Tracking options for publishers

What are redirect links? How to use them to link subsites + bonus: advance technique for advanced publishers to create cookies using redirect via Dognet´s server.

Tracking options

Dognet allows for two forms of tracking:

1. The first is a standard tagged link to an e-shop when linking to an advertiser´s website, with a cookie being created upon click-through
2. The second redirect is such where it is sent at first to “dognet“, thereby creating a cookie, and then it goes to an advertiser´s website

A publisher can choose which tracking suits it more. The first option is “finer“ and the second one more secure as it always creates a cookie. For the description of the methods, see the article below. We are sorry but we cannot technically find out as to whether any real-time changes are taking place on the side of advertisers. A publisher therefore can choose even a more secure, redirect way.

Campaigns with redirect links

We have a number of campaigns in the net where it has been impossible to integrate click tracking. Because of this it is necessary to use redirect via our server to create cookies.

Example campaigns with redirect links:

• Spartoo.sk
• Erex24.cz
• Audiolibrix.com
• Prontopůjčka.cz

 

A redirect link looks somehow like this: https://login.dognet.sk/scripts/fc27g82d?a_aid=55d1e5e96f49d&a_bid=8f427c29

A non-redirect link looks like this: http://www.bohatstvo-prirody.sk/?utm_source=dgt&a_aid=55d1e5e96f49d&a_bid=3a963e3e

A difference can be seen outright at first glance. The first link is directed to our server. Cookies are created in the browser and then it moves the visitor to an advertiser´s site. The second link is directed right to an advertiser´s site where our code creates a cookies record in the browser.

 

Adjustment of redirect links

A traditional text link in a campaign with redirect links is directed most frequently to an advertiser´s homepage. However how about if you want to link to a subsite?

 

An example with campaign Erex24.cz (UTM tags in URL)

URL redirect: https://login.dognet.sk/scripts/fc27g82d?a_aid=55d1e5e96f49d&a_bid=f432abd1

It is directed to: http://www.erex24.cz/?utm_campaign=dognet&utm_source=DOGNET

How to modify a link so as to be directed to a subsite? Simply:

• we choose e-shop subsite: http://www.erex24.cz/o-erexu24.php
• add UTM tags to it (the same as those to which the redirect address is linked): http://www.erex24.cz/o-erexu24.php?utm_campaign=dognet&utm_source=DOGNET
• we encode the link using the tool using the tool: http%3A%2F%2Fwww.erex24.cz%2Fo-erexu24.php%3Futm_campaign%3Ddognet%26utm_source%3DDOGNET
• add the encoded URL as the destination URL: https://login.dognet.sk/scripts/fc27g82d?a_aid=55d1e5e96f49d&a_bid=f432abd1&desturl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.erex24.cz%2Fo-erexu24.php%3Futm_campaign%3Ddognet%26utm_source%3DDOGNET

 

An example with campaign Spartoo.sk (own parameter in URL)

URL redirect: https://login.dognet.sk/scripts/fc27g82d?a_aid=55d1e5e96f49d&a_bid=8f427c29

It is directed to: https://www.spartoo.sk/?track_id=dognet55d1e5e96f49d (kde 55d1e5e96f49d je vaše Referral ID)

In this case the advertiser Spartoo.sk requires instead of UTM parameters the special parameter track_id. One should therefore proceed as follows:

• we choose the e-shop subsite: https://www.spartoo.sk/Desigual-b749.php
• add to it the parameter, required by the advertiser: https://www.spartoo.sk/Desigual-b749.php?track_id=dognet55d1e5e96f49d
• we encode the resulting link using the tool and obtain: https%3A%2F%2Fwww.spartoo.sk%2FDesigual-b749.php%3Ftrack_id%3Ddognet55d1e5e96f49d
• add the encoded URL as the destination URL:: https://login.dognet.sk/scripts/fc27g82d?a_aid=55d1e5e96f49d&a_bid=8f427c29&desturl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.spartoo.sk%2FDesigual-b749.php%3Ftrack_id%3Ddognet55d1e5e96f49d

 

The most frequent errors:

• you forget to add UTM tags or other parameters to the destination URL

ALWAYS follow up on the redirect address from a given campaign! Otherwise cookies will not be created for you in the proper campaign and the sale will not be entered for you.

 

Redirect exceptions

In selected campaigns, the deeplink is not created via the desturl parameter, but via the data2 parameter.

These campaigns include:

• Calzedonia
• e50style
• EmpikFoto
• eObuv / ePantofi / eCipo
• Orsay
• Kontakto.cz
• Intimissimi
• Modivo
• MyProtein
• Zoohit / Zooplus

Instructions on how to create a deeplink in these campaigns can be found on our campaign details page (just click on the campaign name to get to the detail).

 

Use of redirect in campaigns involving direct links

Redirect addresses can be used in all campaigns. Even in those involving direct links. How to do it?

 

We will take a standard text link from administration: https://www.andreashop.sk/?utm_source=dognet&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=dognet-link&a_aid=55d1e5e96f49d&a_bid=0ed56982

And then we will create a redirect address as follows:

• redirect basis is https://login.dognet.sk/scripts/fc27g82d (HTTPS version can also be used)
• to the basis we add the publisher ID (Referral ID): https://login.dognet.sk/scripts/fc27g82d?a_aid=55d1e5e96f49d
• from the standard text link, we take a_bid and add to the end:: https://login.dognet.sk/scripts/fc27g82d?a_aid=55d1e5e96f49d&a_bid=0ed56982

The resulting redirect URL address https https://login.dognet.sk/scripts/fc27g82d?a_aid=55d1e5e96f49d&a_bid=0ed56982 smeruje na stránku https://www.andreashop.sk/?utm_source=dognet&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=dognet-link. You can notice that there is no longer your ID (parameter a_aid) nor banner ID (parameter a_bid) here. These are no longer needed.

 

ALWAYS use the parameter a_bid from the standard text link from a given campaign, where you create the redirect address!

 

You can modify even thus created redirect address so as to be directed to the e-shop subsite.. Example: https://login.dognet.sk/scripts/fc27g82d?a_aid=55d1e5e96f49d&a_bid=0ed56982&desturl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.andreashop.sk%2Fstarostlivost-o-telo%3Futm_source%3Ddognet%26utm_medium%3Dlink%26utm_campaign%3Ddognet-link

 

Redirect advantages

Why use redirect when you can use a direct link? For sure or if you want to be entirely sure that cookie is created while clicking through.

It has happened a couple of times that an advertiser moved from HTTP to HTTPS and had its redirect set up so that the URL parameters got lost. As a result, our tracking code on the advertiser´s site failed to catch the publisher ID and failed to create cookies. This is just one of the examples why it is better to use a redirect link. By using redirect, a cookie is created every time, hence prior to moving to the advertiser´s website.

Redirect disadvantages

A redirect address is ”ugly“. Technically more proficient computer users look at where a link is directed before they click it. Such an address might discourage them.

Creating redirect addresses is much more demanding for the publisher than creating direct links. We therefore recommend this technique just for advanced publishers.