Extended Tracking API

CardioLog Client-Side API

The CardioLog tracking agent allows for a client-side API to send custom events, and easily monitor button and banner clicks, video plays, or interactions with other UI components. On any monitored page, you can call the following JavaScript functions:

• The SendEvent JavaScript Function
• The SetReferrer JavaScript Function
• The SendGoal JavaScript Function

The SendEvent JavaScript Function

This function allows you to send events via the client agent. The Agent uses AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript And XML) to send the event to the server, and will not affect the user interaction with the page in any way.

Code sample for sending a page view event:

The SendEvent function accepts the following parameters:

• • Event Type - Required. The event type title (eg., "Visit," "Search," or custom event types).
  • URL - Required. This is typically the URL of the visited page, but can be any text that represents an action. We recommend defining a unique prefix for each logical group of objects for streamlined reports. This string is limited to 1000 characters.
  • Param 1 - Optional. Used to store additional information about the event, typically for custom event types. This string is limited to 1000 characters. Built-in events reserve this string for the system. For example, in a "Visit" event it stores the referrer information; in a "Search" event it stores the search term.
  • Param 2 - Optional. Used to store additional information about the event, typically for custom event types. This string is limited to 50 characters. Built-in events reserve this string for the system. For example, in a "Search" event it is used to store the number of results.

Note: when calling the "SendEvent" function within a different frame from where it is defined, make sure to reference the frame object containing it. For example, by using parent.document.__Page.SendEvent()

Monitoring Banner Clicks

You can monitor clicks on UI elements such as banners, buttons, navigation menu entries, links, etc. In order to capture a click on a banner that links to an external site, make a call to the CardioLog SendEvent function before redirecting the user to the external destination page. IF the banner was implemented with simple HTML, you can insert this code:

<a href="http://www.google.com" onclick="document.__Page.SendEvent('Visit', 'Banners > My Links > externalsite.com');"><img src="google_logo.gif"></a>

In our example, when a user clicks on the banner CardioLog will send an event of type "Visit" to the server, specifying which banner has been clicked by the user before redirecting to "externalsite" (ie., "Banners > My Links> externalsite.com"). We recommend defining a unique prefix for each group of UI components that will be displayed in reports (in this case, "Banners") .

How many times were my banners clicked? To see how many times your banners were clicked, use the Events report (chart or table), and select "Banners" in the Website Item field.

Who clicked on my banners? To see who clicked on your banners, use the Visitors by Events report (chart or table), and select "Banners" in the Website Item URL field.

Please note that CardioLog automatically tracks outbound links from SharePoint sites to external destinations. To see how many times your links were clicked, use the Extended Tracking API report.

The SetReferrer JavaScript Function

When users navigate internal links, you can monitor both the referring navigation component such as banners or menu items, along with the referring page. The SetReferrer function allows you to set custom page referrer details that are sent to the CardioLog server via following events (using SendEvent).

Code Sample:

<a href="http://mysite/rnd/index.aspx" onclick="document.__Page.SetReferrer('Banners > MySite > Research and Development');"><img src="rnd.gif"></a>

 The SetReferrer function accepts the following parameters:

• • Id - Required. The custom page referrer details. This can be any string representation. We recommend defining a unique prefix for each logical group of objects for optimized reports.
  • Param 1 - Optional. Used to store additional information about the event, typically for custom reports.

Monitoring UI Referrers

In order to capture the referring UI component before redirecting the user, make a call to the CardioLog SetReferrer function. Assuming the banner was implemented with simple HTML, this is a code example:

<a href="http://mysite/rnd/index.aspx" onclick="document.__Page.SetReferrer('Banners > MySite > Research and Development');"><img src="rnd.gif"></a>

How many visitors accessed my page through a UI referrer? To see how many visitors arrived on your page through your UI referrer, use the Extended Tracking API report, and select the page in the Website Item URL field.

The SendGoal JavaScript Function

The SendGoal function allows for you to send JavaScript based goals via the client agent. The Agent uses AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) to send the goal event to the server, and does not affect the user's experience with the page in any way.

Code Sample:

<input type="button" value="Signup to Newsletter" onclick="document.__Page.SendGoal(1);" />

 The SendGoal function accepts the following parameter:

• • Goal ID - Required. Note: Goals are created in Extended Tracking API. After creating the goal, the Goal ID can be found in the tab_goals table (column - id) in the CardioLog database.  

Monitoring JavaScript Based Goals

In order to identify a JavaScript based goal, such as signing up for a newsletter, define the goal, and make a call to the CardioLog SendGoal function.

Assuming the signup button was implemented using simple HTML, the following code sample should work:

<input type="button" value="Signup to Newsletter" onclick="document.__Page.SendGoal(1);" />

Goal Reports: To monitor your goal progress, use the Goal reports, and select the relevant goal in the Visitor Segments > Goal field of the widget preferences.

Monitoring Internal E-Mail Campaigns Using the __referrer Parameter

The CardioLog Client-Side API supports identifying and monitoring external locations. You can use the _referrer parameter whenever you publish a link to your monitored environment and you wish to track the source of the referring page. This is most commonly used in email or social media. For example, if you have included an internal link in a promotional email add the __referrer parameter to track the number of users who visited your site via this link. Define a unique referrer name that will be displayed in reports, such as __referrer=email_promotion_Dec_2016 in order to display the link accordingly:

http://myportal/sites/rnd/default.aspx?__Referrer=email_promotion_Dec_2016

How many visitors arrived on my page through my email campaign? To see how many visitors arrived on your page through your email campaign, use the Extended Tracking API report, and select the relevant page in the Website Item URL field.

CardioLog Server-Side API

By using the CardioLog Server-Side API, CardioLogAPI/Events.asmx web service, and the SendEvent method, you can send view, duration and search events, custom events, and track the URL of the referrer page.

The SendEvent Method

The SendEvent method in the CardioLogAPI/Events.asmx web service accepts the following parameters:

• • UserName - Optional. The user associated with the event. If not passed, the method will use the current user credentials.
  • SessionID - Required. The unique session ID associated with the event.
  • Event Type - Required. The event type ID number
  • URL - Required. The URL of the page where the event occurred.
  • UserAgent - Optional. The user details including browser type and OS version.
  • ClientIP - Optional. The user IP address.
  • Param1 - Optional. Used to store additional information about the event, typically for custom event types. This string is limited to 1000 characters. Built-in events reserve this string for the system. For example, in a "Visit" event it stores the referrer information; in a "Search" event it stores the search term.
  • Param2 - Optional. Used to store additional information about the event, typically for custom event types. This string is limited to 50 characters. Built-in events reserve this string for the system. For example, in a "Search" event it is used to store the number of results.

After the event is sent, the web service XML response will include the event identifier for future use, which you can later use to send events related to this event accordingly:

<agent>

 <log>

 <status id='0'>OK</status>

 <event id='211022'/>

 </log>

 </agent>

 In case of an error, the XML response will include the error description:

<agent>

<log>

 <status id='-1'>Invalid Path</status>

 </log>

 </agent>

Event Types

The SendEvent method supports four event types. The ID number is used in the Server-Side API. The Event Type Title is used in the Client-Side API.

• View - Individual page request, or element clicked
  • Event Type ID - 0
  • Event Type Title - "Visit"

To set the page referrer, use the following optional parameters to track the source of the page:

• Param1 -The related view event ID or a string representing referrer types such as navigation toolbars, campaigns, banners, etc.
• Param2 -The referrer page URL

Referrer pages can be retrieved in CardioLog with the "Navigation" visual controls.

• Duration - Time spent on a page or element (in seconds).

• Event Type ID - 1
• Event Type Title - "Leave"
• URL - The related view event URL.
• Param1 - Duration in seconds.
• Param2 - The related view event ID.

• Search - Onsite (internal) search
  • Event Type ID - 2
  • Event Type Title - "Search"
  • URL - The related view event URL.
  • Param1 - Search keyword/phrase.
  • Param2 - Number of search results.

Search events can be viewed in CardioLog in the Onsite Searches report, popular search terms are displayed in the Onsite Search Phrases report.

• Search Result Click -
  • Event Type ID - 5
  • Event Type Title - "SearchResultClick"
  • URL - The search result URL.
  • Param1 - The search result position within search results.
  • Param2 - The related search event ID.

Creating Custom Event Types

You can create custom event types and build custom reports using the CardioLog SDK. The custom event types can be used in the SendEvent function, for both Client-Side and Server-Side APIs. For example, if your website is a sales site and you wish to track each product sold, and then you can create a report on the number of items sold, and create a custom event type in CardioLog named "Items-Sold."

1. Add the custom event type to the CardioLog database by executing the following query against the CardioLog database:

INSERT INTO tab_event_type(id,description)

VALUES(100, 'Item-Sold')

GO

ID - must be 100 or higher
Description - event type title

2. Add the custom event type to the CardioLog tracking agent events array - edit the __eEvents array and add the custom event type in:

For MOSS 2007 only:
[CardioLog installation directory]\CardioLogAgent\MOSS2007_1.2.js

For SharePoint 2010 only:
[CardioLog installation directory]\CardioLogAgent\SP2010_1.2.js

For SharePoint 2013 only:
[CardioLog installation directory]\CardioLogAgent\SP2013_1.2.js

For SharePoint 2016 only:
[CardioLog installation directory]\CardioLogAgent\SP2016_1.2.js

Note: If you have implemented the Tracking Agent using the CardioLog Analytics SharePoint Feature on your WFE (Web Front End), edit the __eEvents array and add the custom event type accordingly:

For MOSS 2007 only:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\12\TEMPLATE\LAYOUTS\CardioLogAgent\MOSS2007_1.2.js

For SharePoint 2010 only:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\14\TEMPLATE\LAYOUTS\CardioLogAgent\SP2010_1.2.js

For SharePoint 2013 only:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\14\TEMPLATE\LAYOUTS\CardioLogAgent\SP2013_1.2.js

For SharePoint 2016 only:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\14\TEMPLATE\LAYOUTS\CardioLogAgent\SP2016_1.2.js

3. Implement the call to the SendEvent function when an item is sold (using our Client-Side API or Server-Side API).

4. Create a custom report to display the number of items sold using the CardioLog SDK.