Clear Clarification on: Referrer, Referrer (eVar), Referrer (Prop)

Dear H_L,

Based on Adobe, referrer, referrer type, and referring domain are set on the first hit of the visit, or during a visit when the referrer is external(for example, if a visitor leaves your site, uses a search engine, then returns to your site before the first visit expires). So, the table will look like below for the scenario you have given:

Scenario Given (Time is within Half-Hour and thus every hit is considered as Single Visit):

10:00AM, Search on Google > Landing on Page A > Page B > Exit

10:01AM, Search on Bing > Landing on Page A > Page B > Exit

10:02AM, Type-in URL of Page A > Page B > Exit

In the above case, the table will look like below:

If the Scenario is below (Time lapse is 30 minutes so considered as Multiple Visits):

10:00AM, Search on Google > Landing on Page A > Page B > Exit

10:31AM, Search on Bing > Landing on Page A > Page B > Exit

11:01AM, Type-in URL of Page A > Page B > Exit

Still i wont say the above is valid for all the cases. The above case is valid if you capture the referrer directly using document.referrer.

If you copy it from referrer and populate, the above table will change again.

So it is about how you capture and how you want to use them. There is a variable 'Original Referring Domain' and the value is same for all the pages (Google) though it is of same visit(Scenario 1) or different visits(Scenario 2).

Hope this helps!

Thank You!

Arun

Hi H,

Here is my take. considering you are using document.referrer to set eVar and prop value and your site URL is set as an internal URL filter.

10.00 AM

10.01 AM (same visit)

10.02 AM (same visit)

Notes:

• Domains or URLs that are not part of those defined domains and URLs are considered referrers. For example, web page A and web page B are added to the internal URL filter, but web page C is not. In this case, web page C is considered a referrer.
• The referrer, referrer type, and referring domain are set on the first hit of the visit, or during a visit when the referrer is external (for example, if a visitor leaves your site, uses a search engine, then returns to your site before the first visit expires). These values are set at the same time and persist across the visit.
• Visit is considered the same visit till continues inactivity of 30 mins means when more than 30 minutes has lapsed between image requests, a new visit begins.

Thanks,

Asheesh

Good day Arun,

I have same understanding with you.

About Page B, I may not explain it very well, there is a customized prop we called "Referrer" which records the most recent page before the visited one, so Page A will be the "Referrer (prop)" of Page B, but if it's enter from external, it will be same to "Referrer".

Thank you!

H

Good day asheeshp,

I have a question, to the 2nd "path" happened on 10.01 AM (same visit).

Since it is "same visit", the definition of "referrer (Adobe Default)" is the first entry of the "VISIT".

So, should it be "Google"?

Thank you!

H

Concedring following senario:

10:00AM, Search on Google > Landing on Page A > Page B > Exit

10:01AM, Search on Bing > Landing on Page A > Page B > Exit

10:02AM, Type-in URL of Page A > Page B > Exit

I think it will not persist original referrer (Google) in "referrer" report in your case. As the user is coming from another external referrer (Bing) in the same visit, "referrer" value will be overwritten by Bing. However, if you see the original referrer report, you will still see "Google". Similarly, if you are setting document.referrer value on each page in evar and prop. it will be overweight by most recent value where document.referrer value is not null.

More on Referring Domains, Original Referring Domains, and Referrer reports and Referrers

Thanks!

Asheesh

Asheesh,

Thanks for your clear reply. I carefully read the "Referrer" again, and see below:

The referrer, referrer type, and referring domain are set on the first hit of the visit, or during a visit when the referrer is external.

Then I think to the 10:01AM one, the Referrer (Adobe Default) should be: Bing.

But, then, may I ask why you consider the Referrer (eVar) of 10:02AM one is "NONE" but not Bing?

H

fairly clear clarification.

Thank you so much asheeshp!