In order to track first-party analytics data (Google Analytics or Adobe Analytics), Outbrain DSP has to append its tracking parameters to every ad URL. The parameters are expanded on Outbrain DSP's redirector and captured by the analytics on the landing page.

The easiest way to check this is by clicking on the ad in the UI and checking the URL in your browser (the resolved URL).

The landing page URL should look something like this (note the z1 parameters attached to it):

https://www.exampleurl.com

&_z1_agid=1234&_z1_caid=7654&_z1_msid=z1&_z1_pub=cnn.com

In the instance of using click trackers, it often happens that these parameters are stripped out in the process.

If you’re using any of these providers, DCM, AdForm, Sizmek, Weborama, or Celtra, to track clicks, please follow the instructions below when building your ad URLs.

If using a provider that's not on the list, please reach out to our Customer Success Team and they will help you with the link creation.

If you’re using a DCM click-tracker, you'll have to add the resolved URL to each click-tracker.

1. Click on the tracker.

2. Copy the URL that opens up in your browser.

3. Add the URL to your existing click tracker (make sure to add a question mark in between).

This is what the end URL should look like:

DCM click tracker + ? + resolved URL

Example URL:

https://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm...?
exampleurl.com/?utm_source=Zemanta&utm_medium=Native&utm_campaign=Automotive

IMPORTANT: Please make sure to remove the click ID from the resolved URL.

Once you have the click tracker URL inserted in the URL field, you need to add or append the ;urlappend= parameter to that click tracker (marked in orange).

This is what the end URL should look like:

Click tracker + ;urlappend=

Example:

https://track.adform.net/C/?bn...;urlappend=
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Other Outbrain DSP parameters, as shown below, will append automatically.

&_z1_adgid={adgroupid}&_z1_caid={contentadid}&_z1_msid={mediasource}&_z1_pub={publisher}&_z1_

1. Click on the tracker and copy the resolved URL that opens up in the browser.

2. Add a &g.lu= parameter at the end of the click tracker.

3. Replace all existing ampersands with %26 and paste the copied URL directly after &g.lu=

Note: Some ampersands will be automatically encoded by Weborama when you click on the click tracker. Make sure to only replace the ones that aren't encoded. The rest of the special characters (?, {}, =) should stay as they are.

Example URL:

https://www.example.url?a.A=cl&a.si=10&a.te=6&a.ra=[RANDOM]
&g.lu=https://www.exampleurl?utm_campaign=reference%26
utm_content=native%253Dz1%25257Bpublisher%25257D1z%26
utm_term=z1{contentadid}{source}__{publisher}1z

1. Navigate to the site tracking level in the Sizmek dashboard.
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2. Use the Line ID item at the placement level and enter this macro: {trackingcode}

3. Append the Line ID token at the end of the click-through URL

4. Once the token is added at the site level, a tag (click tracker) will be automatically generated containing the tp_Line ID token.

Example click tracker URL:
​https://bs.serving-sys.com/serving/adServer.bs?cn=trd&mc=click&pli=12345&LineID=$${trackingcode}$$&ord=[timestamp]

If you are using a Celtra Ad Tag and it contains the “UseClickAsDestination” parameter then the clickUrl is used as a landing page. In order to configure the clickUrl properly, please add the CLICK_DESTINATION macro.

Example:

{'clickUrl':'{CLICK_DESTINATION}','widthBreakpoint':'','expandDirection':'undefined',
'preferredClickThroughWindow':'new','clickEvent':'advertiser','useClickAsDestination':'1',
'externalAdServer':'Zemanta','tagVersion':'html-standard-7'};

By not using this macro, you will encounter an error, and your landing page (clickUrl) will be ignored.