Link Tracking Configuration

The purpose of this document is to review the link tracking capabilities of the platform to understand how to configure link tracking so that it aligns with your marketing initiatives and analytics measurements. The functionality allows you to configure “UTM” style tracking values for the links that are generated for your creators.

In order to enable your link tracking configurations, you must install the Sitewide Link Tracking Pixel.

Trackable links types & dynamic/static values

The platform provides creators with trackable links for their videos, photos, products and storefronts. These links when clicked can contain customizable parameters that you define on the platform to align with your link measurement practices. Additionally, these links all result in the generation of first-party engagement data which can be further leveraged by your CDP (customer data platform) or other marketing services.

Each of the trackable link types are able to accept a series of static key + value pairs that enable you to configure how your measurement system tracks and classifies traffic that utilizes these links.

Additionally, dynamic parameters are provided as well if you wish to track specific dynamic values that are provided by the platform, specifically as they relate to the content (videos or photos) or the creator themselves. This makes it easy to generate analytics reports for creator activity.

In addition to specific link types that accept their own parameters, our system also supports “global” parameters. These are key + value pairs but apply to all creator links generated on the platform. Global parameters make it easy to define high-level values for tracking creator activity in your analytics system.

Data transformation

The platform provides methods to transform dynamic data values to obscure more sensitive information, as it is made available on a publicly viewable URL through the link redirection process. Currently, data transformation supports 3 different transformation methods:

String reversal (take the value and reverse the order of the characters)
Base 64 encoding (take the value and base 64 encode it)
URL encoding (take the value and encode it to be URL safe)

These transformations can be configured and applied to dynamic data values provided by the platform. Once a configuration is made, it will apply to any short links generated going forward. Similarly, if a transformation is removed, it is only removed from new links generated going forward. Links created prior to a data transformation configuration, will retain their previous configuration.

Global static link parameters

As previously mentioned, these global parameters apply to all creator links generated on the platform. You should use these parameters for high-level tracking of creator activity.

An example of this would be creating a UTM parameter for use with Google Analytics (or other analytics systems) that defines in business terms “analytics traffic that contains utm_source=creator, is activity that is attributable to our creator initiatives”.

Global static link parameters do not contain any dynamic values provided by the platform.

Storefront link parameters

Storefront links are provided to creators who are part of your ambassador program. Each creator in your program has their own dedicated “storefront” page that contains all of their content and is hosted within your eCommerce website.

These links are useful for creators who wish to put a “link in bio” or direct their audience to their storefront page within your eCommerce website.

Dynamic values:

user_id
user_name
employee_id
store_number

Product link parameters

Product links are great for creators who engage with their audiences on social media and wish to send traffic directly to the product pages on your website.

Dynamic values:

user_id
user_name
employee_id
store_number
asset_id
asset_title

Note: As of August 2022, if you have not installed our first-party tracking pixel on your product detail pages, these link parameters will not be applied. Your creators will still be able to get shortened product links, but the trackability of those will be limited to web browsers that still allow third-party cookie tracking. To learn about how to install our first-party tracking pixel, click here.

Video link parameters

Video links are great for creators who wish to share links directly with their audiences en masse or directly in a 1:1 selling scenario. This sends their traffic directly to a video on your eCommerce website.

Dynamic values:

user_id
user_name
employee_id
store_number
asset_id
asset_title

Photo link parameters

Photo links are great for creators who wish to share links directly with their audiences en masse or directly in a 1:1 selling scenario. This sends their traffic directly to a photo on your eCommerce website.

Dynamic values:

user_id
user_name
employee_id
store_number
asset_id
asset_title

Campaign link parameters

Campaign links are a more specific version of a product link, in that they allow for additional campaign tracking parameters to be supplied, resulting in specific attribution to a campaign on the platform. These links are only available from the Campaign section of the dashboard.

Dynamic values:

user_id
user_name
employee_id
store_number
asset_id
asset_title
campaign_id
campaign_name

Configuring tracking parameters

Configuring tracking parameters is easy and is generally speaking a 1-time set up. From the menu on the platform, under the “Creator” section, select “Settings”.

Then select “LINK TRACKING” from the tabs at the top.

From here, you can configure and customize your Global or specific link tracking parameters to fit your measurement requirements.

Depending on which type of link parameters you wish to configure, the process is the same.

Open the relevant section you wish to add/change.
Click “ADD TRACKING PARAMETER”.
Enter the “key” of the tracking parameter. For example “utm_source” if configuring GA UTM parameters.
Enter the “value” of the tracking parameter. For example “creators”.
Continue to add any other parameters you wish, when finished, click “SAVE”.

All link types support static key + value pairs. Each specific link type also has a set of dynamic parameters which you can pass through based on the video, photo, product, user or campaign.

An example of this would be passing along the “” of the person who created this link for easy measurement in your analytics system or attribution reporting system.

Once you have your link tracking parameters configured, all creator links will contain the various tracking parameters as defined here.

If you have any questions, please reach out to our support team at support@creatable.io and they will be happy to assist you.

Configuring data transformations

Configuring a data transformation for a dynamic parameter is easy. First, expand up the “Data transformation” section. You can find this under Settings > Link Tracking.

Next, click on “ADD DATA TRANSFORMATION”, a configuration modal will open.

Now, select the value you wish to create a transformation for. Then select a method of transformation. Finally, click “APPLY METHOD”. You can continue to apply additional methods as you wish, as well as change the order in which they are applied. When a data value is transformed, the methods will be applied in the order they are set here, from the top to the bottom.

Click “SAVE” and your transformation will be saved. Any short links that are generated going forward that use the dynamic data value will leverage this transformation.

Note: When decoding transformed data values from a URL, browsers may additionally encode special characters so that they do not conflict with specific reserved characters that formulate the structure of a url, specifically, “?”, “=”, “&”, “%”. If your transformed data contains any of these values, they will be encoded again by the web browser. To ensure your decoding process works as expected, you should decode any value passed on the URL, 2 times to ensure that the data has not been encoded twice and the correct value is returned.