Metadata on impressions and clicks

This page explains how to append different types of data to impression and click URLs in order to provide additional reportable parameters or amend certain data parameters.

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The maximum length for the total query string appended to an impression or click URL is 1024 characters.

The total query string comprises all content after ?.

The following parameters can be sent to Kevel on impression and click events in order to change quantities associated with reportable metrics or create new reportable values:

Revenue (aka advertiser ad spend)

You can modify or add Revenue (aka advertiser spend) on impressions, clicks, conversions, and custom events.

Modifying Revenue

Kevel records revenue data for each click, but by default events do not have revenue associated with them.

To add or modify revenue for clicks or events, you can pass parameters to the end of the Kevel's click tracking URLs or event tracking URLs:

  • override: replaces the revenue value of the click/event (e.g. appending &override=1.23 would set the revenue to $1.23)
  • additional: adds the specified value to the original revenue value of the click/event (e.g. appending &additional=1.23 would add $1.23 to the original revenue for the click/event)

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Overridden or additional revenue will count towards budget caps and goals.

Modifying Revenue for Clicks

Append the query parameters from above to the click tracking URL from the Decision API response (clickUrl). For example:

https://e-1234.adzerk.net/r?e=eyJhdiI6NjIwNzcsImF0Ijo1L...&override=0.50

Sets a new value of $0.50 for the click.

https://e-1234.adzerk.net/r?e=eyJhdiI6NjIwNzcsImF0Ijo1L...&additional=1

Adds $1.00 to the revenue already stored on the click.

Modifying Revenue for Events

Since events have no revenue by default, overriding revenue on events adds new revenue.

Append the query parameters from above to the event tracking URL from the Decision API response (the url associated with the event id). For example:

https://e-1234.adzerk.net/e.gif?e=eyJhdiI6ODU2N...&override=0.50

Sets a new value of $0.50 for the event.

https://e-1234.adzerk.net/e.gif?e=eyJhdiI6ODU2N...&additional=1

Sets a value of $1.00 for the event, or adds an additional $1.00 if the event has already had revenue set.

GMV

You can record Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) on impressions, clicks, conversions, and custom events.

To do this, append the query parameter gmv to the event URL with the event's GMV as the value. For instance, ?gmv=1.64 sets a GMV of $1.64 for the event.

The GMV will then be recorded in the data shipping log for that event. GMV will also be returned via the Real Time Reporting API and in reports.

Product ID

Users of Kevel Catalog can pass product IDs on impression and click events. This has the following effects:

  • The product(s) passed in the impression or click event become attributable items on the related ad for that specific event
  • The product(s) passed in the impression or click event become available in view in data shipping
  • Kevel tracks the product(s) as "promoted products" in connection with the relevant ad, enabling you to view impression, click, and other metrics associated with each product as well as for the ad itself when grouping a report by promoted product.

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Campaign reports with multiple products in a single impression

An ad impression containing multiple products will be expanded into multiple impressions in reports that are grouped by Promoted product. When using the group by, each product from a single impression will appear on its own row, along with its metrics such as impressions, clicks, conversions, GMV, ROAS, etc. allowing you to easily evaluate the individual product performance. For this reason, reports that break by Promoted product shouldn't be used to count the total of any of the metrics.

Example of a report for the same sponsored brands campaign with 2 ads and 3 products each, with both post-click and post-view attribution:

Without group by Promoted product:

AdImpressionsClicksConversions
My sponsored brands ad 110005015
My sponsored brands ad 220007020

With group by Promoted product:

AdPromoted productImpressionsClicksConversions
My sponsored brands ad 1Product 110002510
My sponsored brands ad 1Product 21000208
My sponsored brands ad 1Product 3100055
My sponsored brands ad 2Product 220005020
My sponsored brands ad 2Product 320002015
My sponsored brands ad 2Product 4200004

How to pass product IDs on impressions and clicks

To pass product IDs on impressions and clicks, append ?productId=12345 to the impression or click URL. For example:

https://e-1234.adzerk.net/e.gif?e=eyJhdiI6ODU2N...?productId=12345

With impression events, you can pass up to 10 comma-separated product IDs.

https://e-1234.adzerk.net/e.gif?e=eyJhdiI6ODU2N...?productId=12345,23456,34567

Click events accept only 1 product ID.

Supplied product IDs must map to the unique product identifier in your product catalog with Kevel. This is usually a SKU or unique numeric ID value.

Accepted quantities

On an impression URL, 1-10 product IDs may be passed.

On a click URL, only 1 product ID may be passed.

Ad component

In some advertising use cases, it may be helpful to track the performance of specific components within an ad placement. For example, you may want to measure the click-through rate of a video within an ad relative to a call to action button. You may even wish to measure the ROAS for one component compared to another.

To enable this, you can pass component strings in impression and click URLs.

Kevel will track each passed component in connection with the relevant ad, enabling you to analyze impression, click, and other metrics associated with the component.

How to pass components on impressions and clicks

To pass components on impressions and clicks, append ?component=YourComponentName to the impression or click URL. For example:

https://e-1234.adzerk.net/e.gif?e=eyJhdiI6ODU2N...?component=logo

With impression events, you can pass up to 10 comma-separated component strings.

https://e-1234.adzerk.net/e.gif?e=eyJhdiI6ODU2N...?component=logo,video,CTA

Click events accept only 1 component string.

Components are strings and do not need to be defined in advance. To include non-alphanumeric characters, use URL encoding.

Accepted quantities

On an impression URL, 1-10 component strings may be passed.

On a click URL, only 1 component string may be passed.

Reporting on component performance

Component performance is currently available in data shipping logs. In the future, you will be able to group reports by component in order to view component performance using the Kevel Reporting API and UI.

Ad position

It may be helpful to track information about where your ad appeared within a page.

For example, you may want to compare the click-through or ROAS of an ad when it appeared in the top row of a grid of results to its performance when it appeared in a lower row.

To enable this, you can pass position strings in impression and click URLs.

Kevel will track each passed position string in connection with the relevant ad, enabling you to analyze impression, click, and other metrics associated with that position.

How to pass positions on impressions and clicks

To pass positions on impressions and clicks, append ?position=YourPositionString to the impression or click URL. For example:

https://e-1234.adzerk.net/e.gif?e=eyJhdiI6ODU2N...?position=1

With impression events, you can pass up to 10 comma-separated position strings.

https://e-1234.adzerk.net/e.gif?e=eyJhdiI6ODU2N...?position=1,5

Click events accept only 1 component string.

Positions are strings and do not need to be defined in advance. To include non-alphanumeric characters, use URL encoding.

Accepted quantities

On an impression URL, 1-10 position strings may be passed.

On a click URL, only 1 position string may be passed.

Reporting on position performance

Position performance is currently available in data shipping logs. In the future, you will be able to group reports by position in order to view performance associated with that position string.