AutoTag

In the complex world of affiliate marketing and online advertising, understanding tracking SubID parameters is crucial for accurate data analysis and campaign optimization.

SubID parameters (the unique identifiers attached to URLs), play a pivotal role in tracking the performance of individual links and marketing efforts. However, managing these parameters across different platforms can be a daunting task since each platform has different requirements. For example, ClickBank calls the SubID parameter tid, and Rakuten calls it u1.

Enter AnyTrack AutoTag – a powerful feature designed to automate this process. In this article, we'll explore how AutoTag simplifies the tracking of subid parameters, ensuring seamless integration and data accuracy across your marketing channels.

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AnyTrack vs. Google Ads AutoTag: Key Differences

Google Ads AutoTagging and AnyTrack AutoTag serve distinct purposes in digital tracking. Google Ads AutoTagging automatically appends 'GCLID parameters to URLs for tracking Google Ads Campaigns, focusing solely on Google Ads campaigns. In contrast, AnyTrack's AutoTag feature is more versatile, automatically tagging links with appropriate SubID parameters like 'tid' for ClickBank or 'u1' for Rakuten, enabling comprehensive tracking across various platforms and affiliate networks. While Google's solution is specific to its ecosystem, AnyTrack offers a broader, platform-agnostic approach.

AutoTag's AnyTrack's Flavor

AnyTrack approach takes AutoTag to a different level as it AutoTags links (or forms) according to the destination's tracking requirements.

For example, if you want to AutoTag a ClickBank's product links, you must append the click_id to the tid parameter so that ClickBank can record the click_id value (see examples below).

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What is the Click ID:

The click_id is a unique Click Identifier automatically generated by the AnyTrack tracking Tag. Its value is what enables AnyTrack to track and attribute user interactions on your website and build the customer journey timeline. Click here to learn more about the Click ID.

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Good to know

In affiliate marketing, tracking parameters are generally referred as subid parameters.

Examples of AutoTag parameters:

Below you will find some examples of how AutoTag works with specific platforms such as ClickBank, Calendly, CJ Affiliates, and more.

ClickBank subid parameter

https://jok3v.pay.clickbank.net/?cbitems=1&tid=p8qkMansHXKGeSk0O4

Calendly Subid Parameter

//Autotag parameter for Calendly: utm_term. Calendly does not provide any tracking parameters except
//standard UTM parameters so we took over the utm_term which is unlikely to be 
//used for Google Search campaign
<a href="https://calendly.com/anytrack/?meet=1&utm_term=p8qkMansHXKGeSk0O4KNG">calendly link</a>

CJ Affiliates Subid parameter

//Autotag parameter for CJ: sid

https://www.tkqlhce.com/click-8971597-14073404?id=1&sid=IBTO9lOfAMybTX9

Rakuten Subid parameter

//Autotag parameter for Rakuten: u1

https://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=1&u1=asd9uasd9f8as09d8f0a8

Test: When you hover on this URL you can test autotag to see how the subid is being added. You can refresh the page or open it on a different browser to see the value changing.

How AutoTag Works

AnyTrack orchestrates data collection on and off your website. AutoTag is one of the data points, which enables AnyTrack to tie what happens on and off your website.

Data orchestration example:

Imagine a visitor landing on your comparison website.

1. When the page loads, the AnyTrack Tracking Tag identifies the links found on your web page and AutoTags them.
2. When the visitor clicks on one of the links AnyTrack simultaneously does:
   1. Records the OutboundClick Event and associated attributes.
   2. Sends the OutboundClick Event to Google Analytics (and your other ad pixels).

AutoTag example:

Here is a complete example of the Event data generated when clicking on product link from ThriveCart.

The link published on your website:

<div>
 <a href="https://cnn.com?nytimes=--CLICK-ID--">Hover 
on the Demo Link to see the anytrack click_id</a>
</div>

The JSON payload fired in the browser:

{
  "cid": "z5BZX6gjdld8ka",
  "ts": 1679468232097,
  "pt": 1679468204378,
  "en": "OutboundClick",
  "dl": "https://anytrack.readme.io/docs/autotag",
  "dr": "https://dash.readme.com/",
  "dt": "AutoTag",
  "cp": [
    {
      "type": "ga",
      "id": "UA-143868881-1",
      "clientId": "916885560.1676918973"
    }
  ],
  "id": "k9XtlSlM",
  "ev": 20,
  "tgid": "thrivecart",
  "bn": "anytrack-brand",
  "link": {
    "label": "autotag-example",
    "url": "https://anytrack.io/"
  }
}

3. The destination platform records the click_id value and associates it with their tracking and attribution stack.
4. The visitor performs the desired action on the destination website (calendly booking page, affiliate offer, merchant's website).
5. The destination platform (tracking software, calendly etc...) calls the AnyTrack Webhook with the event data, and includes the click_id value.
6. AnyTrack parses the conversion payload and uses the click_id value to associate the action with the customer journey timeline.
7. Finally, AnyTrack sends a server side event to the Ad Platform's Conversion API and the conversion is attributed to your ads.

Since AnyTrack primarily uses Server Side tracking, passing a unique click identifier is essential to track conversions.

In short, you pass a unique id when a user clicks on a destination URL where such user will be able to perform an action - fill a form, purchase a product, book a demo etc...

For example, if you want to book a demo with the AnyTrack team you can hover on the Calendly Link. and you'll notice that the Calendly calendar page carries the tracking parameter https://calendly.com/anytrack/?utm_term=p8qkMansHXKGeSk0O4KNG. We pass the Click Id into the utm_term parameter since Calendly does not expose custom parameters in their API.

How AutoTag works

When your website loads, the AnyTrack tag scans your page to identify trackable elements (forms and URLs), and appends a parameter and a unique Click ID.

https://calendly.com/anytrack/?utm_term=p8qkMansHXKGeSk0O4KNGnpJZ6j64NxWAV

In Calendly's case, the parameter is utm_term since Calendly doesn't expose custom parameters in their API.

Below you will find some more examples:

Note that in every single case, the URL is the AnyTrack website that has the data-tracking-group attribute set to the integrated platform software.

ThriveCart

<div>
  <a href="https://anytrack.io" linkid="link-example" data-label="autotag-example" data-payout="20" data-currency="USD" data-brand="anytrack-brand" data-tracking-group="thrivecart">Hover on the Demo Link to  
see the anytrack click_id</a>
</div>

When the visitor clicks on the link, the following data is captured by AnyTrack and sent Server-Side to the Ad Pixels and analytics connected to your property.

{
  "cid": "z5BZX6gjdld8ka",
  "ts": 1679468232097,
  "pt": 1679468204378,
  "en": "OutboundClick",
  "dl": "https://anytrack.readme.io/docs/autotag",
  "dr": "https://dash.readme.com/",
  "dt": "AutoTag",
  "cp": [
    {
      "type": "ga",
      "id": "UA-143868881-1",
      "clientId": "916885560.1676918973"
    }
  ],
  "id": "k9XtlSlM",
  "ev": 20,
  "tgid": "thrivecart",
  "bn": "anytrack-brand",
  "link": {
    "label": "autotag-example",
    "url": "https://anytrack.io/"
  }
}

DigiStore24 Affiliates

Hover on the digistore Demo Link to see the anytrack click_id

<a href="https://anytrack.io" data-tracking-group="digistore24"   
data-mce-href="https://anytrack.io">Hover on the digistore Demo   
Link to see the anytrack click\_id</a>

Digistore24 Merchants

If you are a Digistore24 merchant, then the click_id is passed into the dst24 parameter and you'll have to manually append ?dst24=--CLICK-ID-- to the link.

<a href="https://anytrack.io?dst24=--CLICK-ID--"   
data-mce-href="https://anytrack.io">Hover on the digistore Demo   
Link to see the anytrack click\_id</a>

Clickbank

Hover on the Clickbank Demo Link to see the anytrack click_id

<div><a href="https://jok3v.pay.clickbank.net/?cbitems=1" rel="clickbank">Hover on the Clickbank Demo Link to see the anytrack click\_id</a></div>

The AutoTag feature of AnyTrack is a sophisticated tool designed to automate the tagging and tracking of various elements related to online marketing campaigns, including links and forms, without necessitating manual coding. This feature excels in its ability to not only identify and tag relevant actions and conversions on a website but also to intelligently append specific query parameters and an autogenerated click_id value to each tagged element. This dual capability streamlines the tracking process and significantly enhances the precision and utility of data collected from user interactions.

AutoTag operates by first identifying the type or specific requirements of an element, such as an affiliate link from CJ Affiliates or a form from Typeform. Upon identification, it dynamically appends a query parameter and a unique click_id value to the element. This query parameter varies depending on the external system's requirements—for instance, "sid" for CJ Affiliates, "tid" for ClickBank, and "aff_click_id" for Tune. This customization ensures that the AnyTrack click_id value can be accurately recorded by each platform, facilitating efficient tracking of conversions through server-side integrations like postbacks, webhooks, or APIs.

The integration process is streamlined with a combination of JavaScript and possibly server-side code, designed for compatibility across a wide range of advertising platforms, affiliate networks, and analytics tools. This versatility makes AutoTag an invaluable feature for various marketing strategies, providing:

• Simplified Tracking Setup: Eliminates complex manual coding, making the tagging process straightforward and error-free.
• Comprehensive and Accurate Data Collection: Automatically captures and precisely tags user interactions, allowing for in-depth analysis of user behavior and campaign performance.
• Efficiency and Flexibility: Enhances workflow efficiency and ensures seamless integration into the marketing ecosystem, supporting a broad array of platforms and tools.
• Customized Tracking: Tailors the tagging process to meet the specific requirements of each platform, ensuring accurate tracking and attribution of user interactions and conversions.

By automating and customizing the tagging process, AnyTrack's AutoTag feature not only saves time but also provides marketers with reliable and actionable insights into their online marketing campaigns, optimizing engagement, conversion rates, and overall marketing effectiveness.

Incorporating the specified edge case into the description of AnyTrack's AutoTag feature, we now have a more comprehensive understanding:

The AutoTag feature of AnyTrack not only simplifies the tagging and tracking process for online marketing campaigns but also intelligently navigates the specific requirements and limitations imposed by different systems. This feature is adept at handling scenarios where platforms like CJ Affiliates allow only a single custom variable (such as "sid") to be passed through their links, whereas others might permit multiple sub-IDs (like "sub1", "sub2", etc.).

Edge Case Management

In situations where a customer needs to use the only available sub-ID parameter to pass custom data (e.g., link?sid=mybanner), AnyTrack showcases its sophisticated handling of such edge cases. Recognizing the limitation, AnyTrack cleverly appends its autogenerated click_id value to the existing parameter without overriding the original value. For example, if a customer adds their custom data to a link, AnyTrack modifies it to link?sid=mybannerAT0as8df0a9sdf80asdf8. This approach ensures that the unique AnyTrack click_id (AT0as8df0a9sdf80asdf8 in this instance) is appended seamlessly to the customer's custom data (mybanner), facilitating accurate identification and tracking.

This method serves a dual purpose:

1. Preservation of Custom Data: It ensures that the customer's original data is preserved and not overwritten, maintaining the integrity of the custom information passed through the link.
2. Distinct Tracking and Attribution: By appending the AnyTrack click_id to the custom data, it allows for distinct and precise tracking of user interactions and conversions. This unique identifier is crucial when the AnyTrack postback URL is called with the clickid value, enabling the system to distinguish between the AnyTrack click_id and any custom value passed by other systems or the customer.

This edge case handling is a testament to AnyTrack's flexibility and ingenuity in adapting to the varied and sometimes restrictive requirements of different affiliate networks and platforms. By ensuring that custom data and AnyTrack's tracking needs coexist harmoniously, AutoTag empowers marketers to gather detailed and accurate data on their campaigns, optimizing their strategies and maximizing the effectiveness of their online marketing efforts.