identifies marketing campaigns used to bring visitors to your site. The value of
campaign is usually taken from a query string parameter.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 152

Variable Description
channel Usually identifies a section of your website. For example, a merchant may have
sections such as Electronics, Toys, or Apparel. A media site may have sections
such as News, Sports, or Business.
charSet Translates the character set of the Web page into UTF-8.
colorDepth Displays the number of bits used to display color on each pixel of the screen.
connectionType Indicates (in Microsoft Internet Explorer) whether the browser is configured on
a LAN or modem connection.
cookieDomainPeriods Determines the domain on which the Analyticsvisitor ID (s_vi) cookie will be set
by determining the number of periods in the domain of the page URL. For
www.mysite.com, cookieDomainPeriods should be "2." For www.mysite.co.jp,
cookieDomainPeriods should be "3."
cookieLifetime Used by both JavaScript and Analytics servers to determine the lifespan of a
cookie.
cookiesEnabled Indicates whether a first-party session cookie could be set by JavaScript.
currencyCode Determines the conversion rate to be applied to revenue as it enters the Analytics
databases. Analytics databases store all monetary amounts in a currency of
your choice. If that currency is the same as that specified in currencyCode, or
currencyCode is empty, no conversion is applied.
dc Lets you set the data center to which your data is sent.
doPlugins doPlugins is a reference to the s_doPlugins function. It allows the s_doPlugins
function to be called at the appropriate location within the JavaScript file.
dynamicAccountList Dynamically selects a report suite to which data is sent. The dynamicAccountList
variable contains the rules that used to determine the destination report suite.
dynamicAccountMatch Uses the DOM object to retrieve the section of the URL to which all rules in
dynamicAccountList are applied. This variable is only valid when
dynamicAccountSelection is set to 'True.'
dynamicAccountSelection Lets you dynamically select the report suite based on the URL of each page.
dynamicVariablePrefix Allows deployment to flag variables that should be populated dynamically.
Cookies, request headers, and image query string parameters are available to
be populated dynamically.
eVarN Used for building custom reports within the AnalyticsConversion Module. When
an eVar is set to a value for a visitor, Analytics remembers that value until it
expires. Any success events that a visitor encounters while the eVar value is
active are counted toward the eVar value.
events Records common shopping cart success events and custom success events.
fpCookieDomainPeriods Determines the domain on which Analytics cookies other than the visitor ID
(s_vi) cookie will be set by determining the number of periods in the domain of
the page.
hierN Determines the location of a page in your site's hierarchy. This variable is most
useful for sites that have more than three levels in the site structure.
homepage Indicates (in Internet Explorer) whether the current page is set as the user's
home page.
javaEnabled Indicates whether Java is enabled in the browser.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 153

Variable Description
javascriptVersion Displays the version of JavaScript supported by the browser.
linkDownloadFileTypes A comma-separated list of file extensions. If your site contains links to files with
any of these extensions, the URLs of these links appear in the File Downloads
report.
linkExternalFilters If your site contains many links to external sites, and you don't want to track all
exit links, linkExternalFilters can be used to report on a specific subset of exit
links.
linkInternalFilters Determines which links on your site are exit links. It is a comma-separated list
of filters that represent the links that are part of the site.
linkLeaveQueryString Determines whether or not the query string should be included in the Exit Links
and File Download reports.
linkName An optional variable used in Link Tracking that determines the name of a custom,
download, or exit link. The linkName variable is not normally needed because
the third parameter in the tl() function replaces it.
linkTrackEvents Contains the events that should be sent with custom, download, and exit links.
This variable is only considered if linkTrackVars contains "events."
linkTrackVars A comma-separated list of variables that will be sent with custom, exit, and
download links. If linkTrackVars is set to "", all variables that have values are
sent with link data.
linkType An optional variable used in link tracking that determines which report a Link
Name or URL will appear (custom, download, or exit Links). linkType is not
normally needed because the second parameter in the tl() function replaces it.
mediaLength Specifies the total length of the media being played.
mediaName Specifies the name of the video or media item. It is only available via the Data
Insertion API and Full Processing Data Source.
mediaPlayer Specifies the player used to consume a video or media item.
mediaSession Specifies the segments of a video or media asset consumed.
Media.trackEvents Identifies which events should be sent with a media hit. It is only applicable with
JavaScriptActionSource..
Media.trackVars Identifies which variables should be sent with a media hit. It is only applicable
with JavaScriptActionSource..
mobile Controls the order in which cookies and subscriber ids are used to identify visitors.
s_objectID A global variable that should be set in the onClick event of a link. By creating a
unique object ID for a link or link location on a page, you can improve visitor click
map tracking or use visitor click map to report on a link type or location, rather
than the link URL.
pageName Contains the name of each page on your site. If pageName is blank, the URL is
used to represent the page name in Analytics.
pageType Used only to designate a 404 Page Not Found Error page. It only has one
possible value, which is "errorPage." On a 404 Error page, the pageName variable
should not be populated.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 154

Variable Description
pageURL In rare cases, the URL of the page is not the URL that you would like reported
in Analytics. To accommodate these situations, Analytics offers the pageURL
variable, which overrides the actual URL of the page.
plugins On Netscape and Mozilla-based browsers, lists the plugins installed in the
browser.
products Used for tracking products and product categories as well as purchase quantity
and purchase price. The products variable should always be set in conjunction
with a success event. Optionally, the products variable can track custom numeric
and currency events, as well as Merchandising eVars.
propN Used for building custom reports within the AnalyticsTraffic Module. props may
be used as counters (to count the number of times a page view is sent), for
pathing reports, or in correlation reports.
purchaseID Used to keep an order from being counted multiple times by Analytics. Whenever
the purchase event is used on your site, you should use the purchaseID variable.
referrer Restores lost referrer information.
resolution Displays the monitor resolution of the visitor viewing the Web page.
server Shows either the domain of a Web page (to show which domains people come
to) or the server serving the page (for a load balancing quick reference).
state Captures the state in which a visitor to your site resides.
trackDownloadLinks Set trackDownloadLinks to 'true' if you want to track links to downloadable files
on your site. If trackDownloadLinks is 'true,' linkDownloadFileTypes determines
which links are downloadable files.
trackExternalLinks If trackExternalLinks is 'true,' linkInternalFilters and linkExternalFilters determines
whether any link clicked is an exit link.
trackingServer Used for first-party cookie implementation to specify the domain at which the
image request and cookie is written. Used for non-secure pages.
trackingServerSecure Used for first-party cookie implementation to specify the domain at which the
image request and cookie is written. Used for secure pages.
trackInlineStats Determines whether visitor click map data is gathered.
transactionID Ties offline data to an online transaction (like a lead or purchase generated
online). Each unique transactionID sent to Adobe is recorded in preparation for
a Data Sources upload of offline information about that transaction. See the
Data Sources Guide.
s_usePlugins If the s_doPlugins function is available and contains useful code, s_usePlugins
should be set to 'true.' When usePlugins is 'true,' the s_doPlugins function is
called prior to each image request.
visitorID Visitors may be identified by the visitorID tag, or by IP address/User Agent. The
visitorID may be up to 100 alphanumeric characters and must not contain a
hyphen.
visitorNamespace If visitorNamespace is used in your JavaScript file, do not delete or alter it. This
variable is used to identify the domain with which cookies are set. If
visitorNamespace changes, all visitors reported in Analytics may become new
visitors. In short, do not alter this variable without approval from an Adobe
consultant.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 155

Variable Description
zip Captures the ZIP code in which a visitor to your site resides.

Illegal JavaScript Characters

Characters and strings that are never allowed in JavaScript variables.
• Tab (0x09)
• Carriage return (0x0D)
• Newline (0x0A)
• ASCII characters with codes above 127 (unless multi-byte characters are enabled and charSet is populated
appropriately)
• HTML tags (e.g. <b></b> or &#153)
Many variables, most notably products, hierarchy, and events, have additional limitations or syntax requirements.
For individual variable limitations and syntax requirements, see the section corresponding to the s_account variable
parameters.

Merchandising Variables

When measuring the success of external campaigns or external search terms, you typically want a single value to
receive credit for any success events that occur. For example, if a customer clicks a link in an email campaign to
visit your website, all purchases made as a result should be credited to that campaign.

But what about events that are driven by internal search or by category browsing when a customer is looking for
multiple items? For example, a customer searches your site for "goggles" and then adds a pair to the cart:

Before checkout, the customer searches for "winter coat", and then adds a down jacket to the to the cart:
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 156

When this purchase is completed, assuming the allocation wasn't changed from Most Recent, you'll have an internal
search for "winter coat" credited with the purchase of a pair of goggles. Good for "winter coat", but bad for marketing
decisions:

Internal Search Term Revenue

winter coat $157

How merchandising variables solve this problem

Cross-category merchandising variables, or "merchandising evars", let you assign the current value of an eVar to
a product at the time a success event takes place. This value remains tied to that product, even if one or more new
values are later set for that particular eVar.
If merchandising is enabled for the eVar in the previous example, the search term "goggles" is tied to the Fernie
Snow Goggles, and the search term "winter coat" is tied to the El Gordo Down Jacket. Merchandising variables
allocate revenue at the product level, so each term receives credit for the amount of revenue for the product to which
the term was associated:

Internal Search Term Revenue

winter coat $119
goggles $38

Implementing a Merchandising Variable

Describes how to enable and implement a merchandising variable.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 157

Enable a Merchandising Variable

Merchandising can be enabled for any custom eVar on the Admin Tools > Report Suites > Conversion Variables
page (you no longer need to call Adobe):

Setting Description

Expire After
Determines how long merchandising values should persist.

Merchandising
Product Syntax: The value is set within s.products.

Conversion Variable Syntax: The value is set in the designated merchandising s.eVar.

Merchandising
Indicates when a product should be tied to the current merchandising category. Multiple events
Binding Event
may be selected by holding down Ctrl and clicking on multiple items in the list.
(Conversion
variable syntax only) Note: When "Product Syntax" is selected, you can not choose an event (it is disabled,
but not grayed out).You can select an event only when the "Conversion Variable Syntax"
is selected.

Implementing Using Product Syntax

When Product Syntax is enabled, the merchandising category is populated directly within the products variable, so
selecting and setting a binding event is not required. This is the recommended method and should be used unless
the value is not available to set in s.products when the success event takes place.
• Syntax
s.products="category;product;quantity;price;event_incrementer;eVarN=merch_category|eVarM=merch_category2"

• Example
s.events="prodView"
s.products=";Fernie Snow Goggles;;;;eVar1=goggles"
In
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 158

The value "goggles" for eVar1 is assigned to the product "Fernie Snow Goggles". All subsequent success events
(product adds, checkouts, purchases, and so on) that involve this product are credited to "goggles".

Implementing Using Conversion Variable Syntax

Conversion Variable Syntax should be used when the eVar value is not available to set in s.products. This typically
means that your page has no context of the merchandising channel or finding method. In these cases you must set
the merchandising variable before you arrive at the product page, and the value persists until the binding event
occurs.

When the binding event selected during configuration occurs, the persisted value of the eVar is associated with the
product. For example, if prodView is specified as the binding event, the merchandising category is tied to the current
product list only at the time the event occurs. Only subsequent binding events can update a merchandising eVar
that has already been assigned to a product.
• Syntax
On the same or previous page before the binding event:
s.eVar1="merchandising_category"

On the page where the binding event occurs:

s.events="prodView"
s.products="category;product"

• Example
Page 1 of the visit:
s.eVar1="Outdoors:Ski Goggles"

Page 2 of the visit:

s.events="prodView"
s.products=";Fernie Snow Goggles"

The value "Outdoors:Ski Goggles" for eVar1 is assigned to the product "Fernie Snow Goggles". All subsequent
success events (product adds, checkouts, purchases, and so on) that involve this product are credited to "goggles".

Additionally, the current value of the merchandising variable is tied to all subsequent products until one of the following
conditions is met:
• eVar expires (based on the "Expire After" setting)
• The merchandising eVar is overwritten with a new value.

For more information, see "Advanced Conversion Syntax Merchandising" at analyticsdemystified.com.

Instances on Merchandising Variables

Describes how instances are counted on merchandising variables.
Instances are not currently supported for merchandising variables. If you notice instances in a report containing a
merchandising variable, it indicates that the eVar is being set in some locations outside of the products string and
should not be considered as a true count of instances for the selected merchandising variable.

If you are using Conversion Variable Syntax, an instance is counted each time the variable is set. However, the
instance is attributed to "None" unless the following occurs each time the variable is set:
• A binding event is set.
• The products variable is set.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 159

• The merchandising eVar has a value.

For example, the following instance of eVar1 is allocated to "Outdoors:Ski Goggles":
s.eVar1="Outdoors:Ski Goggles"
s.events="prodView"
s.products=";Fernie Snow Goggles"

However, in the next example, the instance of eVar1 is allocated to "None" since all conditions are not met when
the eVar is set (there is no binding event and the products variable is not set):

Page 1 of the visit:

s.eVar1="Outdoors:Ski Goggles"

Page 2 of the visit:

s.events="prodView"
s.products=";Fernie Snow Goggles"

Allocation to "None" occurs if you set a value for an eVar on a page where no binding event occurs, or if you set the
eVar value in the products string without a binding event.

Note: The current functionality for counting instances on merchandising variables is being reviewed and is
scheduled to change in an upcoming release.

The s.t() Function - Page Tracking

The s.t() function is what compiles all the variables defined on that page into an image request and sends it to our
servers.

Properties of the Function

• Removing the s.t() call prevents any data from reaching Analytics. Multiple s.t() calls fires multiple image requests
(doubling the reported traffic on your site).
• If you wish to fire more than one image request on a single page load, using the s.tl() function is recommended.
• Triggering this function always increases pageviewsand always include the s.pageName variable.

Implementation
Upon generating code within the code manager, you are given the following at the bottom of the page code:
var s_code=s.t();if(s_code)document.write(s_code)//--></script>
<script language="JavaScript"
type="text/javascript"><!--if(navigator.appVersion.indexOf('MSIE')>=0)document.write(unescape('%3C')+'\!-'+'-')//--></script>
<noscript><img src="http://yournameserver.112.2o7.net/b/ss/yourreportsuiteid/1/H.23.6--NS/0"
height="1" width="1" border="0" alt="" /></noscript>

Each line of code has a specific purpose:

var s_code=s.t();if(s_code)document.write(s_code)//-->

This line of code is what actually fires the Javascript function. The s_code variable and it's accompanying
document.write method is for browsers that don't support image objects (Netscape browsers prior to version 3 and
Internet Explorer prior to version 4; estimated less than .5% of all internet users).
<script language="JavaScript"
type="text/javascript"><!--if(navigator.appVersion.indexOf('MSIE')>=0)document.write(unescape('%3C')+'\!-'+'-')//--></script>
<noscript><img
src="http://yournameserver.112.2o7.net/b/ss/yourreportsuiteid/1/H.23.6--NS/0" height="1"
width="1" border="0" alt="" />
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 160

For any additional questions about the s.t() function, contact your organization's Account Manager. They can arrange
a meeting with an Adobe Implementation Consultant, who can provide assistance.

The s.tl() Function - Link Tracking

File downloads and exit links can be automatically tracked based on parameters set in the AppMeasurement for
JavaScript file.
If needed, these types of links can be manually tracked using custom link code as explained below. In addition,
custom link code can be used to track generic custom links that can be used for a variety of tracking and reporting
needs.

s.tl() Parameter Reference

Variable Description
this
The first argument should always be set either to this (default) or true. The argument refers
to the object being clicked; when set to "this," it refers to the HREF property of the link.

If you are implementing link tracking on an object that has no HREF property, you should
always set this argument to "true."

Because clicking a link often takes a visitor off the current page, a 500ms delay is used to
ensure that an image request is sent to Adobe before the user leaves the page. This delay
is only necessary when leaving the page, but is typically present when the s.tl() function is
called. If you want to disable the delay, pass the keyword 'true' as the first parameter when
calling the s.tl() function.

linkType s.tl(this,linkType,linkName, variableOverrides, doneAction)

linkType has three possible values, depending on the type of link that you want to capture.
If the link is not a download or an exit link, you should choose the Custom links option.

Type linkType value

File Downloads 'd'

Exit Links 'e'

Custom Links 'o'

linkName This can be any custom value, up to 100 characters. This determines how the link is displayed
in the appropriate report.
variableOverrides (Optional, pass null if not using) This lets you change variable values for this single call, It is
similar to other AppMeasurement libraries.
useForcedLinkTracking
This flag is used to disable forced link tracking for some browsers. Forced link tracking is
enabled by default for FireFox 20+ and WebKit browsers.

Default Value

true
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 161

Variable Description
Example
s.useForcedLinkTracking = false

forcedLinkTrackingTimeout
The maximum number of milliseconds to wait for tracking to finish before performing the
doneAction that was passed into s.tl . This value specifies the maximum wait time. If the
track link call completes before this timeout, the doneAction is executed immediately. If you
notice that track link calls are not completing, you might need to increase this timeout.

Default Value

250

Example
s.forcedLinkTrackingTimeout = 500

doneAction
An optional parameter to specify a navigation action to execute after the track link call
completes when useForcedLinkTracking is enabled.

Syntax
s.tl(linkObject,linkType,linkName,variableOverrides,doneAction)

doneAction : (optional) Specifies the action to take after the link track call is sent or has
timed out, based on the value specified by:
s.forcedLinkTrackingTimeout

The doneAction variable can be the string navigate, which causes the method to set
document.location to the href attribute of linkObject. The doneAction variable can also
be a function allowing for advanced customization.

If providing a value for doneAction in an anchor onClick event, you must return false after
the s.tl call to prevent the default browser navigation.

To mirror the default behavior and follow the URL specified by the href attribute, provide a
string of navigate as the doneAction .

Optionally, you can provide your own function to handle the navigation event by passing this
function as the doneAction.

Examples
<a href="..." onclick="s.tl(this,'o','MyLink',null,'navigate');return
false">Click Here</a> <a href="#"
onclick="s.tl(this,'o','MyLink',null,function(){if(confirm('Proceed?'))document.location=...});return
false">Click Here</a>

Example

The following example of an s.tl() function call uses the default 500 ms delay to ensure data is collected before
leaving the page.
s.tl(this,'o','link name');
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 162

The following example disables the 500 ms delay, if the user is not going to leave the page, or whenever the object
being clicked has no HREF.
s.tl(true,'o','link name');

The 500ms delay is a maximum delay. If the image requested returns in less than 500 ms, the delay stops immediately.
This allows the visitor to move onto the next page or next action within the page.

The following examples are for handling custom links on WebKit browsers:
<a href="..." onclick="s.tl(this,'o','MyLink',null,'navigate');return false">Click Here</a>
<a href="#" onclick="s.tl(this,'o','MyLink',null,
function(){if(confirm('Proceed?'))document.location=...});return false">Click Here</a>

Note: Uses of custom link code are often very specific to your Web site and reporting needs. You can contact
your Adobe Consultant or Customer Care before implementing custom link code to understand the possibilities
available to you and how best to leverage this feature based on your business needs.

The basic code to track a link using custom link code is shown in the following example:
<a href="index.html" onClick="s.tl(this,'o','Link Name')">My Page</a>

Note: The s_gi function must contain your report suite ID as a function parameter. Be sure to swap out rsid
for your unique report suite ID.

Note: If the link name parameter is not defined, the URL of the link (determined from the "this" object) is used
as the link name.

Analytics variables can be defined as part of custom link code.

Automatic Tracking of Exit Links and File Downloads

The JavaScript file can be configured to automatically track file downloads and exit links based on parameters that
define file download file types and exit links.
The parameters that control automatic tracking are as follows:
s.trackDownloadLinks=true
s.trackExternalLinks=true
s.linkDownloadFileTypes="exe,zip,wav,mp3,mov,mpg,avi,doc,pdf,xls"
s.linkInternalFilters="javascript:,mysite.com,[more filters here]"
s.linkLeaveQueryString=false

The parameters trackDownloadLinks and trackExternalLinks determine if automatic file download and exit link
tracking are enabled. When enabled, any link with a file type matching one of the values in linkDownloadFileTypes
is automatically tracked as a file download. Any link with a URL that does not contain one of the values in
linkInternalFilters is automatically tracked as an exit link.

In JavaScript H.25.4 (released February 2013), automatic exit link tracking was updated to always ignore links with
HREF attributes that start with #, about:, or javascript:.

Example 1
The file types jpg and aspx are not included in linkDownloadFileTypes above, therefore no clicks on them are
automatically tracked and reported as file downloads.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 163

The parameter linkLeaveQueryString modifies the logic used to determine exit links.When linkLeaveQueryString=false,
exit links are determined using only the domain, path, and file portion of the link URL.When linkLeaveQueryString=true,
the query string portion of the link URL is also used to determine an exit link.

Example 2
With the following settings, the example below will be counted as an exit link:
//JS file
s.linkInternalFilters="javascript:,mysite.com"
s.linkLeaveQueryString=false

//HTML file
<a href='http://othersite.com/index.html?r=mysite.com'>Visit Other Site!</a>

Example 3
With the following settings, the link below is not counted as an exit link:
//JS file
s.linkInternalFilters="javascript:,mysite.com"
s.linkLeaveQueryString=true

//HTML
<a href='http://othersite.com/index.html?r=mysite.com'>Visit Other Site</a>

Note: A single link can be tracked only as a file download or exit link, with file download taking priority. If a
link is both an exit link and file download based on the parameters linkDownloadFileTypes and linkInternalFilters,
it is tracked and reported as a file download and not an exit link. The following table summarizes the automatic
tracking of file downloads and exit links.

Manual Link Tracking Using Custom Link Code

Custom link code lets file downloads, exit links, and custom links be tracked in situations where automatic tracking
is not sufficient or applicable.
Custom link code is typically implemented by adding an onClick event handler to a link or by adding code to an
existing routine. It can be implemented from essentially any JavaScript event handler or function.

Link Tracking consists of calling the AppMeasurement for JavaScript function whenever the user performs actions
that generate data you want to capture. This function, s.tl(), is either called directly in an event handler, such as
onClick or onChange, or from within a separate function. This s.tl() function has five arguments. The first three are
required:
s.tl(this,linkType,linkName, variableOverrides, doneAction)

Custom Link Tracking on FireFox and WebKit Browsers

JavaScript H.25 includes an update to ensure that link tracking completes successfully on WebKit browsers (Safari
and Chrome). JavaScript H.26 includes an update to ensure that link tracking completes successfully on FireFox
20+.

After this update, download and exit links that are automatically tracked (determined bys.trackDownloadLinksand
s.trackExternalLinks) are tracked successfully. If you are tracking custom links using manual JavaScript calls,
you need to modify how these calls are made. For example, exit and download links are often tracked using code
similar to the following:
<a href="http://anothersite.com" onclick="s.tl(this,'e','AnotherSite',null)">
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 164

Internet Explorer executes the track link call and open the new page. Other browsers might cancel execution of the
track link call when the new page opens. This often prevents track link calls from completing.

To work around this behavior, H.25 (released July 2012) includes an overloaded track link method ( s.tl ) that
forces browsers with this behavior to wait for the track link call to complete. This new method executes the track link
call and handles the navigation event, instead of using the default browser action. This overloaded method requires
an additional parameter, called doneAction, to specify the action to take when the link tracking call completes.

To use this new method, update calls to s.tl with an additional doneAction parameter, similar to the following:
<a href="http://anothersite.com"
onclick="s.tl(this,'e','AnotherSite',null,'navigate');return false">

Passing navigate as the doneAction mirrors the default browser behavior and opens the URL specified by the href
attribute when the tracking call completes.

In JavaScript H.25.4 (released February 2013), the following scope limitations were added to links tracked when
useForcedLinkTracking is enabled. The automatic forced link tracking applies only to:

• <A> and <AREA> tags.

• The tag must have an HREF attribute.
• The HREF can't start with #, about:, or javascript:.
• The TARGET attribute must not be set, or the TARGET needs to refer to the current window (_self, _top, or the value
of window.name).

Link Tracking Using an Image Request

Links can be tracked without calling the s.tl() function by constructing an image request.
Image requests are hard coded by adding the "pe" parameter to your image request src parameter as follows:
pe=[type]

Where [type] is replaced with the type of link you want to track:
• lnk_d = download
• lnk_e = exit
• lnk_o = custom
Additionally, a link URL can be specified by passing the URL in the pev1 parameter:
pev1=mylink.com

A link name can be specified by passing the name in the pev2 parameter:
pev2=My%20Link

For example:
<img
src="http://collectiondomain.112.2o7.net/b/ss/reportsuite/1/H.25.3--NS/0?pe=lnk_e&pev1=othersite.com&pev2=Offsite%20Link"
width="1" height="1" border="0" />

Setting Additional Variables for File Downloads, Exit Links, and Custom Links
Two parameters (linkTrackVars and linkTrackEvents) control which Analytics variables are set for file downloads,
exit links, and custom links.
They are, by default, set within the JS file as follows:
s.linkTrackVars="None"
s.linkTrackEvents="None"
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 165

The linkTrackVars parameter should include each variable that you want to track with every file download, exit link,
and custom link. The linkTrackEvents parameter should include each event you want to track with every file download,
exit link, and custom link. When one of these link types occur, the current value of each variable identified is tracked.

For example to track prop1, eVar1, and event1 with every file download, exit link, and custom link, use the following
settings within the global JS file:
s.linkTrackVars="prop1,eVar1,events"
s.linkTrackEvents="event1"

Note: The variable pageName cannot be set for a file download, exit link, or custom link, because each of
the link types is not a page view and does not have an associated page name.

Note: If linkTrackVars (or linkTrackEvents) is null (or an empty string), all Analytics variables (or events) that
are defined for the current page are tracked. This most likely inflates instances of each variable inadvertently
and should be avoided.

Best Practices
The settings for linkTrackVars and linkTrackEvents within the JS file affect every file download, exit link, and custom
link. Instances of each variable and event can be inflated in situations where the variable (or event) applies to the
current page, but not the specific file download, exit link, or custom link.

To ensure that the proper variables are set with custom link code, Adobe recommends setting linkTrackVars and
linkTrackEvents within the custom link code, as follows:
<a href="index.html" onClick="
var s=s_gi('rsid');
s.linkTrackVars='prop1,prop2,eVar1,eVar2,events';
s.linkTrackEvents='event1';
s.prop1='Custom Property of Link';
s.events='event1';
s.tl(this,'o','Link Name');
">My Page

The values of linkTrackVars and linkTrackEvents override the settings in the JS file and ensure only the variables
and events specified in the custom link code are set for the specific link.

Note: In the above example, the value for prop1 is set within the custom link code itself. The value of prop2
comes from the current value of the variable as set on the page.

Using Function Calls with Custom Link Code

Due to the complex nature of custom link code, you can consolidate the code into a self-contained JavaScript function
(defined on the page or in a linked JavaScript file) and make calls to the function within the onClick handler.
For example, you could insert the following two functions in your AppMeasurement.js file, just below the
s_doPlugins() function, and then use them throughout your site:
/* Set Click Interaction values (with timeout – H25 code and higher*/

function trackClickInteraction(name){
var s=s_gi('rsid');
s.linkTrackVars='prop42,prop35';
s.prop42=name;
s.prop35=s.pageName;
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 166

s.tl(true,'o','track interaction',null,'navigate');
}
/* Set Click Interaction values (without timeout – pre H25 code*/

function trackClickInteraction(name){
var s=s_gi('rsid');
s.linkTrackVars='prop42,prop35';
s.prop42=name;
s.prop35=s.pageName;
s.tl(true,'o','track interaction');
}

Note: If needed, you can pass the link type and link name as additional parameters for the JavaScript function.

You can use code similar to the following to call these functions:
<a href=”http://www.your-site.com/some_page.php”
onclick=”trackClickInteraction('this.href');”>Link Text</a>

Avoiding Duplicate Link Counts

It is possible for the link to be double-counted in situations where the link is normally captured by automatic file
download or exit link tracking.

For example, if you are tracking PDF downloads automatically, the following code results in a duplicate download
count:
function trackDownload(obj) {
var s=s_gi('rsid');
s.linkTrackVars='None';
s.linkTrackEvents='None';
s.tl(obj,'d','PDF Document');
}

To ensure link double counting does not occur, use the following modified JavaScript function:
<script language=JavaScript>
function linkCode(obj) {
var s=s_gi('rsid');
s.linkTrackVars='None';
s.linkTrackEvents='None';
var lt=obj.href!=null?s.lt(obj.href):"";
if (lt=="") { s.tl(obj,'d','PDF Document'); }
}

The last two lines of the code above modify the behavior of custom link code so only the automatic tracking behavior
occurs, eliminating any possible double counting.

Popup Windows with useForcedLinkTracking

When useForcedLinkTracking is enabled, AppMeasurement overrides the default link behavior on some browsers
to prevent the track link call from being canceled when the new page opens. AppMeasurement executes the track
link call and handles the navigation event manually, instead of using the default browser action.
When tracking some links that open a popup window, the Chrome built-in popup blocker might prevent
AppMeasurement from opening a popup window that would normally be allowed. To avoid this, add a
target="_blank" attribute to calls that open a window:
<a href="./popup.html" target="_blank" onClick="<a href="./popup.html"
onclick="s.tl(this,'o','popup',null,'navigate');javascript:window.open('./popup.html','popup','width=550,height=450');
return false;">

This allows the link to be tracked and the popup to load as expected.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 167

Links from URL Shorteners

Links from URL shortener services (such as bit.ly) are typically not tracked as page views or as referrers. These
services return 301/302 redirects with the full URL to the web browser, which then sends a new, separate request
to the full URL. The original referrer is preserved since the shortener is no longer in the loop, and there isn't an
indication on the request that a redirect service was used to get the URL.
Due to the variety of services available, we recommending testing the specific scenarios in use on your site to
determine the redirect mechanism used by the service.

Link Tracking Variables in doPlugins

To help manage link tracking, these following variables are populated before the doPlugins function runs.
Inside of doPlugins, you can use the following values to modify link tracking behavior. For example, you can abort
tracking, or add additional variables to tracking requests.

Variable Description Impact

linkType
Contains the automatically determined link type, if any. Can If set with linkURL or linkName, a
be set to one of the following: server call is sent as a download,
• d (download) custom, or exit link.
• e (exit)
• o (custom/other)
This is the pe parameter in the image request.

linkName
The name that will appear in the custom, download or exit If set with linkType , an image request
link report. Truncated at 100 characters. Can be set to any will be sent as a download, custom or
string. exit link
This is the pev2 parameter in the image request.

linkURL
The URL of the link, which acts as the name if a linkName If set with linkType, an image request
does not exist. Can be set to any URL string. will be sent as a download, custom or
exit link
This is the pev1 parameter in the image request.

linkObject
The clicked object for reference. This is read-only. No direct impact on measurement.

Example
function s_doPlugins(s) {
if (s.linkType == "d" && s.linkURL.indexOf(".aspx?f=") {
//special tracking for .aspx file download script
s.eVar11 = s.linkURL.substring(s.linkURL.lastIndexOf("?f=") + 3, s.linkURL.length);
}

else if (s.linkType == "o" ) {

// note: linkType is set to "o" only if you make a custom call
// to s.tl() and set the link type to "o". Automatically tracked
// links are set to "d" or "e" only.
s.eVar10 = s.LinkURL;
}
}
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 168

Validating File Downloads, Exit Links, and Custom Links

To fully validate download, exit, and custom links, Adobe recommends using a packet analyzer to examine the links
in real-time.
File downloads, exit links, and custom links are not page views, so the DigitalPulse Debugger tool cannot be used
to verify parameters and variable settings. You must use a Packet Analyzers to view track link data.

The s.sa() Function

The s.sa() function lets you dynamically change a report suite at any time on the page, before or after an image
request fires.
If your organization wants to send data to different report suites without a page reload, using this function is strongly
recommended.

This information is suited for advanced users who are well-versed in both reporting and implementation. Do not
attempt to make any edits to your implementation without complete knowledge of its consequences. If you require
implementation changes, contact your organization's Account Manager.

Properties of the Function

Setting this function takes all previously defined variables and lets them be used in a different report suite.

Implementation Examples
Sending video data to one report suite while sending the rest to another:
// Set in the core JS file by default
var s=s_gi('prodrsid');

// Define this when a user interacts with a video

s.sa('videorsid');
s.t(); // Sends an image request

Using s.sa() and multi-suite tagging:

// Set in the core JS file by default
var s=s_gi('rsid1');

// Call the function when you wish to change report suites

s.sa('rsid1,rsid2');
s.t();

The s.clearVars() Function

Clears the following values from the instance object. This function removes the elements (sets them as "undefined.")
• props
• eVars
• hier
• list
• events
• eventList
• products
• productsList
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 169

• channel
• purchaseID
• transactionID
• state
• zip
• campaign
For example:
s.clearVars()

Note: clearVars() is included in About AppMeasurement for JavaScript but is not available in H code and
previous versions.

The s_gi() Function

The s_gi() function is used to create or find your instance of AppMeasurement by report suite ID. Internally,
AppMeasurement keeps track of every instance created, and s_gi() returns the existing instance for a report suite
if one exists. If an instance does not exist, a new instance is created and returned.
We recommend calling s_gi() before setting variables and making tracking calls throughout your page code. This
ensures that the correct object is used to make the tracking call in the case that the s variable is inadvertently
overwritten.

Using Multiple Report Suites

The object returned varies based on the report suite ID(s) passed. For example, if you make the following initial call
to s_gi():
var s=s_gi('rsid1,rsid2')

The following table outlines what is returned by subsequent calls:

Subsequent Call to s_gi Description of Object Returned

s=s_gi('rsid1,rsid2') The same object referenced earlier.
s=s_gi('rsid1') A copy of the object created earlier, but not the original.
s=s_gi('rsid1,rsid3') A copy of the object created earlier, but not the original.
s=s_gi('rsid3') A new, empty object, with no config variables set (e.g. linkTrackVars
is empty, as is linkDownloadFileTypes).

Util.cookieRead

Gets the value for a cookie.

Syntax:
s.Util.cookieRead(key)

Parameters:
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 170

Parameter Description
key (required) key to write value for in cookies.

Returns:

Cookie value or an empty string if the cookie is not found.

Example:
var myCookie = s.Util.cookieRead("my_cookie");

Util.cookieWrite

Writes a value to a cookie.

Syntax:
s.Util.cookieWrite(key, value [,expire])

Parameters:

Parameter Description
key (required) key to write value for in cookies.
value (optional) value to write to cookies.
expire (optional) Date object containing the expiration date for the cookie. Default is to use a session
cookie.

Returns:

Example:
//set a cookie with an expiration 6 months from now
var date = new Date();
date.setMonth(date.getMonth() + 6);
var success = s.Util.cookieWrite("my_cookie", "my_value", date);

Util.getQueryParam

Returns the value of a specified query string parameter, if found in the current page URL or in the provided string.
Because important data (such as campaign tracking codes, internal search keywords, etc.) is available in the query
string on a page, getQueryParam helps capture the data into Analytics variables.

This utility replaces the getQueryParam plug-in.

Syntax:
s.Util.getQueryParam(key, [url], [delim])

Note: The syntax for the utility differs from the syntax for the plug-in.

Parameters:
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 171

Parameter Description
key (required) The name of the query string parameter that you want to get. This parameter is case
sensitive.
url (optional) Default url is s.pageURL or window.location. Specifying a value for this parameter
overrides the URL from which the query parameter is retrieved to the one specified.
delim (optional) Parameter delimiter in the URL. Default delimiter is "&". This lets you to specify an
alternate query-string delimiter, such as ";".

Returns:

This function returns the value of the query-string variable or an empty string if it's not found.

Example:
s.doPlugins = function(s) {
s.campaign = s.Util.getQueryParam("cid");
};

Offline Tracking

The following variables and functions let you store measurement calls when the application is offline.

Note: To enable offline tracking, your report suite must be timestamp-enabled. If timestamps are enabled on
your report suite, your trackOffline configuration property must be true. if your report suite is not timestamp
enabled, your trackOffline configuration property must be false. If this is not configured correctly, data will
be lost. If you are not sure if a report suite is timestamp enabled, contact Customer Care.

When enabled, Offline AppMeasurement behaves in the following way:

• The application sends a server call, but the data transmission fails.
• AppMeasurement generates a timestamp for the current hit.
• AppMeasurement buffers the hit data, and backs up buffered hit data to persistent storage to prevent data loss.
At each subsequent hit, or at the interval defined by offlineThrottleDelay, AppMeasurement attempts to send
the buffered hit data, maintaining the original hit order. If the data transmission fails, it continues to buffer the hit
data (This continues while the device is offline).

Property or Method Description

trackOffline Default: false

Enables or disables offline tracking for the measurement library.

Examples:
s.trackOffline=true;

offlineLimit Default: no limit

Maximum number of offline hits stored in the queue.

Examples:
s.offlineHitLimit=100;
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 172

Property or Method Description

offlineThrottleDelay Default: 0

Specifies a cadence (or delay), in milliseconds, for sending buffered hit data when
AppMeasurement detects an active network connection. Doing so mitigates the
performance impact of sending multiple hits on the application.

For example, if offlineThrottleDelay=1000, and it takes 300ms to send the hit data,
AppMeasurement waits 700ms before sending the next buffered hit.
s.offlineThrottleDelay=1000;

forceOnline Manually set the online or offline state of the measurement object. The library
automatically detects when the device is offline or online, so these methods are needed
forceOffline
only if you want to force measurement offline. forceOnline is used only to return to
the online state after manually going offline.

When measurement is offline:

• If trackOffline is true: hits are stored until measurement is online.
• If trackOffline is false: hits are discarded.
Examples:
s.forceOffline();
s.forceOnline();

Data Collection

Data Collection Query Parameters

The following tables lists the query parameter that contains the value for each analytics variable that is sent to data
collection.
This information can be used when debugging using Packet Analyzers, when manually constructing image requests,
or when using Dynamic Variables.

Parameter Analytics Variable Report Populated Description

aamlh None None Audience Manager Location
Hint (used in Experience
Cloud Shared Profile
integration)
aamb None None Audience Manager Blob
(used in Experience Cloud
Shared Profile integration)
aid None None Analytics visitor ID
AQB None None Indicates the beginning of
an image request.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 173

Parameter Analytics Variable Report Populated Description

AQE None None Indicates the end of an
image request, meaning the
request was not truncated.
bh None Visitor Profile | Technology Browser window height (in
| Browser Height pixels)
bw None Visitor Profile | Technology Browser window width (in
| Browser Width pixels)
c None Visitor Profile | Technology Color quality (in bits)
| Monitor Color Depths
c.[key]
s.contextData None Key-values pairs are
specified in one of the
following formats:

<my.a>red</my.a>

or:

<my><a>red</a></my>

Each of these examples

result in a context data
value of my.a = red.
Multiple key-value pairs can
be specified.

In the query string, this

context data variable would
appear as c.my.a=red

c1-c75 s.prop1-s.prop75 All Custom Traffic reports Traffic variables used in

custom traffic reporting
cc s.currencyCode None The type of currency used
on the site
cdp s.cookieDomainPeriods None Indicates the number of
periods in a domain for
cookie tracking; manually
set.
ce s.charSet None The character encoding of
the image request
cl s.cookieLifetime (s_vi None The lifetime of the visitor
cookie lifetime in seconds) cookie.
ch s.channel Site Content | Site Sections The Site Sections variable
used in traffic reporting
cp Hit Type Hit Type Indicates whether the
behavior is a result of direct
interaction foreground or
information the device is
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 174

Parameter Analytics Variable Report Populated Description

sending without direct
interaction background.
ct None Visitor Profile | Technology Connection Type (Modem,
| Connection Types LAN, etc; can only populate
in IE browsers)
D dynamicVariablePrefix None
See Dynamic Variables.

events or ev s.events Site Traffic | Purchases, The commerce and custom

Shopping Cart, Custom events that occurred on the
Events page; used in conversion
reports
g None None The current URL of the
page, up to 255 bytes.
-g None None URLs longer than 255 bytes
are split, with the first 255
bytes appearing in the g
parameter, with the
remaining bytes appearing
later in the query string in
the -g= query parameter.
h1-h5 s.hier1-s.hier5 Site Content | Hierarchy Hierarchy variables; used in
reports traffic reporting
hp None Visitor Profile | Visitor Home Indicates if current page is
Page browser's home page (Y or
N; can only populate in IE
browsers)
j None Visitor Profile | Technology Shows the current
| Javascript Version Javascript version installed
(generally 1.x)
k None Visitor Profile | Technology Are cookies supported in
| Cookies the browser (Y, N or U)
l1-l3 s.list1-s.list3 Custom Conversion A delimited list of values
that are passed into a
variable, then reported as
individual line items for
reporting.
mid None None Experience Cloud Visitor ID
ndh None None Indicates whether the image
request originated from JS
file (1 or 0)
ns s.visitorNameSpace None Specifies what domain the
cookies are set on
oid s.objectID Site Content | Links | Object identifier for last
ClickMap page; used in ClickMap
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 175

Parameter Analytics Variable Report Populated Description

ot None Site Content | Links | Object tag name for last
ClickMap page; used in ClickMap
p None Visitor Profile | Technology Semicolon delimited
| Netscape Plug-Ins browser plug-in names
pageName (or gn) s.pageName Site Content | Pages The page's designated
name in reporting
pageType (or gt) s.pageType Site Content | Pages Not Indicates whether it is a 404
Foun page or not (Either 'error' or
blank)
pccr None None Only occurs for new visitors;
prevents infinite redirects
(Always true)
pe s.linkType Site Content | Links | Exit Determines the type of
Links, File Downloads, custom link hit fired
Custom Links
pev1 None Site Content | Links | Exit URL the custom link hit
Links, File Downloads, occurred on
Custom Links
pev2 None Site Content | Links | Exit Custom link friendly name
Links, File Downloads,
Custom Links
pev3 None All video reports Used to track milestones in
legacy video reporting;
deprecated with v15
pf None None For Adobe use only. Do not
alter.
pid None Site Content | Links | Page identifier for last page;
ClickMap used in ClickMap
pidt None Site Content | Links | Page identifier type for last
ClickMap page; used in ClickMap
products (or pl) s.products Products | Products Products variable used in
conversion reporting
purchaseID (or pi) s.purchaseID None Used to deduplicate
purchases, preventing
revenue inflation
r s.referrer All traffic sources reports Referring URL
s None Visitor Profile | Technology Screen resolution (width x
| Monitor Resolutions height)
server (or sv) s.server Site Content | Servers The page's server; used in
traffic reporting
state s.state Visitor Profile | Visitor State Specifies the state as
defined by the variable.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 176

Parameter Analytics Variable Report Populated Description

t (automatic, sent with every None
The t parameter is in the
hit that does not have a
custom timestamp) following format:
dd/mm/yyyy hh:mm:ss D
OFFSET

Where D is a number in the

range 0-6 specifying the
day of the week, and
OFFSET represents:
offset from GMT in
hours * 60 * - 1

For example:
23/09/2016 14:00:00 1
420

ts None
timestamp The custom timestamp
calculated and sent in with
the hit. Typically used for
offline tracking.

v None Visitor Profile | Technology Java enabled (Y or N)

| Java
v0 s.campaign Campaigns | Tracking The campaign variable used
Codes in conversion reporting
v1-v75 s.eVar1-s.eVar75 All Custom Conversion Conversion variables used
reports in custom conversion
reporting
vid None The visitor's unique ID as
s.visitorID set in the visitorID variable.
vmk s.vmk None Visitor migration key; used
to migrate from third-party
to first-party cookies.
Deprecated.
vvp s.variableProvider None Used in Genesis
integrations
xact s.transactionID None The transaction ID used to
link online data to offline
data
zip s.zip Visitor Profile | Visitor Determines the zip code as
ZIP/Postal Code defined by the variable
/5/ (for mobile protocol) or None None
Controls the order in which
/1/ (for non-mobile protocol)
in the image request URL. cookies and other methods
are used to identify visitors.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 177

Data Collection HTTP Headers

HTTP request and response headers are used to collect additional data beyond what is collected by AppMeasurement.
This section describes the headers used during data collection.

HTTP Request Headers

Header Usage
Cookie
Reading cookies previously created by our data collection servers.

As of 2014, Adobe servers will discard all cookies that accompany a server call except
those set by Adobe. See Cookies Used in the Experience Cloud for the full list of Adobe's
cookies.

User-Agent Used for browser, operating system, and mobile device detection.
X-Device-User-Agent Used as an alternative to User-Agent for correct browser, operating system, and mobile
device detection for some browsers like OperaMini.
X-Original-User-Agent Used as an alternative to User-Agent for correct browser, operating system, and mobile
device detection for some browsers like OperaMini.
X-OperaMini-Phone-UA Used as an alternative to User-Agent for correct browser, operating system, and mobile
device detection for some browsers like OperaMini.
X-Skyfire-Phone Used as an alternative to User-Agent for correct browser, operating system, and mobile
device detection for some browsers like OperaMini.
X-Bolt-Phone-UA Used as an alternative to User-Agent for correct browser, operating system, and mobile
device detection for some browsers like OperaMini.
UA-OS Used as an alternative was to identify the operating system.
UA-Pixels Used as an alternate source for the screen resolution of the client screen.
UA-Color Used as an alternate source for the color depth of the client screen.
X-moz Detecting that the data collection request was made as part of pre-fetching a webpage.
X-Purpose Detecting that the data collection request was made as the browser was showing a
preview of a webpage.
Accept Used to identify the image formats supported by the browser so we know if we need to
send back a GIF or WBMP image.
Referrer Used as a fallback for getting information about the page URL the data collection request
was made from when it wasn't passed in on the query-string or when it's different from
the value in the query-string.
X-Forwarded-For Used to find the correct IP address for the client that made the data collection request.
The IP address is used to generate geographic region, mobile carrier, and other reports.

Note: Implementations using dynamic variables have the option of reading in other HTTP request headers
not listed above.

HTTP Response Headers

Header Usage
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 178

Access-Control-Allow-Origin Used to enable support for cross-origin resource sharing style data collection requests
to our servers.
Expires Browser caching control.
Last-Modified Browser caching control.
Cache-Control Browser caching control.
Pragma Browser caching control.
ETag Browser caching control.
Vary Browser caching control.
P3P Provides the default or custom P3P policy for the data collection request.
Status Contains "SUCCESS" or "FAILURE" status for a no content request. Used only when
the request specifies that no content should be returned.
Reason Contains the reason for the failure status of a no content request. Used only when the
request specifies that no content should be returned.
Location Used to redirect the client making the data collection request off to a different URL. An
example is our cookie handshake to detect the ability to set the visitor ID cookie.
Content-Type Specifies the type of content sent back to the client (GIF, text, Javascript, etc).
Content-Length Specifies the size of the content sent back to the client.

Note: Other HTTP headers may be set in the response for internal status monitoring. Some of these headers
might be returned to the browser, but it is not necessary that they receive them.

Variable Overrides
Variable overrides let you change a variable value for a single track or track link call.
To override variables, create a new object, assign variable values, and pass this object as the first parameter to
s.t(), or as the fourth parameter to s.tl():
s.eVar1="one";
s.eVar2="two";
s.eVar3="three";

overrides = new Object();

overrides.eVar1="1_one";
overrides.eVar2="";

s.t(overrides);
// values passed: eVar1="1_one", eVar2="", eVar3="three"
s.linkTrackVars="eVar1,eVar2,eVar3,events";
s.eVar1="one";
s.eVar2="two";
s.eVar3="three";

overrides = new Object();

overrides.eVar1="1_one";
overrides.eVar2="";

s.tl(this,'e','AnotherSite',overrides,'navigate')
// values passed: eVar1="1_one", eVar2="", eVar3="three"
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 179

Report Suite IDs - Dynamic Accounts

The .js file can be configured to automatically select a report suite ID. The .js file automatically sends the image
request to the report suite based on the URL. For example, if the URL is www.mysite.com, the image request is
automatically sent to report suite A. If the URL is www.mysite1.com, the image request is automatically sent to
report suite B.
These strings can be found within any of the following:
• Host/domain (default setting)
• Path
• Query String
• Host/domain and Path
• Path and Query String
• Full URL

For more information on configuring Analytics to automatically select a Report Suite ID, contact Adobe Live Support.

Defining the URL Segment to Match

Given the following sample URL, the portions of the URL are shown below, along with the s.dynamicAccountMatch
variable that must be set. (The default - if s.dynamicAccountMatch is not defined - is to search the Host/Domain
Name only).
Sample URL: http://www.client.com/directory1/directory2/filename.html?param1=1234&param2=4321

Portion Example (from above)

Host/Domain Name www.client.com
Path directory1/directory2/filename.html
Query String param1=1234&param2=4321
Host/Domain and Path www.client.com/directory1/directory2/filename.html
Path and Query String directory1/directory2/filename.html?param1=1234&param2=4321
URL http://www.client.com/directory1/directory2/filename.html?param1=1234&param2=4321
Portion s.dynamicAccountmatch
Host/Domain Name Undefined
Path window.location.pathname
Query String (window.location.search?window.location.search:"?")
Host/Domain and Path window.location.host+window.location.pathname
Path and Query String window.location.pathname+(window.location.search?window.location.search:"?")
URL window.location.href

Consider the following example:

• s.dynamicAccountSelection=true
• s.dynamicAccountList="devreportsuite1=qa.client.com;reportsuite2=clientdirectory;reportsuite1=client.com"
• s.dynamicAccountMatch=window.location.host+window.location.pathname
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 180

Multiple Rules
If multiple rules are selected (see example above), the rules are executed from left to right. The rules stop as soon
as a match is made, as shown below (with the given set of rules).
• s.dynamicAccountSelection=true
• s.dynamicAccountList="devreportsuite1=qa.client.com;reportsuite1=client.com"
The code first checks to determine if "qa.client.com" exists within the Host/Domain Name. If so, the report suite
"devreportsuite1" is selected, and the match stops. Separate multiple rules with semi-colons.

Default Report Suite

The s_account variable can be set first, and acts as a default value in case any of the specified strings cannot be
found. Below is an example:
var s_account="defaultreportsuiteid"
s.dynamicAccountSelection=true
s.dynamicAccountList="devreportsuite1=qa.client.com;reportsuite1=client.com"

In the case above, if the host/domain name did not contain either "qa.client.com" or "client.com," the report suite
"defaultreportsuiteid" would be used.

Common Errors

Common errors in dynamic accounts are described in the following sections.

Hard Coded Account

If the desire is to always send data to a specific report suite, set s_dynamicAccountSelection to false (alternately,
the variables may be removed altogether:
var s_account="defaultreportsuiteid"
REMOVE: s.dynamicAccountSelection=true
REMOVE: s.dynamicAccountList="devreportsuite1=qa.client.com;reportsuite1=client.com"

In the case above, defaultreportsuiteid is always used after the other two lines are removed.

Placement of Code
Defining s_account after the lines of code does not override the dynamic account selection, as shown below.
var s_account="defaultreportsuiteid"
s.dynamicAccountSelection=true
s.dynamicAccountList="devreportsuite1=qa.client.com;reportsuite1=client.com"
s_account="anotherreportsuiteid"

In the example above, the account "anotherreportsuiteid" overrides "defaultreportsuiteid," but does not override any
matches that occur in s.dynamicAccountList. The function that evaluates s.dynamicAccountList is actually
executed much later in the .JS file.

Multi-Suite Tagging
Multi-suite tagging may be used in conjunction with dynamic account selection, as shown below.
s.dynamicAccountSelection=true
s.dynamicAccountList="suiteid1,suiteid2=client.com"

Dynamic Account Match

Do not put the dynamic account match variables in quotes. The options are displayed below.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 181

Host/Domain Name None

Query String s.dynamicAccountMatch=(window.location.search?window.location.search:"?")
Host/Domain and Path s.dynamicAccountMatch=window.location.host+window.lcation.pathname
Path and Query String s.dynamci AccountMatch=wn
i dow.o
l cato
i n.pathname+(wn
i dow.o
l cato
i n.search?wn
i dow.o
l cato
i n.search""?")
Full URL s.dynamicAccountMatch=window.location.href

Collecting Data From Form Elements

You can capture the values of form elements, such as radio button and checkbox items, into reports. This helps you
analyze the most popular choices in your online forms.
For example, if you had a radio button letting the user specify his or her favorite genre of music (such as rock, rap,
classical, or jazz), you could capture this response in a variable to determine the overall music preferences of your
user base.

The best way to capture this data depends on how your forms are processed. It also depends on whether the form
selections you want to capture are available in the query string on the page following the form submission. Examples
in this article are given in PHP. However, you can adapt these concepts to another language, depending on your
server environment.

This information is suited for advanced users who are well-versed in both reporting and implementation. Do not
attempt to make any edits to your implementation without complete knowledge of its consequences. If you require
implementation changes, contact your organization's Account Manager.

GET Method
If your form uses a GET method to submit data, you have access to the desired data in the query string of the URL
on the page following form submission. You can use the getQueryParam plug-in to capture this data out of the
query string automatically and place it into the variable of your choosing.

POST Method
If your form uses a POST method to submit data (which is more common), you have the results for each specific
form element available to you in the $_POST superglobal. To capture this in a variable, you want to determine the
form element name in question. Using the music genre example mentioned before, part of the form element in
question look like this:
<input type="radio" name="music_genre" value="rock">

This radio button belongs to the "music_genre" form element. You then have access to the user's selected value by
using $_POST['music_genre']. This can be written to a variable on the page following the form submission:
s.eVar1="<?=$_POST['music_genre'];?>"

The eVar1 variable receives a copy of whatever value was submitted to your server through the form, as specified
in the value= property.

If you need additional information regarding this custom implementation method, contact your organization's Account
Manager. They can arrange a meeting with one of our Implementation Consultants to provide the help you need.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 182

Tracking Across Different Implementation Types

This information is intended for advanced users who are well-versed in both reporting and implementation. Do not
attempt to edit your implementation without understanding the consequences. If you require implementation changes,
contact your organization's Account Manager.
If you use more than one type of implementation (such as JavaScript and hardcoded image requests), ensure that
the following variables are specified and match each other:
• s_account
• s.visitorNamespace
• s.trackingServer
• s.trackingServerSecure (if using SSL)
If each of these do not match across implementations, users may be tracked as separate visitors.

Implementation Guidelines

Following these guidelines results in using the same cookie domains, which lets visits be tracked between various
types of implementations.
• RSID: The report suite ID
• VNS: Visitor name space, the subdomain of 2o7.net or omtrdc.net used to store the visitor ID cookie
• COOKIEDOMAIN: Your VNS + trackingServer. Depending on your data center and RDC configuration, these can
greatly vary. See Regional Data Collection or contact Client Care if you are unsure about you data collection
domain.
Javascript:
var s_account="RSID"
s.visitorNamespace="VNS"
s.trackingServer="VNS.COOKIEDOMAIN.net"
Hardcoded image request:

AppMeasurement:
var s_account="RSID"
s.visitorNamespace="VNS"
s.trackingServer="VNS.COOKIEDOMAIN.net"
Hardcoded image request:

Hardcoded image request:

<img border="0" alt="" src="https://VNS.COOKIEDOMAIN.net/b/ss/RSID/5?ns=VNS" width="1" height="1"
/>
<!-- Note that the visitor namespace is defined twice in hardcoded image requests; once in the
http subdomain, and another using the ns= query string parameter! -->

If using a first-party cookie implementation, VNS.COOKIEDOMAIN.net can be replaced with the first-party cookie
domain used. For example, first-party cookies on adobe.com would be replaced with something similar to
metrics.adobe.com.

Implementation Example

Using adobe.com as an example, the implementations described here reference the same visid cookie.
Javascript:
var s_account="omniturecom"
s.visitorNamespace="omniture"
s.trackingServer="omniture.112.2o7.net"
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 183

Hardcoded image request:

<img border="0" alt="" src="https://omniture.112.2o7.net/b/ss/omniturecom/5?ns=omniture"
width="1" height="1" />

Appmeasurement:
s.account="omniturecom";
s.visitorNamespace="omniture";
s.trackingServer="omniture.112.2o7.net";

And if first-party cookies are utilized:

Javascript:
var s_account="omniturecom"
s.visitorNamespace"omniture"
s.trackingServer="metrics.omniture.com"

Hardcoded image request:

<img border="0" alt="" src="https://metrics.omniture.com/b/ss/omniturecom/5" width="1" height="1"
/>

Appmeasurement:
s.account="omniturecom";
s.visitorNamespace="omniture";
s.trackingServer="metrics.omniture.com";

AJAX-Tracking Rich Media Applications

AJAX is an emerging concept in web design that uses multiple technologies to create and manage dynamic content
on Web pages.
The need to track user interaction with AJAX and other rich media applications is paramount to analytics success
and realization of the return on investment in the Web design. The focus of this white paper is to provide
recommendations for tracking rich Internet applications, specifically those that use AJAX.

Rich Internet Applications (RIA)

Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) are changing the face of the Web. They bridge the gap between the promise of
on-demand technologies for the masses and realistic user experiences. RIAs have been maturing for years. The
biggest leaps forward have occurred with wide-scale adoption of browsers, which support the underlying technologies
that power these applications. While RIA has many forms and supporting technologies, the most common, and
perhaps most widely adopted, are AJAX and Flash. It is important to understand that the technology is not what
defines an RIA, but its usability and application.

What to Track
One of the most commonly asked questions with RIA is how to track micro-level activity separate from macro-level
activity, and when it is appropriate to do either. For example, say you have an application that allows customers to
uniquely configure a product. The application may have significant steps the users are exposed to. Are these steps
considered page views? In addition, there are micro-level activities within each step. Should these activities be
tracked as page views?

What if you want to understand the flow between activities, or which features get the most activity? The trouble with
RIA is that each application is unique. They are designed to mimic realistic actions, and since actions are relative
to the situation, the possibilities are endless. However, most applications have a few major components: milestone
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 184

steps, features, and micro-level actions within features. So, while each application requires some consideration as
to what specifically should be measured, there are some generalizations that can be applied to RIA tracking.

Macro-Level Activity
Macro-level activity usually constitutes the loading of the application. This provides information on visits, visitors,
instances, value to future actions, and so forth. It can, and should, also represent major steps in the process. A good
rule of thumb is that if an RIA action changes the application more than 50% (or whatever is considered significantly
changing the user experience or content), then it is macro-level, and should be tracked as a page view.

Micro-Level Activity
Micro-level activity includes any changes less than 50% (or not considered as significantly changing the user
experience or content). Toggling between color selections, for instance, would be considered micro-level activity.
Adobe recommends that micro-level tracking be related to features. For example, in the case of toggling between
colors, is it really important to understand which colors were considered? Or is it more important to know that the
color selection feature was used? Perhaps both are important, and if so, capture both, but when measuring the
effectiveness of RIA, consider the feature level activity as being more valuable.

All micro-level activity should be tracked as custom links with specifics measured through associated traffic variables
(props and eVars if the use needs to be measured against success events). This ensures that page views are not
inflated by micro-level activity, and allows for path analysis through the traffic variable.

What to Analyze
It is important to understand how effectively your RIA is driving success. Success is most commonly measured
through conversions. A macro-level analysis provides insight into RIA effectiveness as a whole. Micro-level analysis
may provide insight into which features help drive conversion.

You should measure efficiency of your RIA. This is an analysis of micro-level activity relative to the RIA macro
metrics. Do users go through more steps than necessary to arrive at the same goal? Analysis metrics might include
visits/features activity; page views/feature activity, visitors/feature activity, and so forth.

Conduct analysis on path flow and fall out. Are users avoiding the RIA and finding another path to the goal? Run
fallout reports built around the site and RIA flow. Run path analysis from landing pages to gauge the true traffic
patterns. Look at barriers and incentives to guide users toward the goal.

Suggested Metrics
• RIA Visits
• RIA Visitors
• RIA Page Views
• RIA Feature Activity (Custom Links) measure click activity by feature

Suggested Analysis
• RIA Feature Activity / RIA Page Views
• RIA Feature Activity / RIA Visits -
• RIA Page Views / Success Metric - Conversion Ratio: measures application effectiveness
• Total RIA Activity / Success Metric - Conversion Ratio: measures application efficiency
• Feature RIA Activity / Success Metric - Conversion Ratio: measures application feature efficiency
• Path Flow to and from RIA
• Fallout Rates through RIA conversion process
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 185

Implementing with AJAX

Implementing with AJAX is exactly like deploying code on a standard HTML page.
The business has questions that need answers, the needs are assessed and variables assigned. The design is then
applied and deployed. These concepts should be familiar if you have already been through the initial stages of
implementation.

Designing the Solution

The difference when throwing AJAX into the mix is first understanding the level of detail that needs to be gathered.
The potential of content changing on the page (macro-level) or tracking attributes of the application (micro-level)
determines which variables need to be set and which method of sending data to Adobe works best.

Deploying the Code

There are two functions in the JavaScript code that allow you to send data. There are some distinct guidelines that
should be followed to know which method should be used to send data.
Collecting Macro-Data (Page)
The t() function in the Adobe code sends a standard format image request, incrementing total site page views. All
Adobe variables that have been assigned values send data. The primary focus of using this function within RIAs
revolves around the value of the pageName variable. You should use this function when:
• The new content is considered a page view for the site or is considered moving from one page to another.
• The content of the page changes more than 50% (or whatever is considered significantly changing the user
experience or content).
• The page path must be tracked for each user interaction with the RIA.

Sending Macro-Data (Page)

If an image request was previously made on the same page, you must first clear the values of the previously-set
variables. Use the clearVars() funtion in AppMeasurement for JavaScript, or write a simple JavaScript function to
clear the variables if you are using H code. Set the values appropriate for the changed content, namely the pageName
variable. After the variables are set call the t() function.

Example

Note: Before you call s.t(), you must clear any values on the s object that you do not want to persist. if you
are using AppMeasurement for JavaScript, you can call s.clearVars(). If you are using H code, write a
simple routine to set variables to an empty string.

s.clearVars();
s.pageName="New Page"
s.prop1="some value"
void(s.t());

The following example shows a tracking call in the done callback of the JQuery .ajax function:
$.ajax({
url: "test.html",
dataType: "html"
})
.done(function( response ) {
$( "#content" ).html( response );
s.clearVars();
s.pageName = $( "h1:first" ).text();
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 186

s.t();
});

Collecting Micro-Data (Link)

The tl() function does not send the pageName variable and is selective in the other variables that are sent. Because
of this restrictive design, it is well-suited for tracking micro-level statistics such as button clicks, link clicks, scrolling,
and other similar events. You should use this function when:
• You do not include a new page name or inflate page view statistics for the site.
• The tracking of user interactions with buttons, links, or specific features within a page/application is desired.
• Track the interaction path of the application.
Path analysis can be enabled for traffic variables (not restricted to page pathing) which is a useful tool in analyzing
the order users interact with your page or application. For example, you see that a user interacted first with button1
and then clicked on button4 before leaving the application. This link-level path can be traced without inflating
page-level statistics by using the tl() function.

Sending Micro-Data (Link)

If an image request was previously made on the same page, clear the values of the previously-set variables. This
can be accomplished by:
• Writing a simple JavaScript function to clear the Adobe variables.
• Set the linkTrackVars and linkTrackEvents variables if you have not already done it in the s_code.js file.
• Set the values appropriate for the changed content, namely the pageName variable.
• After the variables are set, call the tl() function.

Syntax
//set linkTrackVars and linkTrackEvents> (if applicable)
//set new variables
s.tl(this,'o','Link Name');

Example
s.linkTrackVars="prop1,eVar1,events"; s.linkTrackEvents="event1";
s.prop1="some value"; s.eVar1="another value"; s.events="event1";
s.tl(this,'o','My Link Name');

Placement of Code
There are generally two places to track data with AJAX: at the time of the request or in the reply. In most cases,
macro-data (page information) should be sent at the time of reply by having the code embedded in the HTML of the
new content. For micro-data tracking (links, etc.) it is more common to use a custom links approach by inserting the
code in the onClick attribute of the link, button, etc.

External Email Tracking

Companies use Analytics to determine the success of an email campaign.
Analytics can report email campaign analysis data in several key metrics, including the following:

Metric Description
Click-throughs Displays the number of click-throughs tracked from the email to the landing
page.
Purchases and/or Successes Displays the number of purchases resulting from the email.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 187

Metric Description
Orders Displays the number of orders placed as a result of the email.
Yield Displays the dollar amount per visit generated from the email.
Conversion Displays the number of leads, registrations, or any other success event
generated from the email.

Modifications to the HTML email body and the JavaScript library are required in order to capture the key metrics
shown above.

Implementation
There are several steps to follow in order to successfully display email campaign analysis data. The steps are
described as follows:

1. Create unique tracking codes.

Often, users ask for tracking recommendations for each unique campaign. This is entirely up to them, based on
what works best. Each user is different. Adobe recommends that each user generate friendly tracking codes, as
shown in the example below:
• sc_cid=A1123A321 > "A" flags affiliate campaign
• sc_cid=EM033007 > "EM" flags email campaign
• sc_cid=GG987123 > "GG" signifies Google and is a paid search campaign

Contact Adobe Customer Care for details on setting up and using tracking codes.
2. Add query string parameters to HTML email links.
In order to track a user click-through and subsequent success events, a query string parameter needs to be
added to each link within the HTML email.You can choose to track each link separately or track all links together.
Each link can have a unique tracking code, or all links can have the same tracking code. Consider the following
hypothetical link within the email to a website:
<a href="http://www.mycompany.com/index.asp">Visit our home page</a>

The following query string parameters ?sc_cid=112233B should be added to the link above:
<a href= "http://www.mycompany.com/index.asp?sc_cid=112233B">Visit our home page</a>

3. Update the JavaScript library.

Altering code in the JavaScript file, s_code.js, lets you capture how many users (and which users) clicked-through
from the email and participated in subsequent success events. There are two steps to updating the JavaScript
library.

a. Customize s_code.js by calling getQueryParam.

The s_code.js file should be placed in a location on the Web server where each Web page can access it.
The doPlugins function within this file should be altered so it captures the query string parameters on the
email links. For example:
/* Plugin Config */
s.usePlugins=true
function s_doPlugins(s) {
/* Add calls to plugins here */
// External Campaigns
s.campaign=s.getQueryParam('source')
}
s.doPlugins=s_doPlugins
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 188

Each query string parameter that needs to be copied into a variable should have one getQueryParam call.
In the example above, the query string parameter sc_cid is copied into campaign.

Only the first call to getQueryParam is required to capture click-throughs. Contact Adobe Customer Care to
implement this function and ensure that your version of the JavaScript file contains the getQueryParam
plug-in.
b. Make sure the Code to Paste JavaScript tags are on all landing pages. This Code to Paste must reference
the version of s_code.js altered in Part A.
The following points are important to remember when updating the JavaScript library. These points are listed
below.
• The query string parameter sc_cid must be visible in the URL on the final landing page otherwise no
click-through conversion is recorded.
• The sc_cid parameter is an example of a query string parameter. Any query string parameter can be used
and captured by the getQueryParam plug-in. Make sure that the query string parameters are used only for
campaign tracking. Any time the parameters appear in a query string, their values are copied into campaign.

4. Use SAINT to classify campaign tracking codes.

The SAINT Campaign Management Tool can be used to convert tracking codes into user-friendly names. It
can also be used to summarize the success of each email campaign. Step 5, below, outlines the process required
to set up an email campaign.
5. See pathing by email campaign (optional).
Pathing analysis by email campaign can be accomplished similarly to pathing by another campaign. You can
use a variable to show pathing by campaign, as explained in the following steps:

a. Consult Adobe Customer Care about turning on pathing for a Custom Insight variable (prop)
b. On all pages, copy the page name into the designated s.prop.
c. On the email landing page, append the name of the email campaign to the prop. The result displays as shown
below:
s.prop1="Home Page : 123456"

When pathing is enabled for the Custom Insight variable, you can use Path reports (such as Next Page
Flow or Fallout) to see visitor navigation from the landing page.

Implementing Adobe Opt-Outs

Some visitors to your website may prefer not to have their browsing information aggregated and analyzed by Adobe
Experience Cloud products and services or used to provide relevant content and advertising. Adobe offers you the
ability to provide visitors to your website a means to opt out of their information being collected by the following
Adobe products:
• Adobe Analytics
• Adobe Target
• Adobe Audience Targeted Creative
• Adobe AudienceManager
• Adobe AdLens
• Adobe Experience Manager
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 189

Privacy policy recommendations

Adobe recommends that you provide your website visitors with easy-to-find and easy-to-understand information
regarding the ability to opt out of having their browsing information collected by Adobe products or services.

Visitors can learn more about how Adobe generally uses information it collects in connection with providing our
products and services to our customers in the Adobe Privacy Center. However, because you exclusively control
how to implement our services on your web sites, it is up to you to describe to your website visitors the specific ways
in which they use our products and services. You are responsible for the creation of your own privacy policy, for
complying with your privacy policy, for complying with your service agreement with Adobe, and for complying with
all applicable laws.

Opt-outs for Adobe Analytics (including reports & analytics, data warehouse, ad hoc analysis and
SearchCenter+)
Adobe offers three types of opt-outs for Adobe Analytics (including reports & analytics, data warehouse, ad hoc
analysis and SearchCenter+):
• If you implement Adobe Analytics products with your own first-party cookie, you need to develop your own customized
opt-out link for your website visitors.
• Adobe also provides an opt-out mechanism to the public for websites using cookies set from Adobe’s 2o7.net and
omtrdc.net domains. This opt-out mechanism can be accessed from the Adobe Privacy Center.
• Your customers have the option of enabling opt-out using the browser's cookie settings. See Enable privacy settings
for browser cookies.
Regardless of the opt-out mechanism you choose, Adobe recommends that you clearly describe the availability of
the opt-out mechanism in your privacy policy or as otherwise required by law or recommended according to current
best practices.

Add an Opt-Out Link

Specify an opt-out link, and customize the branding for the link. Visitors to your web site may choose not to have
their activity tracked in Adobe’s analytics products by visiting the opt-out page for your data collection domain.
If a user chooses not to be tracked and an opt-out cookie is set, your JavaScript file will continue to send data to
Adobe servers but that data will not be processed or reported on.

The collection_domain section of the URL structure is the trackingServer used in your JavaScript file. The collection
domain used for your Adobe Analytics implementation can be seen in the DigitalPulse debugger in the first row of
the Adobe Analytics table, which is labeled either “First Party Cookies” or “Third Party Cookies” depending on your
implementation. The collection domain for your website may contain 2o7.net, omtrdc.net or your website domain,
such as metrics.example.com.

Visitors opt-out by clicking the link on the opt-out page, thereby causing a cookie to be set in their browser. By having
the omniture_optout cookie for the applicable tracking domain, the user's activities will not be reported by Adobe
Analytics. You can provide your own link to the opt-out cookie, or you can follow the steps below to set the opt-out
cookie.

Adobe offers opt-outs for all implementation types.You are responsible for your own privacy policy and for remaining
in compliance with your signed terms. Note that the link to the opt-out page changes based on your implementation
type, as outlined here.

If you implement Adobe Analytics products and services with cookies set on domains owned by Adobe (i.e. 207.net
or omtrdc.net), you can point your website visitors to the opt-out mechanism provided in the Adobe Privacy Center
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 190

for all sites that use Adobe cookies for Adobe Analytics products and services. The direct link to the Adobe opt-out
mechanism is http://collection_domain/optout.html.

More information about Adobe Analytics privacy practices can be found at

http://www.adobe.com/privacy/advertising-services.html.
• Opt-out Page URL Structure
• Example Opt-Out URLs
• Branding your Opt-Out URL

Opt-out Page URL Structure

Your opt out page is at the following URL:
http://collection_domain/optout.html[?optional_parameters]

The optional_parameters include:

locale=[code]: Provides a translated version of the opt-out page. The following locales are supported:

• en_US (default)
• de_DE
• es_ES
• fr_FR
• jp_JP
• ko_KR
• zh_CN
• zh_TW
popup=1: Treats the page as if it were a popup, and offers a “Close Window” button.

Example Opt-Out URLs

An English web page in a full window containing a link that, when clicked, will prevent the visitor from being tracked
on metrics.example.com:
http://metrics.example.com/optout.html

A French web page in a full window, containing a link that, when clicked, will prevent the visitor from being tracked
on example.d3.sc.omtrdc.net:
http://example.d3.sc.omtrdc.net/optout.html?locale=fr_FR

A German web page, in a popup window, containing a link that, when clicked, will prevent the visitor from being
tracked on example.112.2o7.net:
http://example.112.2o7.net/optout.html?popup=1&locale=de_DE

Branding your Opt-Out URL

You can provide a link, such as the following somewhere on your website:
<a href=" http://stats.adobe.com/optout.html?optout=1&confirm_change=1">
Click Here to Opt Out! </a>

Where stats.adobe.com is replaced with whatever the s.trackingServer variable is set to.

Additionally, if you want like to provide a link to opt-in, use the same URL, but replace ?optout=1 with ?optin=1,
and keep the confirm_change=1.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 191

Implementation Plug-ins

AppMeasurement for JavaScript plug-ins are programs or functions that perform several advanced functions.
These plug-ins extend the capabilities of your JavaScript file to give you more functionality that is not available with
a basic implementation. Adobe offers a number of other plug-ins as part of advanced solutions. Contact your Account
Manager if you want to capture data using JavaScript but are unsure how to proceed.

Calling Plug-ins with doPlugins Function

JavaScript plug-ins are usually called by the doPlugins function, which is executed when the t() function is called in
the Code to Paste.
Consequently, if you set a variable in the doPlugins function, you can overwrite a variable you set on the HTML
page. The only time the doPlugins function is not called is when the usePlugins variable is set to 'false.'

Code Example
The code example below is what the doPlugins function looks like in your JavaScript file:

AppMeasurement for JavaScript:

/* Plugin Config */
s.usePlugins=true
s.doPlugins=function(s) {
/* Add calls to plugins here */
}

H code:
/* Plugin Config */
s.usePlugins=true
function s_doPlugins(s) {
/* Add calls to plugins here */
}
s.doPlugins=s_doPlugins

Note: H code and earlier versions use a different syntax to support some very old browsers (such as IE 4
and 5).

Renaming the doPlugins Function

The doPlugins function is typically called s_doPlugins. In certain circumstances, (usually when more than one version
of code may appear on a single page) the doPlugins function name may be changed. If the standard doPlugins
function needs to be renamed to avoid conflicts, ensure that doPlugins is assigned the correct function name, as
shown in the example below.
/* Plugin Config */
s_mc.usePlugins=true
function s_mc_doPlugins(s_mc) {
/* Add calls to plugins here */
}
s_mc.doPlugins=s_mc_doPlugins

Using doPlugins
The doPlugins function provides an easy way to give default values to variables or to take values from query string
parameters on any page of the site. Using doPlugins is often easier than populating the values in the HTML page
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 192

because only one file must be updated. Keep in mind that changes to the JavaScript file are not always immediate.
Return visitors to your site are often using cached versions of the JavaScript file. This means that updates to the
file may not be applied to all visitors for up to one month after the change is made.

The following example shows how the doPlugins function can be used to set a default value for a variable and to
get a value from the query string.
/* Plugin Config */
s.usePlugins=true
s.doPlugins=function(s) {
/* Add calls to plugins here */
// if prop1 doesn't have a value, set it to "Default Value"
if(!s.prop1)
s.prop1="Default Value"

// if campaign doesn't have a value, get cid from the query string
if(!s.campaign)
s.campaign=s.getQueryParam('cid');

// Note: The code to read query parameters is different for

// Appmeasurement for JavaScript since a plug-in is not required:
// s.campaign=s.Util.getQueryParam('cid');
}

Installed Plug-ins
To find out whether a plug-in is included in your JavaScript file and ready for use, look in the Plugins Section of
the JavaScript file. The following example shows the getQueryParam function.
/************************** PLUGINS SECTION *************************/
/* You may insert any plugins you wish to use here. */
/*
* Plugin: getQueryParam 1.3 - Return query string parameter values
*/
s.getQueryParam=new Function("qp","d",""
+"var s=this,v='',i,t;d=d?d:'';while(qp){i=qp.indexOf(',');i=i<0?qp.l"
//
// ... more code below ...
//

s.abort flag
The abort flag can be set inside doPlugins to cause the current track call to not be sent.
The abort flag is reset with every tracking call, so if a subsequent tracking call also needs to be aborted the flag will
need to be set again inside doPlugins.
s.doPlugins = function(s) {
s.campaign = s.getQueryParam("cid");
if ((!s.campaign) && (!s.events)) {
s.abort = true;
}
};

This lets you centralize the logic you use to identify activity that you do not want to track, such as some custom links
or external links in display ads.

appendList
The apl (or appendList) plug-in lets you append a value to any delimited lists, with the option of a case-sensitive or
case-insensitive check to ensure that the value does not already exist in the list. The APL plug-in is referenced by
several standard plug-ins but can be used directly in a variety of situations.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 193

This plug-in is useful for:

• Adding an event to the current events variable
• Adding a value to a list variable without duplicating a value in the list
• Adding a product to the current products variable based on some page logic
• Adding values to the parameters linkTrackVars and linkTrackEvents
Use Case 1

Scenario Add event1 to the current events variable while ensuring

the event isn't duplicated.

s.events="scCheckout"

Code s.events=s.apl(s.events,"event1",",",1)

Results s.events="scCheckout,event1"

Use Case 2

Scenario Add the value history to the list variable prop1, with history
and History considered the same value.

s.prop1="Science,History"

Code s.prop1=s.apl(s.prop1,"history",",",2)

Results s.prop1="Science,History"

history is not added because History is already in the list.

Note: The following instructions require you to alter the data collection code on your site. This can affect data
collection on your site, and should only be done by a developer with experience using and implementing
Analytics.

Implementation
Follow these steps to implement the APL plug-in.

1. Request the plug-in code from Customer Care or your currently assigned Adobe consultant.
2. Add call(s) to the API function as needed within the s_doPlugins function

Here is how the code might look on your site:

/* Plugin Config */

s.usePlugins=true

function s_doPlugins(s) {

/* Add calls to plugins here */

s.events=s.apl(s.events,"event1",",",1)

}
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 194

s.doPlugins=s_doPlugins

Supported Browsers

This plug-in requires that the browser supports JavaScript version 1.0.

Plug-in Information

Plug-in Information Description

Parameters apl((L,v,d,u)

L= source list, empty list is accepted

v = value to append

d = list delimiter

u (optional, defaults to 0) Unique value check. 0=no

unique check, value is always appended.
1=case-insensitive check, append only if value isn't in
list. 2=case-sensitive check, append only if value isn't in
list.

Return Value original list, with appended value if added

Usage Examples s.events=s.apl(s.events,"event1",",",1);

The source list L can be an empty list, such as L="". The returned value will either be an empty list, or a list of one
value.

Plug-in Code
/********************************************************************
*
* Main Plug-in code (should be in Plug-ins section)
*
*******************************************************************/
/*
* Plugin Utility: apl v1.1
*/
s.apl=new Function("l","v","d","u",""
+"var s=this,m=0;if(!l)l='';if(u){var i,n,a=s.split(l,d);for(i=0;i<a."
+"length;i++){n=a[i];m=m||(u==1?(n==v):(n.toLowerCase()==v.toLowerCas"
+"e()));}}if(!m)l=l?l+d+v:v;return l");

/********************************************************************
*
* Commented example of how to use this is doPlugins function
*
*******************************************************************/

Not Applicable - Utility function only

/********************************************************************
*
* Config variables (should be above doPlugins section)
*
*******************************************************************/

None
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 195

/********************************************************************
*
* Utility functions that may be shared between plug-ins (name only)
*
*******************************************************************/

s.split

doPlugins Function
JavaScript plug-ins are usually called by the doPlugins function, which is executed when the t() function is called
in the Code to Paste.
Consequently, if you set a variable in the doPlugins function, you may overwrite a variable you set on the HTML
page. The only time the doPlugins function is not called is when the usePlugins variable is set to false.

Code Example

The doPlugins function is typically called s_doPlugins. However, in certain circumstances (usually when more
than one version of Analytics code may appear on a single page), you can change the doPlugins function name.
If the standard doPlugins function needs to be renamed to avoid conflicts, assign doPlugins the correct function
name, as shown in the example below.
/* Plugin Config */
s_mc.usePlugins=true
function s_mc_doPlugins(s_mc) {
/* Add calls to plugins here */
}
s_mc.doPlugins=s_mc_doPlugins

Using doPlugins

This function provides an easy way to give default values to variables, or to take values from query string parameters
on any page of the site. Using doPlugins can be easier than populating the values in the HTML page, because only
one file must be updated. Changes to the JavaScript file are not always immediate. Return visitors to your site are
often using cached versions of the JavaScript file. Meaning, updates to the file may not be applied to all visitors for
up to one month after the change is made.

The following examples show how you can use the doPlugins function to set a default value for a variable and to
get a value from the query string.
/* Plugin Config */
s.usePlugins=true
function s_doPlugins(s) {
/* Add calls to plugins here */
// if prop1 doesn't have a value, set it to "Default Value"
if(!s.prop1)
s.prop1="Default Value"

// if campaign doesn't have a value, get cid from the query string
if(!s.campaign)
s.campaign=getQueryParam('cid');
}
s.doPlugins=s_doPlugins

Installed Plug-ins
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 196

To find out whether a plugin is included in your JavaScript file and ready for use, look in the Plugins Section of the
JavaScript file. The following example shows what the getQueryParam function looks like in the Plugins Section.
/************************** PLUGINS SECTION *************************/

/* You may insert any plugins you wish to use here. */

/*
* Plugin: getQueryParam 1.3 - Return query string parameter values
*/
s.getQueryParam=new Function("qp","d",""
+"vars=this,v='',i,t;d=d?d:'';while(qp){i=qp.indexOf(',');i=i<0?qp.l"
//
// ... more code below ...
//

getAndPersistValue
The getAndPersistValue plug-in obtains a value of your choosing and populates it into a Analytics variable for a
determined period. A common use is to see how many page views a campaign generates after a click-through,
which enables you to easily see the most common pages for each campaign.

Important: This plug-in has not been validated to be compatible with AppMeasurement for JavaScript. See
AppMeasurement Plug-in Support.

For example, you might use this plug-in to set a campaign tracking code from the campaign variable into a Custom
Traffic (s.prop) variable on each visitor's page view made for the next 30 days. This example lets you determine
how many page views the tracking code generated as a result of the original click-through.

Note: The following instructions require you to alter the data collection code on your site. This can affect data
collection on your site, and should only be done by a developer with experience using and implementing
Analytics.

Plug-in Code and Implementation

CONFIG SECTION: No changes required for this section.

Plug-in Configuration

Place the following code within the s_doPlugins() function, which is located in the area of the s_code.js file labeled
Plugin Config. Choose one Custom Traffic (s.prop) variable or one Custom Conversion (s.eVar) variable for use in
capturing persisted value data. This should be a variable that has been enabled using the Admin Console, but which
is not currently in use for any other purpose. You can use the following example and update it based on your
requirements.

s.prop1=s.getAndPersistValue(s.campaign,'s_getval',30);

s.getAndPersistValue has three arguments:

1. Currently populated variable or value to persist (s.campaign shown above).

2. Cookie name, used to store the value (s_getval shown above).
3. Period of time for persistence, in days. "30" as shown above would cause the value to be populated into the
selected variable on every page view made by the user for the next 30 days. If omitted, the setting defaults to
session.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 197

PLUGINS SECTION: Add the following code to the area of the s_code.js file labeled PLUGINS SECTION. Do
not make any changes to this portion of the plug-in code.
/*
* Plugin: getAndPersistValue 0.3 - get a value on every page
*/
s.getAndPersistValue=new Function("v","c","e",""
+"var s=this,a=new Date;e=e?e:0;a.setTime(a.getTime()+e*86400000);if("
+"v)s.c_w(c,v,e?a:0);return s.c_r(c);");

Always test plug-in installations extensively to ensure that data collection is as expected before deploying in a
production environment.

getDaysSinceLastVisit
Determines the number of days since a user last visited your site, and captures this information in a Analytics variable.

Important: Analysis Workspace now includes a Days since last visit dimension out of the box, thereby
nullifying the need for this plugin.

This return frequency data can be used to answer the following questions:
• How frequently do users revisit my site?
• How does return frequency correlate with conversion? Do repeat buyers visit frequently or infrequently?
• Do users who click through my campaigns then return frequently?
The plug-in can also generate values used for segmentation. For example, you can create a segment to view all of
the data for only those visits that were preceded by 30 or more days of non-visitation by the user.

Note: The following instructions require you to alter the data collection code on your site. This can affect data
collection on your site, and should only be done by a developer with experience using and implementing
Analytics.

Plug-in Code and Implementation

CONFIG SECTION

No changes required.

Plugin Config

Place the following code within the s_doPlugins() function, which is located in the area of the s_code.js file
labeled Plugin Config. Choose one Custom Traffic (s.prop) variable and/or one Custom Converesion (s.eVar) variable
for use in capturing return frequency data. This selection should be a variable that has been enabled using the Admin
Console but is not currently in use for any other purpose. The following is given as an example, and should be
updated appropriately based on your needs.
s.prop1=s.getDaysSinceLastVisit(Cookie_Name);

PLUGINS SECTION
Add the following code to the area of the s_code.js file labeled PLUGINS SECTION. Do not make any changes
to this portion of the plug-in code.
/*
* Plugin: Days since last Visit 1.1 - capture time from last visit
*/
s.getDaysSinceLastVisit=new Function("c",""
+"var s=this,e=new Date(),es=new Date(),cval,cval_s,cval_ss,ct=e.getT"
+"ime(),day=24*60*60*1000,f1,f2,f3,f4,f5;e.setTime(ct+3*365*day);es.s"
+"etTime(ct+30*60*1000);f0='Cookies Not Supported';f1='First Visit';f"
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 198

+"2='More than 30 days';f3='More than 7 days';f4='Less than 7 days';f"

+"5='Less than 1 day';cval=s.c_r(c);if(cval.length==0){s.c_w(c,ct,e);"
+"s.c_w(c+'_s',f1,es);}else{var d=ct-cval;if(d>30*60*1000){if(d>30*da"
+"y){s.c_w(c,ct,e);s.c_w(c+'_s',f2,es);}else if(d<30*day+1 && d>7*day"
+"){s.c_w(c,ct,e);s.c_w(c+'_s',f3,es);}else if(d<7*day+1 && d>day){s."
+"c_w(c,ct,e);s.c_w(c+'_s',f4,es);}else if(d<day+1){s.c_w(c,ct,e);s.c"
+"_w(c+'_s',f5,es);}}else{s.c_w(c,ct,e);cval_ss=s.c_r(c+'_s');s.c_w(c"
+"+'_s',cval_ss,es);}}cval_s=s.c_r(c+'_s');if(cval_s.length==0) retur"
+"n f0;else if(cval_s!=f1&&cval_s!=f2&&cval_s!=f3&&cval_s!=f4&&cval_s"
+"!=f5) return '';else return cval_s;");

Notes
• Always test plug-in installations extensively to ensure that data collection is as expected before deploying in a
production environment.
• The plug-in categorizes users by return frequency into the following groups:
• First Visit
• Less than 1 day
• Less than 7 days
• More than 7 days
• More than 30 days
• This plug-in relies on cookies to flag a user has having visited previously. If the browser does not accept cookies,
the plug-in returns a value of Cookies Not Supported.

getLoadTime
Gets the page load time in tenths of a second and lets you store the value in a prop, eVar, and/or a numeric event.
To use this plugin, you insert the function code, then call the function twice in your s_code.js file. Once at the
beginning of the file, and then again in the doPlugins section. This plugin is intentionally not defined as a method
of the s object. Doing so would have added to the calculated page load time.

Note: The following instructions require you to alter the data collection code on your site. This can affect data
collection on your site, and should only be done by a developer with experience using and implementing
Analytics.

Plug-in Code and Implementation

Add the function

Add the following definition of the s_getLoadTime function in s_code.js, anywhere before the "DO NOT ALTER
ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE" section:
function s_getLoadTime(){if(!window.s_loadT){var b=new
Date().getTime(),o=window.performance?performance.timing:0,a=o?o.requestStart:window.inHeadTS||0;s_loadT=a?Math.round((b-a)/100):''}return
s_loadT}

Make the initial function call

Add a call to s_getLoadTime() near the beginning of s_code.js, outside of any function.

Make the final function call

Add another call to s_getLoadTime() in the s_doPlugins() function, saving the returned value in a prop, eVar,
and/or a numeric event.

Usage Example 1 - Save the page load time in prop10 and eVar20:
s.eVar20=s.prop10=s_getLoadTime();
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 199

Usage Example 2 - Save the page load time in numeric event99:

if(s_getLoadTime())s.events=s.apl(s.events,'event90='+s_getLoadTime(),',',1);

(Optional) Add support for older browsers

To support older browsers that don't provide the window.performance.timing property, include the following line in
the HEAD section of the page's HTML near the beginning and prior to invoking .js, .css, or other files:
<script type="text/javascript">var inHeadTS=(new Date()).getTime();</script>

getNewRepeat
Determines whether a visitor is a new visitor or a repeat visitor, and captures this information in a Analytics variable.
Use this plug-in to answer the following questions:
• What percentage of my visitors are new (as opposed to repeat) visitors?
• Do return visitors generate higher conversion per capita than new visitors? What is this ratio?
• Do my marketing campaigns cause persistence across visits? For example, do users who click through my
campaigns then return later?

Note: The following instructions require you to alter the data collection code on your site. This can affect data
collection on your site, and should only be done by a developer with experience using and implementing
Analytics.

Plug-in Code and Implementation

CONFIG SECTION: No changes required for this section.

Plug-in Configuration

Place the following code within the s_doPlugins() function, which is located in the area of the s_code.js file labeled
Plugin Config. Choose one Custom Traffic (s.prop) variable or one Custom Conversion (s.eVar) variable for use in
capturing persisted value data. This should be a variable that has been enabled using the Admin Console, but which
is not currently in use for any other purpose. You can use the following example and update it based on your
requirements.

s.prop1=s.getNewRepeat(30,'s_getNewRepeat');

s.getNewRepeat has two optional arguments:

1. The first optional argument is the number of days that the cookie should last. The default value if this argument
is omitted is 30 days.
2. The second optional argument is the cookie name. A default value is used if this argument is omitted.

PLUGINS SECTION: Add the following code to the area of the s_code.js file labeled PLUGINS SECTION. Do
not make any changes to this portion of the plug-in code.
/*
* Plugin: getNewRepeat 1.2 - Returns whether user is new or repeat
*/
s.getNewRepeat=new Function("d","cn",""
+"var s=this,e=new Date(),cval,sval,ct=e.getTime();d=d?d:30;cn=cn?cn:"
+"'s_nr';e.setTime(ct+d*24*60*60*1000);cval=s.c_r(cn);if(cval.length="
+"=0){s.c_w(cn,ct+'-New',e);return'New';}sval=s.split(cval,'-');if(ct"
+"-sval[0]<30*60*1000&&sval[1]=='New'){s.c_w(cn,ct+'-New',e);return'N"
+"ew';}else{s.c_w(cn,ct+'-Repeat',e);return'Repeat';}");
/*
* Utility Function: split v1.5 (JS 1.0 compatible)
*/
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 200

s.split=new Function("l","d",""
+"var i,x=0,a=new Array;while(l){i=l.indexOf(d);i=i>-1?i:l.length;a[x"
+"++]=l.substring(0,i);l=l.substring(i+d.length);}return a");

Always test plug-in installations extensively to ensure that data collection is as expected before deploying in a
production environment.

getPageVisibility
Records the number of seconds your page was the active tab within the browser, and passes that value into a metric
on the next page view.

Note: This is a beta version of the plugin, and additional updates may be forthcoming.

This plug-in requires getVisitStart.

This plug-in also records the total seconds the page was within the browser (both active and passive viewing time).
It is required to use the getPreviousValue plug-in in order to track the previous page name associated with the page
visibility events. Tracking these values helps you better understand visitor engagement and more accurately track
visitor behavior on your sites.

It is required that you use the getPreviousValue plug-in to track the previous page name associated with the page
visibility events. Tracking these values helps you better understand visitor engagement and more accurately track
visitor behavior on your sites.

Note: The following instructions require you to alter the data collection code on your site. This can affect data
collection on your site, and should only be done by a developer with experience using and implementing
Analytics. This plug-in is compatible only with AppMeasurement tracking libraries.

Required Supporting Plug-ins

• appendList
• getPreviousValue
• getVisitStart

Plug-in Code and Implementation

Config Section

The s.pvel variable should contain the three events you wish to use:

Event Definition
Total Page The amount of time the page was active within the browser
Visibility Seconds
(Numeric)
Total Page The amount of time the page was loaded in the browser, regardless of its visibility state
Seconds
(Numeric)
Total Page The total number of times a value was recorded for the previous two events
Visibility Instances
(Counter)
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 201

Sample Calls
//Page Visibility Event List (total page visibility seconds, total page seconds, total page
visibility instances)
s.pvel='event7,event8,event9'

doPlugins Section

To initialize the plug-in, two lines of code are required in the doPlugins section of your s_code, preferably after you
have designated the s.pageName variable.

Sample Calls
/* Page Visibility */
s.eVar9 = s.getPreviousValue(s.pageName,'gpv_v9',''); //Record the previous page name in the
designated eVar of your choice
s.getPageVisibility();

Plug-ins Section
/* Page Visibility Plugin 0.1 (BETA) */
s.getPageVisibility=new Function("",""
+"var s=this;if(s.getVisitStart()){s.Util.cookieWrite('s_pvs','');s.U"
+"til.cookieWrite('s_tps','');}if(s.Util.cookieRead('s_pvs')&&s.pvt<1"
+"){if(parseInt(s.Util.cookieRead('s_pvs'))<=parseInt(s.Util.cookieRe"
+"ad('s_tps'))){s.pve=s.pvel.split(',');s.events=s.apl(s.events,s.pve"
+"[0]+'='+(parseInt(s.Util.cookieRead('s_pvs'))),',',2);s.Util.cookie"
+"Write('s_pvs','');s.events=s.apl(s.events,s.pve[1]+'='+(parseInt(s."
+"Util.cookieRead('s_tps'))),',',2);s.Util.cookieWrite('s_tps','');s."
+"events=s.apl(s.events,s.pve[2],',',2);}}s.pvi=setInterval(s.pvx,100"
+"0);s.wpvi=setInterval(s.wpvc,5000);");
s.gbp=new Function("",""
+"if('hidden'in document){return null;}var bp=['moz','ms','o','webkit"
+"'];for(var i=0;i<bp.length;i++){var p=bp[i]+'Hidden';if(p in docume"
+"nt){return bp[i];}}return null;");
s.hp=new Function("p",""
+"if(p){return p+'Hidden';}else{return'hidden';}");
s.vs=new Function("p",""
+"if(p){return p+'VisibilityState';}else{return'visibilityState';}");
s.ve=new Function("p",""
+"if(p){return p+'visibilitychange';}else{return'visibilitychange';}");
s.pvx=new Function("",""
+"s.pvt+=1;");
s.wpvc = function(){var tempDate = Date.now();s.Util.cookieWrite('s_tps',
Math.ceil((tempDate - s.totalTime)/1000));s.Util.cookieWrite('s_pvs', s.pvt)}
document.addEventListener('visibilitychange',function(event){if(document.hidden){s.visibility
=
false;clearTimeout(s.pvi);}else{s.visibility=true;s.pvi=setInterval(s.pvx,1000);}});s.totalTime=new

Date();s.pvt=0;s.prefix=s.gbp;s.hidden=s.hp(s.prefix);s.visibility=true;s.visibilityState=s.vs(s.prefix);s.visibilityEvent=s.ve(s.prefix);

Notes
• Always test plug-in installations to ensure that data collection is as expected before deploying in a production
environment.
• Because the plug-in passes the page visibility seconds and total seconds as they are associated with the previous
page, data is not collected for the final page view of the visit.
• This plug-in relies on the ability to set cookies in the user's web browser. If the user does not accept first-party
cookies, the plug-in will not pass data into Analytics.
• The plug-in creates its own first-party cookies named s_tps and s_pvs.
• A very small percentage of users will not pass percentage of page viewed data due to browser limitations, and
logic is contained within the plugin to ensure that the data is not skewed as a result. However, this plug-in has
been successfully tested in IE, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 202

• Due to the way the plugin measures total seconds and associates that value with the previous page name, there
will be differences between default time spent on page metrics and total seconds metrics.
• Calculated metrics can be created to aid in summarizing and understanding visitor behavior associated with these
metrics:
• Page Visibility Ratio (Total Page Visibility Seconds / Total Page Seconds)
• Total Hidden Seconds (Total Page Seconds – Total Page Visibility Seconds)
• Average Page Visibility Seconds (Total Page Visibility Seconds/Total Page Visibility Instances)
• Average Page Hidden Seconds ((Total Page Seconds - Total Page Visibility Seconds)/Total Page Visibility
Instances)
• Due to the way the plug-in rounds up the seconds, there can be a 1-2 second difference between the total page
visibility seconds and total seconds, with total seconds being higher. (To be resolved in a future update)
• Using the getVisitStart plug-in should account for visitors that have a new visit start after a period of 30+ minutes
of inactivity. This is not working as designed; however, there will likely be a workaround when we incorporate the
“total active seconds” in a future iteration of the plug-in.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this plug-in make additional server calls?

The plugin will only record page visibility values on subsequent page view server calls. No additional server calls
are used in conjunction with it.

If I do not want to capture total page seconds or total page visibility instances, can I leave those out of the
event list?

Yes, the total page seconds and total visibility instances are optional events and can be left out of the list if desired.

Will the events captured make sense if I use them in reports other than the Previous Page Name?

Since the plugin records values on the subsequent image request only other eVars that have been captured in a
‘previous page’ context could be applied, i.e. ‘Previous Page URL’.

Will the plug-in send the visibility time on an s.tl() call, or only on an s.t() call?

The visibility time is only recorded with s.t() calls.

getVisitStart
Determines if a new visit is starting.
Configuration Variables

None

Parameters

c = (string) cookie name for tracking.

Returns

(integer) 1 on first page of visit, otherwise 0.

Sample Calls
s.eVar50 = s.getVisitStart("s_visit");
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 203

getPercentPageViewed
Measures a visitor's scroll activity to see how much of a page they view before moving on to another page. This
plugin lets you determine how much of your content users are seeing on average, so that you can optimize your
page lengths and layouts based on user behaviors.
You can also use classifications to group percentages (such as Less than 25% or Less than 50%) so that you can
identify page-viewing trends.

Note: The following instructions require you to alter the data collection code on your site. This can affect data
collection on your site, and should only be done by a developer with experience using and implementing
Analytics.

Plug-in Code and Implementation

Returns: Nothing. Instead, it sets the following variables within the AppMeasurement object:
• s._ppvPreviousPage: The name of the previous page viewed (as final measurements aren't available until a new
page loads)
• s._ppvHighestPercentViewed: The highest percent of the previous page that the visitor viewed (height-wise); in
other words, the furthest point that the visitor scrolled down on the previous page
• s._ppvInitialPercentViewed: The percent of the previous page that was visible when the previous page first loaded
• s.ppvHighestPixelsSeen: The highest number of total pixels seen (height-wise) as the visitor scrolled down the
previous page

pid {optional, string): A page identifier that will be correlated with the percentages provided by the plugin
measurements. Defaults to the Analytics' pageName variable OR the URL if the pageName variable is not set.

ch {optional, boolean): Set this equal to false if you don't want the plugin to take into consideration any changes
made to a page's size after its initial load (due to SPA code, dynamic HTML, etc.). true is the recommended/default
value for this argument

Sample Calls

s.getPercentPageViewed=function(pid,ch);

Returns
• If there was not a previous page view in this visit, an empty string is returned
• If pid is "-", or unspecified, an integer containing the last page's maximum percent viewed is returned
• Otherwise, an array is returned with the following elements:
• array[0] - Page ID
• array[1] - Maximum percent viewed
• array[2] - Initial percent viewed
• array[3] - Maximum vertical pixels viewed
• array[4] - Viewport width in CSS pixels new
• array[5] - Viewport height in CSS pixels new
• array[6] - Display width in real pixels (reflecting orientation) new
• array[7] - Display height in real pixels (reflecting orientation) new
• array[8] - Final pixel density new
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 204

• array[9] - Device orientation, set to one of the following text strings: new
• "L" - Landscape (rotation did not occur)
• "P" - Portrait (rotation did not occur)
• "LP" - started landscape, ended portrait
• "PL" - started portrait, ended landscape

Plugins Section: Add the following code to the area of the s_code.js file labeled PLUGINS SECTION. Do not
make any changes to this portion of the plug-in code.

/******************************************* BEGIN CODE TO DEPLOY

*******************************************/
/* Adobe Consulting Plugin: getPercentPageViewed v3.0 w/handlePPVevents helper function (Requires
AppMeasurement and p_fo plugin) */
s.getPercentPageViewed=function(pid,ch){var
s=this,a=s.c_r("s_ppv");a=-1<a.indexOf(",")?a.split(","):[];a[0]=s.unescape(a[0]);
pid=pid?pid:s.pageName?s.pageName:document.location.href;s.ppvChange=ch?ch:!0;if("undefined"===typeof

s.linkType||"o"!==s.linkType)s.ppvID&&s.ppvID===pid||(s.ppvID=pid,s.c_w("s_ppv",""),s.handlePPVevents()),s.p_fo("s_gppvLoad")&&window.addEventListener&&(window.addEventListener("load",s.handlePPVevents,!1),window.addEventListener("click",s.handlePPVevents,

!1),window.addEventListener("scroll",s.handlePPVevents,!1),window.addEventListener("resize",s.handlePPVevents,!1)),s._ppvPreviousPage=a[0]?a[0]:"",s._ppvHighestPercentViewed=a[1]?a[1]:"",s._ppvInitialPercentViewed=a[2]?a[2]:"",s._ppvHighestPixelsSeen=a[3]?a[3]:""};

/* Adobe Consulting Plugin: handlePPVevents helper function (for getPercentPageViewed v3.0

Plugin) */
s.handlePPVevents=function(){if(s_c_il){for(var
b=0,d=s_c_il.length;b<d;b++)if("undefined"!=typeof
s_c_il[b]&&s_c_il[b]._c&&"s_c"==s_c_il[b]._c){var a=s_c_il[b];break}if(a&&a.ppvID){var
f=Math.max(Math.max(document.body.scrollHeight,document.documentElement.scrollHeight),Math.max(document.body.offsetHeight,document.documentElement.offsetHeight),Math.max(document.body.clientHeight,document.documentElement.clientHeight));b=(window.pageYOffset||window.document.documentElement.scrollTop||window.document.body.scrollTop)+(window.innerHeight||document.documentElement.clientHeight||document.body.clientHeight);d=Math.min(Math.round(b/f*100),100);var
e="";!a.c_r("s_tp")||a.unescape(a.c_r("s_ppv").split(",")[0])
!==a.ppvID||1==a.ppvChange&&a.c_r("s_tp")&&f!=a.c_r("s_tp")?(a.c_w("s_tp",f),a.c_w("s_ppv","")):e=a.c_r("s_ppv");var
c=e&&-1<e.indexOf(",")?e.split(",",4):[];f=0<c.length?c[0]:escape(a.ppvID);var
g=1<c.length?parseInt(c[1]):d,h=2<c.length?parseInt(c[2])
:d;c=3<c.length?parseInt(c[3]):b;0<d&&(e=f+","+(d>g?d:g)+","+h+","+(b>c?b:c));a.c_w("s_ppv",e)}}};

/* Adobe Consulting Plugin: p_fo (pageFirstOnly) v2.0 (Requires AppMeasurement) */

s.p_fo=function(on){var
s=this;s.__fo||(s.__fo={});if(s.__fo[on])return!1;s.__fo[on]={};return!0};
/******************************************** END CODE TO DEPLOY
********************************************/

Notes
• Always test plug-in installations to ensure that data collection is as expected before deploying in a production
environment.
• Because the plug-in passes the percentage of page viewed on the previous page, data is not collected for the final
hit of the visit. One way to help mitigate this limitation is to use a function on all exit links to call
s.getPercentPageViewed().
• This plug-in relies on the ability to set cookies in the user's web browser. If the user does not accept first-party
cookies, the plug-in will not pass data into Analytics.
• The plug-in creates its own first-party cookie named s_ppv.
• A very small percentage of users will not pass percentage of page viewed data due to browser limitations. However,
this plug-in has been successfully tested in IE, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Opera.

getPreviousValue
Captures the value of a Analytics variable on the next page view. For example, you can use plug-in to capture the
s.pageName value from the previous page view into a Custom Traffic variable. It also has an option to capture a
previous value only when designated success events are set.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 205

Note: The following instructions require you to alter the data collection code on your site. This can affect data
collection on your site, and should only be done by a developer with experience using and implementing
Analytics.

Plug-in Code and Implementation

CONFIG SECTION: No changes required for this section.

Plug-in Configuration

Place the following code within the s_doPlugins() function, which is located in the area of the s_code.js file labeled
Plugin Config. Choose one Custom Traffic (s.prop) variable or one Custom Conversion (s.eVar) variable for use in
capturing persisted value data. This should be a variable that has been enabled using the Admin Console, but which
is not currently in use for any other purpose. You can use the following example and update it based on your
requirements.

s.prop1=s.getPreviousValue(s.pageName,'gpv_pn','event1');

s.getPreviousValue has three arguments:

1. The variable to be captured from the previous page (s.pageName above).

2. The cookie name for use in storing the value for retrieval (gpv_pn above).
3. The events that must be set on the page view in order to trigger the retrieval of the previous value (event1 above).
When left blank or omitted, the plug-in captures the previous value on all page views.

PLUGINS SECTION: Add the following code to the area of the s_code.js file labeled PLUGINS SECTION. Do
not make any changes to this portion of the plug-in code.
/*
* Plugin: getPreviousValue_v1.0 - return previous value of designated
* variable (requires split utility)
*/
s.getPreviousValue=new Function("v","c","el",""
+"var s=this,t=new Date,i,j,r='';t.setTime(t.getTime()+1800000);if(el"
+"){if(s.events){i=s.split(el,',');j=s.split(s.events,',');for(x in i"
+"){for(y in j){if(i[x]==j[y]){if(s.c_r(c)) r=s.c_r(c);v?s.c_w(c,v,t)"
+":s.c_w(c,'no value',t);return r}}}}}else{if(s.c_r(c)) r=s.c_r(c);v?"
+"s.c_w(c,v,t):s.c_w(c,'no value',t);return r}");
/*
* Utility Function: split v1.5 - split a string (JS 1.0 compatible)
*/
s.split=new Function("l","d",""
+"var i,x=0,a=new Array;while(l){i=l.indexOf(d);i=i>-1?i:l.length;a[x"
+"++]=l.substring(0,i);l=l.substring(i+d.length);}return a");

Notes
• Always test plug-in installations extensively to ensure that data collection is as expected before deploying in a
production environment.
• If no value is present for the selected variable on any given page, the text no value will be set in the cookie.
• A fixed 30-minute cookie expiration is now set for each cookie, and refreshed with each page load. The plug-in
works for the length of a visit.
• Because the function must be called as part of the plug-ins section of code, the code runs each time s.t() or s.tl()
is called.
• The chosen variable should be populated with a value prior to the call to s.getPreviousValue. Because the
s_doPlugins() function is executed after the variables on the page are populated, this issue rarely occurs. It should
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 206

only be a matter of concern if the variable used with this plug-in is populated within the s_doPlugins() function and
after the call to s.getPreviousValue.

getQueryParam
Returns the value of a specified query string parameter, if found in the current page URL. Because important data
(such as campaign tracking codes, internal search keywords, etc.) is available in the query string on a page,
getQueryParam is helps capture the data into Analytics variables.

Important: This plug-in is used by H code only. AppMeasurement for JavaScript provides this functionality
natively using Util.getQueryParam.

Once installed in your AppMeasurement for JavaScript code, the plug-in is configured by selecting a Analytics
variable to populate using data found in the query string, and specifying which query string values to capture. The
plug-in detects the specified query string, if present, and populates the chosen variable with its value. If no query
string parameter is found with that value, an empty string is returned. If a query string parameter exists but does not
have a value (such as param1 in ?param1&param2=value), the word true is returned.

Note: The base code for the plug-in must be installed in your AppMeasurement for JavaScript code before
the examples below will work.

If you wanted to use s.campaign to capture campaign tracking codes available as values of the cid query parameter,
you would enter the following in the doPlugins() function in your AppMeasurement for JavaScript code:

s.campaign=s.getQueryParam('cid')

In this example, if the user arrived at a landing page on your site where the URL was
http://www.yoursite.com/index.html?cid=123456, then s.campaign would receive a value of 123456.
This could be seen using the DigitalPulse Debugger, which should show v0=123456 as part of the image request.

Note: The parameter cid and others are used here as examples. You can replace them with any query string
parameters that exist on your site.

The getQueryParam plug-in has two additional arguments (options) that can be used to capture data into Analytics
variables:
s.getQueryParam('p','d','u')

where:
p = comma-separated list of query parameters to locate (can also be a single value with no
comma)
d = delimiter for list of values (in case more than one specified parameter is found)
u = where to search for value (e.g., document.referrer); set to current page URL by default

If p is a list of query string parameters and more than one query string parameter is found in the URL, all values are
returned in a list separated by the delimiter, d, which can be a single character or a string of characters, such as "
: " (space-colon-space). If d is omitted, no delimiter is used between values. If one query string parameter should
take precedence over another, when both are found, use an if statement as shown below.
// cid takes precedence over iid if both exist in the query string
s.campaign=s.getQueryParam('cid');
if(!s.campaign)
s.campaign=s.getQueryParam('iid');

As of version getQueryParam v2.0, the plug-in accepts an optional third argument, u, which allows you to specify
the URL from which you would like to extract query string parameters. By default (i.e. if this third argument is omitted
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 207

or left blank), the plug-in uses the page URL. For example, if you would like extract a query string from the referrer,
you can use the following code:
// take the query string from the referrer
s.eVar1=s.getQueryParam('pid','',document.referrer);

The flag "f" should be used in this third argument with frames, when the necessary query string parameter is found
in the address bar rather than the current frame's URL:
// take the query string from the parent frame
s.eVar1=s.getQueryParam('pid','',f);

When using frames and the f parameter, it is recommended that the getValOnce plug-in be used to prevent the
campaign tracking code to be sent with each page view.

Note: The following instructions require you to alter the data collection code on your site. This can affect data
collection on your site, and should only be done by a developer with experience using and implementing
Analytics.

Plug-in Code
/********************************************************************
*
* Main Plug-in code (should be in Plug-ins section)
*
*******************************************************************/
/*
* Plugin: getQueryParam 2.3
*/
s.getQueryParam=new Function("p","d","u",""
+"var s=this,v='',i,t;d=d?d:'';u=u?u:(s.pageURL?s.pageURL:s.wd.locati"
+"on);if(u=='f')u=s.gtfs().location;while(p){i=p.indexOf(',');i=i<0?p"
+".length:i;t=s.p_gpv(p.substring(0,i),u+'');if(t){t=t.indexOf('#')>-"
+"1?t.substring(0,t.indexOf('#')):t;}if(t)v+=v?d+t:t;p=p.substring(i="
+"=p.length?i:i+1)}return v");
s.p_gpv=new Function("k","u",""
+"var s=this,v='',i=u.indexOf('?'),q;if(k&&i>-1){q=u.substring(i+1);v"
+"=s.pt(q,'&','p_gvf',k)}return v");
s.p_gvf=new Function("t","k",""
+"if(t){var s=this,i=t.indexOf('='),p=i<0?t:t.substring(0,i),v=i<0?'T"
+"rue':t.substring(i+1);if(p.toLowerCase()==k.toLowerCase())return s."
+"epa(v)}return ''");

/********************************************************************
*
* Commented example of how to use this is doPlugins function
*
*******************************************************************/
/* Plugin Example: getQueryParam 2.3
//single parameter
s.campaign=s.getQueryParam('cid');

//multiple parameters
s.campaign=s.getQueryParam('cid,sid',':');

//non-page URL example

s.campaign=s.getQueryParam('cid','',document.referrer);

//parent frame example

s.campaign=s.getQueryParam('cid','','f');

*/

/********************************************************************
*
* Config variables (should be above doPlugins section)
*
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 208

*******************************************************************/

None

/********************************************************************
*
* Utility functions that may be shared between plug-ins (name only)
*
*******************************************************************/

None

getTimeParting
The getTimeParting plug-in populates custom variables with hour of day, day of week, and weekend and weekday
values into custom variables. Analysis Workspace offers out-of-the-box Time Parting dimensions. The plug-in should
be used if time parting dimensions are needed in other Analytics solutions, outside of Analysis Workspace.
This plug-in captures the date and time information available in the user's web browser. It obtains the hour of the
day and the day of the week from this information. It then converts this data to the time zone of your choosing. It
also accounts for Daylight Savings Time.

Note: The following instructions require you to alter the data collection code on your site. This can affect data
collection on your site, and should only be done by a developer with experience using and implementing
Analytics.

Plug-in Code
Config Section

Place the following code in the area of the s_code.js file labeled CONFIG SECTION, and make the necessary
updates as described below.

s._tpDST - an array of DST values. The array is structured in the following format: YYYY:'MM/DD,MM/DD'
//time parting configuration
//Australia
s._tpDST = {
2012:'4/1,10/7',
2013:'4/7,10/6',
2014:'4/6,10/5',
2015:'4/5,10/4',
2016:'4/3,10/2',
2017:'4/2,10/1',
2018:'4/1,10/7',
2019:'4/7,10/6'}

//US
s._tpDST = {
2012:'3/11,11/4',
2013:'3/10,11/3',
2014:'3/9,11/2',
2015:'3/8,11/1',
2016:'3/13,11/6',
2017:'3/12,11/5',
2018:'3/11,11/4',
2019:'3/10,11/3'}

//Europe
s._tpDST = {
2012:'3/25,10/28',
2013:'3/31,10/27',
2014:'3/30,10/26',
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 209

2015:'3/29,10/25',
2016:'3/27,10/30',
2017:'3/26,10/29',
2018:'3/25,10/28',
2019:'3/31,10/27'}

Note for Northern Hemisphere clients: in the array DST values are DST start, DST end.

Note for Southern Hemisphere clients: in the array DST values are DST end, DST start.

Parameters
var tp = s.getTimeParting(h,z);

• h = (required) Hemisphere - Specify what hemisphere you are converting the time to. This is a value of 'n' or 's'.
This is used to determine how to use the DST array passed. If 'n' is passed the plugin uses the dates when DST
is on. If 's' is passed the plugin uses the dates when DST is off.
• z = (optional) Time Zone - If you would like the data to be based upon a specific time period, then that will need to
be specified as the hours different from GMT here. Note this should be the GMT during non DST. If no value is
specified, it defaults to GMT (i.e. '-5' for US Eastern Time)
Returns

Returns a concatenated value of time at minute level and day of week, for example:
8:03 AM|Monday

You can then use Classifications to group visits into time periods. For example, you could set up a rule in Classification
Rule Builder to bucket visits between 9:00 AM and 9:59 AM to "9:00 AM - 10:00 AM". As an alternative to
classifications, you could provide additional client-side logic to bucket visits in JavaScript.

Example Call
var tp = s.getTimeParting('n','-7');
s.prop1 = tp;

PLUGINS SECTION

Add the following code to the PLUGINS SECTION in the s_code.js file.

/*
* Plugin: getTimeParting 3.4
*/
s.getTimeParting=new Function("h","z",""
+"var s=this,od;od=new Date('1/1/2000');if(od.getDay()!=6||od.getMont"
+"h()!=0){return'Data Not Available';}else{var H,M,D,U,ds,de,tm,da=['"
+"Sunday','Monday','Tuesday','Wednesday','Thursday','Friday','Saturda"
+"y'],d=new Date();z=z?z:0;z=parseFloat(z);if(s._tpDST){var dso=s._tp"
+"DST[d.getFullYear()].split(/,/);ds=new Date(dso[0]+'/'+d.getFullYea"
+"r());de=new Date(dso[1]+'/'+d.getFullYear());if(h=='n'&&d>ds&&d<de)"
+"{z=z+1;}else if(h=='s'&&(d>de||d<ds)){z=z+1;}}d=d.getTime()+(d.getT"
+"imezoneOffset()*60000);d=new Date(d+(3600000*z));H=d.getHours();M=d"
+".getMinutes();M=(M<10)?'0'+M:M;D=d.getDay();U=' AM';if(H>=12){U=' P"
+"M';H=H-12;}if(H==0){H=12;}D=da[D];tm=H+':'+M+U;return(tm+'|'+D);}");

Notes
• Always test plug-in installations to ensure that data collection is as expected before deploying to production.
• Configuration variables must be set for plugin to work correctly.

getValOnce
The getValOnce plug-in prevents a given variable from being set to the previously defined value. It uses a cookie
to determine a variable's last seen value. If the current value matches the cookie value, the variable is overwritten
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 210

with a blank string before it is sent to Adobe's processing servers.This plug-in is useful to prevent conversion variable
instance inflation caused when users refresh the page or click the Back button.

Important: This plug-in has not been validated to be compatible with AppMeasurement for JavaScript. See
AppMeasurement Plug-in Support.

Parameters
s.eVar1=s.getValOnce(variable,cookie,expiration,minute);

• Variable: The variable that will be checked. This is typically the same as the variable being defined.
• Cookie: The name of the cookie that stores the previous value to compare against. The cookie can be any value.
• (Optional) Expiration: The number of days the cookie will expire. If not set or set to 0, the default expiration is the
browser session.
• (Optional) Minute: If you set this to the string value m, the expiration value is defined in minutes instead of days.
If not set, days is the default expiration.
Properties
• This plug-in is commonly used on conversion variables. However, you can use it on any Analytics variable.
• When Javascript encounters this function, it compares the defined value to what is stored in the cookie. If the
defined value is different from the cookie value, the defined value is set. If the defined value is the same as the
cookie value, an empty string is returned.
• The cookie can only store a single value, meaning the plug-in only looks as the last defined value.
• The plug-in does not stop all values from defining the variable after it is defined. The plug-in only prevents the last
value from being set multiple times consecutively.
• If the end user blocks or rejects cookies, the original value is always returned.
• The plug-in's session is different from what Analytics defines as a session (or visit). Analytics terminates a session
after 12 hours of activity or 30 minutes of inactivity. Because the plug-in uses the browser's session definition, it is
terminated only after the user closes the tab or exits the browser.
• If a user closes your page, opens a different tab and navigates back to your site within 30 minutes, the plug-in
creates a new session while keeping the Analytics visit open.
• If a user keeps the browser window open without clicking on a link for more than 30 minutes, the Analytics visit
expires while keeping the browser session open.

Note: The following instructions require you to alter the data collection code on your site. This can affect data
collection on your site, and should only be done by a developer with experience using and implementing
Analytics.

Implementation

Note: If your organization uses Marketing Channels and has rules set up based on s.campaign, it is
recommended that you not use the getValOnce plugin when setting the s.campaign value. Doing so could
lead to an incorrect channel being assigned on a secondary campaign click-through.

To implement this plug-in, place the following code within your s_code.js file
/********************************************************************
*
* Main Plug-in code (should be in Plug-ins section)
*
*******************************************************************/
/*
* Plugin: getValOnce_v1.11
*/
s.getValOnce=new Function("v","c","e","t",""
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 211

+"var s=this,a=new Date,v=v?v:'',c=c?c:'s_gvo',e=e?e:0,i=t=='m'?6000"

+"0:86400000,k=s.c_r(c);if(v){a.setTime(a.getTime()+e*i);s.c_w(c,v,e"
+"==0?0:a);}return v==k?'':v");

Once the above code is implemented, define the desired variable using the getValOnce function. The following are
several examples on how it can be implemented:

Preventing the same campaign value from being defined if a duplicate value is detected within 30 days of
cookie being set:
s.campaign=s.getValOnce(s.campaign,'s_cmp',30);

Prevents the same eVar1 value from being defined if a duplicate value is detected within 30 minutes of the
cookie being set:
s.eVar1=s.getValOnce(s.eVar1,'s_ev1',30,'m');

Prevents the same eVar2 value from being defined multiple times in the same browser session:
s.eVar2=s.getValOnce(s.eVar2,'s_ev2');

Notes
• Always test plug-in installations extensively to ensure that data collection is as expected before deploying in a
production environment.
• Make sure you delete the cookie or use new, unique values during testing or variables will not be sent.

getVisitNum
The getVisitNum plug-in determines how many visits a user has made to your site and captures this number in a
Analytics variable.

Plug-in Code and Implementation

CONFIG SECTION: No changes required for this section.

Plug-in Configuration

Place the following code within the s_doPlugins() function, which is located in the area of the s_code.js file labeled
Plugin Config. Choose one Custom Traffic (s.prop) variable or one Custom Conversion (s.eVar) variable for use in
capturing visit number data. This should be a variable that has been enabled using the Admin Console, but which
is not currently in use for another purpose. You can use the following example and update it based on your
requirements.

s.prop1=s.getVisitNum();

Note: The following instructions require you to alter the data collection code on your site. This can affect data
collection on your site, and should only be done by a developer with experience using and implementing
Analytics.

PLUGINS SECTION: Add the following code to the area of the s_code.js file labeled PLUGINS SECTION. Do
not make any changes to this portion of the plug-in code.
/*
* Plugin: getVisitNum - version 3.0
*/
s.getVisitNum=new Function("tp","c","c2",""
+"var s=this,e=new Date,cval,cvisit,ct=e.getTime(),d;if(!tp){tp='m';}"
+"if(tp=='m'||tp=='w'||tp=='d'){eo=s.endof(tp),y=eo.getTime();e.setTi"
+"me(y);}else {d=tp*86400000;e.setTime(ct+d);}if(!c){c='s_vnum';}if(!"
+"c2){c2='s_invisit';}cval=s.c_r(c);if(cval){var i=cval.indexOf('&vn="
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 212

+"'),str=cval.substring(i+4,cval.length),k;}cvisit=s.c_r(c2);if(cvisi"
+"t){if(str){e.setTime(ct+1800000);s.c_w(c2,'true',e);return str;}els"
+"e {return 'unknown visit number';}}else {if(str){str++;k=cval.substri"
+"ng(0,i);e.setTime(k);s.c_w(c,k+'&vn='+str,e);e.setTime(ct+1800000);"
+"s.c_w(c2,'true',e);return str;}else {s.c_w(c,e.getTime()+'&vn=1',e)"
+";e.setTime(ct+1800000);s.c_w(c2,'true',e);return 1;}}");
s.dimo=new Function("m","y",""
+"var d=new Date(y,m+1,0);return d.getDate();");
s.endof=new Function("x",""
+"var t=new Date;t.setHours(0);t.setMinutes(0);t.setSeconds(0);if(x=="
+"'m'){d=s.dimo(t.getMonth(),t.getFullYear())-t.getDate()+1;}else if("
+"x=='w'){d=7-t.getDay();}else {d=1;}t.setDate(t.getDate()+d);return "
+"t;");

Parameters

• tp = (string, optional) Tracking period. use "d" for day, "w" for week, "m" for month, or a number for a custom number
of days.

• If day, week, or month is selected then the visit number will reset at the end of the day/week/month.
• If a custom number of days is selected then the visit number will reset after that number of days.
• If no value is provided then "m" will be used.

• c = (string, optional) Specify the persistent cookie name. Default is 's_vnum'.

• c2 = (string, optional) Specify the session cookie name. Default is 's_invisit'

Returns

• returns the visit number (1,2,3,etc) of the visit. This number is incremented only on the first page of each visit.
• returns "unknown visit number" if the plug-in is unable to identify the visit number (cookies are blocked).

Examples
s.prop1=s.getVisitNum(365); //custom length, 365 days. Default cookie names
s.prop1=s.getVisitNum('w'); //resets weekly
s.prop1=s.getVisitNum('m','s_vmonthnum','s_monthinvisit'); //resets montly, custom cookie names
s.prop1=s.getVisitNum('d'); //resets daily

Notes
• Always test plug-in installations extensively to ensure that data collection is as expected before deploying in a
production environment.
• This plug-in relies on the ability to set cookies in the user's web browser. If the user does not accept cookies, all
visits will appear to be first visits.

hitGovernor
The s.hitGovernor plugin tracks the total number of Analytics image requests sent during a predefined rolling time
frame, and can perform additional logic as required if that total exceeds a certain threshold.
Although traffic from bots, spiders, specific user agents, or a specific list of IP addresses can be identified as bot
traffic or otherwise excluded from reporting, there can be traffic that is captured in your report suites that should not
otherwise be counted. For example, a high number of clicks or page views during an unreasonable amount of time
(i.e. approximately one request per second) could potentially be duplicitous traffic.

Using this plugin allows for that traffic to automatically be blocked for the remainder of that visitor's lifetime, and that
traffic can also be dynamically identified within reports.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 213

How the Hit Governor Plugin Works

The plugin increments a cookie value each time an image request is sent to your tracking servers, and tracks this
over a rolling time frame. The default time frame is one minute, although that time frame can be overridden. (See
Implementation, below.) If the total number of hits during that time frame exceeds the default hit threshold (60), a
final custom link image request is sent to set the exceptionFlag context data variable. The default hit threshold can
also be overridden.

If desired, from that point forward, traffic can be prevented from being collected for that specific visitor for a default
period of sixty days. Blocking the traffic requires an additional line of code in your doPlugins function, as outlined
below. The time frame can be adjusted as well. The logic allows time to either include that visitor's IP address, User
Agent, or Experience Cloud Visitor ID in the proper permanent exception logic, or to reset the timeout period after
the sixty days have elapsed. If this traffic is identified as fraudulent by the plugin after sixty days, the traffic is again
flagged as an exception and is not collected for another sixty days.

Reporting
No default variables or events need to be set up. However, we strongly recommend that you set up processing rules
logic to set variables and events accordingly. Those custom variables and events might include:

• Experience Cloud Visitor ID

• IP Address
• User Agent
• Flagged Exception Event

Creating segments for those variables would then allow you to create segments and virtual report suites to view the
overall site impact of those ambiguous hits.

We recommend using the values captured in the reporting to update the bot rules, DB VISTA rules, or company IP
exclusions.

performanceTiming
This plug-in operates by using the Navigation Timing JavaScript API for accurately measuring performance on the
web. This provides a native method to get accurate and detailed timing statistics for page load events & asset load
times. Previously, measurements of this sort have either utilized the JavaScript Date object for timing metrics, or a
rudimentary extrapolation of the Navigation Timing metrics. Both methodologies, even though they provide some
trended data for page load times, are unreliable.

What This Plug-In Does

Important: This is a beta version of the plugin, and additional updates may be forthcoming.

This plug-in utilizes the following detailed events to track the individual timing components of a page load:

Event Name Calculated From

1 Redirect Timing fetchStart - navigationStart
2 App Cache Timing domainLookupStart - fetchStart
3 DNS Timing domainLookupEnd - domainLookupStart
4 TCP Timing connectEnd - connectStart
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 214

Event Name Calculated From

5 Request Timing responseStart - connectEnd
6 Response Timing responseEnd - responseStart
7 Processing Timing loadEventStart - domLoading
8 onLoad Timing loadEventEnd - loadEventStart
9 Total Page Load Time loadEventEnd - navigationStart
10 Performance Instances Counter

The following graph illustrates the timing attributes defined by the PerformanceTiming interface and the
PerformanceNavigation interface with or without redirect, respectively.

Full details on the Navigation Timing object can be found here:

http://www.w3.org/TR/navigation-timing/#sec-navigation-timing-interface

In addition, the plugin can optionally use the performanceEntries object to record the asset name, asset load time
start, and asset load time duration details for each individual asset loaded on a given page. A large amount of
information is recorded with this plugin, and as such it requires that the DOM storage object is enabled in order to
store the page load information between page views. Please be sure that your company’s privacy policy allows for
the use of the DOM storage object before enabling this functionality. It also requires the use of a listVar to track all
assets.

Required Supporting Plug-Ins

• appendList
• getPreviousValue
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 215

Plug-In Code and Implementation

Note: The following instructions require you to alter the data collection code on your site. This can affect data
collection on your site, and should be done only by a developer with experience using and implementing Adobe
Analytics. This plugin is compatible only with AppMeasurement tracking libraries.

Config Section (before doPlugins):

s.pte: Comma-separated list of events containing the 10 events you wish to use - the individual timing event
components (events 1 - 8), the total page load time (event 9), and total performance instances (event 10) - in that
specific order.

s.ptc: Set to determine whether or not to execute the plugin within doPlugins. Always set to false.

Sample Calls
s.pte = 'event10,event11,event12,event13,event14,event15,event16,event17,event18,event19'
//[--------------------------- 1 to 8 ---------------------------][-- 9 --][- 10 -]
s.ptc = false;

doPlugins Section:

To initialize the plug-in, one line of code is required in the doPlugins section of your s_code, preferably after you
have designated the s.pageName variable. If you wish to utilize the asset load time functionality within the plug-in,
you must pass in the name of the list variable to be used. Otherwise, only the performance timing entries will be
tracked in the events you previously specified in the s.pte variable.

Note: In order to correlate performance timing entries with pages on your site, you must also initialize the
getPreviousValue plug-in. We recommend comparing these performance entries with either the previous
page name or the previous page URL value.

Sample Calls
/* Performance Timing */
s.eVar9 = s.getPreviousValue(s.pageName,'gpv_v9',''); //Record the previous page name in the
designated eVar of your choice
s.performanceTiming('list2')

Plugins Section:

Lastly, add the plug-in itself to your JavaScript implementation.

/* Plugin: Performance Timing Tracking - 0.11 BETA */
s.performanceTiming=new Function("v",""
+"var s=this;if(v)s.ptv=v;if(typeof performance!='undefined'){if(perf"
+"ormance.timing.loadEventEnd==0){s.pi=setInterval(function(){s.perfo"
+"rmanceWrite()},250);}if(!s.ptc||s.linkType=='e'){s.performanceRead("
+");}else{s.rfe();s[s.ptv]='';}}");
s.performanceWrite=new Function("",""
+"var s=this;if(performance.timing.loadEventEnd>0)clearInterval(s.pi)"
+";try{if(s.c_r('s_ptc')==''&&performance.timing.loadEventEnd>0){try{"
+"var pt=performance.timing;var pta='';pta=s.performanceCheck(pt.fetc"
+"hStart,pt.navigationStart);pta+='^^'+s.performanceCheck(pt.domainLo"
+"okupStart,pt.fetchStart);pta+='^^'+s.performanceCheck(pt.domainLook"
+"upEnd,pt.domainLookupStart);pta+='^^'+s.performanceCheck(pt.connect"
+"End,pt.connectStart);pta+='^^'+s.performanceCheck(pt.responseStart,"
+"pt.connectEnd);pta+='^^'+s.performanceCheck(pt.responseEnd,pt.respo"
+"nseStart);pta+='^^'+s.performanceCheck(pt.loadEventStart,pt.domLoad"
+"ing);pta+='^^'+s.performanceCheck(pt.loadEventEnd,pt.loadEventStart"
+");pta+='^^'+s.performanceCheck(pt.loadEventEnd,pt.navigationStart);"
+"s.c_w('s_ptc',pta);if(sessionStorage&&navigator.cookieEnabled&&s.pt"
+"v!='undefined'){var pe=performance.getEntries();var tempPe='';for(v"
+"ar i=0;i<pe.length;i++){tempPe+='!';tempPe+=pe[i].name.indexOf('?')"
+">-1?pe[i].name.split('?')[0]:pe[i].name;tempPe+='|'+(Math.round(pe["
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 216

+"i].startTime)/1000).toFixed(1)+'|'+(Math.round(pe[i].duration)/1000"
+").toFixed(1)+'|'+pe[i].initiatorType;}sessionStorage.setItem('s_pec"
+"',tempPe);}}catch(err){return;}}}catch(err){return;}");
s.performanceCheck=new Function("a","b",""
+"if(a>=0&&b>=0){if((a-b)<60000&&((a-b)>=0)){return((a-b)/1000).toFix"
+"ed(2);}else{return 600;}}");
s.performanceRead=new Function("",""
+"var s=this;if(performance.timing.loadEventEnd>0)clearInterval(s.pi)"
+";var cv=s.c_r('s_ptc');if(s.pte){var ela=s.pte.split(',');}if(cv!='"
+"'){var cva=s.split(cv,'^^');if(cva[1]!=''){for(var x=0;x<(ela.lengt"
+"h-1);x++){s.events=s.apl(s.events,ela[x]+'='+cva[x],',',2);}}s.even"
+"ts=s.apl(s.events,ela[ela.length-1],',',2);}s.linkTrackEvents=s.apl"
+"(s.linkTrackEvents,s.pte,',',2);s.c_w('s_ptc','',0);if(sessionStora"
+"ge&&navigator.cookieEnabled&&s.ptv!='undefined'){s[s.ptv]=sessionSt"
+"orage.getItem('s_pec');sessionStorage.setItem('s_pec','',0);}else{s"
+"[s.ptv]='sessionStorage Unavailable';}s.ptc=true;");
/* Remove from Events 0.1 - Performance Specific,
removes all performance events from s.events once being tracked. */
s.rfe=new Function("",""
+"var s=this;var ea=s.split(s.events,',');var pta=s.split(s.pte,',');"
+"try{for(x in pta){s.events=s.rfl(s.events,pta[x]);s.contextData['ev"
+"ents']=s.events;}}catch(e){return;}");
/* Plugin Utility - RFL (remove from list) 1.0*/
s.rfl=new Function("l","v","d1","d2","ku",""
+"var s=this,R=new Array(),C='',d1=!d1?',':d1,d2=!d2?',':d2,ku=!ku?0:"
+"1;if(!l)return'';L=l.split(d1);for(i=0;i<L.length;i++){if(L[i].inde"
+"xOf(':')>-1){C=L[i].split(':');C[1]=C[0]+':'+C[1];L[i]=C[0];}if(L[i"
+"].indexOf('=')>-1){C=L[i].split('=');C[1]=C[0]+'='+C[1];L[i]=C[0];}"
+"if(L[i]!=v&&C)R.push(C[1]);else if(L[i]!=v)R.push(L[i]);else if(L[i"
+"]==v&&ku){ku=0;if(C)R.push(C[1]);else R.push(L[i]);}C='';}return s."
+"join(R,{delim:d2})");

Notes
• Always test plug-in installations to ensure that data collection is as expected before deploying in a production
environment.
• Because the plug-in passes the performance data as they are associated with the previous page, data is not
collected for the final page view of the visit.
• If you are tracking asset timing, this plug-in relies on the ability to set DOM storage values in the user's web browser.
If the user does not accept cookies and have DOM storage enabled, the plug-in will not pass data into Analytics.
• A very small percentage of users will not pass navigation timing data due to browser limitations, and logic is
contained within the plugin to ensure that the data is not skewed as a result – particularly with a small portion of
mobile browsers. However, this plug-in has been successfully tested in IE, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari.
• Calculated metrics should be created to aid in summarizing and understanding visitor behavior associated with
these metrics:
• Average Redirect Timing (Redirect Timing/Performance Timing Instances)
• Average App Cache Timing (App Cache Timing/Performance Timing Instances)
• Average DNS Timing (DNS Timing/Performance Timing Instances)
• Average TCP Timing (TCP Timing/Performance Timing Instances)
• Average Request Timing (Request Timing/Performance Timing Instances)
• Average Response Timing (Response Timing/Performance Timing Instances)
• Average Processing Timing (Processing Timing/Performance Timing Instances)
• Average onLoad Timing (onLoad Timing/Performance Timing Instances)
• Average Page Load Timing (Total Page Load Time/Performance Timing Instances)

trackTNT
Collects the information for the Target to Analytics integration. This plug-in is replaced by the Adobe Analytics and
Adobe target integration.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 217

See Adobe Analytics and Adobe Target integration.

Pathing

Pathing is defined as the path that users take through your site.
For example, a visitor went to page A, then page B, then page C. Pathing is one of the very powerful features of
Analytics. The tremendous insight it brings is critical to businesses looking to understand visitor traffic patterns.

Out-of-the-box Analytics provides pathing at the page level. The basic idea behind pathing is you are shown the
order of pages that users saw during their visits. This data is presented in several different reports that format the
data in different ways, depending on what you are trying to see.

Note: To enable pathing, go to Admin > Report Suites > Edit Settings > Traffic > Traffic Variables. To
enable pathing on the Site Section and Server reports, contact Customer Care.

Enabling Pathing on a prop

Though pathing reports are available out-of-the-box for pages, pathing can also be enabled for custom traffic
variables.
Enabling pathing on a prop can be done in the Admin Console. The following list contains few examples of a business
question that can be solved by enabling pathing for a prop.
• Where does a user go on my site after they come to my site from a campaign?
• What are the common site sections my users go to in their visits?
• How do I see page pathing by user type?
Advanced pathing is available in Ad hoc analysis. Ad hoc analysis provides segmentation on any report on the fly
without needing to enable this setting, or structure data in the prop in certain ways. It is the easiest and most optimal
way to segment your path reports as well. For more information see the Ad hoc analysis documentation.

When pathing is enabled for a prop, you get a new set of pathing reports that are found below the standard pathing
reports. Pathing reports tell you the order that it saw the pages come in for that visitor. When you enable pathing
on a prop, it does the same thing: it tells you the order of the prop values it saw come in for the user. This order of
values is displayed in different ways depending on the path report you are viewing.

Note: To enable pathing, go to Admin > Report Suites > Edit Settings > Traffic > Traffic Variables. To
enable pathing on the Site Section and Server reports, contact Customer Care.

Pathing by Campaign or Tracking Code

Helps you answer the question, "After a user clicks into my site from a campaign, where do they go on my site?"
To answer this question, you need to set aside an sprop to be used for this report. You then need to structure the
data to populate into the prop in such a way that it makes sense when pathing is enabled.

For this example, you are going to use prop1 as your campaign pathing prop. Now you want to populate this sprop
with the same value you put in the page name variable. See below:
s.prop1=s.pageName;
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You should do this on all pages unless the person has clicked from a campaign. If they have clicked from a campaign
and are on the landing page of the campaign, then you populate the prop with a concatenation of the campaign and
the pagename. See below:
s.prop1=s.campaign + ‘ : ’ + s.pageName;

If the campaign they clicked was named "banner1234," and the page it landed on was named "Home Page," the
value in that prop would be "banner1234 : Home Page." On every subsequent page you put the pagename in the
prop as shown above.

When a user clicks this campaign and views four total pages in that visit, you get the following values in the sprop
in this order:
“banner1234 : Home Page” > “Page 2” > “Page 3” > “Page 4”

With our data captured in prop1 in this way, with pathing enabled on this prop, you can now look at one of various
pathing reports to understand how they path through the site after they click from a campaign.

You can specify the start page from which to start the path report. In this case, you selected "banner1234 : Home
Page", because you want to know where users went after they clicked from campaign "banner 1234." This report is
only an example of one of many path reports.

Reasons Pathing may not be Recorded

List of reasons pathing information might not be recorded and displayed in reporting.
• Pathing has not been enabled for that prop in that report suite. This enablement is report suite specific.
• Data is not being passed into the correct prop.
• Pathing has been enabled and the data is in the prop, but it hasn't shown up in the reports. Though the sprop data
may show up within 10 minutes, the pathing data will not show up until the visitor's session has ended. It ends after
30 minutes of inactivity. Analytics then takes another 10 minutes to finish the processing of the path data for final
presentation in reports.
If you have checked all of these and the data is still not showing up, check with Customer Care for further debugging.

Moving from Section to Section

If you want to know how visitors move from section to section on your site, you first need to ensure that you are
tagging your sections with the channel variable.
With this data in place, you must have pathing enabled on the channel variable. If a user starts on the home page
and moves to the Sports section, then to the News section, this activity shows up in the Site Section path reports.
These reports display after pathing is enabled on this variable.

Moving from Page Template to Page Template

If your site has types of pages or page templates, you could use pathing to understand how they move from type to
type.
You need to first capture the page type or template in a prop set aside for only that purpose. Then have Adobe
Customer Care enable pathing on that prop. You can now view your page template pathing reports to understand
how users move from template to template on your site.

Segmenting Paths by User Type

Segmenting paths by user type is a common request for trying to understand how specific user types path on your
site.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 219

You can concatenate the user type and page name into a sprop and enable pathing on the sprop.

For example, let's say you have two user types: "Registered" users and "Non-Registered" users. You need to
distinguish between these two user types on each page and put these values into your designated sprop. When
you populate the prop, it should display as shown below:
s.prop1=”Registered : “ + s.pageName;

If the user is a registered user and visited the home page, the value in the prop displays as follows:
“Registered : Home Page”

If they click to another page named "Page 2", the value on that page displays as follows:
“Registered : Page 2”

With Pathing turned on, you see those two values in succession. If you want to know how registered users move
from the home page, find the value "Registered : Home Page" in one of the path reports and see the next pages
they visited. In this case, they next went to "Page 2."

Purchase Events

For the purchase event, Analytics variables are used to capture specific purchase information. The s.purchaseID
variable is used to serialize (de-duplicate) the event.
The purchaseID is limited to 20 characters. The purchaseID variable serializes all events passed in the variable
s.events, and overrides any serialization value for events. If purchaseID is left blank, each instance of the purchase
event, even page reloads, is counted.

If a purchase event is called without a purchaseID, a unique one is automatically generated based on the s.products
and s.events variables. This automatically generated purchaseID is stored locally as a cookie value within the visitor's
browser, and is not sent to any report suite tables. Manually defined purchaseIDs on the other hand are sent to a
back-end table within the report suite. The last five purchases made by a visitor (with or without purchaseID) are
stored in the local cookie.

When a visitor makes any purchase, the following checks are made:
• Does the purchaseID match any of the five cookie values? If so, the image request is considered a duplicate
purchase. All conversion variables, including the purchase event, do not appear in reporting.
• If purchaseID is defined, does it match any value in the report suite's back-end table? If so, the image request is
considered a duplicate purchase. All conversion variables, including the purchase event, do not appear in reporting.
• If the purchaseID is unique to both the last 5 stored values in the cookie and the report suite's purchaseID table,
the image request is unique and included in reporting. For example, if five purchases are already included in the
local cookie, the oldest one is overwritten.
Specific server-side code can be used to generate the unique number (alphanumeric value) embedded in the HTML
source. Usually the Order ID, or similar alphanumeric value, is used for this purpose. This value should not change
if the user refreshes the page. The following is a short example (note the purchaseID code in bold):

Syntax
s.products="Category;ProductName;Qty;total_price [,Category2;ProductName2;Qty;total_price]"
s.state="XX"
s.zip="00000"
s.purchaseID="<%=getPurchaseID()%>"
s.events="purchase"
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 220

Examples
s.products="Footwear;Hiking Boots (1234);1;170.00"
s.state="UT"
s.zip="84097"
s.purchaseID="12341234"
s.events="purchase"

Additional Notes
• Be sure to use server-side code to generate the unique identifier for the event. Do not use a JavaScript randomization
function to generate a number, which generates unique numbers each time the page is loaded (each
instance/pageview counts).
• The unique identifiers are applicable to all users across all sessions. Therefore, ensure the identifier is unique
across users and sessions. For instance, if the Order ID repeats after 30 days, append the date of the order to
make the Order ID sufficiently unique.
• The serialization value may be alphanumeric values up to 20 characters in length. This is identical to the limitations
of s.purchaseID (replace s. with s_ for G Code).
• The s.purchaseID variable serializes all events passed in the variable s.events, and overrides any serialization
value for events. Do not use Event serialization for any events if the s.purchaseID variable is used on the current
page (replace s. with s_ for G Code).

Event Serialization

Event serialization is the process of implementing measures to prevent duplicate events from entering Analytics
reporting. This can commonly occur when a user refreshes the page multiple times, navigates to a certain page
multiple times, or saves the web page to their computer (for example, if a customer saves a purchase confirmation
page to their computer, every time they view it orders and revenue would be counted again if event serialization
was not in place).
Event serialization is useful in the following instances:
• A page may be reloaded or refreshed and repeatedly send an event. Event serialization prevents events from
being recounted by using a serial number for each event.
• The user saves the page to his/her machine for later review.This scenario is quite common on purchase confirmation
pages to review purchase receipts. Event serialization prevents the subsequent page reloads from re-counting
the events.

Note: Data Sources does not support event serialization or de-duplication.

This document describes the process used to implement Event serialization for conversion and custom events.
To use Event serialization, you must first enable it in Admin > Report Suite > [select report suite] > Edit Settings
> Success Events. Then select which events you want recorded in the Unique Event Recording column.

Default Behavior
The default behavior is to count each instance of an event. An event is set for each pageviewthat is counted, even
on page reloads or page refreshes. The s.purchaseID variable is used in order to uniquely identify each order
(purchase). This allows a user to reload the order page without recounting the order, revenue, or products. A similar
feature is available for all events. This includes pre-defined events such as prodView and scCheckout, as well as
all custom events.

Methods of Event Serialization

There are two methods of keeping events from counting more than once.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 221

To use Event serialization, you must first enable it in Admin > Report Suite > [select report suite] > Edit Settings
> Success Events. Then select which events you want recorded in the Unique Event Recording column. There
are three different settings an event can be set to.

Always record event: This is the default behavior of all events when initially enabled. All events included in image
requests will be sent directly to Analytics, including page reloads.

Record once per visit: An event with this setting enabled will only track the first instance of that event in a given
visit. Once a new visit starts, each event with this setting enabled can be tracked again. This is an effective way to
mitigate duplicate events via browser refreshes.

Use event ID: This setting allows the capability to associate each event with a unique ID. If Analytics sees an eventID
it has already seen before with that variable, it will not be counted in reporting.

The only event that cannot have event serialization enabled is the purchase event, as this uses the s.purchaseID
variable. All other eCommerce events and custom events can have these settings enabled.
• Use a unique identifier to let an event fire once per unique ID.
• Send multiple events, then use configure Analytics to let an event fire once per visit.
To implement Event serialization, provide a unique ID for the event, for example event1:1234ABCD.

Event Serialization - Once per Unique ID

Once Event serialization is implemented, and Analytics receives a duplicate number, it ignores the event. An event
is counted only once per unique value. If the number is unique, another event instance is counted, as shown in the
following example:

User Name Description Event Syntax Analytics Total Event1

Count
John User views page for the first time. event1:1000 1
John User reloads the page (a form submit may fail, event1:1000 1
and cause the page to reload).
Stacy User views page for the first time. event1:1001 2
Stacy User reloads the page (a form submit may fail, event1:1001 2
and cause the page to reload).
Jill User views page for the first time, enters event1:1002 3
information correctly, and moves on to next
page.
Jamie User views page for the first time event1 4
Jamie User forgets to fill in the last name field on the event1 5
form. The form is displayed again with the
missing information highlighted.

s.events Syntax
Use the following syntax for serializing events. In the first example, event1 is serialized, while event2 is not serialized
(an instance is counted for each pageview or page reload).
s.events="[event]:[serial number]"
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 222

Samples:
s.events="event1:12341234"
s.events="event1:12341234,event2"
s.events="purchase,event1:12341234"

Serializing a counter event with a value other than 1

Add the serial number after the event value similar to the following:
s.events="event1=100:12341234"

Note the following when selecting serialization IDs:

• Serialization IDs must be 20 characters or less.
• Serialization IDs must be alphanumeric characters.
• Serialization IDs are separate for each success event. Therefore, you can use the same ID for multiple success
events if needed, just not for the same success event.
• Serialization IDs are tied to the report suite, so if you are using multi-suite tagging to send data to multiple report
suites, keep this in mind.
• Serialization IDs never expire, so even if the same ID is used years later, the success event will not be counted
again.
• Cookie deletion does not prevent Event ID serialization because serialization IDs are stored on Adobe servers and
are not cookie-based.
• The one success event with which it is not possible to use Event ID serialization is the Purchase event, which uses
a special s.purchaseID variable for serialization.

Event Serialization - Once per Visit

Analytics offers a feature to let an event only fire once per visit.

This can be enabled from the UI: Admin > Report Suite > Edit Settings > Conversion > Success Events.
Serializing eVars
The same functionality used to keep an event from being fired more than once per visit can be applied to evar
instances. When enabled for an evar, click-throughs and instances are only counted once per visit for a specific
evar. This is not counting once per value, but once per evar. This means that if an evar or campaign variable is set
to record once per visit, only the first value seen in a visit shows a click-through or instance. However, if the evar
is set to allocate credit to the most recent value, then the most recent value still receives credit, even if it does not
have an instance. The following example helps to illustrate this point.

If s.campaign is set to Record once per visit, and within a single visit 20, pages are viewed. First, there are 10
pages where s.campaign is set to "abc," then 10 pages are viewed where s_campaign is set to "xyz." On all 20
pages, event1 is fired. The following screen shot illustrates the results. Notice that there are no instances or
Click-throughs associated with "xyz," but it does receive credit for all events fired.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 223

Identifying Unique Visitors

Adobe uses a cookie to track unique browsers/devices.

Analytics Visitor ID Order

Adobe Analytics provides several mechanisms to identify visitors. The following table lists the different ways a visitor
can be identified in Analytics (in order of preference):

Order Query Parameter (collection method) Present When

Used
vid (s.visitorID) s.visitorID is set

aid (s_vi cookie) Visitor had an existing s_vi cookie before you deployed the
Visitor ID service, or you have a visitor ID grace period
configured.
mid (AMCV_ cookie set by Experience Visitor's browser accepts cookies (first-party)
Cloud Visitor ID service)
fid (fallback cookie on H.25.3 or newer, or Visitor's browser accepts cookies (first-party)
AppMeasurement for JavaScript)
IP Address, User Agent, Gateway IP Visitor's browser does not accept cookies.
Address

In many scenarios you might see 2 or 3 different IDs on a call, but Analytics will use the first ID present from the
previous table as the official visitor ID. For example, if you are setting a custom visitor ID (included in the "vid" query
parameter), that ID will be used before other IDs that might be present on that same hit.

Note: Each Analytics visitor ID is associated with a visitor profile on Adobe servers. Visitor profiles are deleted
after at least 13 months of inactivity regardless of any visitor ID cookie expiration.

Custom Visitor ID
You can implement a custom method to identify visitors by setting the s.visitorID variable.
A custom Visitor ID can be used on sites where you have unique way to identify visitors. An example of this is an
ID generated when a user logs in to web site using a user name and password.

Should you have the ability to derive and manage the visitor IDs of your users, you can use the following methods
to set the ID:

Method Description
s.visitorID variable If JavaScript is used on the browser, or if you are using any other AppMeasurement library,
you can set the visitor ID in a data collection variable.
Query string This lets you pass the visitor ID to Adobe via the vid query string parameter on a
parameter on the hard-coded image request.
image request
Data Insertion API On devices using wireless protocols that don't accept JavaScript, you can send an XML
post containing the <visitorid/> XML element to Adobe collection servers from your servers.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 224

Method Description
URL re-writing and Some deployment architectures provide support for using URL re-writing to maintain session
VISTA state when a cookie cannot be set. In such cases, Adobe engineering services can implement
a VISTA rule that would look for the session value in the URL of the page, then format and
place into the visid values.

Experience Cloud ID Service

The Experience Cloud ID service replaces the legacy Analytics visitor ID mechanism, and is required by heartbeat
video measurement, Analytics for Target, and future Experience Cloud core services and integrations.
See Experience Cloud ID Service for product documentation about this service.

Analytics Visitor ID
When a user visits your site, a persistent cookie is set by the Adobe web server by including it in the HTTP response
to the browser. This cookie is set on the specified data collection domain.
When a request is sent to the Adobe data collection server, the header is checked for the visitor ID cookie (s_vi).
If this cookie is in the request, it is used to identify the visitor. If the cookie is not in the request, the server generates
a unique visitor ID, sets it as a cookie in the HTTP response header, and sends it back with the request. The cookie
is stored in the browser and is sent back to the data collection server during subsequent visits the site, which enables
the visitor to be identified across visits.

Third-Party Cookies and CNAME records

Some browsers, such as Apple Safari, no longer store cookies that are set in the HTTP header from domains that
do not match the domain of the current website (this is a cookie used in a third-party context, or a third-party cookie).
For example, if you are on mysite.com and your data collection server is mysite.omtrdc.net, the cookie that is
returned in the HTTP header from mysite.omtrdc.net might be rejected by the browser.

To avoid this, many customers have implemented CNAME records for their data collection servers as part of a
first-party cookie implementation. If a CNAME record is configured to map a hostname on the customer's domain
to the data collection server (for example, mapping metrics.mysite.com to mysite.omtrdc.net), the visitor ID
cookie is stored since the data collection domain now matches the domain of the website.This increases the likelihood
that the visitor ID cookie will be stored, but it introduces some overhead as you need to configure CNAME records
and maintain SSL certificates for data collection servers.

Cookies on Mobile Devices

When mobile devices are tracked using cookies, there are some settings you can use to modify how measurement
occurs. Cookie default lifetime is 5 years, but you can use the CL query param variable (s.cookieLifetime) to
change this default. To set the cookie location for cname implementations, use the CDP query string
s.cookieDomainPeriods. The default is 2 if no value is specified. and the default location is domain.com. For
implementations that do not use CNAME, the visitor ID cookie location is at the 207.net domain.

Fallback ID Methods
If other visitor ID methods fail, Adobe sets a fallback cookie or uses a combination of IP address and user agent to
identify the visitor.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 225

Fallback Visitor Identification Method

AppMeasurement for JavaScript 1.x and JavaScript H.25.3 (released January 2013) contain a new fallback visitor
identification method for visitors whose browser blocks the cookie set by Adobe’s data collection servers (called
s_vi). Previously, if a cookie could not be set, visitors were identified using a combination of the IP address and
user agent string during data collection.

With this update, if the standard s_vi cookie is unavailable, a fallback cookie is created on the domain of the website
with a randomly generated unique ID. This cookie, named s_fid, is set with a 2 year expiration and is used as the
fallback identification method going forward. This change should result in increased accuracy in visit and visitor
counts in situations where the primary cookie (AMCV_ or s_vi) cannot be set.

Visits total includes all visitors that are identified by the s_vi cookie or by using a fallback method.

IP Address, User Agent, Gateway IP Address

. If the AMCV_ or s_vi and the s_fid cookies cannot be set, visitors are identified using a combination of IP address
and User Agent.

Identifying Mobile Devices

Most mobile devices accept browser cookies. However, in cases when devices do not accept cookies, another
method is used to uniquely identify wireless devices.
Adobe has identified a number of HTTP subscriber ID headers that uniquely identify a majority of mobile devices.
Those headers often include the device phone number (or a hashed version of the number), or other identifiers. The
majority of current devices have one or more of the headers that uniquely identify the device, and all Adobe data
collection servers automatically use those headers in place of a Visitor ID.

In a typical image request, a '1' in the path (/b/ss/rsid/1) causes Adobe servers to return a gif image and to
attempt to set a persistent visitor ID cookie (AMCV_ or s_vi). However, if the device is recognized as a mobile device
based on the HTTP headers, a '5' is passed in place of the '1', which indicates that a wbmp format image should be
returned and that our list of recognized wireless headers (not a cookie) should be used to identify the device.

The following table lists out the order of the ID methods used based on the return image type value ('1' or '5') in the
path:

Setting ID method order

/1/
Default:
• Custom visitor ID
• Cookie
• Subscriber ID Header
• IP Address-UserAgent-Gateway IP Address

/5/ /5.1/
Device was identified as a wireless device, or /5/ was manually sent in the image request:
/5.5/
• Custom visitor ID
• Subscriber ID Header
• Cookie
• IP Address-User Agent-Gateway IP Address
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 226

You can also pass a '1' or a '5' in manual image requests, but be aware that these codes are mutually-exclusive,
therefore always passing '5' does not leverage a cookie when it is supported.You can incorporate your own mechanism
to determine if a device supports cookies, and if so, pass a '1' in the image rather than a '5'. The accuracy improvement
in this situation is limited to the number of mobile devices supporting cookies.

Subscriber ID Headers
The subscriber ID method is generally more reliable than a cookie for user identification because of cookie deletion,
cookie acceptance issues, and gateway cookie management issues.

You can improve changes of identifying a visitor by being added to the white list for the carrier that your mobile
visitors use. To get access to the carrier's visitor ID, contact the carrier to add your domain to their white list. If you
are on a carrier's white list, you also have access to subscriber ID headers that you may not otherwise be able to
access.

The following list of headers is used to identify wireless devices. The algorithm for processing the headers is to

1. extract the HTTP header key (the name of the header, such as,"X-Up-Calling-Line-ID")
2. trim out all non alpha (A-Z and a-z) characters
3. convert the header key to lowercase
4. compare the end of the key to the ones in the following table to find a match:

Header Type Example

callinglineid ID X-Up-Calling-Line-ID: 8613802423312
subno ID x-up-subno: swm_10448371100_vmag.mycingular.net
clientid ID ClientID: [email protected]
uid ID x-jphone-uid: a2V4Uh21XQH9ECNN
clid ID X-Hts_clid: 595961714786
deviceid ID rim-device-id: 200522ae
forwardedfor ID or IP Address X-Forwarded-For: 127.0.0.1
msisdn ID or IP Address X-Wap-msisdn: 8032618185
clientip IP Address Client-ip: 10.9.41.2
wapipaddr IP Address X-WAPIPADDR: 10.48.213.162
huaweinasip IP Address x-huawei-NASIP: 211.139.172.70
userip IP Address UserIP: 70.214.81.241
ipaddress IP Address X-Nokia-ipaddress: 212.97.227.125
subscriberinfo IP Address X-SUBSCRIBER-INFO: IP=10.103.132.128

For example "callinglineid" would match "X-Up-Calling-Line-ID" and "nokia-callinglineid." The header type tells us
what to expect in the header. The order of header priority is listed here (if a "callinglineid" header is present it is used
instead of "subno").
You can use Dynamic Variables to extract specific values from a header.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 227

Cross-Device Visitor Identification

Cross-device visitor identification helps you connect visitors across multiple devices.
For information about identifying visitors across devices, refer to the Adobe Experience Cloud Device Co-op
Documentation.

Connecting Users Across Devices

Cross-device visitor identification uses the visitor ID variable, s.visitorID, to associate a user across devices.
When you provide a visitor ID variable with a hit, the system checks for any other visitor profiles that have a matching
visitor ID. If one exists, the visitor profile that is already in the system is used from that point forward and the previous
visitor profile is no longer used.

The visitor ID is typically set after authentication, or after a visitor performs some other action that enables you to
uniquely identify them independently of the device that is used. We recommend creating a hash of the username
or an internal ID that does not contain any personally identifiable information.

In the previous example, after the customer signs on from each device, they are all associated with the same user
profile. If the visitor later signs out on a device, stitching continues to work since the visitor IDs that are stored in a
cookie on each device are already associated with the same visitor profile. We recommend populating the s.visitorID
variable whenever possible in case the visitor ID cookie is deleted.

Unique Visitor and Visits Counts

Consider the following connection sequence for two devices:
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 228

On the first data connection

• Visitor de-duplication is not retroactive.
After authentication on the laptop, hits with either visitor ID (nv1 or cust1) will be considered the same individual by
Adobe Analytics. However, visitor de-duplication is not retroactive, so 2 unique visitors are counted.

On the first data connection on the mobile device the customer is not recognized so a new unique visitor is counted.
Once the user is authenticated (cust1) on the mobile device, Adobe Analytics maps cust1 back to the visitor ID
provided on the main site, so no more unique visits are incremented.

Each new device or browser authenticated will add 1 unique visitor.

On subsequent data connections

On subsequent data connections to authenticated devices unique visitors are not incremented.

Data Impact of Cross-Device Visitor Identification

Overview of how enabling cross-device visitor identification affects the data that you see in reports.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 229

To understand how this feature affects data collection, it is useful to understand the visitor data fields in a visitor
profile:

Data Field Description

Visitor ID cookie ID generated automatically on the first visit from a device or browser and stored
in the s_vi cookie.
Visitor ID variable Optional visitor ID that is set using the s.visitorID variable. This value is
populated after a user authenticates and might match an ID that your company
uses to track a user across multiple digital marketing channels.
Effective Visitor ID The effective visitor ID is the actual ID for the user profile. This value is set to
the visitor ID cookie, or to the visitor ID variable if one is provided.

Example visit
Example containing a sample of server calls sent in a common customer interaction.

Server Call Action Visitor ID Visitor ID Effective Visit Page Visit Number
Cookie Variable Visitor ID Number
1 A visitor clicks 1 - 1 1 8
a link in a
marketing
email and visits
your site from
home
computer. This
visitor has
visited your
site 7 other
times in the
past.
2-8 Visits 7 1 - 1 2-8 8
additional
pages on your
site.
9 Authenticates 1 CID1 CID1 9* 8
on home
* This is CID1's
computer.
first hit ever, so
it takes over
and continues
on the visitor
profile from
Visitor ID 1.

10 Visits 1 1 CID1 CID1 10 8

additional
page.
11 Opens site 2 - 2 1 1
from laptop at
office. This
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 230

Server Call Action Visitor ID Visitor ID Effective Visit Page Visit Number
Cookie Variable Visitor ID Number
visitor has not
visited your
site before
using this
device.
12 Authenticates 2 CID1 CID1 1 9
on laptop.
13 Views 1 2 CID1 CID1 2 9
additional
page.

Visitors
Analytics counts each unique effective visitor ID as a unique visitor.
If you look at the previous table, this occurred 3 times: at hits 1, 9, and 10. This occurs because the effective visitor
ID is the same for both server calls, and occurs even though the visits might be several hours apart and on different
devices.

This can increase the number of unique visitors you see when cross-device visitor identification is enabled. The
visitor might be counted twice on the same visit: once for the initial visit and again after the user is authenticated.

When a new visitor views your site, the s_vi cookie is populated and stored. On the data collection server, a new
visitor profile is created for this visitor ID, and the effective visitor ID on the profile is set to match the cookie.

When cross-device visitor identification is enabled, if a visitor ID variable is provided in a subsequent hit (for example,
after authentication), the effective visitor ID is updated to match the custom value. This can cause the effective
visitor ID to change directly after authentication, resulting in multiple visitor counts.

After the initial association, visit counts return to normal because the visitor is associated through the visitor ID
cookie. If the visitor later views your site and then authenticates, the visitor count is not inflated because the effective
visitor ID doesn't change after authentication.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 231

Visits
Analytics counts a visit each time a server call occurs with a Visit Page Number equal to 1.
If you look at the previous table, this occurred 4 times: at hits 1, 9, 11, and 12. Similar to visitors, this value returns
to normal after the initial association because the Visit Page Number is reset back to 1 due to a change in the
effective visitor ID.

Create Segments
You can create a segment whenever an association occurs for a given visitor ID cookie.
Based on the previous table, if you created a segment where visit number equals 9, it would include server calls 12
and 13. Even through server call 11 was technically part of the same visit, the historical data for that server call is
not altered and the visit number remains unchanged.

Geo-Segmentation Data
Geo-Segmentation data is recorded based on the first hit of the visit, and does not change for a single visit regardless
of the device used.
If a customer browses your site from his or her home computer, and then from a mobile device within 30 minutes,
the Geo-Segmentation data is not changed. If you are using VISTA to populate an eVar with Geo-Segmentation
data, it is based on the IP address in each hit. This could result in multiple Geo-Segmentation data values if the IP
address changes for the same visit.

Attribution and Persistence

When visitor profiles are merged after being associated with the same visitor ID variable, attribution is not changed
in the historical data set.
• When the variable s.visitorID is set and sent on a hit, the system checks for any other visitor profiles that have
a matching visitor ID.
• If a profile exists, the visitor profile that is already in the system is used from that point forward and the previous
visitor profile is no longer used.
• If no matching visitor ID is found, a new profile is created.
When an un-authenticated customer first arrives at your site, that customer is assigned a visitor profile by Adobe
Analytics. As shown in Unique Visitor and Visits Counts, on authentication a new profile is created. When the new
profile is created, one visit ends and another visit starts.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 232

On the first data connection

The example below is a representation of how data is sent to Adobe Analytics when a customer authenticates for
the first time, on the first device:
• eVar16 has an expiration of 1 day and evar17 expires on visit.
• The post_visitor_id column represents the profile maintained by Adobe Analytics.
• The post_evar16 and post_evar17 columns show shows the persistence of eVars.
• cust_visid represents a value set in s.visitorID.
• Each row is one 'hit', a single request sent to Adobe Analytics data collection servers.

On the first data connection containing a previously unrecognized s.visitorID value (u999 above), the new profile
is created. Persistent values from the previous profile are transferred to the new profile.
• eVars set to expire on the visit are not copied to the authenticated profile. Note the value car above is not persisted.
• eVars set to expire by other measures will be copied to the authenticated profile. Note the value apple is persisted.
• For the eVars that are persisted, no Instance metric is recorded. This means when using cross-device visitor
identification, it is possible to see reports where the Unique Visits metric for an eVar value is larger than the Instance
metric.
On subsequent data connections

The example below is a representation of how data is sent to Adobe Analytics when a customer authenticates on
a new device, after having previously authenticated on a different device:

When the customer authenticates his or her id is matched to the previous 'authenticated' profile - 2947539300. The
profile used at the start of this visit (5477766334477) is no longer used and no data persists from the file.
• Geo-Segmentation data is recorded based on the first hit of the visit and does not change for a single visit regardless
of the device used. This means on a subsequent data connection on a new device, geo-Segmentation data is
generally not included.
• Technology columns such as browser, operating system, and color depth are recorded on the first hit of a visit.
Like Geo-Segmentation values, they will not be copied to the stitched profile.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 233

• A Marketing Channel such as Direct or Internal which is commonly set up to not overwrite another channel will
overwrite other channels on a subsequent data connection containing a first authentication for that device, such
as the first authentication shown in Unique Visitor and Visits Counts.
Special cases

In some other cases data is not persisted from the unauthenticated to the authenticated profile.
• If a user is new to your site (has never visited before on this device) AND that user authenticates within approximately
3 minutes of arriving, no values will persist to the authenticated profile.

Visitor Migration

Visitor migration is a process where the visitor ID cookie is migrated from one domain to another.
Visitor migration lets you preserve visitor identification cookies when changing data collection domains. Data collection
domains might change for the following reasons:
• Moving from 2o7.net to omtrdc.net (Regional Data Collection).
• You are implementing the Experience Cloud Visitor ID Service and are moving from a CNAME/first-party data
collection domain to 2o7.net or omtrdc.net (Regional Data Collection)
• Moving from 2o7.net or omtrdc.net to a cname/first-party data collection (First-Party Cookies).
• Moving from one CNAME to another (changing domains).
After visitor migration is configured, when a user visits the new domain without a visitor ID cookie, the server redirects
to the previous data collection hostname, retrieves any available visitor ID cookies, and then redirects back to the
new domain. If a Visitor ID is not found on the previous hostname, a new ID is generated. This occurs only once
per visitor.

Visitor Migration Process

The following table lists the tasks required for visitor migration:

Task Description

To get started: Contact Customer Care Create a list with the exact syntax for the domains you want to migrate
with the domain(s) you want to migrate, to and migrate from.
and the migration period you would like to • example.112.2o7.net > metrics.example.com
enable (30, 60, or 90 days). Make sure you • example.102.112.2o7.net > smetrics.example.com
include the non-secure and secure
The migration host names are configured on Adobe Data collection
domains.
server. Customer Care will let you know when the change is made so
you can plan for the next step.

6+ hours after configuration change: After you make this change, use a Packet Analyzer to verify that the
Update the s.trackingServer and Analtyics image request is going to the updated data collection server.
s.trackingServerSecure variables in
your Analytics JavaScript code to use the
new data collection servers.

Immediately after updating your Use a Packet Analyzer to verify that when you access your site for the
Analytics code: Test your site to verify first time, or after clearing cookies, you see three 302 (redirect) HTTP
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 234

Task Description
that the redirect to the previous data status codes before the 200 (OK) HTTP status code. If any of these
collection domain is occurring. redirects fail, contact Customer Care immediately to ensure that the
migration is configured correctly.

For the entire migration period: Keep The previous hostname must resolve through DNS or the cookie
the DNS record for the previous hostname migration will not occur.
active.

Deprecated visitorMigrationKey and visitorMigrationServer Variables

As of March 2013, the visitorMigrationKey, visitorMigrationServer, and visitorMigrationServerSecure
data collection variables are deprecated and no longer used. The data previously contained in these variables are
now stored on Adobe servers for increased security.

Using Timestamps Optional

Learn about the benefits and constraints of using Timestamps Optional setting.
Timestamps Optional is the default setting for all new report suites.

• Mix timestamped and non-timestamped data in the same global report suite.
• Send timestamped data from a mobile app to a global report suite.
• Upgrade apps to employ timestamps without having to create a new report suite.

Note: Timestamps Optional is the default setting for all new report suites generated from a template. New
report suites copied from an existing report suite will inherit settings from the original.

See Timestamps Optional for additional setup information.

Timestamps Optional: Integrating Timestamped and Non-timestamped Data

Using the Timestamps Optional feature, you can combine non-timestamped data with timestamped data without
incurring data loss. Offline data with timestamps generated from a mobile device can be combined with live,
non-timestamped data from a web page—or integrated with data from any platform using a client-side timestamp
call.
• Timestamp data. Client-side timestamp data is captured and sent directly with the device data using client-side
timestamp variables: Javascript () on a web page, or using a Mobile SDK call (offlineEnabled=true) in a
mobile app.
• Non-timestamp data. Adobe sets a timestamp on non-timestamped data in a report suite when the data hits the
collection servers.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 235

A report suite can have one of the following timestamp settings:

• Timestamps not allowed (setting visitorID supported)

• Timestamps required (setting visitorID not supported)
• Timestamps optional (setting visitorID supported but not on timestamped hits)

About Timestamps Optional Features

Timestamps Optional allows you to integrate and report across multiple report suites with or without client-side
timestamps included. With Timestamps Optional you can update your app to employ timestamps while still using
non-timestamped data from the previous app.

In previous releases... In addition...

Timestamped data could not be sent to a Updating an app to collect and use timestamps required
non-timestamped global report suite. Consequently, hit you to employ a new report suite.
data sent from offline devices was dropped when adding
to a non-timestamped report suite.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 236

In previous releases... In addition...

You could not save to the existing report suite or integrate

Consequently, hit data sent from offline data was dropped existing data when updating your app to use timestamps.
when adding to a non-timestamped report suite.

With Timestamps Optional, you can integrate non-timestamped data from a live website with offline data from
mobile devices, or update your non-timestamped app to a timestamped app.

Combining Data into a Global Report Suite

Combining data into a global report suite can be done in multiple ways, including multi-suite tagging, Vista rules,
and imported batch files from offline sources.

Important: Carefully plan the design for each component data set so the combination makes sense in a global
report suite.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 237

Best Practices when Employing Timestamps

The following are best practices and a few requirements and restrictions to be aware of when integrating timestamped
with non-timestamped data.
• In general, timestamps for a given visitor or visit must arrive at Adobe in the correct chronological order.
Out-of-order data can include late arriving data from offline data collection and late arriving hits, or out-of-sync
clocks on offline mobile devices. Out-of-order data can negatively impact time calculations (such as time spent
values), attribution (eVar persistence), visit number/visit counts, and pathing reports.

• Using timestamps when setting a s.visitorID is not recommended. It can lead to out-of-order data.
• Hybrid apps composed of an app (timestamped, offline data) opening a web browser (non-timestamped, live data)
should not use timestamps. It results in inaccurate reporting of the session.

In addition, hybrid apps should not set a visitor ID.

Implement Analytics using JavaScript 238

Redirects and Aliases

Redirects point the browser to a new location without user interaction. They are executed at either the web browser
(client-side redirect) or at the web server (server-side redirect).
Because redirects do not require any user interaction, redirects are often executed without the user ever noticing.
The only thing that indicates a redirect has occurred is the browser's address bar. The address bar displays a URL
that is different from the link the browser initially requested.

Although there are only two types of redirects, they can be implemented in numerous ways. For example, client-side
redirects can occur because the web page to which a user has pointed his or her browser contains scripting or
special HTML code that redirects the browser to another URL. Server-side redirects can occur because the page
contains server-side scripting or because the web server has been configured to point the user to another URL.

Analytics and Redirects

Analytics gathers some of its data from the browser, and relies upon certain browser properties. Two of those
properties, the "Referring URL" (or "referrer") and the "Current URL" can be changed by a server-side redirect.
Because the browser is aware that one URL has been requested, but a different URL has been returned, it clears
the Referring URL. The result is the referring URL is blank, and Analytics might report that no referrer existed for
the page.
The following examples illustrate how browsing is affected without and with redirects:

• Example: Browsing Without Redirects

• Example: Browsing With Redirects

Example: Browsing Without Redirects

Consider the following hypothetical scenario in which the user does not encounter a redirect:

1. User points his or her browser to www.google.com, and types, "discount airline tickets" into the search field,
and then clicks the Search button.
2. The browser displays the search results including a link to your site, http://www.flywithus.com/. After
displaying the search results, the browser's address bar displays the search terms that the user entered in the
search field (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=discount+airline+tickets). Notice that
the search terms are included in the URL query string parameters that follow http://www.google.com/search?.
3. The user clicks the link to your hypothetical site http://www.flywithus.com/. When the user clicks this
link and lands on the flywithus.com website, Analytics uses JavaScript to collect the referring URL
(http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=discount+airline+tickets) as well as the
current URL (http://www.flywithus.com/).
4. Analytics reports the information collected during this interaction in various reports, such as Referring Domains,
Search Engines, and Search Keywords.

Example: Browsing With Redirects

Redirects can cause the browser to blank out the true referring URL. Consider the following scenario:

1. User points his or her browser to www.google.com, and types, "discount airline tickets" into the search field,
and then clicks the Search button.
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 239

2. The browser window's address bar displays the search terms that the user typed into the search field
(http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=discount+airline+tickets). Notice that the
search terms are included in the URL query string parameters that follow "http://www.google.com/search?".
The browser also displays a page that contains the search results including a link to one of your domain names:
http://www.flytohawaiiforfree.com/. This vanity domain is configured to redirect the user to
http://www.flywithus.com/.
3. The user clicks on the link http://www.flytohawaiiforfree.com/ and is redirected by the server to your
main site, http://www.flywithus.com. When the redirection occurs, the data that is important to Analytics
data collection is lost because the browser clears the referring URL. Thus, the original search information used
in the Analytics reports (for example, Referring Domains, Search Engines, Search Keywords) is lost.

Implementing Redirects discusses how to leverage Analytics variables to capture the data lost in the redirect.
Specifically, the section discusses how to fix the "discount airline tickets" situation described above.

Implementing Redirects
In order to capture Analytics data from redirects, four minor alterations need to be made to the code that creates
the redirect and the AppMeasurement for JavaScript file.
Completing the following steps will retain the information that the original referrer (for example,
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=discount+airline+tickets in the scenario
above) passes to your site:

Configure Referrer Override JavaScript Code

The code snippet below shows two JavaScript variables, s_referrer and s_pageURL. This code is placed on the
ultimate landing page of the redirect.
<script language="JavaScript"
src="//INSERT-DOMAIN-AND-PATH-TO-CODE-HERE/AppMeasurement.js"></script>
<script language="JavaScript"><!--
/* You may give each page an identifying name, server, and channel on
the next lines. */
s.pageName=""
s.server=""
s.campaign=""
s.referrer=""
s.pageURL=""

Important: Set s.referrer only once on the page. Setting it more than once with every tracking call or with
every link click that is tracked causes double counting of the referrer and related dimensions, such as search
engines and keywords.

Redirects using getQueryParam

While the getQueryParam is an easy way to populate Analytics variables with query string values, it must be
implemented in connection with a temporary variable so that legitimate referrers are not overwritten when the query
string is empty. The best way to use getQueryParam is in connection with the getValue plug in as outlined with the
following pseudo-code.
// AppMeasurement 1.x
var tempVar=s.Util.getQueryParam('origref')
if(tempVar)
Implement Analytics using JavaScript 240

s.referrer=tempVar;

// H Code
var tempVar=s.getQueryParam('origref')
if(tempVar)
s.referrer=tempVar;

Modify the Redirect Mechanism

Modify the Redirect Mechanism XE "Redirect Mechanism"

Because the browser strips referring URL, you must configure the mechanism that handles the redirect (for example,
the web server, server-side code, client-side code) to pass along the original referrer information. If you would also
like to record the alias link URL, this must also be passed along to the ultimate landing page. Use the s_pageURL
variable to override the current URL.

Because there are many ways to implement a redirect, you should check with your web operations group or your
online advertising partner to identify the specific mechanisms that execute redirects on your website.

Capture the Original Referrer

Capture the Original Referrer XE "Original Referrer"

Normally, Analytics will obtain the referring URL from the browser's document.referrer property, and the current
URL from the document.location property. By passing values to the referrer and pageURL variables, you can
override the default processing. By passing a value to the referrer variable, you are telling Analytics to ignore the
referrer information in the document.referrer property and to use an alternative value that you define.

Therefore, the final version of the landing page would need to contain the following code to correct the issues
introduced in the "discount airline tickets" scenario.
<script language="JavaScript"
src="http://INSERT-DOMAIN-AND-PATH-TO-CODE-HERE/AppMeasurement.js"></script>
<script language="JavaScript"><!--
/* You may give each page an identifying name, server, and channel on
the next lines. */
s.pageName=""
s.server=""
s.campaign=""
s.referrer="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=discount+airline+tickets"
// Setting the s.pageURL variable is optional.
s.pageURL="http://www.flytohawaiiforfree.com"

Verify the Referrer with the Adobe Debugger

Run a test to verify that the referrer, originating URL (s_server) and campaign variables are being captured.
These variables will be represented as the following parameters in the Adobe Debugger.

URL or Query String Value Value as Shown in the DigitalPulse

Debugger

Original Referrer http://www.google.com/search%3F r=http:/ref=www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF

hl%3Den %26ie%3DUTF826q%3 -8&q=discount+airline+tickets
Ddiscount%2Bairline%2Btickets

Page URL http://www.flytohawaiiforfree.com g=http://www.flytohawaiiforfree.com

Implement Analytics using JavaScript 241

URL or Query String Value Value as Shown in the DigitalPulse

Debugger
This value will appear in the
DigitalPulse Debugger if the pageURL
variable is used.

Ultimate Landing Page URL http://www.flywithus.com This value will NOT appear in the
DigitalPulse Debugger if the pageURL
variable is used.

The text that the debugger displays should correspond to the following example:
Image

http://flywithuscom.112.2o7.net/b/ss/flywithuscom/1/JS-1.4/s61944015791667?[AQB]
ndh=1
t=4/8/2014 13:34:28 4 360
pageName=Welcome to FlyWithUs.com
r=http://ref=www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=discount+airline+tickets
cc=USD
g=http://www.flytohawaiiforfree.com
s=1280x1024
c=32
j=1.3
v=Y
k=Y
bw=1029
bh=716
ct=lan
hp=N
[AQE]

After verifying that the Adobe Debugger displays these variables, it is always helpful to confirm that the search terms
and the original referring domain (prior to the redirect) are registering traffic in reports.
Testing and Validation 242

Testing and Validation

Testing and Validation Process

Use validation and testing to ensure data reporting accuracy.

Validation and testing should always be done on the development report suite.

Identifying the s_account Variable in the DigitalPulse Debugger

When you run the DigitalPulse Debugger, you may want to look for the s_account variable.
The following figure shows the location of the s_account variable.

JavaScript JS File
Verify that the .JS file is correctly referenced from the page. The path can be specified either relative to the current
document, or an absolute path name can be used.
<script language="JavaScript"
src="http://www.sampleco.com/javascript/includes/s_code.js"></script>

If some pages of the site are loaded in a secure protocol (https:), and reference the AppMeasurement for JavaScript
file, ensure that the reference to the file is either secure (via https:) or code the reference as shown below. This
example adopts the protocol of the current page and prevents the warning that "some elements are non-secure."
<script language="JavaScript"
src="//www.sampleco.com/javascript/includes/s_code.js"></script>

Ensure that the .JS file on the web servers have permissions appropriately set so that the file may be downloaded
and executed by website visitors. If a different .JS file is used on development servers, set the "read only" attribute
for the .JS file on production servers to avoid an overwrite. If altered, ensure that the following settings are set
appropriately at the top of the .JS file:
/************************** CONFIG SECTION **************************/
/* You may add or alter any code config here. */
Testing and Validation 243

/* Link Tracking Config */

s.trackDownloadLinks=false /* true for download tracking */
s.trackExternalLinks=false /* true for exit link tracking */
s.trackInlineStats=false /* true for ClickMap support */
s.linkDownloadFileTypes="exe,zip,wav,mp3,mov,mpg,avi,doc,pdf,xls"
s.linkInternalFilters="javascript:"
s.linkLeaveQueryString=false
s.linkTrackVars="None"
s.linkTrackEvents="None"

If "s_account" is assigned a value at the top of the .JS file, ensure that the report suite ID (populated in the s_account
variable) is correct. Also ensure that the code in the page is not setting the Report Suite ID (s_account variable).

Examine the image request and variables to ensure that the "fallback method" (the third part of the "split" code in
the example above) is not creating the image request instead of the .JS file. This can be determined since the
"fallback" method only creates an image request with minimal information.

Code Modifications
Testing any modifications to the .JS file or HTML code is the responsibility of the customer. It should be completed
prior to publishing the modifications to production websites.
Ensure that the linefeeds/return characters are not stripped or altered from the code that is placed within the HTML,
or from within the .JS file. Ensure that the JavaScript executes without an error on all pages and page templates
(in Internet Explorer Internet Options, select the Advanced Tab, and click Display a Notification about Every Script
Error.

When testing for errors, paste the code into a default HTML page to determine if the error is occurring because of
other page elements/objects.
<html><head></head><body>
...paste code here to debug...
</body></html>

Variables and Values

Ensure that the variables that are populated from server scripting or code cannot output any quotation marks that
interfere with the values.
For instance:
s.pageName="Article: "Article Name""
s.pageName='Company's Information'

Ensure that the values of the variables do not exceed their maximum limits, specified in this document. Additional
characters are cropped at the data collection servers. They may interfere with the total length, increase bandwidth
unnecessarily, and may cause other issues.

Do not use $, ™, ®, ©, or commas (,) in the products variable. Generally, these are not useful in any Analytics
variables and may interfere with the ability to interpret or export fields. The best practice is to limit characters to the
first 127 ASCII characters.

Ensure that the events variable is populated with an appropriate value (prodView, purchase, scAdd, scRemove,
scOpen, or event1-event5) whenever products is populated. Ensure that the case of all Analytics variables and
functions are maintained, as shown below.
s.pageName
s.server
s.channel
s.pageType
s.prop1 – s.prop20
Testing and Validation 244

s.campaign
s.state
s.zip
s.events
s.products
s.purchaseID
s.eVar1 – s.eVar20
var s_code=s.t();if(s_code)document.write(s_code)//-->

Page names are case sensitive, and differences create additional page records. "Home" and "home" are two different
pages within Analytics.

Note: Multiple page records cannot be combined within reports.

Validate that links are reported in the Custom Links report. Ensure that the correct parameters are passed to the
tl function. For more information on custom links, see The s.tl() Function - Link Tracking.

Custom Variables
List of custom variables used in Analytics.

Variable Description
Traffic Variables Check the value of prop1 - 75. Here is a checklist of items to check.
• Is the correct case used? "ValueA" is a different record than "valueA." You can use
all lowercase since a small subset of browsers convert all variables to lower case.
• Are the values less than 100 characters in length? If not, some clipping of the values
can occur.
• Are all the values in a single property variable related, or do some values look out
of place?

Conversion Variables Econversion variables include eVar 1 - 75. Here is a list of issues to check for the
following.
• Is the correct case used? "ValueA" is a different record than "valueA." You can use
all lowercase since a small subset of browsers convert all variables to lower case.
• Are the values less than 255 characters in length? If not, some clipping of the values
can occur.
• Are all the values in a single eVar related, or do some values look out of place?

Custom Events Events include both standard values (prodView, scOpen, scAdd, scCheckout,
purchase), as well as custom events from event1 to event100. All events are sent
in the events variable. Multiple events on the same page should be comma-delimited
(no white space).
• For all the standard conversion events, products should also be populated with the
applicable products. For all events except purchase, the qty and price elements
are optional.
• The purchase event, must be set only once in a session after the purchase has
been completed and confirmed.

Implementation Acceptance
Implementation process steps.
The following steps outline the implementation process.
Testing and Validation 245

1. The Adobe Consultant gathers report requirements and creates a data collection plan based on those requirements.
The data collection plan includes variable definitions, required VISTA rules and custom JavaScript, data correlation,
and all settings for each report suite. The client completes the Implementation Questionnaire.
2. Technical resources on the client-side implement the code, site-specific JavaScript, and server-side variables.
3. The Adobe Consultant addresses technical issues during the implementation and assists in devising solutions
as required.
4. Technical resources on the client-side unit test the implementation.
Testers log in to Analytics and verifying all variables (page name, channel, server, events, campaign, econversion
variables, custom traffic variables, products, and all other variables).
5. The client notifies Adobe that the implementation is complete.
The client provides a validation sample (data sample) to the Adobe Consultant to validate data accuracy.
(VISTA-generated report suites are validated by comparing appropriate metrics. A client-Adobe agreement of
the metrics to be validated for such report suites shall be made in advance, at the time of the VISTA rule creation.)
6. The client faxes (or signs online) an Implementation Acceptance and Agreement for the appropriate site(s).
7. After the acceptance has been received, the Adobe Consultant enables the Adobe Best Practices - Implementation
Verification certification within the interface.
8. Optionally, the client can contract with Adobe for monitoring services for key pages of the implemented site
(generally, these are the primary templates, home page, and critical entry pages).
This monitoring software is described in a separate document, but tracks pages by loading and executing the
page, then comparing the image request to a baseline stored in a database. If any differences are detected, the
software notifies specified Adobe (AM/IE) and client personnel via email.

The following items help to ensure a successful implementation:

• A best practices document, which is client-facing and explains the processes in detail.
• The validation document that the customer uses to unit test the implementation.
• An Implementation Acceptance and Agreement form for the client to sign.
• A monitoring application that continuously validates the tags.
• A relationship with Accenture to help with implementation testing.
• Utilities and/or tools for comparison of page views and/or orders. Those comparisons can get fairly difficult.
• A method or process to quickly obtain the debug log for a given day, by report suite ID.

Data Accuracy Validation

Data accuracy validation is a process of comparing report data with known and verifiable data points.
The validation process should be completed by Adobe personnel, preferably by the Adobe Consultant (the person
most familiar with the technical implementation details).

The preferred data points for this validation, in order of preference, are listed as follows:
• (Econversion sites) Comparison of econversion orders for a single day.
• Comparison of known success events, especially logged data where IP address and other browser information
generally stored in web server logs can be compared to the data collected.
• Comparison of page views.

Note: Default pages, such as index.html, often receive automated or monitoring traffic. These pages
represent a greater difference to browser-based data collection than other visited pages.
Testing and Validation 246

All three types of validation require a debug log or data feed for the time period in question. This is generally one
day or less.

It is expected that orders or success events can be measured to within 2-3% of actual values (sometimes reaching
higher accuracy levels) using standard JavaScript-based implementations. This assumes an SSL page, since SSL
pages are cached much less frequently, and by definition they should not be cached. An implementation with fully
server-side image requests on an SSL page should come within about 0-1% of actual values. Non-secure pages
may experience higher differences, but still within 5% of actual values.

When comparing page views for a single time period, it is expected that the page views can be accounted for within
5% of actual values, not including monitoring (such as Keynote or WhatsUpGold) or automated traffic (spiders, bots,
and scripts).

Data accuracy comparisons need to take into account the following items:
• QA or other types of internal testing that may be filtered by IP addresses or VISTA rules.
• Smart tags that only generate tags for certain types of orders or traffic.
• Queries for comparison must take into account what is being measured by the website (not including returns, orders
placed by customer service personnel, or other special conditions).
• Ensure that the time zone differences between the query and the report suite match.
• Custom Keynote or similar traffic (Keynote Transaction, etc.) that measure the ordering process and may be
reflected in tags, but removed from ordering systems.
• Account for the client's de-duping processes.
• Reloads of the order page (Orders are de-duplicated based on purchaseID).

Experience Cloud Debugger

Install the Adobe Experience Cloud Debugger. The debugger inspects tags for the Analytics Cloud, Adobe Target,
Advertising Cloud, Experience Cloud ID Service, Dynamic Tag Management, and Launch, by Adobe.

Important: This JavaScript bookmarklet is no longer maintained. Adobe recommends using the Adobe
Experience Cloud Debugger extension for Chrome.

When executed in your browser, it shows the image requests that transmitted data from that page into Experience
Cloud solutions, along with any variable values or parameters that were captured.This allows you and your developers
to check the validity of your implementation on any page on your site.

The DigitalPulse Debugger is officially supported for use in all recent versions and builds of Mozilla Firefox, Google
Chrome, Microsoft Internet Explorer, and Safari.

Note: Because the Debugger functions by creating a pop-up window when you access a special bookmark
in your web browser, certain ad-blocking plug-ins and pop-up blockers might interfere with the loading of the
Debugger.

Install the debugger in Chrome

Install the Experience Cloud Debugger extension in the Google Chrome browser.

1. Navigate to Adobe Experience Cloud Debugger.

2. Follow the instructions to add the extension to Chrome.
Testing and Validation 247

Install the debugger in Firefox (not supported)

How to create a bookmark for the Adobe Debugger from within Mozilla Firefox.

1. Right-click the bookmarks sidebar, then click New Bookmark.

2. In the Name field, specify "Adobe Debugger" as the name for the new bookmark.
3. In the Location field, paste the code that you copied to your clipboard as explained in Adobe Debugger Installation.
4. Select Load the Bookmark in the Sidebar, if desired.
5. Click Add.

Install the debugger in Internet Explorer (not supported)

How to create a bookmark for the Adobe Debugger from within Internet explorer.

1.
In the Favorites Bar, click the Add to Favorites Bar icon ( ) icon.
If the Favorites Bar is hidden, right-click the browser header, then click Favorites Bar.

A new bookmark is created.

2. Right-click the bookmark, then click Rename.
3. In the New Name field, specify "Adobe Debugger" as the name, then click OK.
4. Right-click the newly created bookmark again, then click Properties.
5. In the URL field, paste the code that you copied to your clipboard as explained in Adobe Debugger Installation.
6. Click OK.

Packet Analyzers

Packet analyzers let you view the data sent by your implementation to Adobe Data Collection Servers.
Simliar to the DigitalPulse Debugger, a packet monitor shows what data parameters are being passed in an image
request; however, packet monitors provide added functionality:
• View custom link tracking image requests
• View image requests using implementation methods other than JavaScript, such as hard-coded image requests
or Appmeasurement
To view Analytics requests, filter outgoing requests using "b/ss".

In very rare cases, the debugger will report an image request although no request makes it to Adobe's Analytics
processing servers. Using a packet monitor is a great way to be 100% sure that a specific image request is being
fired successfully.

While Adobe does not provide an official packet monitor, there are a wide range of them on the internet. The following
are some packet monitors others have found useful.

Note: These lists are not meant to be comprehensive, but rather information on frequently used monitors. If
you have a packet monitor you successfully use and find useful, feel free to provide feedback using the
Feedback button on the right side of this window.
Testing and Validation 248

Firefox Internet Explorer Chrome Standalone Programs

Observe Point (tag viewer) HttpWatch Observe Point (tag viewer) Charles
HttpFox Chrome Developer Tools Fiddler
Tamper Data Firebug Lite Wireshark
HttpWatch
Firebug

Note: Adobe does NOT support or troubleshoot any issues you may experience with these packet monitors.
Consult the packet monitor's originating site for assistance instead.

NS_Binding_Aborted in Packet Monitors

The NS_BINDING_ABORTED message is often seen on custom link tracking image requests with packet sniffers
that sit on top of the browser, such as Tamper Data or HTTPFox .
This error occurs because the link tracking image request is designed to let the browser proceed to the next page
before waiting for a response from the Adobe data collection servers.

Adobe's response to the image request is simply a blank 1x1 transparent image, which is not relevant to the content
of the page. If you see a line item in your packet monitor from Adobe, either with a 200 OK response or an
NS_BINDING_ABORTED response, the data has reached our servers. There is no need to have the page wait any
longer.

Packet monitors integrated as a plug-in rarely see the full response.They tend to see the request as aborted because
the full response was not received. These monitors also rarely make a distinction between whether it was the request
or response that was aborted. A stand alone packet monitor typically has more detailed messages and reports the
status more accurately. For example, a user may get a message in Charles saying "Client closed connection before
receiving entire response." This means the data did reach our servers, just the browser moved on to the next page
before the 1x1 pixel was received.

If an external packet sniffer is reporting that the data collection request is aborted, rather than the response, this is
a cause for concern. Adobe Customer Care can provide help in troubleshooting.

Common Syntax Mistakes

A successful implementation means drawing useful data from your website. An unsuccessful implementation can
mean spending time looking through your JavaScript code to find errors. In an attempt to save you time and prevent
frustration, some of the most common code mistakes users make when implementing are listed in the following
sections.

Putting Analytics Code in the Head Tag

Analytics code creates an image object, a non-visible image that does not show up on your page.

Note: This section applies only to the legacy s_code.js implementation. About AppMeasurement for JavaScript
supports deploying the library and page code in the <head> tag.
Testing and Validation 249

Previously, a common implementation practice was to place the Analytics JavaScript code between the <head> and
</head> tags. By placing the code between these tags it prevented the 1 x 1 pixel image that was returned by the
request that sent data into Adobe servers from affecting page layout in any way. Putting code in the document head
means the code appears earlier in the code. This lets it execute sooner, which lets you count page views for partial
page loads more effectively.

Certain elements of the code require the existence of the body object. Since Web browsers execute code in the
order they receive it, if the Analytics JavaScript code is in the document head, it executes before the body object
exists. As a result, your implementation does not collect ClickMap data, and automatic tracking of file downloads
or exit links are not available. You also do not receive connection type data or visitor home page data. Putting the
code in the document head works, but the result is a very limited version of Analytics, and users may wonder why
certain reports and tools, including ClickMap, aren't recording data.

The Analytics code can be placed anywhere inside BODY tags ( <BODY></BODY>) of a well-formed HTML page.
Adobe recommends placing the code in a global include file at the top of the page (inside the HTML body tag). The
code can be placed anywhere on the page, except as noted below:
• If placed within a table, post the code only within the <td></td> tags. For example, do not place the code between
an opening <tr> tag and an opening <td> tag.
• The code that sets the variables must occur after the reference to the s_code.js file.
• Make certain that the report suite IDs in the s_account variable in the s_code.js file are set correctly. This
variable is typically set correctly when downloading code from the Code Manager for a particular report suite, or
as supplied by an Adobe Technical Consultant.
If you want to integrate Analytics with Target, the JavaScript include file must be placed at the bottom of the page.
The following example shows correct placement of the Analytics code:
<html>
<head></head>
<body>
<!-- Analytics code version: H.20.3.
Copyright 1997-2009 Omniture, Inc. More info available at
http://www.omniture.com -->
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript"
src="http://www.yourdomain.com/js/s_code.js"></script>
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript"><!--
/* You may give each page an identifying name, server, and channel on
the next lines. */
s.pageName=""
s.server=""
s.channel=""
s.pageType=""
s.prop1=""
s.prop2=""
s.prop3=""
s.prop4=""
s.prop5=""
/* Conversion Variables */
s.campaign=""
s.state=""
s.zip=""
s.events=""
s.products=""
s.purchaseID=""
s.eVar1=""
s.eVar2=""
s.eVar3=""
s.eVar4=""
s.eVar5=""
/************* DO NOT ALTER ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE ! **************/
var s_code=s.t();if(s_code)document.write(s_code)//--></script>
<!-- End Analytics code version: H.20.3. -->
Testing and Validation 250

</body>
</html>

Using s.linkTrackVars and s.linkTrackEvents

The key to a successful link tracking implementation is understanding the s.linkTrackVars and s.linkTrackEvents
variables. This lets you pass custom variable values on user actions.
If you are implementing custom link tracking and are setting custom variables and events, make sure that your
s.linkTrackVars variable contains a comma-separated list of all variables that you are passing, including the events
variable. Make sure that s.linkTrackEvents includes a comma-separated list of all events that you are passing.

Setting s.linkTrackVars and s.linkTrackEvents does not actually set these variables/events, it only prepares the
Analytics code to do so. You still need to set the variables manually, as shown in the example below:
<script language="javascript">
function customLinks () {
var s=s_gi('myreportsuite');
s.linkTrackVars="prop1,eVar7,products,events";
s.linkTrackEvents="event5,event9";
s.prop1="Link Click";
s.eVar7="my_page.html";
s.events="event5";
s.tl(true,'o','Custom Link Click');
}
</script>
<a href="my_page.html" onclick="customLinks();">My Page</a>

Notice that events is listed in the s.linkTrackVars variable. The individual events that may be passed are included
in the s.linkTrackEvents variable and are also included within s.events later in the function. Each of the variables
that are passed are listed in s.linkTrackVars before they are populated later in the function. Also, "event9 has been
included in s.linkTrackEvents, but has not been included in s.events. It is not recorded, but could be recorded if
the user had chosen to set s.events="event5,event9."

Automatic file download and Exit link tracking work differently. The s.linkTrackVars and s.linkTrackEvents are
included in the standard s_code.js file, and both are set to none. These variables are typically left set to none in
the s_code.js file so that automatic link tracking, unlike custom link tracking, uses the s.linkTrackVars and
s.linkTrackEvents values that you set in the global JavaScript file. They also pass whatever the existing values of
those variables are whenever a file download or Exit link is recorded.

Consider the example where s.channel="Home" when the page loads, and where s.linkTrackVars="channel" in your
s_code.js file. If a user clicks to download a file, automatic file download tracking passes data into Analytics,
including the value of s.channel that was set on page load. "Home" is passed a second time, leading to inflation in
page view data for this value in the Site Sections report.

Adobe strongly recommends leaving the s.linkTrackVars and s.linkTrackEvents set to "none" in the global
JavaScript file and setting them explicitly as necessary with your custom link tracking implementation.

Common Mistakes in the Products Variable

The s.products variable may be the most syntactically complex variable used by data collection.
Commas, semi-colons, pipes, and equals signs all play specific roles in the variable. It has no overall maximum
length, but each individual product entry cannot be longer than 100 bytes (including multi-byte characters). Mistakes
in implementation of this variable are understandable, but unfortunately for developers, s.products is often a site's
most important variable because it makes possible the tracking of revenue, units, product names, and so forth.

Here are a few extremely easy-to-make mistakes that can cause issues on any implementation.
Testing and Validation 251

Make sure that your category, product name, and revenue totals are devoid of commas and semi-colons. The
comma is used to separate entries in the s.products string. This happens when you have two products in the same
transaction, the semi-colon is used to delimit fields within an entry. If you use a comma or semi-colon in any other
way, data collection assumes that you are separating product entries. Consider the following example:
s.products="widgets;large widget, 40 x40 ;1;19.99,wugs;tiny wug;2;1,999.98";

In this implementation, the developer probably intended for data collection to read this as shown below:

Category 1: widgets

Product 1: large widget, 40 x40

Units 1: 1

Revenue 1: 19.99

Category 2: wugs

Product 2: tiny wug

Units 2: 2

Revenue 2: 1,999.98

Note the commas in the Product 1 and Revenue 2 entries. These indicate a new product entry. Data collection would
interpret the above as:

Category 1: widgets

Product 1: large widget

Category 2: 40'x40'

Product 2: 1

Units 2: 19.99

Category 3: wugs

Product 3: tiny wug

Units 3: 2

Revenue 3: 1

Category 4: 999.98

A mistake like this often results in unexpected numerical values in the Products report, because the units field is
recorded as the product name. If you see invalid product names in your Products report, review your s.products
variable implementation for misuse of reserved characters, like the comma.

Your product and category names should not contain unsupported characters. This can be especially difficult in the
s.products string, because product names are often likely to contain characters such as ™, ©, and ®. These
characters need to be stripped out of the product and category values before they are placed into s.products. You
also need to ensure that currency symbols are not included in your revenue values. Supported characters are
numbers 1-127 from the ASCII table.

If you are not passing a product category in the product string, make sure to include a semi-colon (;) where the
product category is normally displayed, as shown below:
s.products=";product name"
Testing and Validation 252

In this case, the semi-colon represents a placeholder for the product category. If the semi-colon is left out of the
product string, then "product name" would be counted as the category, the number of units to be counted as the
product name, the revenue to be counted as the units, and so on.

Setting the PageType Variable Correctly

The pageType variable is used only to designate a 404 (Page Not Found) error page.
It has only one possible value, which is errorPage.
pageType="errorPage"

On a 404 error page, the pageName variable should not be populated. The pageType variable should be set only
on a designated 404 error page. Any page containing content should never have a value in the pageType variable.
For pages containing content, you can set the variable as shown below:
pageType=""

It is best to delete the variable completely from pages containing content. This practice is recommended to avoid
confusion regarding the purpose of the variable.

Using White Space in Variable Values

In HTML there are several characters that create whitespace.
These include a space, a tab, and a carriage return (or linefeed). Consider the following example:
<head>
<title>
Home Page
</title>
</head>
<body>
<script language="javascript">
s.pageName=document.title
</script>

In this case, document.title populates s.pageName, which should receive a value of "Home Page." Notice the space
before "Home Page." Not all browsers interpret this white space in the same way. The result may be either of two
examples below:
s.pageName="Home Page"
s.pageName=" Home Page"

The first value displays correctly, but the second displays white space before the text. Analytics treats these as
distinct values for the s.pageName variable. The Analytics interface strips the leading white space from the second
value. The result is a report that displays as shown below.

This implementation error causes your variable values to be fragmented across multiple line items. SAINT does not
allow leading white space in a key value. This means that it cannot be used to group multiple line items as a
Testing and Validation 253

work-around if this issue is affecting your site. The only way to fix the problem is to pre-process the desired variable
value (in this case, the document.title property) to remove any leading (or trailing) white space.

The example above uses the s.pageName variable with the document.title property. Adobe does not recommend
using document.title as the page name, nor does this issue only affect the s.pageName variable. Any variable that
has leading/trailing white space in its value can be affected.

Using Quotes
When you input values into a variable, there are a few best practices to follow.
You can use single quotes or double quotes, make sure you are consistent. If you are using single quotes, always
use single quotes. If you are using double quotes, always use double quotes. Both of the examples below are correct.
s.prop2='test' (single quotes)
s.prop2="test" (double quotes)

Make sure that you have smart quotes turned off. If you are using single quotes, and you have an apostrophe in the
variable value, JavaScript interprets the apostrophe as a single quote. This means it is the end of the string. Consider
the following example:
s.pageName='John's Home Page'

In this case, JavaScript would interpret the apostrophe (which is also a single quote) in "John's" to be the end of the
string. Since ''s Home Page" has no meaning in JavaScript, it causes an error that prevents the image request from
occurring. Either of the following examples would work:
s.pageName='John\'s Home Page'
s.pageName="John's Home Page"

In the first example, you can escape the apostrophe by inserting a backslash (\) immediately before it. This tells
JavaScript that the apostrophe is not ending the string, but rather is part of it. The string then ends as intended, at
the closing single-quote.The second example uses double-quotes around the entire string. In this case, a single-quote
cannot indicate the end of the string. The same is true if a double-quote is part of the string. A value of
s.pageName="Team Says "We Win!"" would be incorrect because of the use of double-quotes within the string, as
well as surrounding it. This would be correct if entered as s.pageName="Team Says \"We Win!\"".

Replacing Your Analytics Code

Adobe offers some best practices for updating your Analytics code.
Frequently, customers use the Adobe Code Manager to replace their code with the most recent version. This practice
is good to follow as long as you keep certain things in mind.

Using the Incorrect Data Collection Server ID

Occasionally, generic s_code.js files that have not been generated from Adobe Code Manager are sent to those
implementing the code on your site. As a result, the incorrect data collection server ID (as shown in the s.dc variable)
for the account is used. It is best to generate new code directly from the Code Manager for a specific report suite,
rather than reusing code from a different report suite. This is the best way to make sure the s.dc variable is populated
correctly.
Testing and Validation 254

Plug-ins
Some customers implement plug-ins to enhance their Adobe experience. When you replace your code, do not forget
that you have plug-ins as part of that code. The code created in the Code Manager does not have any plug-in code
with it, so all plug-ins need to migrate manually to the newer code base. Make a copy of your existing code just in
case something happens, and you need to revert to your previous code.

Table of Common Syntax Mistakes

The following table shows the difference between correct and incorrect code mistakes.

Incorrect Correct
prop1 s.prop1 (uses "s.")
s.evar1 s.eVar1 (uses correct capitalization)
s.pagetype='errorpage'; s.pageType='errorPage'; (uses correct capitalization)
s.tl(this,o,pageA) s.tl(this,'o','pageA'); (correct usage of single quotes)
s.events='event1'; s.events='event2'; s.events='event1,event2'; (correct format)
s.pageName="John" (smart quotes on) s.pageName="John" (smart quotes off)
s.products="shoes,UX4879,1,19.99" s.products="shoes;UX4879;1;19.99" (uses semicolons,
not commas)
s.products=";MacBook Air;1;$1999.99" s.products=";MacBook Air;1;1999.99" (does not use dollar
signs)
s.products=";Nikon SB-600 Speedlight Flash for Nikon s.products=";Nikon SB-600 Speedlight Flash for Nikon
Digital SLR Cameras;1;229.9489183" Digital SLR Cameras;1;229.95" (round or truncate long
prices)
var s_account="rsid1, rsid2" var s_account="rsid1,rsid2" (no space between report
suite IDs when doing multi-suite tagging)
s.events="event1, event2" s.events="event1,event2" (no space between event IDs
when doing multi-event tagging)
s.products="product name" s.products=";product name" (semicolon used when no
product category is listed)

Additional Notes
Keep the closing HTML comment at the very end of the Adobe code (even if you are using the NOSCRIPT part of
the script).

Vulnerability Scanner

Whenever users are allowed to input values that are stored in Analytics or any other JavaScript variables, values
should be properly escaped or URIEncoded.
We highly recommend using a vulnerability scanning service to avoid injection attacks and other potential exploits
that might be present in your code.
Testing and Validation 255

Optimizing your Implementation

Analytics deployment is organized into three major steps.

1. This involves pasting a snippet of HTML code onto each page (or page template) of a website. The HTML code
snippet is very small (400 to 1,000 bytes) and contains JavaScript variables and other identifiers that facilitate
the data collection process.
2. The code snippet calls a JavaScript library file, which contains JavaScript functions specific to Analytics used
during metrics collection. If the Analytics code is implemented correctly, the time required for the browser to
execute the JavaScript library file is usually negligible.
3. The library file makes an image request to an Adobe data collection server. The server collects the data being
submitted and returns a 1x1 transparent image to the visitor's browser. This third step adds an insignificant
increment to the total page download time.

Note: Customers can take additional steps to minimize Analytics overhead.

Page Naming
The pageName variable is used to identify each page that is tracked on the website.
If the pageName variable is not populated with a defined value (such as Home), Analytics uses the URL of the page.
Because the page name is central to your reports, make sure that all parties in your organization agree on a strategy
before you implement.

Depending on the content management system your site uses, it is helpful to add content elements to your system
that can be used to populate Analytics variables. Many companies find that most Analytics variables can be populated
from existing content management elements.

Page Naming Strategies

The pageName variable should be populated with an easy-to-read, intuitive, page identifier.
You can determine the best way of populating the pageName variable by looking at the structure of your website.
The methods listed below outline various ways of populating the pageName variable.

While the pageName variable is central to identifying user behavior, Adobe recommends using multiple variables
to indicate page information. The best page naming strategies use a different variable for each level of hierarchy
within your site, as shown below:
• The channel variable can be used to indicate the site section.
• The pageName variable can be used to show content type.
• A custom insight variable (prop1) can be used for detailed content.

Levels of detail vary, depending on property, as shown below:

Variable Level of Detail Example

Channel General Section Electronics
Prop1 Sub Section Sports : Local Sports
PageName General Content Description Loans : Home Mortgage : Rate Comparison
Testing and Validation 256

Variable Level of Detail Example

Prop2 Detailed Content Description Electronics : Notebook PC : Detailed Specs : IBM
Thinkpad T20

The more layered your site, the more variables should be used to identify page content. Companies also find value
in allowing for overlap between variables. For example, a more detailed variable may contain information not only
about the product being viewed, but also about the site section and sub-section. This is particularly helpful when a
product or article appears in more than one section of the site.

The following page naming strategies describe how to populate the pageName variable. While it is tempting to
choose the page naming strategy that is easiest to implement, the page naming strategy largely determines the
usability of all Path and Page reports. Use good judgment when deciding how pages are named.

Unique Name for Each Page

The most valuable method of naming pages is to give each page a unique identifier that is easily understood by all
Analytics users in your organization. Examples of page names include Home Page, Electronics Department Home,
and Sports : Local Sports : High School.

Most Analytics users find that hierarchical page names are useful in both identifying where the page is found on the
site and its purpose. The following table shows some sample page names for various industries:

Conversion Media Finance

Home Page Home Page Home Page
Electronics Technology Home Loans
Electronics : Notebook PCs Technology : New Gadgets Home Loans : Rate Compare
Electronics : Notebook PCs : Product Technology : New Gadgets : Article Home Loans : Rate Compare : 10
Page Page Year Fixed

File Path (Not the Full URL)

For some sites, the file path is clear and easily read. Any business user can read a URL and determine the page to
which the file path refers. If this is the case for your site, you can use a server-side variable to populate the path to
the file into the pageName variable, as shown below:
s.pageName="<%= file_path %>"

Adobe does not recommend leaving the pageName blank, (which results in using the full URL of the page) even
though you may be tempted to do so. The following side-effects are caused by leaving the pageName variable blank
and using the pageURL as the page identifier.
• The domain and path of a page may not always be displayed identically. For example, the following four URLs
return a single page:
• http://www.mysite.com/index.jsp
• http://www.mysite.com
• http://mysite.com/index.jsp
• http://mysite.com/
If the pageName is left blank, each of these page names would occupy a separate entry in reports.
• Some pages (such as forms) post to themselves, thereby erasing any distinction between the original form and
the resulting output.
Testing and Validation 257

• When your page is translated into another language by search engines or other online tools, the URL of the page
is the URL of the search engine (not the URL of your site).

HTML (document.title)
If you have invested time into making your HTML titles readable and intuitive, you might consider using the same
title as the value in the pageName variable. Adobe recommends using a server-side variable to populate the
pageName rather than using JavaScript's document.title. Some browsers interpret the HTML title differently
than others, which may cause Analytics to receive different page names from different browsers.

The best practice for using the HTML title is to copy the existing titles for each page into a separate variable or
content management element. When you decide to make changes to the HTML title for search engine optimization
or other purposes, the Analytics page names are not affected. If a page name changes in Analytics, it becomes a
new page and is not connected with the old page name, regardless of the associated URL.

Variable Length
The length of Analytics variables can impact the size of the HTML code snippet, JavaScript library file, and image
request.
If a customer has many variables that are long (60 characters or more) the values can be replaced with shorter
identifiers. Data classifications or VISTA rules can be used to translate the identifiers to friendly names.

Note: Most Analytics variables have a maximum of 100 characters (eVars have a maximum of 255). Internet
Explorer allows an overall maximum of 2,048 characters in a GET image request URL. The image request
limit applies not only to the variables, but also to information about the browser, operating system, and browser
plug-ins (Netscape/Mozilla only).

HTML Code Snippet

Many customers have variables declared, but no value is assigned to the variable.
Removing unused variables helps to reduce the page size.

Javascript Library File

The JavaScript library file is intended to be cached in the user's browser after the initial load, which limits the amount
of data that needs to be downloaded.
Page-specific variables should be placed in the HTML snippet. All other variables should be put in the JavaScript
library file.

Caching Directives
The JavaScript library file is intended to be cached in the user's browser after the first time the user loads a page.
Adobe customers should ensure that their Web servers are set up to take advantage of this functionality. For example,
make sure that the NO-CACHE setting is set to false. Additionally, ensure that the expiration date is sufficiently long.
Make sure any proxy caches are set up with the correct configuration. The customer's Web server documentation
provides more information.
Testing and Validation 258

Tables
Many Web browsers do not start displaying the contents of a table until the browser has compiled the entire table.
If the entire contents of the page are inside one big table, the browser must compile the entire contents of the page
before anything is displayed.

Placing the call to the JavaScript library file outside table tags ensures that the call to the Analytics servers does not
impact the displaying of the page content.

Note: The file should be placed in a legal position for images and must appear between the opening <body>
tag and the closing </body> tag.

File Compression
Customers can compress the JavaScript library file by using standards-based encoding (such as gzip).
Typical compression algorithms can reduce the size of the JavaScript file by 40-60% or more.

Note: Not all browsers support all file compression standards or interpret the compressed files in the same
manner. Adobe does not guarantee reliable file compression in all environments. Customers should test
compression in their supported browsers and configurations before deploying.

Secure Pages
Secure pages (pages loaded under https://) encrypt the image request and add to the total download time.
Secure pages can add as much as 50-75% overhead to the image request.

Content Delivery Services/Networks

Content Delivery Services or Content Distribution Networks (CDNs) such as Akamai and Speedera push Web content
closer to the edge of the network, keeping frequently-requested documents close to the location where they are
accessed.
Typically, this reduces access latency, bandwidth usage, and infrastructure cost.

Your AppMeasurement for JavaScript library file can be delivered via a CDN to enhance performance and delivery
of the file to the site visitor. Adobe customers need to ensure they have configured their CDN services correctly.
CDNs are a common reason for fluctuations in download times and should be considered the most probable cause
for any changes in download times.

Tag manager stores all JavaScript on a CDN.

JavaScript File Location and Concurrency

Placing the call to the JavaScript library file at the top of the page ensures that the image is among the first elements
to be downloaded.
Most Web browsers download images concurrently. Typically three to four images can be downloaded simultaneously.

Because most Web browsers download elements concurrently, the Status Bar of many common browsers (including
Internet Explorer) does not accurately reflect which element the browser is trying to load. For example, your Status
Testing and Validation 259

Bar may report that your browser is waiting for image 1 to download. The network packet tests show your browser
has already received image 1 and is currently waiting for image 2.

Note: Because third-party Internet Performance Audit providers (such as Keynote Systems) download page
image elements sequentially, not concurrently, they do not mimic the typical user experience.

Peering
Private Network Peering enables data to pass from an ISP's network to the Analytics network more efficiently.
Peering is simply the agreement to interconnect and exchange routing information without the need of the public
network. Please contact Adobe Engineering if an ISP is interested in establishing a peering relationship.

Although peering may provide some benefits to Adobe ISP customers, optimizing the HTML snippet and the Web
servers caching directives likely have a much greater impact. High-volume ISP customers realize the most benefit
from peering.

Report to Variable Mapping

The tables below display the report to variable mapping, or the reports and the variables that are used in them.
Conversion Reports
The following table lists the conversion variables that are used to populate each report:

Purchases
Conversions and Averages s.events, s.products, s.purchaseID Set s.events to purchase, product
detail, order number
Revenue s.events, s.products, s.purchaseID Set s.events to purchase, product
detail, order number
Orders s.events, s.products, s.purchaseID Set s.events to purchase, product
detail, order number
Units s.events, s.products, s.purchaseID Set s.events to purchase, product
detail, order number

Shopping Cart
Conversions and Averages s.events, s.products, s.purchaseID
Cart s.events Set s.events to scOpen
Cart Views s.events Set s.events to scView
Cart Additions s.events Set s.events to scAdd
Cart Removals s.events Set s.events to scRemove
Checkouts s.events Set s.events to scCheckout

Custom Events
Custom Event 1 s.events Populate with event1 - event100
… … Populate with event1 - event100
Testing and Validation 260

Custom Events
Custom Event 100 s.events Populate with event1 - event100

Products
Conversions and Averages s.events, s.products, s.purchaseID
Products s.products, s.events May vary depending on right column
metrics
Cross Sell s.products, s.events, s.purchaseID May vary depending on right column
metrics
Categories s.products May vary depending on right column
metrics

Campaigns
Conversions and Averages s.products, s.events, s.campaign
Tracking Code s.campaign
Creative Elements N/A Defined in Analytics
Campaigns N/A Defined in Analytics

Customer Loyalty
Customer Loyalty s.products, s.events, s.purchaseID Variables set on the Order
Confirmation (Thank You!) page

Sales Cycle
Days Before First Purchase s.products, s.events, s.purchaseID Variables set on the Order
Confirmation (Thank You!) page
Days Since Last Purchase s.products, s.events, s.purchaseID Variables set on the Order
Confirmation (Thank You!) page
Visit Number s.products, s.events, s.purchaseID Variables set on the Order
Confirmation (Thank You!) page
Daily Unique Customers s.products, s.events, s.purchaseID Variables set on the Order
Confirmation (Thank You!) page
Monthly Unique Customers s.products, s.events, s.purchaseID Variables set on the Order
Confirmation (Thank You!) page
Yearly Unique Customers s.products, s.events, s.purchaseID Variables set on the Order
Confirmation (Thank You!) page

Finding Methods
Referring Domains N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Original Referring Domains N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Search Engines N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Search Keywords N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Testing and Validation 261

Visitor Profile
Top Level Domains N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Languages N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Time Zones N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
States s.state Variable set on the Order
Confirmation (Thank You!) page
Zip/Postal Codes s.zip Variable set on the Order
Confirmation (Thank You!) page
Domains N/A Automatically set by the .JS file

Technology
Browsers N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Operating Systems N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Monitor Resolutions N/A Automatically set by the .JS file

Site Path
Page Value s.pageName, s.products, s.events,
s.purchaseID
Entry Pages s.pageName
Original Entry Pages s.pageName
Pages Per Visit N/A Calculated by business rules in
Analytics
Time Spent on Site N/A Calculated by business rules in
Analytics
Site Sections s.channel Same as Channel report in Traffic
reports section

Customer Variables
Custom eVar 1 s.eVar 1
Custom eVar 2 s.eVar 2
Custom eVar 3 s.eVar 3
…
Custom eVar 75 s.eVar 75

Traffic Reports
The following table lists the traffic variables that are used to populate each report:

Calculated Metrics
N/A N/A N/A
Testing and Validation 262

Site Traffic
Page Views N/A Calculated by business rules in
Analytics
Hourly Unique Visitors N/A Calculated by business rules in
Analytics
Daily Unique Visitors N/A Calculated by business rules in
Analytics
Monthly Unique Visitors N/A Calculated by business rules in
Analytics
Yearly Unique Visitors N/A Calculated by business rules in
Analytics
Visits N/A Calculated by business rules in
Analytics
File Downloads N/A Automatically tracked by .JS file
(depends on .JS variable settings)

Finding Methods
Referring Domains N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Referrers N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Search Engines N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Search Keywords N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Return Frequency N/A Calculated by business rules in
Analytics
Daily Return Visits N/A Calculated by business rules in
Analytics
Return Visits N/A Calculated by business rules in
Analytics
Visit Numbers N/A Calculated by business rules in
Analytics

Visitor Profile
Domains N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Top Level Domains N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Languages N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Time Zones N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Visitor Details N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Last 100 Visitors N/A Calculated by business rules in
Analytics
User Home Page N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Key Visitors N/A Based on visitor's IP address
Testing and Validation 263

Visitor Profile
Pages Viewed by Key Visitors N/A Based on visitor's IP address

Geo Segmentation
Countries N/A Based on visitor's IP address
U.S. States N/A Based on visitor's IP address
DMA N/A Based on visitor's IP address
International Cities N/A Based on visitor's IP address
U.S. Cities N/A Based on visitor's IP address

Technology
Browser Types N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Browsers N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Mobile Devices N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Browser Width N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Browser Height N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Operating Systems N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Monitor Color Depth N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Monitor Resolutions N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Netscape Plug-ins N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Java N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
JavaScript N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
JavaScript Version N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Cookies N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Connection Types N/A Automatically set by the .JS file
Segmentation

Segmentation
Most Popular Pages s.pageName
Most Popular Site Sections s.channel
Most Popular Servers s.server

Custom Insight
Custom Links s.linkName Requires custom implementation
Custom Insight 1 s.prop1
… …
Custom Insight 75 s.prop75
Testing and Validation 264

Hierarchies
Hierarchy 1 s.hier1
… …
Hierarchy 5 s.hier5

Pathing Reports
The following table lists the pathing variables that are used to populate each report within Analytics:

Pages
Page Summary s.pageName (or other pathed Also depends on internal business
variable) rules
Page Value s.pageName (or other pathed Also depends on internal business
variable) rules
Most Popular Pages s.pageName (or other pathed Also depends on internal business
variable) rules
Reloads s.pageName (or other pathed Also depends on internal business
variable) rules
Clicks to Page s.pageName (or other pathed Also depends on internal business
variable) rules
Time Spent on Page s.pageName (or other pathed Also depends on internal business
variable) rules
Pages Not Found s.pageName (or other pathed Also depends on internal business
variable) rules

Entries and Exits

Entry Pages s.pageName (or other pathed Also depends on internal business
variable) rules
Exit Pages s.pageName (or other pathed Also depends on internal business
variable) rules
Exit Links s.pageName (or other pathed Also depends on internal business
variable) rules

Complete Paths
Full Paths s.pageName (or other pathed Also depends on internal business
variable) rules
Longest Paths s.pageName (or other pathed Also depends on internal business
variable) rules
Path Length s.pageName (or other pathed Also depends on internal business
variable) rules
Time Spent per Visit s.pageName (or other pathed Also depends on internal business
variable) rules
Single-page Visits s.pageName (or other pathed Also depends on internal business
variable) rules
Testing and Validation 265

Advanced Analysis
Previous Page s.pageName (or other pathed Also depends on internal business
variable) rules
Next Page s.pageName (or other pathed Also depends on internal business
variable) rules
Previous Page Flow s.pageName (or other pathed Also depends on internal business
variable) rules
Next Page Flow s.pageName (or other pathed Also depends on internal business
variable) rules
PathFinder s.pageName (or other pathed Also depends on internal business
variable) rules
Fall-out s.pageName (or other pathed Also depends on internal business
variable) rules

Variable to Report Mapping

The table below displays variable to report mapping for the variables used to populate Analytics reports.
Each variable is listed with the reports that use the variable listed next to it.

Variable Reports Populated

s.pageName
Conversion Reports > Path Reports > Page Value

Conversion Reports > Path Reports > Entry Page

Conversion Reports > Path Reports > Original Entry Pages

Traffic Reports > Site Traffic > Page Views

Traffic Reports > Site Traffic > Hourly Unique Visitors

Traffic Reports > Site Traffic > Daily Unique Visitors

Traffic Reports > Site Traffic > Monthly Unique Visitors

Traffic Reports > Site Traffic > Yearly Unique Visitors

Traffic Reports > Visitor Profile > Pages Viewed by Key Visitors

Traffic Reports > Segmentation > Most Popular Pages

Path Reports > Pages > Page Summary

Path Reports > Pages > Page Value

Path Reports > Pages > Most Popular Pages

Path Reports > Pages > Reloads

Path Reports > Pages > Click to Page

Path Reports > Pages > Time Spent on Page

Path Reports > Entries & Exits > Entry Pages

Testing and Validation 266

Variable Reports Populated

Path Reports > Entries & Exits > Exit Pages

Path Reports > Entries & Exits > Exit Links

Path Reports > Complete Paths > Full Paths

Path Reports > Complete Paths > Longest Paths

Path Reports > Complete Paths > Path Length

Path Reports > Complete Paths > Time Spent per Visit

Path Reports > Complete Paths > Single-page Visits

Path Reports > Advanced Analysis > Previous Page

Path Reports > Advanced Analysis > Next Page

Path Reports > Advanced Analysis > Previous Page Flow

Path Reports > Advanced Analysis > Next Page Flow

Path Reports > Advanced Analysis > PathFinder

Path Reports > Advanced Analysis > Fall-out

NOTE: In all of the Traffic Reports listed above, with the exception of the
Most Popular Pages Report, if the s.pageName variable is not set, the URL
is used.

s.server Traffic Reports > Segmentation > Most Popular Servers

s.pageType Path Reports > Pages > Pages Not Found
s.channel
Conversion Reports > Site Path Reports > Site Section

Traffic Reports > Segmentation > Most Popular Site Sections

s.prop1 - s.prop20 Traffic Reports > Custom Insight > Custom Insight 1-20
s.campaign
Conversion Reports > Campaigns > Conversion & Averages

Conversion Reports > Campaigns > Tracking Code

s.state Conversion Reports > Visitor Profile > States

s.zip Conversion Reports > Visitor Profile > ZIP/ Postal Codes
s.events
Conversion Reports > Purchases > Conversion & Averages

Conversion Reports > Purchases > Revenue

Conversion Reports > Purchases > Orders

Conversion Reports > Purchases > Units

Conversion Reports > Shopping Cart > Conversion & Averages

Conversion Reports > Shopping Cart > Carts

Testing and Validation 267

Variable Reports Populated

Conversion Reports > Shopping Cart > Cart Views

Conversion Reports > Shopping Cart > Cart Additions

Conversion Reports > Shopping Cart > Cart Removals

Conversion Reports > Shopping Cart > Checkouts

Conversion Reports > Custom Events > Custom Event 1-20

Conversion Reports > Products > Conversion & Averages

Conversion Reports > Products > Cross Sell

Conversion Reports > Products > Categories

Conversion Reports > Campaigns > Conversion & Averages

Conversion Reports > Customer Loyalty > Customer Loyalty

Conversion Reports > Sales Cycle > Days Before First Purchase

Conversion Reports > Sales Cycle > Days Since Last Purchase

Conversion Reports > Sales Cycle > Visit Number

Conversion Reports > Sales Cycle > Daily Unique Customers

Conversion Reports > Sales Cycle > Monthly Unique Customers

Conversion Reports > Sales Cycle > Yearly Unique Customers

Conversion Reports > Site Path > Page Value

s.products
Conversion Reports > Purchases > Conversion & Averages

Conversion Reports > Purchases > Revenue

Conversion Reports > Purchases > Orders

Conversion Reports > Purchases > Units

Conversion Reports > Shopping Cart > Conversion & Averages

Conversion Reports > Products > Conversion & Averages

Conversion Reports > Products > Cross Sell

Conversion Reports > Products > Categories

Conversion Reports > Campaigns > Conversion & Averages

Conversion Reports > Customer Loyalty > Customer Loyalty

Conversion Reports > Sales Cycle > Days Before First Purchase

Conversion Reports > Sales Cycle > Days Since Last Purchase
Conversion Reports > Sales Cycle > Visit Number

Conversion Reports > Sales Cycle > Daily Unique Customers

Testing and Validation 268

Variable Reports Populated

Conversion Reports > Sales Cycle > Monthly Unique Customers

Conversion Reports > Sales Cycle > Yearly Unique Customers

Conversion Reports > Site Path > Page Value

s.purchaseID
Conversion Reports > Purchases > Conversion & Averages

Conversion Reports > Purchases > Revenue

Conversion Reports > Purchases > Orders

Conversion Reports > Purchases > Units

Conversion Reports > Shopping Cart > Conversion & Averages

Conversion Reports > Products > Conversion & Averages

Conversion Reports > Products > Cross Sell

Conversion Reports > Customer Loyalty > Customer Loyalty

Conversion Reports > Sales Cycle > Days Before First Purchase

Conversion Reports > Sales Cycle > Days Since Last Purchase

Conversion Reports > Sales Cycle > Visit Number

Conversion Reports > Sales Cycle > Daily Unique Customers

Conversion Reports > Sales Cycle > Monthly Unique Customers

Conversion Reports > Sales Cycle > Yearly Unique Customers

Conversion Reports > Site Path > Page Value

s.eVar1 - s.eVar20 Conversion Reports > Custom Variables > Customer eVar 1-20
s.linkName Traffic Reports > Custom Insight > Custom Links
s.hier1 - s.hier5 Traffic Reports > Hierarchies > Hierarchy 1-5
Analytics for Digital Assistants 269

Analytics for Digital Assistants

With recent advances in cloud computing, machine learning, and natural language processing, digital assistants are
moving out of the dark ages of "clippy" and becoming part of everyday life. Consumers are starting to talk to their
devices and expecting them to listen, understand, and respond in natural, human-like ways to phrases like, "Alexa,
turn on the family room lights," or "Okay Google, What's the weather like outside?"

As these platforms become more established, brands can present their services to consumers in these same realistic
and lifelike ways. For example, consumers can ask things like:
• "Alexa, ask my car when it needs an oil change."
• "Cortana, what is the balance of my checking account?"
• "Siri, send John $20 for dinner last night from my banking app."

This white paper provides an overview of how best to use the Adobe Analytics Cloud to measure and optimize these
types of experiences.

Digital Experience Architecture Overview

Most digital assistants today follow a similar high-level architecture:

1. Device: There is a device (like an Amazon Echo or a phone) with a microphone that allows the user to ask a
question.
2. Digital assistant: That device interacts with the service that powers the digital assistant. This service is where
a lot of the magic happens. It is where the speech is converted into machine understandable intents and the
details of the request are parsed out. Once the user's intent is understood, the digital assistant passes the intent
and details of the request to the app that handles the request.
3. "App": The app can either be an app on the phone or a voice app. The app is responsible for responding to the
request. It responds to the digital assistant and the digital assistant then responds to the user.
Analytics for Digital Assistants 270

Where to implement Analytics

One of the best places to implement Analytics is in the app. The app receives the intent and the details about the
intent from the digital assistant and decides how to respond.

There are two times during the life-cycle of a request that can be helpful to call the Analytics Cloud.

1. When the request is sent to the "App." If you need additional context about the user before you respond to the
request, you should leverage the Audience Manager capability to get the segments that they belong to.
2. After the response is returned from the app. If you are just interested in recording what happened with the customer
for future optimization, send a request to Adobe Analytics after the response has been returned. This way you
have the full context of what the request was and how the system responded.

Analytics Implementation for Digital Assistants

New Installs
For some of the digital assistants you will get a notification when someone installs the skill. This is especially the
case when there is authentication involved. At this time you should send Adobe an Install event by setting the context
data to a.InstallEvent=1. Note that this is not available on all platforms but is helpful when it is present for looking
at retention. The following code sample sends in Install, Install Date, and AppID.

Code Sample
GET
/b/ss/[rsid]/0?vid=[UserID]&c.a.InstallEvent=1&amp;c.a.InstallDate=2017-04-24&c.a.AppID=Spoofify1.0&c
.OSType=Alexa&pageName=install
HTTP/1.1
Host: sc.omtrdc.net
Cache-Control: no-cache

Multiple Assistants or Multiple Apps

It is likely that you will develop apps for multiple platforms. The best practice is to include an app ID with each request.
This can be set in the a.AppID context data. Follow the format of [AppName] [BundleVersion], for example,
BigMac for Alexa 1.2

Code Sample
GET
/b/ss/[rsid]/0?vid=[UserID]&c.a.AppID=Spoofify1.0&c.a.Launches=1&c.Product=AmazonEcho&c.OSType=Alexa&pageName=install
HTTP/1.1
Host: [prefix].sc.omtrdc.net
Cache-Control: no-cache
GET
/b/ss/[rsid]/0?vid=[UserID]&c.a.AppID=Spoofify2.0&c.a.Launches=1&c.Product=GoogleHome&c.OSType=Android&pageName=install
HTTP/1.1
Host: sc.omtrdc.net
Cache-Control: no-cache
Analytics for Digital Assistants 271

User/Visitor Identification
The Analytics Cloud uses the Experience Cloud ID service (ECID) service to tie interactions across time to the same
person. Most of the digital assistants will return a userID that you can use to keep the activity for different users
separate in the ECID service. In most cases, this is what you should pass in as the ECID service. Some platforms
return a userID that is longer than the 100 characters that the Analytics limit allows. If that is the case, Adobe
recommends that you hash the userId to a fixed-length value using a standard hashing algorithm, such as MD5 or
Sha1.

While you can use the ECID service for this, doing so provides value only if you are trying to map ECIDs across
different devices (e.g. Web to Digital Assistant). If your app is a mobile app (e.g. a deep link) you should use the
SDK as is and send the information along. The userID can be attached to the ECID service using the setCustomerID
method, allowing for better device stitching. However, if your app is a service, use the userID provided by the service
as the ECID, as well as setting it in the setCustomerID. This allows you to see how people are using the digital
assistant over time.

Code Sample
GET /b/ss/[rsid]/0?vid=[UserID]&pageName=[intent] HTTP/1.1
Host: sc.omtrdc.net
Cache-Control: no-cache

Sessions
Because digital assistants are conversational, they often have the concept of a session. For example:

Consumer: "Ok Google, call a cab for me"

Google:: "Sure, what time would you like?"

Consumer: "8:30pm"

Google: "Sounds good, the Driver will be by at 8:30pm"

These sessions are important to keep in context. They help collect more details and make the digital assistants more
natural.

When implementing Analytics on a conversation, there are two things you should do when a new session is started:

1. Reach out to Audience Manager: Get the relevant segments that a user is a part of so that you can customize
the response. (For example, this person currently qualifies for the multi-channel discount.)
2. Send in a new session or launch event: When you send the first response to Analytics, include a launch event.
Usually, this can be sent by setting context data of a.LaunchEvent=1.

Code Sample for Launch

GET /b/ss/[rsid]/0?vid=[UserID]&c.a.LaunchEvent=1&c.Intent=[intent]&pageName=[intent] HTTP/1.1
Host: sc.omtrdc.net
Cache-Control: no-cache

Intents
Each of the digital assistants has algorithms that detect intents and then passes the intent down to the "App" so that
the app knows what to do. These intents are a succinct representation of the request.

For example, if a user says, "Siri, Send John $20 for dinner last night from my banking app," the intent might be
something like sendMoney.
Analytics for Digital Assistants 272

By sending in each of these requests as an eVar, you will be able to run pathing reports on each of the intents for
conversational apps.You will also want to make sure the "App" can handle requests without an intent. We recommend
passing in No Intent Specified as opposed to leaving the value blank.

Code Sample

GET
/b/ss/[rsid]/0?vid=[UserID]&c.a.AppID=Penmo1.0&c.a.LaunchEvent=1&c.Intent=SendPayment&pageName=[intent]
HTTP/1.1
Host: sc.omtrdc.net
Cache-Control: no-cache

or
GET
/b/ss/[rsid]/0?vid=[UserID]&c.a.AppID=Penmo1.0&c.a.LaunchEvent=1&c.Intent=No_Intent_Specified&pageName=[intent]
HTTP/1.1
Host: sc.omtrdc.net
Cache-Control: no-cache

Parameters/Slots/Entities
In addition to the intent the digital assistant will often have a set of key value pairs that give the details of the intent.
These are called slots, entities or parameters. For example:

"Siri, Send John $20 for dinner last night from my banking app" would have the following parameters:
• Who = John
• Amount = 20
• Why = Dinner
There is usually a finite number of these with your app. To track these in Analytics, send them into context data and
then map each of the parameters to an eVar.

Code Sample
GET
/b/ss/[rsid]/0?vid=[UserID]&c.a.AppID=Penmo1.0=1&c.a.LaunchEvent=1&c.Intent=SendPayment&c.Amount=20.00&c.Reason=Dinner&c.ReceivingPerson=John&c.Intent=SendPayment&pageName=[intent]
HTTP/1.1
Host: sc.omtrdc.net
Cache-Control: no-cache

Session
Although not all apps will be revenue generating, it is important to think about what success looks like and include
some measurements for it. Adobe Analytics can measure revenue, ad-impressions and other forms of success along
with the user behavior.

Error States
Sometimes the Digital Assistant will provide the app with inputs that it doesn't know how to handle. For example.

"Siri, Send John 20 bags of coal for dinner last night from my banking app"

When this happens the app should ask for clarification. Additionally when it is responding to a request like this you
should send Analytics an event that indicates the App has an error state along with an evar that specifies what type
of error occurred.

Be sure to include errors where the inputs are not correct and errors where the "App" had a problem.
Analytics for Digital Assistants 273

Code Sample
GET
/b/ss/[rsid]/0/?vid=[UserID]&c.a.AppID=Penmo1.0&c.Error=1&c.ErrorName=InvalidCurrency&pageName=[intent]
HTTP/1.1
Host: sc.omtrdc.net
Cache-Control: no-cache

Device Capabilities
While most of the platforms don't expose the actual device that the user spoke too. They do expose the capabilities
of the device as the available interfaces (e.g. Audio, Screen, Video, etc). This is useful information because it defines
the types of content that can be used when interacting with your users. When measuring the interfaces it is best to
concatenate them (in alphabetical order).

Example: :Audio:Camera:Screen:Video:

Notice the trailing and leading colons. These help when creating segments (for example, give me all interactions
with :Audio: capabilities).

Amazon Capabilities:
https://developer.amazon.com/public/solutions/alexa/alexa-skills-kit/docs/alexa-skills-kit-interface-reference

Google Capabilities: https://developers.google.com/actions/assistant/surface-capabilities

Analytics Reporting for Digital Assistants

Once your Digital Assistant App is implemented you can use the full power of Adobe Analytics with it. Below are
just a few examples of the things you can do with Analytics.

Monitoring Intents
Most Apps have several intents and different things you can do. You could easily use Analysis Workspace to keep
track of the top intents by instances and by users

This lets you see which features are being used most often and can give you a view into the adoption of new features.

Requests with Errors

You will be able to monitor errors to see if there are common places where users are getting having problems.

Flow Between Events

One of the most powerful things to do is look at the flow of intents. This is helpful in two ways. First, you can look
within a session for how people flow between intents in a conversation. Second, you can look at how people flow
between intents over longer time frames to see how their usage of the "App" is evolving.

Example

Pre-installed app
Analytics for Digital Assistants 274

Person Device Response Action / Get Request Analytics Data

Intent

Play Spoofify "okay playing Play GET • Visitor ID

/b/ss/[rsid]/0?vid=[UserID]&c.a.AppID=Spoofify1.0&c.a.LaunchEvent=1&c.Intent=Play&pageName=PlayApp
Spoofify" HTTP/1.1 • App Version
Host: sc.omtrdc.net
Cache-Control: no-cache • # of Launches
• Intent
• Response

Change song "okay what song do ChangeSong GET • Visitor ID

/b/ss/[rsid]/0?vid=[UserID]&c.a.AppID=Spoofify1.0&c.Intent=ChangeSong&pageName=
you want?" AskForSong HTTP/1.1 • App Version
Host: sc.omtrdc.net
Cache-Control: no-cache • Intent
• *blank playlist
• Response

Play "My Heart "okay playing 'My ChangeSong GET • Visitor ID

/b/ss/[rsid]/0?vid=[UserID]&c.a.AppID=Spoofify1.0&c.Intent=ChangePlaylist&pageName=
Will Go On" by Heart Will Go On' by • App Version
Celine Dion Celine Dion" ActionPlaySong&c.SongID=[012345]
HTTP/1.1 • Intent
Host: sc.omtrdc.net • Song ID
Cache-Control: no-cache
• Response

Change playlist "okay what playlist do ChangePlaylist GET • Visitor ID

/b/ss/[rsid]/0?vid=[UserID]&c.a.AppID=Spoofify1.0&c.Intent=ChangePlaylist&pageName=
you want?" AskForPlaylist HTTP/1.1 • App Version
Host: sc.omtrdc.net
Cache-Control: no-cache • Intent
• *blank playlist
• Response

Play Usher "okay playing Usher" ChangePlaylist GET • Visitor ID

/b/ss/[rsid]/0?vid=[UserID]&c.a.AppID=Spoofify1.0&c.Intent=ChangePlaylist&pageName=
• App Version
ActionPlayPlaylist&c.Playlist=Usher
HTTP/1.1 • Intent
Host: sc.omtrdc.net • Playlist
Cache-Control: no-cache
• Response

Turn music off *no response, music Off GET • Visitor ID

/b/ss/[rsid]/0?vid=[UserID]&c.a.AppID=Spoofify1.0&c.Intent=Off&pageName=TurnsOffMusic
turns off HTTP/1.1 • App Version
Host: sc.omtrdc.net
Cache-Control: no-cache • Intent
• Response

Requires user to install app

Analytics for Digital Assistants 275

Person Device Response Action / Get Request Analytics Data

Intent

Install Spoofify *no response Install GET • Visitor ID

/b/ss/[rsid]/0?vid=[UserID]&amp;c.a.InstallEvent=1&c.a.InstallDate=2017-04-24&c.a.AppID=Spoofify1.0&c.OSType=Alexa&c.Intent=Install&pageName=Install
HTTP/1.1 • Date
Host: sc.omtrdc.net
Cache-Control: no-cache • Intent
• OS Version
• Response

Play Spoofify "okay playing Play GET • Visitor ID

/b/ss/[rsid]/0?vid=[UserID]&c.a.AppID=Spoofify1.0&c.a.LaunchEvent=1&c.Intent=Play&pageName=PlayApp
Spoofify" HTTP/1.1 • App Version
Host: sc.omtrdc.net
Cache-Control: no-cache • # of Launches
• Intent
• Response

GET
Change song "okay what song do ChangeSong /b/ss/[rsid]/0?vid=[UserID]&c.a.AppID=Spoofify1.0&c.Intent=ChangeSong&pageName= • Visitor ID
you want?" AskForSong HTTP/1.1 • App Version
Host: sc.omtrdc.net
Cache-Control: no-cache • Intent
• *blank playlist
• Response

GET
Play "My Heart "okay playing 'My ChangeSong /b/ss/[rsid]/0?vid=[UserID]&c.a.AppID=Spoofify1.0&c.Intent=ChangePlaylist&pageName= • Visitor ID
Will Go On" by Heart Will Go On' by • App Version
Celine Dion Celine Dion" ActionPlaySong&c.SongID=[012345]
HTTP/1.1 • Intent
Host: sc.omtrdc.net • Song ID
Cache-Control: no-cache
• Response

GET
Change playlist "okay what playlist do ChangePlaylist /b/ss/[rsid]/0?vid=[UserID]&c.a.AppID=Spoofify1.0&c.Intent=ChangePlaylist&pageName= • Visitor ID
you want?" AskForPlaylist HTTP/1.1 • App Version
Host: sc.omtrdc.net
Cache-Control: no-cache • Intent
• *blank playlist
• Response

GET
Play Usher "okay playing Usher" ChangePlaylist /b/ss/[rsid]/0?vid=[UserID]&c.a.AppID=Spoofify1.0&c.Intent=ChangePlaylist&pageName= • Visitor ID
• App Version
ActionPlayPlaylist&c.Playlist=Usher
HTTP/1.1 • Intent
Host: sc.omtrdc.net • Playlist
Cache-Control: no-cache
• Response

GET
Turn music off *no response, music Off /b/ss/[rsid]/0?vid=[UserID]&c.a.AppID=Spoofify1.0&c.Intent=Off&pageName=TurnsOffMusic • Visitor ID
turns off HTTP/1.1 • App Version
Host: sc.omtrdc.net
Cache-Control: no-cache • Intent
• Response
Contact and Legal Information 276

Contact and Legal Information

Information to help you contact Adobe and to understand the legal issues concerning your use of this product and
documentation.

Help & Technical Support

The Adobe Experience Cloud Customer Care team is here to assist you and provides a number of mechanisms by
which they can be engaged:
• Check the Experience Cloud help pages for advice, tips, and FAQs
• Ask us a quick question on Twitter @AdobeExpCare
• Log an incident in our customer portal
• Contact the Customer Care team directly
• Check availability and status of Experience Cloud Solutions

Service, Capability & Billing

Dependent on your solution configuration, some options described in this documentation might not be available to
you. As each account is unique, please refer to your contract for pricing, due dates, terms, and conditions. If you
would like to add to or otherwise change your service level, or if you have questions regarding your current service,
please contact your Account Manager.

Feedback
We welcome any suggestions or feedback regarding this solution. Enhancement ideas and suggestions can be
added to our Customer Idea Exchange.

Legal
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Published by Adobe Systems Incorporated.

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