Formatting and appending tracking codes by using the Tracking Code Generator

Download and install the Tracking Code Generator

Review guidelines for Excel input files

The Tracking Code Generator requires proper formatting of Microsoft Excel input files to generate tracking codes correctly.

Follow these guidelines when using the Tracking Code Generator:

• Do not skip rows in between values. The Tracking Code Generator will stop processing when it encounters an empty row.
• Include http:// as part of the destination URL.
• Do not include multiple worksheets in your Excel files. The Tracking Code Generator will not process an Excel file that contains multiple worksheets.
• Use unique file names for the downloaded Excel templates, and for your input and output files (for example, MMC_input_saas.2019.xls and MMC_output_saas.2019.xls).
• If you use special characters in your parameter values, ensure that the characters you use are supported in Digital Analytics parameter values.

  Digital Analytics supports the following special characters for use in tracking code parameter values:

  Character	Description
  ~	tilde
  `	back quote
  @	at
  #	pound (number sign)
  ^	carat
  &	ampersand
  +	plus
  =	equal
  {	open brace
  }	close brace
  [	open bracket
  ]	close bracket
  |	pipe (bar)
  \	back slash
  :	colon
  ;	semicolon
  <	less than
  >	greater than
  ?	question mark
  /	slash (forward slash)

Generate Marketing Program codes

Use the Tracking Code Generator to generate MMC (cm_mmc=) tracking codes for off-site campaign links. Data from MMC tracking codes is used in the Marketing Programs report.

1. Open the Tracking Code Generator.
2. Open the Excel file that you want to use, or download the template from the Marketing Program Codes tab of the Tracking Code Generator.
3. Give your file a unique name and save it to your desktop.
4. Add the destination URLs and parameter values to your file, then save the file.

   The following figure shows examples:

   Figure 1. Example Marketing Program codes input file

5. On the Marketing Program Codes tab of the Tracking Code Generator, follow the on-screen instructions to select options for the marketing programs format, existing codes (if any) in your file, and advanced settings.
6. Click Browse to select your Excel file.
7. Click Create Codes, input a new unique file name for the output file, and save it to your desktop.

   If the file is successfully processed, a message displays, indicating the number of rows successfully processed.

8. Open the Excel output file. The MMC parameter is appended to each URL, as in the following example.

   Figure 2. Example Marketing Program codes output file

   If any rows in your file contain an error message in column F, correct the error and use the Tracking Code Generator to reprocess the file. If column F is blank, the URL in the row is a valid MMC destination URL.

Generate Real Estate and Site Promotion codes

Use the Real Estate Codes and Site Promotions Codes tabs in the Tracking Code Generator to generate cm_re and cm_sp tracking codes for onsite links.

Use Real Estate tracking codes to track the performance of multiple onsite links from a single page on your website. Data from Real Estate tracking codes is used in the Real Estate report.

Use Site Promotion tracking codes to measure the success of onsite links or promotions from multiple pages or placements on your website. Data from Site Promotion tracking codes is used in the Site Promotions report.

1. Open the Tracking Code Generator.
2. Open the Excel file that you want to use, or download the template from the Real Estate Codes tab or the Site Promotion Codes tab of the Tracking Code Generator.
3. Give your file a unique name and save it to your desktop.
4. Add the destination URLs and parameter values to your file, then save the file.

   The following figures show examples:

   Figure 1. Example Real Estate codes input file

   

   Figure 2. Example Site Promotions codes input file

   

5. On the Real Estate Codes tab or Site Promotion Codes tab of the Tracking Code Generator, follow the on-screen instructions to select options for format and existing codes (if any) in your file.
6. Click Browse to select your Excel file.
7. Click Create Codes, input a new unique file name for the output file, and save it to your desktop.

   If the file is successfully processed, a message displays, indicating the number of rows successfully processed.

8. Open the Excel output file. The Real Estate or Site Promotion parameters are appended to the URLs. The following figures show example output:

   Figure 3. Example Real Estate codes output file

   Figure 4. Example Site Promotions code output file

   If any rows in your file contain an error message in column F, correct the error and use the Tracking Code Generator to reprocess the file. If column F is blank, the URL in the row is a valid tracking URL.

Generate Marketing Impression codes

Use the Tracking Code Generator to generate impression attribution tags for impression tracking of off-site campaigns (for example, display ads, micro-sites, widgets, and Facebook interactions). Data from marketing impression tags is used in Acoustic Digital Analytics Explore.

You can append marketing program attribute values to specific marketing impression tags (for example, cm_mmca1=).

1. Open the Tracking Code Generator.
2. Open the Excel file that you want to use, or download the template from the Marketing Impression Codes tab of the Tracking Code Generator.
3. Give your file a unique name and save it to your desktop.
4. Add parameter values in the Vendor, Category, Placement, and Marketing Item Name columns, and save the file.

   The following figure shows example input:

   Figure 1. Example Marketing Impression codes input file

   

5. On the Marketing Impression Codes tab in the Tracking Code Generator, specify the protocol and one or more client IDs.
6. Click Browse to select your Excel file.
7. Click Create Codes, enter a new unique file name for the output file, and save it to your desktop.

   If the file is successfully processed, a message displays, indicating the number of rows successfully processed.

   In the output file, the Stamped URL column is populated with the Marketing Impression Attribution tag, as in the following example:

   Figure 2. Example Marketing Impression codes output file