System and method for detecting and reporting online activity using real-time content-based network monitoring
A computerized system and method for tracking and reporting online activity across a plurality of clients and servers is disclosed that intercepts and logs secure and non-secure HTTP request and response pages, analyzes each of the received page records, associates each page record to an event type based on user-defined parameters, identifies and extracts user-defined attributes of each page record based on its event type, and reports on the occurrence of the event along with its associated attributes.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a digital tracking system connected to a user browser and a Web server on the Internet, the system adapted to perform operations that include, for at least one session:
providing to the user browser a Web page containing a URL specifying both an address of a computer-programmed tracking system and information that specifies a URL on the Web server;
upon receipt by the tracking system of a Web page request from the user browser, determining a Web server URL from the Web page request;
identifying and extracting captured information indicating that the user browser has requested the Web server URL;
storing the captured information stored within a database;
encoding an original URL as part of the tracking system's URL path to construct at least one rewritten URL;
embedding said at least one rewritten URL in a response such that a browser request to at least one said rewritten embedded URL is sent to the tracking system;
providing site management, including associating objects with one another; and
causing the Web page specified by the Web server URL to be returned to the user browser, wherein the causing is carried out such that the Web page specified by the Web server URL to be returned to the user includes redirecting the user browser to the Web page on the Web browser; and
providing data analysis of said least one session, reporting of data derived from said at least one session, or both.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the operations include the providing data analysis of at least one session.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further including the operation of producing, based on said at least one session, at least one of a session detail report, an event detail report, a purchase detail report, and a purchase summary report.
4. The apparatus of claim 2 , further including the operation of associating an object with another object.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the operations include the reporting of data derived from said at least one session.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the reporting includes reporting via an interface to an external client.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the reporting via the interface to the external client includes reporting via an XML feed to the external client.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further including the operation of producing, based on said at least one session, at least one of a session detail report, an event detail report, a purchase detail report, and a purchase summary report.
9. The apparatus of claim 7 , further including the operation of associating an object with another object.
10. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the reporting via the interface to the external client includes reporting via a Web interface to the external client.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , further including the operation of producing, based on said at least one session, at least one of a session detail report, an event detail report, a purchase detail report, and a purchase summary report.
12. The apparatus of claim 10 , further including the operation of associating an object with another object.
13. The apparatus of claim 6 , further including the operation of producing, based on said at least one session, at least one of a session detail report, an event detail report, a purchase detail report, and a purchase summary report.
14. The apparatus of claim 6 , further including the operation of associating an object with another object.
15. The apparatus of claim 5 , further including the operation of producing, based on said at least one session, at least one of a session detail report, an event detail report, a purchase detail report, and a purchase summary report.
16. The apparatus of claim 5 , further including the operation of associating an object with another object.
17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the operations include both the providing data analysis of at least one session and the reporting of data derived from said at least one session.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the reporting includes reporting via an interface to an external client.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the reporting via the interface to the external client includes reporting via an XML feed to the external client.
20. The apparatus of claim 19 , further including the operation of producing, based on said at least one session, at least one of a session detail report, an event detail report, a purchase detail report, and a purchase summary report.
21. The apparatus of claim 19 , further including the operation of associating an object with another object.
22. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the reporting via the interface to the external client includes reporting via a Web interface to the external client.
23. The apparatus of claim 22 , further including the operation of producing at least one of a session detail report, an event detail report, a purchase detail report, and a purchase summary report.
24. The apparatus of claim 22 , further including the operation of associating an object with another object.
25. The apparatus of claim 18 , further including the operation of producing, based on said at least one session, at least one of a session detail report, an event detail report, a purchase detail report, and a purchase summary report.
26. The apparatus of claim 18 , further including the operation of associating an object with another object.
27. The apparatus of claim 17 , further including the operation of producing, based on said at least one session, at least one of a session detail report, an event detail report, a purchase detail report, and a purchase summary report.
28. The apparatus of claim 17 , further including the operation of associating an object with another object.
29. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including the operation of producing, based on said at least one session, at least one of a session detail report, an event detail report, a purchase detail report, and a purchase summary report.
30. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including the operation of associating an object with another object.