Create redirect offers

Last update: January 2, 2025

Learn how to create redirect offers to seamlessly guide browsers to new pages.

You might have two completely different pages to test instead of just changing pieces of content within a page. In this case, your A/B test compares page A vs. page B. Set up an A/B Test activity with two experiences: one pointing to the default page A, and the other redirecting to page B. The offer is configured to redirect the visitor to a different page.

NOTE

  • Redirect offers can be created on the Offers > Code Offers page or in the Forms-Based Experience Composer. You cannot create or apply redirect offers in the Visual Experience Composer (VEC). Content is injected in the Target request locations, so these locations are most likely not appropriate for a global Target request.

  • You cannot use redirect offers in AJAX mboxes (mboxUpdate).

  • For redirect offers in activities using Analytics as the reporting source (A4T), your implementation must meet certain minimum requirements. In addition, there is important information that you need to know. See Redirect Offers - A4T FAQ.

  • For information about setting up an experience that redirects, see Redirect to a URL.

The redirect offer executes JavaScript code to redirect the browser. It uses the window.location.replace(); method, so the page the visitor is redirected from is not stored in the browser history. This process allows visitors to use the back button in their browsers.

NOTE
If you want to pass the referrer value of the landing page, use an HTML offer rather than a redirect offer.

Create a redirect offer from the Code Offers page

  1. Click Offers, then select the Code Offers tab.

  2. Click Create Offer > Redirect Offer.

  3. Provide a descriptive name for the offer.

    A descriptive name helps you and others quickly find the offer in the Assets library.

  4. (Conditional) If you have a Target Premium account, select the desired workspace.

  5. Specify the URL for the unique content or destination that you want to redirect to. This URL must be an absolute URL.

    NOTE
    Redirect offers result in an infinite loop if the redirect URL also qualifies the user for the same activity. Ensure that the user does not re-qualify for the activity after being redirected.

  6. Select the desired options to customize your redirect offer:

    • Include all URL parameters: Enable this option if you want all the URL parameters present on the previous page to be propagated to the redirected page.

      For example, you want to redirect people directly from a men’s page to a men’s shirts category page. You also want the dynamic parameters in the URL to be passed because this method is how you track if people reached your site via email, banner ad, search ad, or organically. By enabling this option, your redirect offer on page https://www.mycompany.com/mens.html?emailId=123 automatically becomes https://www.mycompany.com/mensShirts.html?emailId=123 when all you entered in the URL box was https://www.mycompany.com/mensShirts.html.

    • Pass mbox session ID: Required to redirect to a different domain. Slide the toggle to enable this option if you want the sessionId to be automatically included in the redirect. This option is required only when you are testing clicks from an email or clicks from one domain to another. The sessionId matches the visitor’s cookie so the visitor can continue to be tracked and the proper content is shown.

      If you use the 1st- & 3rd-party cookie setup, you do not need to pass the mbox session ID when crossing domains. It is persistent on the 3rd-party cookie, so it is not necessary in the URL.

  7. Click Create.

IMPORTANT
Ask your implementation consultant before launching these tests.

Create a redirect offer using the Form-Based Experience Composer

  1. While creating an activity using the Form-Based Experience Composer, select the location to display the Content section.

  2. Click the Content drop-down list, click the List icon ( List ), then click Change Redirect Offer.

  3. Click Create Offer > Redirect Offer.

  4. Provide a descriptive name for the offer.

    A descriptive name helps you and others quickly find the offer in the Assets library.

  5. Specify the URL for the unique content or destination that you want to redirect to. This URL must be an absolute URL.

    NOTE
    Redirect offers result in an infinite loop if the redirect URL also qualifies the user for the same activity. Ensure that the user does not re-qualify for the activity after being redirected.

  6. Select the desired options to customize your redirect offer:

    • Include all URL parameters: Slide the toggle to enable this option if you want all the URL parameters present on the previous page to be propagated to the redirected page.

      For example, you want to redirect people directly from a men’s page to a men’s shirts category page. You also want the dynamic parameters in the URL to be passed because this method is how you track if people reached your site via email, banner ad, search ad, or organically. By enabling this option, your redirect offer on page https://www.mycompany.com/mens.html?emailId=123 automatically becomes https://www.mycompany.com/mensShirts.html?emailId=123 when all you entered in the URL box was https://www.mycompany.com/mensShirts.html.

    • Pass mbox session ID: Required to redirect to a different domain. Slide the toggle to enable this option if you want the sessionId to be automatically included in the redirect. This option is required only when you are testing clicks from an email or clicks from one domain to another. The sessionId matches the visitor’s cookie so the visitor can continue to be tracked and the proper content is shown.

      If you use the 1st- & 3rd-party cookie setup, you do not need to pass the mbox session ID when crossing domains. It is persistent on the 3rd-party cookie, so it is not necessary in the URL.

  7. Click Create.

IMPORTANT
Ask your implementation consultant before launching these tests.