Tracking links and files automatically
In addition to regular pages or Flash animations, Snoobi can easily be set to track
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Outbound / external links on your website, i.e. links that lead the visitor to some other site that is not included in your Snoobi account
Here is an example of what an external link can look like. Once the automatic links tracking has been set to On position, clicking such a link will register which link was click and at what stage of the visit it was clicked. This data then becomes available in the Snoobi report.
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Online files on your website, such as images, text or executive files.
Here is an example of what a file link can look like. Snoobi registers which files was opened and when. However, Snoobi can't know what happens once the file was opened, including whether it was saved or how many pages the visitor read, for example. -
Online e-mail links on your website (mailto: links), clicking on such a link will open up an empty e-mail draft for the visitor to write into.
Here is an example of what an e-mail link may look like. Snoobi registers which e-mail address was clicked on and when. However, Snoobi can't know what happens once the e-mail draft has popped up including whether the e-mail was ever sent or whether it was simply closed right away.
Tracking links and files requires two easy steps:
1) the page to which the link or files is linked must contain the Snoobi tag, and
2) the feature must be turned to "On" status from Snoobi's settings called Links and files.
Image 1. The Settings view that enables you to turn this feature on
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Things to consider |
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Including links and / or files in your tracking results will increase the amount of page views that your site receives. This is because each click of a tarcked link or tracked file will register as a page load in Snoobi. |
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You have the option to limit the domains from which links and clicked just as you can limit the file types that you want to track. Read more from the next chapter. |
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If your site already tracks files or links by the means of a URL redirection, thee URL redirections won't be automatically removed. If you turn On the automatic tracking, you will receive double entries for those files or links that were already being tracked. |
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URL redirections can still be made and used like before. |
Automatic tracking of links
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State: |
Choose, whether you want to begin tracking external (or internal) link clicks. Remember to save your selection! You will recognize that a link has been clicked from that the report displays a URL-address containing /outlink/, for example www.company.com/outlink/www.targetsite.net. Targetsite.net matches the URL address of the page where the visitor was taken. |
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Section:
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If your site has been sectioned using a parameter (you can see a §ion= at the end of the Snoobi tag), you have the option to create a new section, which will include all link loads. The section facilitates inspecting the results as all links will be found from the same place. All you need to do it type a name for the section, e.g. Links. Leave the field empty if you don't want to make a new section. Links will always show up in the Pages panel, if automatic link tracking is turned on. |
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Extra settings: |
Click open the box to access more specific options |
Don't track the landing sites with identifiers... : This list includes by default all currently tracked domains as found in Tracked sites, because these are all domains which' internal transitions are already visible from the reports' navigation panels. By removing any of these domains, you can begin tracking internal links more explicitly and have the link clicks show up as separate page loads. Add domains to this list also if you want to exclude tracking links that target a specific site / domain. A percent mark should virtually always be added after the domain to signify that the tracking block should also extend to the sub pages of a domain and not just the main domain (e.g. company.com% blocks more than merely the front page). A percent mark is in most cases also added in front of the domain (e.g. %company.com), which means that the domain tracking block isn't limited to any particular sub domain. |
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..., but make exception with following identifiers: Add domains to this list if you absolutely want to ensure that link clicks to these domains are tracked. A percent mark should virtually always be added after the domain to signify that the tracking block should also extend to the sub pages of a domain and not just the main domain (e.g. company.com% blocks more than merely the front page). A percent mark is in most cases also added in front of the domain (e.g. %company.com), which means that the domain tracking block isn't limited to any particular sub domain. |
Automatic tracking of files
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Choose, whether you want to begin tracking online files on your website. Remember to save your selection! You will recognize that a files has been clicked from that the report usually displays the file as a URL-address ending with a file extension, such as .pdf or .jpg. |
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Section:
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If your site has been sectioned using a parameter (you can see a §ion= at the end of the Snoobi tag), you have the option to create a new section, which will include all file loads. The section facilitates inspecting the results as all file loads will be found from the same place. All you need to do it type a name for the section, e.g. Files. Leave the field empty if you don't want to make a new section. Files will always show up in the Pages panel, if automatic link tracking is turned on. |
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Extra settings: |
Click open the box to access more specific options |
File identifiers: A list of file identifiers (file extensions) which Snoobi will track if the feature is turned on. Remove those file extensions from your list that you do not wish to receive data and page views from. For example, if your site contact hundreds of illustrative .jpg files, they might not be relevant to your tracking aims. If you add new file identifiers or file extensions, remember to add a percent sign in fron of the identifier, e.g. %.xlsx What is the file isn't equipped with a regular file extension? If the files is accessed through a URL direction of some sort meaning that clicking the link won't take you straight to the file, you'll still be able to track it. Check if you can use the file name ( the file which does the fetching) as the identifier. Example: Let's say that all your online files are behind a redirect page whish looks like www.company.com/downloads.aspx/123456, and the only thing that changes from file to file is the number. Then choose either %downloads.aspx% or %downloads.aspx/123456 as the file identifier, depending on what the number means and if you want to track all downloads individually. |
Automatic tracking of e-mail links
Please note! This settings is entirely separate from the one concerning Ad tracking in e-mails! Automatic tracking of e-mail links focuses on saving the website data generated by mailto clicks.
In contrast, the type of e-mail tracking that is found from the Ad instructions focus on saving the e-mail data generated by pressing a link in an e-mail.
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State: |
Choose, whether you want to begin tracking the click of mailto e-mail links. Remember to save your selection! You will recognize that a mailto link has been clicked from that the report displays a URL-address containing the recipient e-mail address, e.g. name@company.cpm |
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Section:
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If your site has been sectioned using a parameter (you can see a §ion= at the end of the Snoobi tag), you have the option to create a new section, which will include all mailto clicks. The section facilitates inspecting the results as all mailto clicks will be found from the same place. All you need to do it type a name for the section, e.g. E-mails. Leave the field empty if you don't want to make a new section. E-mail links will always show up in the Pages panel, if automatic e-mail link tracking is turned on. |