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This article will review:

• An overview of the Partnerize Tag
• What tracking features are included
• The codes each brand should implement on their website
• How to test the solution

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Index

• Overview
• Cookie Consent
• Implementation Overview
• Implementation Steps
• Next Steps
• FAQ's

Overview

The Partnerize Tag is a client-side JavaScript that brands implement within their website pages.  Once implemented, brands can take full advantage of features controlled via the Partnerize tag that compliment the Partnerize platform.

This guide outlines how a brand can implement the Partnerize Tag and utilise the First Party Tracking feature. This consists of the following : 

1. Implement landing page tag  : This captures and stores a unique Partnerize ID ("clickref")  in 1st party storage whenever a user is referred by Partnerize. 
2. Implement conversion page tag :  When a user converts at the checkout page, the brand will return all transactional information. The Partnerize ID ("clickref") is automatically injected within the conversion event and the partner is rewarded. This by-passes the browser's need to access any 3rd party cookies.

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Cookie Consent

Partnerize's first party tracking rely on a click ID (clickref) being stored either client or server side as a 1st party cookie. If the clickref isn't stored, then in most cases, Partnerize is unable to attribute the conversion to a click and the sale won't be attributed.

Partnerize cannot provide legal advice on whether and in what cases the clickref cookie should be restricted for visitors who have not affirmatively consented as it is each advertiser’s responsibility to manage its own website.

However, any desired changes to cookie consent settings can easily be implemented for your Partnerize affiliate program.  Please see technical options here.

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Implementation Overview

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Implementation Steps

Step 1 - Enable Partnerize Tag (Partnerize)

The Partnerize tag is a network-level feature that must be enabled before use.  This step will be performed by the Partnerize Integration team as part of the configuration stage.

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Step 2 - Create Partnerize Tags (Partnerize)

The Partnerize Integrations team will provide the brand with:

• Landing page tag :  The JavaScript code for the Partnerize tag, which will be unique for each brand.  This will also have the First Party Tracking feature enabled
• Conversion tracking tag : To be implemented onto the confirmation page of the brand website.

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Step 2b - Auto append "clickref" to all traffic (Partnerize)

All Partnerize referred traffic to brand's site will include a unique ID ("clickref") within the query string.

• E.g) https://www.brand-site.com?clickref=ABC1234

The First Party tracking feature will set this Partnerize click ID ("clickref") in a 1st party storage.  Whenever a new click is initiated, a new "clickref" is generated and updated.

• E.g) https://www.brand-site.com?clickref=DEF456

Upon checkout, the most recent "clickref" present will be used to reward "last click" wins.  

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Step 3 - Implementation of Partnerize tag (Brand)

The brand will need to place the tag at the bottom of ALL pages of their site.  The following should help you determine which pages the tag should be present on:

• Any page of which an inbound referral may land on
• The checkout confirmation page (NOTE: This is in addition to the conversion tracking tag)

Example Partnerize landing page tag

The Partnerize Integrations team will provide a specific tag for the brand to implement, but the below is an example of the JavaScript code: 

<script src="https://pzapi-kg.com/b/XXXXX/YYYYY.js"></script>

• The domain (pzapi-kg.com) may differ for your exact tag
• XXXXX will be replaced by the brand ID
• YYYYY will be replaced by a specific tag ID

The position of the tag is important. If you rely on other scripts responsible for populating the checkout conversion tag, you will need to ensure the tag shown here is placed after that.

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Step 4 - Implementation of Conversion tracking tag (Brand)

In addition to the landing page tag, the conversion tacking tag is also implemented onto the confirmation pages and triggered after every successful transaction. 

Example conversion tag (each brand will be provided their specific) : 

Uppercase values highlighted must be dynamically populated.

<div data-partnerize="https://prf.hn/conversion/campaign:XXXXX/conversionref:CONVERSIONREF/country:COUNTRY/currency:CURRENCY/customertype:CUSTOMERTYPE/voucher:VOUCHER/[category:CATEGORY/sku:SKU/value:VALUE/quantity:QUANTITY][category:CATEGORY/sku:SKU/value:VALUE/quantity:QUANTITY]" style="display: none"></div>

Explanation of parameters

The conversion URI is populated with several parameters to record a valid conversion. These are key-value pairs, using a colon to separate the key-value pair, and a forward slash, to delimit each parameter:

• The discount of the voucher must be reflected in the value amount for all items to which it relates. This ensures that the commission calculated from the conversion is taken from the fully discounted total, not the pre-voucher amount. 
• If this is not technically possible, it can be counteracted or complimented by specifying a specific commission rate based on the use of a voucher code via the Partnerize API. 
• If no voucher code is used the parameter can simply be left empty.

❗NOTE:

• The most recent Partnerize clickref stored in the 1st party will be retrieved whenever the conversion tracking tag is loaded from the confirmation page and automatically injected to the tag.  This provides a First Party Tracking feature for the brand.

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Basket Data Parameters 

To record individual items within a conversion, pass the details of each into a specific item container, which is held within square brackets []. The available parameters are listed below. Although not all parameters are required, it is advisable to return as much as possible to increase reporting granularity: 

❗NOTE:

• "value" is multiplied by "quantity" to calculate the total basket cost. 
  • If brand awards % based commission, this total cost is used
  • Ensure "value" is the individual item value 
• No Personal Identifiable Information (PII) that a 3rd party could use to identify the end user should be passed into any of the tracking parameters (i.e. email address, home address, phone number, etc).

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Example populated conversion tags

Single Item Conversion 

Example:

<div data-partnerize="https://prf.hn/conversion/campaign:XXXXXX/conversionref:8516768/country:GB/currency:GBP/customertype:new/voucher:Discount10/[category:shoes/sku:98735c/value:19.99/quantity:1]" style="display: none"></div>

Multiple Item Conversions

<<div data-partnerize="https://prf.hn/conversion/campaign:XXXXXX/conversionref:5787898/country:US/currency:USD/customertype:existing/voucher:/[category:bag/sku:3245ds/value:10.00/quantity:2][category:book/sku:2123bk/value:40.00/quantity:1]" style="display: none"></div>

❗NOTE:

• The overall value of the sale is calculated from the value of each individual item
• campaign:XXXXXX is a test campaign ID. Please contact the team for live ID via  integration.support@partnerize.com 

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Metadata Tracking

Partnerize offers a flexible and robust reporting, allowing brands to record additional sale information outside of the standard predefined tracking parameters. Within the Partnerize conversion tag a brand can include as much metadata as possible. 

This flexibility provides brands a greater insight and granular level of reporting for sale optimization. The meta parameter name can be defined by the brand but must follow the syntax of parameter_name:value delimited by the ‘/’ 

Metadata Example 

<div data-partnerize="https://prf.hn/conversion/campaign:XXXXXX/conversionref:8516768/[category:DVD/sku:98735c/value: 19.99/quantity:1/productname:ET/delivery:freeshipping/age:PG]" style="display: none"></div>

• Any meta parameters must be contained within the item blocks[ ]
• Please avoid using the parameter name of ‘destination’ 

Vertical Specific Examples

For examples of vertical specific tracking parameters please see https://help.phgsupport.com/hc/en-us/articles/4410042606225-Vertical-Specific-Tracking-Parameters 

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Core parameters

The below parameters are deemed as core to the tracking:

• Currency
• Voucher
• Customertype
• Category
• SKU

These parameters should always be present in the implemented tracking solution, unless they cannot be provided.

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Tracked Currencies:
 
For each point of sale/campaign, it is important to confirm how many currency variations will be provided in the 'currency' parameter for tracked sales:

• Track sales in one currency only (i.e. all sales will track in GBP)
• Track sales in multiple currencies (i.e. sales could track in GBP, EUR and USD)

This should be discussed with the Partnerize Integration team during the Implementation phase.

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Allowed Characters

• Values are allowed to have unicode characters and any symbol excluding/, #, +, \ and " (unless URL encoded)
• slash ( / ) , colon ( : ) , square brackets ( [ ] ) are reserved characters in Partnerize System so please exclude
• For all non alphanumeric characters please ensure these are URL encoded
  • E.g.)  A space will be encoded to %20, conversionref:test order will become   conversionref:test%20order
• Please exclude currency symbols (E.g. £ $ ) and comma separator from value parameter
  • E.g.) If the product amount is £1,980.99, you need set 1980.99

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When to trigger PZ tag / Exclusive codes  

The PZ tag conversion should be triggered at point of checkout and typically when a "clickref" value is present. If a brand wishes to utilise Partnerize's exclusive code functionality https://help.phgsupport.com/hc/en-us/articles/4405844671377 it is essential that vouchers are passed into the 'voucher' parameter.

Exclusive Codes also introduces the concept of clickless tracking, allowing brands to work with non-traditional partnerships who don't work with tracking links. In order to utilize clickless tracking, a brand must trigger the tracking unconditionally for every sale regardless if a clickref value is present.

The "clickref" parameter can be left empty as "/clickref:/"

❗NOTE:  Even though  tracking is loaded for every sale Partnerize will only attribute sales that were referred by our partners.

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Step 5 - Testing (Brand)

Once the tags are deployed, they should be tested by submitting a test transaction via the brand’s live website.  A non session test should be performed, which simulates a returning customer who originally followed a partner link but purchased at a later date. Providing the sale is made within the cookie period of the brand, the transaction should track successfully.  Full testing instructions can be found here:

https://help.phgsupport.com/hc/en-us/articles/360019824018-Testing-Tracking-Solutions-FAQs

You should also test the implementation of the Partnerize tag:

• View the page source to ensure that the Partnerize tag is shown
• Click a test Partnerize link and check for the following:
  • Local storage has the key _pz_clickref with the value of the clickref token
  • First Party Cookie has the key _pz_clickref with the value of the clickref token

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Step 6 - Verify test results (Partnerize)

Once tested, the Partnerize team will conduct internal checks to ensure tracking is working before giving sign off. This includes reviewing  :  

• Transactions are recorded in the Partnerize dashboard
• All tracking parameters are populated correctly, and the conversion call is correctly formatted
• Tracking has been implemented on live confirmation pages and not staging environment
• "clickref" parameter is populated by the last contributing "clickref" value 

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Next Steps

• Request a Partnerize tag and Conversion tracking tag from the Partnerize Integration team.  Email integrations.support@partnerize.com if you do not already have this.
• Implement the Partnerize tag and Conversion tracking tag onto the brand's live website.  Inform the Partnerize Integration team once this has been completed
• Perform testing using the above instructions - Transactions will need to be submitted via the brand’s live website, so that the implementation can be fully tested.  

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FAQ's

Please refer to our Partnerize Tag FAQ guide here: Partnerize Tag FAQ's