Transcript data collection - Webtrends Training (EMEA)
Data Collection
Introduction
Name / job role What company are you with How much experience do you have using Webtrends Create a Word document for your notes ..
Agenda
Data Collection Architecture & Workflow
Architecture & Workflow
2
DCSID Domains to be tracked SDC IP address Persistent Cookie Page parsed for tags
1
Tagged website JavaScript Tag web servers DCSID + dcs.gif + parameters
3
dcs.gif
SDC Cookie
4
Data Collection Data Sources
Data Sources
Before you can create a profile and generate reports, you need to have a configured Data Source. Configuring a Data Source tells Webtrends where to find the data it analyzes for reports. Data Sources connect to SDC log files, uniquely identified with a DCSID. The DCSID is then used to map the log files to the website(s).
Workshop
CREATING A DATA SOURCE
Workshop: Creating a Data Source
Creating a Data Source enables a ‘Link’ to Webtrends Tag Builder, that can be used to create the baseline JavaScript tag.
Action
Select: Select: Name: Path: Administration > Application Settings > Data Sources - New Web: SmartSource Data Files Whatever C:\Log Files\whatever.log page 3
Smart Source Data Collector
SDC is a specialized Web server. It receives HTTP requests from Web clients, processes the requests, and appropriately responds to the Web clients. Each SDC is identified by a unique DCSID alphanumeric string. If you have multiple domains it is recommended to have a separate SDC for each domain.
To run SDC version 7.5a or higher, you need to configure a site map file (webtrendssites.lst) that contains the DCSID for each of your data sources. The site map file allows you to track visitors across multiple domains using first-party cookies. It also allows you to analyze traffic for all your domains using the account roll-up data source.
Workshop
INSTALLATION OF SDC
Workshop: Installation of SDC
Action
Install SDC: Select: Copy & Paste: Set Time Zone: IIS Manger: Services: Website: dcsbusy: C:\Webtrends\Software\sdc-windows.exe
Accept default values / pathways First Time Installation DCSID GMT + Restart websites Restart WWW Open / Refresh www.whatever.com C:\Program Files(x86)\Webtrends\SmartSource Data\sdc\weblog
Workshop: Installation of SDC
Installing the SDC stops the services for the websites. To restart the services: Open: IIS manager by clicking on the icon located in the status bar Expand: The Web Server options
Workshop: Installation of SDC
Restart the websites, by selecting and clicking on Start located in the Actions pane.
Next Restart the WWW Publishing service, by clicking on the Services icon located in the status bar
webtrendssites.lst (OnPremise)
dcs.audit (OnPremise)
May-14-2010 18:07:50: #### The following invalid hit was discarded due to DCS ID not found in sitemap file: Client IP: 127.0.0.1 (Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.2; en-GB; rv:1.9.2.3) Gecko/20100401 Firefox/3.6.3 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)) URI: GET /dcsoyajcc100004fusr708zy6_9h7g/dcs.gif?&dcsdat=1273856870758&dcssip= www.whatever.com&dcsuri=/index.html&dcsref=http://www.whatever.com/&WT.c
The Webtrends Tag Builder creates the required files that are used to track your visitor behaviour.
Tag Builder generates the following files: readme.txt
contains a description of the tag files as well as the same tag deployment instructions shown in this Help file.
webtrends.html
contains the JavaScript code.
webtrends.js
is the JavaScript include file referenced in webtrends.html.
tbconfig.xml
contains the information you need to upgrade an existing tag using Tag Builder.
Tag Builder
To deploy the tag: Save the webtrends.js file in a common JavaScript location on your web server.
Edit the path referenced in webtrends.html so that it points to the actual location of webtrends.js
Paste the contents of webtrends.html on every page in your web site. To avoid logging hits to pages that do not load completely, and to ensure best performance, paste this code just before the
tag at the bottom of your web page.
Workshop
JAVASCRIPT TAG V9
Workshop: Creating Javascript Tag
Actions
Go to: Select: Click: Enter: Click: Application Settings Whatever Data Source Build Tag (Tracking Code) Required settings Build Tag
Workshop: Creating Javascript Tag
Action
Download Tag: Extract: Rename: Open: View: Save in C:\Temp Right mouse click web.js
To configure an SDC site map: Open: Webtrendssites.lst file located: C:\Program Files(x86)\Webtrends\SmartSource Data Collector\sdc\cfg directory.
Replace: dcs5w0txb10000wocrvqy1nqm_6n1p with the DSCID used for the rest of the site.
dcsoyajcc100004fusr708zy6_9h7g
Data Collection Tag Builder: v9 tag Event Tracking v9
Event Tracking
Use the Off-Site Links check box to track all the links on your site that go to other sites. If you want to identify some links that use a different domain as on-site links, type a comma separated list of domain names in the Track these domains as on-site text box. For example, if you want to track off-site links from the product site yourcompany.com, and you enable off-site link tracking, you can ensure that links to your branding site continue to be tracked as on-site links by typing yourbrand.com in the text box. Off-site links are hyperlinks whose URL resolves to an off-site domain.
Event Tracking
The check box inserts an onclick event handler function named dcsOffsite. The handler is bound to the document body. When a mouse click occurs on the page, the handler is called. The handler receives an event object as an argument. If the event object meets the criteria above, then its contents are passed as parameters to dcsMultiTrack. By default, query parameters are removed from the off-site link to reduce the number of unique URLs. To include query parameters in the off-site link, set trimoffsiteparams=false in Webtrends constructor function in webtrends.js.
An event specific identifier is passed via the WT.dl=24 parameter
Event Tracking
Onsite domain field contains: www.whatever.com
Page contains the following hyperlink: Offsite Link Clicking the link generates the following parameters: DCS.dcssip
www.offsitedomain.com DCS.dcsuri
/some_page WT.ti
=Offsite: www.offsitedomain/some_page WT.dl
=24
Event Tracking
The download file types field contains: xls Onsite domain field contains: www.whatever.com
Page contains the following hyperlink: SmartSource Spreadsheet Clicking the link generates the following parameters: DCS.dcssip
www.whatever.com
DCS.dcsuri
WT.ti
WT.dl
/smartsource.xls
Download: SmartSource Spreadsheet 20
Event Tracking
Onsite domain field contains: www.whatever.com
Page contains the following hyperlink: Go to top Clicking the link generates the following parameters: DCS.dcssip
javascript: protocol Alert Clicking the link generates the following parameters: DCS.dcsuri
javascript:alert('Good%20Morning') WT.ti
javascript:Alert Greeting WT.dl
22
Event Tracking
Clicking the Americas region of the image map generates the following parameters: DCS.dcssip
DCS.dcsuri
www.whatever.com
/EventTracking/americas_on.gif
DCS.dcsqry
WT.ti
?region=Americas ImageMap:worldmap_map WT.dl
30
Event Tracking
An Ad View occurs when a visitor views a page containing an ad. An ad is a link or graphic that contains an Ad Click parameter in the query portion of the URL. Enabling this setting causes the tag to scan all links on a page, looking for the Ad Click parameter specified in the accompanying text box. The text box must contain a query parameter used to denote Ad Click links. If a matching link is found (case insensitive), its Ad Click parameter value is extracted and assigned to the Ad View parameter (WT.ad). If more than one Ad Click link is found, each value is appended to the Ad View parameter (delimited by semi-colon). This work is performed by a function named dcsAdSearch .
Event Tracking
Suppose you are using the default Ad Click parameter: WT.ac
Suppose you have a page with the following Ad Click links: The Ad View parameter generated from the page load would be:
Create and Implement: Name: Check: javascript tag to track events webtrends_events.js
the correct parameter values are passed
Data Collection Link Tracking
Link Tracking
The modified javascript tag leverages
tags to report either at an individual link or
level.
The tag values are associated with the Webtrends WT.nv
Workshop
LINK TRACKING
Workshop: Link Tracking
The LinkT.html page on the Whatever.com website contains a number of links that can be tracked using the Tag Builder.
Create and implement a JavaScript Tag that tracks these links.
Name the JavaScript Tag: Webtrends_link_tracking.js Ensure that the correct parameters associated with the events have been successfully logged in the SDC.
Data Collection Webtrends Meta Tags
Meta Tags
The JavaScript tag supports the use of HTML META tags as a means of extending the collected data. By adding supported META tags to your Web pages, you can capture meta-data describing your Web content.
The tag takes advantage of Web browsers support of the Document Object Model (DOM) to capture the meta-data. When found, the meta-data is added to the SDC hits in the form of Webtrends query parameters. These query parameters are then used by Webtrends during the analysis process.
Meta Tags
Page Title
Webtrends Base JavaScript Tag
Meta Tags
Webtrends reserved query parameters require an upper case name space, either WT or DCS, and the type identifier in lower case.
The following name spaces are reserved for Webtrends: WT.i_
Used for product integrations with Webtrends partners.
WT.z_
Used by Webtrends Professional Services for customer integrations.
Meta Tags
Recognized by Webtrends and used to auto-configure certain features
dcsMultiTrack function lets you log virtual page views to the SmartSource Data Collector (SDC) servers for nearly all types of events. dcsMultiTrack is a way to program a Web site page so that data captured using the dcsMultiTrack functions and parameters are logged: Flash events such as start, finish, progress, and clicks within a Flash application Ajax interactions Downloads of files that can not be tagged, such as pdf’s Form completion Any event that launches JavaScript
dcsMultiTrack ()
To invoke the dcsMultiTrack function to report a virtual page view to the Smart Source Data Collector, use the following syntax: dcsMultiTrack ('parameter1', 'value1', ' parameter2 ', ' value2 '); An example a regular page link with dcsMultiTrack(): Page of Interest
Workshop
DOWNLOAD LINKS
Workshop: Download Links
Whatever.com wishes to track a specific HTML link, a downloadable file, on their website.
Code for dcsMulTrack.pdf download The code to include the following: Event: onclick DCS.dcsuri: Form Field value WT.ti: Form Field value WT.dl: 27 HttpFox to check the correct parameters are passed in the Query String.
For complex web sites that enforce separation of logic and presentation, you can use the Document Object Model (DOM) method to implement the dcsMultiTrack function.
Can also use: getElementByTag
Data Collection Tag Builder: v10 tag
Tag Builder: v10 tag
Traditional JavaScript Files: Launched from inline "blocking" HTML Keeps the page from completely loading until the JavaScript executes Impacts to user experience and potential for undercounting visitors Asynchronous JavaScript Files: Non-blocking, can load from anywhere on the page Faster tracking code load times for your web pages due to improved browser execution Enhanced data collection & accuracy Elimination of tracking errors from dependencies when the JavaScript hasn't fully loaded
Tag Builder: v10 tag
Social Analytics Features Built-In: Uniquely track Facebook social widget interactions, Facebook App tracking, referrals, & click-through campaign sessions.
It's a single click to add this into the tag.
Tag Builder: v10 tag
Powerful plugin architecture allows for the easy addition of new tracking capabilities without modifying the JavaScript: • Webtrends Plugins: Webtrends Heatmaps Facebook Webtrends Ads • Webtrends Developer Community Plugins
*
: Cross-Channel Visit/Visitor Matching Twitter YouTube Google+ HTML Apps • *Not officially supported by Webtrends Technical Support
Tag Builder: v10 tag
Compact & Minimizes to Small Footprint Bandwidth limited devices can download the tag with very little data transfer Support for Mobile Website Spaces Optimized to minimize well using Google Closure Compiler ** The min tag doesn’t support Heatmaps
Tag Builder: v10 tag
Additional Enhancements: Selector-based event tracking "Transform" events and page load tap points Webtrends Tag Builder
Webtrends Tag Builder v10
Additional Enhancements: • Selector-based event tracking • "Transform" events and page load tap points • Webtrends Tag Builder
Data Collection Upgrading to v10 tag
Upgrading to v10 tag
You can place the v10 tag anywhere on the page. Since the tag is loaded asynchronously, it does not block page rendering in any way. You can place the tag in the
section or anywhere within the
section with minimal impact on page rendering times. In addition, the tag runs in the background, so there is minimal impact on user experience after the page has loaded.
Upgrading to v10 tag
Upgrading is a 4 step process: Transform Configuration Settings Migrate Customizations Change HTML Markup Test Before you begin, you'll need to have: Complete copies of a v9 and v10 tag (ideally, the two .zip files from Tag Builder).
Ability to edit HTML and JavaScript Access to a web server, so you can test pages
Workshop
JAVASCRIPT TAG V10
Workshop: Javascript Tag v10
In this exercise you’ll create and deploy a Javascript Tag v10: Create the tag in Tag Builder Deploy & test on: www.whatever.com/tag builder/upgrade.html
Data Collection REST API
REST API
The Data Extraction API conforms to the REST (Representational State Transfer) architectural style, using the HTTP protocol and a URI to access resources.
Integrates with Excel without coding, client software, or installed driver--you need only your Webtrends credentials to get data Returns the entire data set for a trend in response to a single URI (for example, trending a week by hours) Is profile and account independent, so you can list multiple profiles by changing the profile name in the URI
REST API
There are two main ways of creating the REST request: Analytics 10: via the “Share” option when viewing a report from within the Webtrends Analytics 9 Insight user interface. REST Generator: is an application that helps you rapidly create a request for profile or report data.
