Event tracking

Last update: July 17, 2023

Topics:
Implement Server-side

CREATED FOR:

Developer

Use Adobe Target’s event tracking capabilities to effectively measure metrics that matter most for your business and use cases. Tracking events is key to measuring the success of your experimentation or personalization activities, since they tell you which variation or experience is winning or losing. Understanding this will help you understand how your users are engaging with your product or evolving in an ever-changing landscape.

In order to track events through Adobe Target’s SDKs, follow this 2-step process:

Install the SDK and deploy code that sends events to Adobe Target.
Create and activate an Adobe Target activity with a goal metric in the UI.

Goal Metrics and Events

The following table defines the combination of goals and events you can define and measure with a Target activity using Target’s reporting capabilities:

Primary Goal	Event
Conversion	Viewed a page, Viewed an mbox, and clicked on mbox
Revenue	Viewed an mbox and clicked on mbox
Engagement	Page Views, Customer Scoring, and Time on Site

How impressions are triggered

Target SDKs call the underlying Delivery API. When an execute object with required parameters is within the request itself, the impression is incremented automatically for qualifying activities. SDK methods that increment an impression automatically are:

getOffers()
getAttributes()

NOTE

When a prefetch object is passed within the request, the impression is not automatically incremented for the activities with mboxes within the prefetch object.

The sendNotifications method can be used to manually send events to Adobe Target and trigger an impression.

TargetClient.sendNotifications(options: Object): Promise

ResponseStatus TargetClient.sendNotifications(TargetDeliveryRequest request)

Sample Code

The following code samples work for all goal metric types whether it be Conversion, Revenue or Engagement.

Viewed a Page or Mbox

This sample first gets a target mbox offer using getOffers. It then constructs a request with a notification based on that mbox offer.

The notification type property is set to display.

To indicate a page was viewed, it is important to specify the the address object in the notification payload. Be sure to set the URL accordingly.

For mboxes, you must set the mbox property on the notification object and provide an array of tokens based on the options array in the targetResult.

const TargetClient = require("@adobe/target-nodejs-sdk");
const { v4: uuidv4 } = require("uuid");

const client = TargetClient.create({
  client: "acmeclient",
  organizationId: "1234567890@AdobeOrg",
  events: { clientReady: onTargetReady },
});

async function onTargetReady() {
  const targetResult = await client.getOffers({
    request: {
      targetRequest,
      prefetch: {
        mboxes: [
          {
            name: "homepage",
            index: 1
          }
        ]
      },
      sessionId: uuidv4()
    }
  });

  const { mboxes = [] } = targetResult.response.prefetch;

  const request = {
    context: { channel: "web" },
    notifications: mboxes.map(mbox => {
      const { options = [] } = mbox;

      return {
        id: targetResult.response.id,
        impressionId: uuidv4(),
        address: {
          url: "http://www.target-demo-site.com"
        },
        timestamp: new Date().getTime(),
        type: "display",
        mbox: {
          name: mbox.name
        },
        tokens: options.map(option => option.eventToken)
      };
    })
  };
  // send the notification event
  await client.sendNotifications({ request });
}

ClientConfig clientConfig = ClientConfig.builder()
                .client("acmeclient")
                .organizationId("1234567890@AdobeOrg")
                .build();

TargetClient targetClient = TargetClient.create(clientConfig);

Context context = new Context()
        .channel(ChannelType.WEB)
        .address(new Address().url("http://www.target-demo-site.com"));

TargetDeliveryResponse targetResult = targetJavaClient.getOffers(TargetDeliveryRequest.builder()
        .context(context
        )
        .prefetch(new PrefetchRequest()
                .mboxes(new ArrayList() {{
                    add(new MboxRequest().name("homepage").index(1));
                }})
        )
        .build());

List<Notification> notifications = new ArrayList<>();
List<PrefetchMboxResponse> mboxes = targetResult.getResponse().getPrefetch().getMboxes();

for (PrefetchMboxResponse mbox : mboxes) {
    List<Option> options = mbox.getOptions();

    notifications.add((Notification) new Notification()
            .id(targetResult.getResponse().getRequestId())
            .impressionId(UUID.randomUUID().toString())
            .timestamp(System.currentTimeMillis())
            .type(MetricType.DISPLAY)
            .mbox(new NotificationMbox().name(mbox.getName()))
            .tokens(options.stream().map(Option::getEventToken).collect(Collectors.toList()))
            .address(new Address().url("http://www.target-demo-site.com"))
    );
}

TargetDeliveryRequest notificationRequest = TargetDeliveryRequest.builder()
        .context(context)
        .notifications(notifications).build();

targetJavaClient.sendNotifications(notificationRequest);

Clicked an Mbox

This sample first gets a target mbox offer using getOffers. It then constructs a request with a notification based on that mbox offer.

The notification type property is set to click.

You must set the mbox property on the notification object and provide an array of tokens based on the metrics array in the targetResult.

const TargetClient = require("@adobe/target-nodejs-sdk");
const { v4: uuidv4 } = require("uuid");

const client = TargetClient.create({
  client: "acmeclient",
  organizationId: "1234567890@AdobeOrg",
  events: { clientReady: onTargetReady },
});

async function onTargetReady() {
  const targetResult = await client.getOffers({
    request: {
      targetRequest,
      prefetch: {
        mboxes: [
          {
            name: "homepage",
            index: 1
          }
        ]
      },
      sessionId: uuidv4()
    }
  });

  const { mboxes = [] } = targetResult.response.prefetch;

  const request = {
    context: { channel: "web" },
    notifications: mboxes.map(mbox => {
      const { options = [], metrics = [] } = mbox;

      return {
        id: targetResult.response.id,
        impressionId: uuidv4(),
        address: {
          url: "http://www.target-demo-site.com"
        },
        timestamp: new Date().getTime(),
        type: "click",
        mbox: {
          name: mbox.name
        },
        tokens: metrics
                  .filter(metric => metric.type === "click")
                  .map(metric => metric.eventToken)
      };
    })
  };
  // send the notification event
  await client.sendNotifications({ request });
}

ClientConfig clientConfig = ClientConfig.builder()
                .client("acmeclient")
                .organizationId("1234567890@AdobeOrg")
                .build();

TargetClient targetClient = TargetClient.create(clientConfig);

Context context = new Context()
        .channel(ChannelType.WEB)
        .address(new Address().url("http://www.target-demo-site.com"));

TargetDeliveryResponse targetResult = targetJavaClient.getOffers(TargetDeliveryRequest.builder()
        .context(context
        )
        .prefetch(new PrefetchRequest()
                .mboxes(new ArrayList() {{
                    add(new MboxRequest().name("homepage").index(1));
                }})
        )
        .build());

List<Notification> notifications = new ArrayList<>();
List<PrefetchMboxResponse> mboxes = targetResult.getResponse().getPrefetch().getMboxes();

for (PrefetchMboxResponse mbox : mboxes) {
    List<Metric> metrics = mbox.getMetrics();

    notifications.add((Notification) new Notification()
            .id(targetResult.getResponse().getRequestId())
            .impressionId(UUID.randomUUID().toString())
            .timestamp(System.currentTimeMillis())
            .type(MetricType.CLICK)
            .mbox(new NotificationMbox().name(mbox.getName()))
            .tokens(metrics.stream()
                    .filter(metric -> MetricType.CLICK.equals(metric.getType()))
                    .map(Metric::getEventToken)
                    .collect(Collectors.toList()))
            .address(new Address().url("http://www.target-demo-site.com"))
    );
}

TargetDeliveryRequest notificationRequest = TargetDeliveryRequest.builder()
        .context(context)
        .notifications(notifications).build();

targetJavaClient.sendNotifications(notificationRequest);

Viewed a View

This sample first gets target views using getOffers. It then constructs a request with a notification based on those views.

The notification type property is set to display.

For views, you must set the view property on the notification object and provide an array of tokens based on the options array in the targetResult.

const TargetClient = require("@adobe/target-nodejs-sdk");
const { v4: uuidv4 } = require("uuid");

const client = TargetClient.create({
  client: "acmeclient",
  organizationId: "1234567890@AdobeOrg",
  events: { clientReady: onTargetReady },
});

async function onTargetReady() {
  const targetResult = await client.getOffers({
    request: {
      targetRequest,
      prefetch: {
        views: [{}]
      },
      sessionId: uuidv4()
    }
  });

  const { views = [] } = targetResult.response.prefetch;

  const request = {
    context: { channel: "web" },
    notifications: views.map(view => {
      const { options = [], metrics = [] } = view;

      return {
        id: targetResult.response.id,
        impressionId: uuidv4(),
        address: {
          url: "http://www.target-demo-site.com"
        },
        timestamp: new Date().getTime(),
        type: "display",
        view: {
          name: view.name
        },
        tokens: options.map(option => option.eventToken)
      };
    })
  };
  // send the notification event
  await client.sendNotifications({ request });
}

ClientConfig clientConfig = ClientConfig.builder()
                .client("acmeclient")
                .organizationId("1234567890@AdobeOrg")
                .build();

TargetClient targetClient = TargetClient.create(clientConfig);

Context context = new Context()
        .channel(ChannelType.WEB)
        .address(new Address().url("http://www.target-demo-site.com"));

TargetDeliveryResponse targetResult = targetJavaClient.getOffers(TargetDeliveryRequest.builder()
        .context(context)
        .prefetch(new PrefetchRequest()
                .views(new ArrayList() {{
                    add(new ViewRequest());
                }})
        )
        .build());

List<Notification> notifications = new ArrayList<>();
List<View> views = targetResult.getResponse().getPrefetch().getViews();

for (View view : views) {
    List<Option> options = view.getOptions();
    List<Metric> metrics = view.getMetrics();

    notifications.add((Notification) new Notification()
            .id(targetResult.getResponse().getRequestId())
            .impressionId(UUID.randomUUID().toString())
            .timestamp(System.currentTimeMillis())
            .type(MetricType.DISPLAY)
            .view(new NotificationView().name(view.getName()))
            .tokens(options.stream().map(Option::getEventToken).collect(Collectors.toList()))
            .address(new Address().url("http://www.target-demo-site.com"))
    );
}

TargetDeliveryRequest notificationRequest = TargetDeliveryRequest.builder()
        .context(context)
        .notifications(notifications).build();

targetJavaClient.sendNotifications(notificationRequest);

Clicked a View

This sample first gets target views using getOffers. It then constructs a request with notifications based on those views.

The notification type property is set to click.

You must set the view property on the notification object and provide an array of tokens based on the metrics array in the targetResult.

const TargetClient = require("@adobe/target-nodejs-sdk");
const { v4: uuidv4 } = require("uuid");

const client = TargetClient.create({
  client: "acmeclient",
  organizationId: "1234567890@AdobeOrg",
  events: { clientReady: onTargetReady },
});

async function onTargetReady() {
  const targetResult = await client.getOffers({
    request: {
      targetRequest,
      prefetch: {
        views: [{}]
      },
      sessionId: uuidv4()
    }
  });

  const { views = [] } = targetResult.response.prefetch;

  const request = {
    context: { channel: "web" },
    notifications: views.map(view => {
      const { options = [], metrics = [] } = view;

      return {
        id: targetResult.response.id,
        impressionId: uuidv4(),
        address: {
          url: "http://www.target-demo-site.com"
        },
        timestamp: new Date().getTime(),
        type: "click",
        view: {
          name: view.name
        },
        tokens: metrics
                  .filter(metric => metric.type === "click")
                  .map(metric => metric.eventToken)
      };
    })
  };
  // send the notification event
  await client.sendNotifications({ request });
}

ClientConfig clientConfig = ClientConfig.builder()
                .client("acmeclient")
                .organizationId("1234567890@AdobeOrg")
                .build();

TargetClient targetClient = TargetClient.create(clientConfig);

Context context = new Context()
        .channel(ChannelType.WEB)
        .address(new Address().url("http://www.target-demo-site.com"));

TargetDeliveryResponse targetResult = targetJavaClient.getOffers(TargetDeliveryRequest.builder()
        .context(context)
        .prefetch(new PrefetchRequest()
                .views(new ArrayList() {{
                    add(new ViewRequest());
                }})
        )
        .build());

List<Notification> notifications = new ArrayList<>();
List<View> views = targetResult.getResponse().getPrefetch().getViews();

for (View view : views) {
    List<Option> options = view.getOptions();
    List<Metric> metrics = view.getMetrics();

    notifications.add((Notification) new Notification()
            .id(targetResult.getResponse().getRequestId())
            .impressionId(UUID.randomUUID().toString())
            .timestamp(System.currentTimeMillis())
            .type(MetricType.CLICK)
            .view(new NotificationView().name(view.getName()))
            .tokens(metrics.stream()
                    .filter(metric -> MetricType.CLICK.equals(metric.getType()))
                    .map(Metric::getEventToken)
                    .collect(Collectors.toList()))
            .address(new Address().url("http://www.target-demo-site.com"))
    );
}

TargetDeliveryRequest notificationRequest = TargetDeliveryRequest.builder()
        .context(context)
        .notifications(notifications).build();

targetJavaClient.sendNotifications(notificationRequest);

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Sample Code

Viewed a Page or Mbox

Clicked an Mbox

Viewed a View

Clicked a View

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