Sectioning
Sectioning is one of the optional Snoobi features, and it helps to organize the content of the website tracking by categorizing it in a way that best suits the needs of the organization. Dividing content into smaller categories makes comparison between different sections of the site much easier. Sectioning also make it possible to group pages belonging into certain area of responsibility under a single category, thus improving the overall readability of the report. There can be an infinite number of categories and they may be created at any time.
Image 1. Sectioned language and product versions in Snoobi report
Sectioning can be done in two ways, A. through Snoobi's settings or B. automatically into the source code.
A. Sectioning through Snoobi's settings
Sectioning is easy to do through Snoobi's settings. Login to your account at www.snoobi.com . Choose settings and Sectioning. If this feature is not available, it can be added to your Snoobi package by contacting Snoobi sales at 
.
Image 2. Adding sectioning to Snoobi's settings
1. Section Identifier:
Pick an identifier from a page’s URL address, which is a common denominator for that page and all the pages under it. Below are different ways of doing this, depending on how your site has been constructed.
The name of a subfolder as identifier is often a viable solution. For example, in the addresses of different language versions there is often a subfolder, which may be used. It is useful to also include the slash/ signs into the identifier.
Subfolder example 1: Languages
http://www.companyname.com/eng/home.html
http://www.companyname.com/swe/home.html
If different product categories are chosen as subsections, then the identifier must be something that is common to only the pages within that subfolder.
Subfolder example 2: Products
www.companyname.com/products/cameras/digitalcameras/modelX.html
If the folder /digitalcameras/ is chosen as the section identifier for the address above, then that section will include all types of digital cameras but it will not include any other types of cameras (video cameras, analogue cameras etc.), only digital cameras.
Subfolder example 3: Products
www.companyname.com/products/cameras//digitalcameras/modelX.html
If the folder /cameras/ is chosen as the section identifier for the address above, then all types of cameras will be included in that section, but it will not include any products (televisions, radios etc.) other than cameras.
In order for sub folders to function properly with sectioning, the folder structure of the site has to be constructed logically, where folders are constantly being divided into more and more specific sub concepts or folders.
A proper identifier in a content management system may look like this, when languages are being sectioned:
http://www.companyname.com/index.php?view=www&lang=1&pageID=3
http://www.companyname.com/index.php?view=www&lang=eng&pageID=3
The domain name as section identifier is usable, if the purpose of the sectioning is to separate two domains or sites from one and other:
http://www.companyname.com/home.html
http://www.companyname.co.uk/home.html
If the URL addresses of the pages that you wish to lump together do not include a common denominator, then an identifier from each pages’ URL address has to be individually added under a common category in order to make sectioning possible. Examples of pages under a single category, which do not have a common denominator might be:
http://www.companyname.com/index.php?pageID=5
http://www.companyname.com/index.php?pageID=6
http://www.companyname.com/index.php?pageID=10
http://www.companyname.com/index.php?pageID=44
http://www.companyname.com/index.php?pageID=35
Image 3. How to section when there is no common denominator in the URL-address
Percentage (%) signs are usually, but not always, added to both sides of the section identifier (see Image 2 and 3.)
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How to use percentage signs
Percentage signs in front of the identifier: the percentage is nearly always added in front of the section identifier, in order to allow any URL-address prior to identifier to contain any combination of signs. For example; by choosing %company.com as the section identifier, addresses like https://company.com, www.company.com and store.company.com will be included into the section as well.
Percentage signs after the identifier: the percentage is often placed behind identifier as well, since this allows the signs behind identifier to be of any combination. This is necessary if the URL-address doesn't end with the identifier or sometimes if site is dynamic, which might mean that the site could add a session ID into the address.
Please note that if the page's URL-address ends with a number, then it might not be a viable solution to add a percentage sign after the identifier! Adding the percent after a number can cause unwanted pages to be included (for example, instead of just pageID=3, it will also include pageId=31, pageID=355 etc. is such pages exist)
Percentage signs on both sides of the identifier: placing the identifier both before and after the identifier means that the system accepts any combination of signs around the identifier.
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Utilizing the special character in the URL address
When selecting the identifier, any special characters in close proximity to the indentifier can be useful! Leaving out special characters from the address (for example . and / signs) might mean that the sectioning might apply to more pages than actually were intended. Please review the chart below for a thorough explanation of the effects of special characters in the sections identifier.
Page's URL-address Identifier Which pages will be included in the section? The suitability of identifier plants Nothing Extremely poor %plants% The entire website Poor %/plants% All pages within the /plants/ folder as well as plants.html OK www.plants.fi/plants/plants.html %/plants/% All pages within the /plants/ folder Optimal! %www.plants.fi
/plants/plants.html%Only the page plants.html, but all pages without the www will be excluded Poor %plants.html% Only the page plants.html Poor, unless you wish to single out the page for easier access %plants.fi Front page only Poor If a website is composed of more than one domain (for example: firm.com and firm.org) with identical sub-folder structures, their pages can be sectioned simultaneously by leaving out the domain name from the identifier. If this, however, is not desired, then the name of the domain has to be included in the section identifier (see Image 5.).
Page's URL-address Identifier Which pages will be included in the section? The suitability of identifier firm.com/firm/map.php %/firm/% The folder /firm/ from both firm.com and firm.org will be lumped together Good, if you want to treat both domains as one firm.org/firm/map.php %.org/firm/% The folder /firm/ will only be included from the domain firm.org Good, if you want to want to separate each domai
Image 5. Using domain names in identifier
2. Section name:
Name the section in a way that you wish to see it in your report's Section header. As in Image 2., sections could be named as England, Sweden, Products: cameras and Products: appliances. Different pages (i.e different URL-addresses) can be added into the section by giving them the same Section name.
Sections will appear in the report as soon as the changes you have made have been updated. Sections can also be created in retrospect.
3. Check the Sectioning from the Includes -view in the settings:
The Includes –view shows all the pages belonging to a certain section. This information can be used to track down any potential mistakes made in the process of sectioning. Return to the Identifier –view to correct flaws by changing the identifier.
Image 6. The Includes –view show which pages have been lumped together to form a section
B. Applying sectioning directly into the source code: Automated sectioning
Sections can also be defined directly into the Snoobi tag (, most conveniently at the same time that the tag is installed onto the website). This automated Sectioning can be done by implementing an additional identifier, §ion=desired_section_name, into the Snoobi tag. In practice, sectioning "digital cameras" page might look like this:
<!-- BEGIN Snoobi v1.4 -->
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://eu1.snoobi.com/snoop.php?tili=company_com§ion=Digitalcameras">
</script>
<!-- END Snoobi v1.4 -->
If the content of the page needs to be specified in a way that it becomes clearer to the viewer what that page is all about, you can also add the Page name parametre into the Snoobi tag »:
<!-- BEGIN Snoobi v1.4 -->
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://eu1.snoobi.com/snoop.php?tili=company_com§ion=Digitalcameras
&page_name=BrandX_ModelY">
</script>
<!-- END Snoobi v1.4 -->
In Snoobi tag, the company_com must be replaced with the name of your Snoobi account.
If a content management system, where the section names have already been specified into the system, it is possible to code the name of the section so that its name will be automatically be fetched into the Snoobi tag.