Tracking server in Adobe Analytics ExTags

Question

I have observed that tracking server and secure tracking server in AA Extension in Tags is left blank. The beacon is still being sent to

https://mydevreportsuite.112.2o7.net/b/ss

Wondering if that is the way to configure the tracking server for third party domain implementation? For first party cookie implementation the tracking server looks like (https://metrics.mydomain.com/b/ss/)

Please suggest the the best practices on tracking server for adobe analytics implementation using Web SDK and AA Extension.

Also share your thoughts on best practices for AA implementation on a newly launched web site created via AEM.

Jennifer_Dungan · Accepted Answer

Yes, the Tracking Server and Tracking Server Secure are how you set your tracking server to your first party tracking server:

You will also want to set this in your Experience Cloud ID Service:

As for switching to WebSDK... while I agree on the points about the server-side cookie... there are a lot of debates about this topic... WebSDK comes with it's own set of complications, and if you aren't planning on sending data to other systems like CJA, the effort may not be worth it yet...

If you already are using the client side tracking and need a quick win for first party cookies, changing your Tracking Server is an easy and low risk step that you can take.

As for a newly launched site on AEM.. the technology you use Client Site (AA Extension and AppMeasurement.js) or Server Side (WebSDK and Alloy.js), that is up to you... However, whether the site is AEM or other, I recommend working with your developers set up a proper Data Layer for getting the information that you need available. While AEM does have an analytics integration, I never found it worked all that well... but you might have better luck (however, what it provides is rather limited, so you would likely want more information than the out of the box connection provides anyway)

SSampsa · Answer

Even through possible and there might be good reasons to do so, there is no need to run the AA Extension with Web SDK, as Web SDK is capable of sending data to Analytics by itself without using any other Extensions (such as Visitor ID Service). This also removes the questions regarding hostnames for data collection, as all calls are sent through AEP Edge Network: Adobe Experience Platform Web SDK and Edge Network overview | Adobe Data Collection

The other part: Adobe Analytics uses its legacy cookie (s_vi) and Visitor ID Service uses the demdex cookies on third party domains if CNAME method is not being applied in addition to first party domains. You can populate the values yourself in Tags if the defaults are not correct or if you're using the CNAME method. More on the cookie lifetimes and so on here: Adobe Analytics and browser cookies | Adobe Analytics

Personally I would recommend switching over to Web SDK fully, for multitude of reasons, first party cookies being one. Others are speed, unified library and data sending methods, being actively developed and improved and support for nearly all Adobe's implementation scenarios.

For AEM I have limited experience, but if you're using the ACDL that comes with it, pushing events to data layer should be a breeze and from there on it doesn't differ much from other implementations.

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