Event Tracking

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An Overview of Event Tracking

Event Tracking is an advanced feature within ActiveCampaign that allows businesses to collect data on various contact behaviors on their websites or apps. This feature empowers users to create customized events for tracking specific activities, such as video views, button clicks, and orders, among others. By capturing this event data, companies can significantly enhance their marketing and sales strategies, personalize campaigns, and trigger automations based on user interactions.

Event Tracking is distinct from Site Tracking, another feature that records page visits based on contacts navigating through a website. While Site Tracking requires a simple code snippet to monitor webpage activities, Event Tracking offers the flexibility to define and track virtually any user behavior by implementing custom code.

How to Access This Feature

To access Event Tracking within your ActiveCampaign account, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the Website menu. 2. Select Site Tracking from the dropdown options. 3. Scroll down to find the Event Tracking section.

Step-by-Step Instructions

To effectively set up and utilize Event Tracking, adhere to the following steps:

1. Turning on Event Tracking

1. From the Site Tracking page, locate the Event Tracking section. 2. Adjust the Status toggle to the On position.

Once activated, an Event Key will appear in the Event Key field. You'll need this key to communicate with the ActiveCampaign API when sending event data captured from your site.

2. Setting Up Event Tracking

Event Tracking requires some programming knowledge to implement successfully. Follow these guidelines:

1. Use a programming language of your choice to capture the following data points whenever an event is triggered:

  - Who: The contact's email address who performed the event.
  - What: The event you defined.
  - Value: The value assigned to the event.
  - When: The timestamp of when the event occurred.

2. Utilize the ActiveCampaign open API to send event information to the URL `http://trackcmp.net/event` with the following parameters:

  - Your Event Key.
  - The captured data points outlined above.

The API documentation provides details on how to authenticate and send requests correctly.

3. Testing and Validating Events

After implementing the code, it's vital to verify that events are captured and displayed correctly in your ActiveCampaign account. Navigate to the Website > Site Tracking page to view recorded events in the system.

Configuration Options and Settings

When configuring Event Tracking, you'll encounter several critical components:

- **Event Key**: This key is essential for transmitting event data to ActiveCampaign. It is displayed upon enabling Event Tracking in your account.

- **POST Requests**: Utilize HTTP POST requests in your chosen programming language to send event data to the ActiveCampaign endpoint.

- **API Integration**: For developers, using an API wrapper (like PHP API wrapper) can simplify sending event tracking data by handling connections and calls efficiently.

Best Practices and Tips

- Start by defining clear objectives for what behaviors you wish to track. This clarity will guide your event definitions.

- Review your website or app's architecture to determine where logical event tracking points should be placed—such as on buttons or key action areas.

- Regularly monitor and analyze the event data collected to ensure you're gaining insights that align with your business goals.

- Consider using Event Tracking alongside Lead Scoring to gain deeper insights into user engagement and prioritize interactions.

Common Use Cases with Examples

Event Tracking is versatile and can be applied in numerous scenarios, such as:

- Tracking how many users click on a specific Call to Action button on a landing page, enabling you to measure the effectiveness of your calls to action.

- Monitoring video engagement by tracking how often a video is played to completion or how far users watch before leaving the page.

- Capturing data on e-commerce actions, such as cart additions and checkouts, which can help in optimizing sales funnels.

Troubleshooting

If you suspect that Event Tracking is not functioning as intended, consider the following steps:

- Ensure that the Event Tracking toggle is set to On within your ActiveCampaign account.

- Verify that the API requests are properly formatted and sent to the correct ActiveCampaign endpoint.

- Check if the Event Key being used in your code matches the key shown in your account settings.

- Confirm that your coding correctly captures the required data points (who, what, value, when).

Related Features

For users looking to expand their tracking capabilities, it's advisable to explore the following features:

- Site Tracking: A simpler way to track user visits on your website.

- Automation: Utilize event data to trigger automated processes tailored to user behavior.

FAQ

1. Is Event Tracking available on all ActiveCampaign plans?

No, Event Tracking is available only on Plus, Pro, and Enterprise plans.

2. Do I need programming knowledge to set up Event Tracking?

Yes, familiarity with a programming language is required to implement Event Tracking on your site.

3. What types of events can I track using Event Tracking?

You can track virtually any behavior you define, such as button clicks, video views, and purchases.

4. What happens if I send an event for a contact that doesn’t exist in ActiveCampaign?

If the contact does not exist, the event will not be recorded, and no contact record will be created.

5. Can multiple instances of the same event be recorded?

Yes, if multiple events with the same data are sent, they will appear as a single event in the Activity Stream.

6. How can I ensure my events are tracked in real-time?

Monitor the data output on your ActiveCampaign account under the Site Tracking section after implementing the tracking code.

7. Where can I get help setting up Event Tracking?

Consider working with someone on your team who has programming skills or hire an ActiveCampaign Certified Consultant for assistance. ```