Custom event and attribute generation for use in website traffic data collection
View Patent ↗A method and system for the efficient customization of website tracking data includes a data collector with a user interface for assigning custom events and attributes to events occurring on a website. The data collector receives custom tracking data from the website in response to the occurrence of an event to be tracked. Customization of tracking data is achieved through the use of an embedded tracking code and associated data collection file. The embedded tracking code is configured to report tracking data customized for the website. The data collection server is configured via a graphical user interface to receive and store the customized tracking data. A configuration string from the data collector is inserted into the data collection file on the web site. In this manner, the data collection server and website is customized to collect customized tracking data efficiently without assistance from others.
1. A method for customizing traffic tracking for an online content site accessed via the Internet, the method comprising:
generating by a processor, tracking code for a content page of a content site;
providing by the processor, a graphical user interface comprising user interface elements for specifying creation of a custom event;
receiving user input, by the processor via the graphical user interface, defining the custom event by specifying a combination of a content item and an interaction with the content item, wherein the combination of the content item and the interaction is specific to the content site;
generating, by the processor, custom configuration data based on the custom event specified through the user input, wherein the custom configuration data comprises data identifying the combination of the interaction and the content item that is specific to the content site; and
providing, by the processor, the custom configuration data for embedding into the tracking code for the content page of the content site,
wherein embedding the custom configuration data into the tracking code modifies the tracking code for tracking occurrences of the custom event.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the graphical interface further comprises additional user interface elements for specifying custom attribute for of the custom event or another event for the content site,
wherein the custom configuration data is also generated based on the custom attribute,
wherein embedding the custom configuration data further modifies the tracking code for tracking occurrences of the custom event or the other event by updating a value of the custom attribute.
3. The method of claim 2 ,
wherein generating the custom configuration data based on the custom attribute comprises assigning expiration data to the custom attribute in the custom configuration data, the expiration data specifying a condition under which the value of the custom attribute is to be replaced by another value; and
wherein the custom configuration data comprises a representation of the expiration data.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein generating the custom configuration data based on the custom attribute further comprises:
assigning version data to the custom attribute,
wherein the custom configuration data comprises a representation of the version data.
5. The method for customizing traffic tracking for a content site of claim 1 further comprising:
inserting the custom configuration data in data collection code on the content page; and
tracking occurrences of the custom event by executing the tracking code as modified with the custom configuration data.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interaction with content item comprises playing an electronic demonstration of the content item and wherein tracking an occurrence of the custom event comprises identifying the content item and associating the content item with a playback of the electronic demonstration.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the combination of the interaction and the content item comprises a purchase of the content item.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the purchase comprises a plurality of events comprising:
selecting a purchase interface; and
selecting the content item for purchase via the purchase interface.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interaction comprises a plurality of events and providing the user elements for specifying the creation of the custom event comprises providing user elements for specifying each of the plurality of events comprising the interaction.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generated custom configuration data indicates a name of the custom event, a data type for the custom event, and version information for the custom event, wherein the custom configuration data is provided via a data network to a content server that hosts the content site, wherein the method further comprises:
configuring a data collection server for matching tracking data received from the content server with the custom event, wherein configuring the data collection server comprises modifying, based on the user input, a tracking variable at the data collection server to correspond to the name, the data type, and the version information indicated by the custom configuration data;
receiving, after providing the custom configuration to the content server, the tracking data at the data collection server; and
matching, by the data collection server, the received tracking data with the custom event using the modified tracking variable.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
providing access to the content site via the data network;
inserting the custom configuration data received from the computing device on the content page;
tracking occurrences of the custom event by executing the tracking code as modified with the custom configuration data; and
transmitting the tracking data from the content server to the data collection server in response to tracking occurrences of the custom event.
12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer readable code the computer readable code executable by a computing device to perform operations comprising:
generating tracking code for a content page of a content site;
providing a graphical user interface comprising user interface elements for specifying creation of a custom event;
receiving user input, via the graphical user interface, defining the custom event by specifying a combination of a content item and an interaction with the content item, wherein the combination of the content item and the interaction is specific to the content site;
generating custom configuration data based on the custom event specified through the user input, wherein the custom configuration data comprises data identifying the combination of the interaction and the content item that is specific to the content site; and
providing the custom configuration data for embedding into tracking code for the content page of the content site,
wherein embedding the custom configuration data into the tracking code modifies the tracking code for tracking occurrences of the custom event.
13. A system comprising:
a computing device; and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium communicatively coupled to the computing device,
wherein the computing device is configured to execute instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to perform operations comprising:
generating tracking code for a content page of a content site;
providing a graphical user interface comprising user interface elements for specifying creation of a custom event,
receiving, via the graphical user interface, input defining the custom event by specifying a combination of a content item and an interaction with the content item, wherein the combination of the content item and the interaction is specific to the content site,
generating custom configuration data based on the custom event specified through the user input, wherein the custom configuration data comprises data identifying the combination of the interaction with the content item that is specific to the content site, and
providing the custom configuration data for embedding into tracking code for the content page of the content site, wherein embedding the custom configuration data into the tracking code modifies the tracking code for tracking occurrences of the custom event.
14. The system of claim 13 , further comprising an additional computing device in communication with the computing device, the additional computing device configured for:
providing access to the content site via a data network;
inserting the custom configuration data received from the computing device on the content page; and
tracking occurrences of the custom event by executing the tracking code as modified with the custom configuration data.
15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the interaction with content item comprises playing an electronic demonstration of the content item and wherein tracking an occurrence of the custom event comprises identifying the content item and associating the content item with a playback of the electronic demonstration.
16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the combination of the interaction and the content item comprises a purchase of the content item via the content site.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the purchase comprises a plurality of events comprising:
selecting a purchase interface; and
selecting the content item for purchase via the purchase interface.
18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the interaction comprises a plurality of events and providing the user elements for specifying the creation of the custom event comprises providing user elements for specifying each of the plurality of events comprising the interaction.