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

[#1]

Good day experts,

If we set a eVar to record Referrer, a Prop to record as well,

May I have your help to a clear clarification on: Referrer, Referrer (eVar), Referrer (Prop)

E.g.

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

To the 10:02AM one,

Is it correct?

What's the Referrer (eVar) should be?

Please help to clarify.

Thank you.

H

[#2 · Accepted solution]

H, when the user is coming directly there will not be any document.referrer value so it will be none on that hit, but as eVar persist value so in this case, it will be Page A (10.01 last value in eVar) in reports.

[#3]

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

[H_L]

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

Referrer Variables	Page A	Page B
Referrer (Adobe Default) Allocation Most Recent, Expire After Visit	Google	Google
Referrer (eVar) Allocation Most Recent, Expire After Visit	Google	Page A
Referrer (prop) Allocation Most Recent, Expire After Hit	Google	Page A

10.01 AM (same visit)

Referrer Variables	Page A	Page B
Referrer (Adobe Default) Allocation Most Recent, Expire After Visit	Bing	Bing
Referrer (eVar) Allocation Most Recent, Expire After Visit	Bing	Page A
Referrer (prop) Allocation Most Recent, Expire After Hit	Bing	Page A

10.02 AM (same visit)

Referrer Variables	Page A	Page B
Referrer (Adobe Default) Allocation Most Recent, Expire After Visit	Bing	Bing
Referrer (eVar) Allocation Most Recent, Expire After Visit None	None	Page A
Referrer (prop) Allocation Most Recent, Expire After HitNone	None	Page A

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

[H_L]

Hi @Asheesh_P, sorry to post this reply after so long time.

Recently, I find to use document.referrer in console to check the referrer.

However, after test, in the scenario 10:02AM one, I find the document.referrer of page A is set to "", which is blank.

May I ask your help to confirm that, if in the OP scenario, which means user:

Search Engine (Google) > Landing to page A > in same window type in URL of page A and visit again,

the Adobe Default Referrer will be Google, but not "none". - As I checked by using document.referrer, the evar and prop is blank as you also posted.

Thank you and have a good day.

[Asheesh_P]

Hi H_L, Yes, "" means no value in adobe and ignored in Adobe reports that means you will see default value as "none".

[H_L]

@asheesh_P， thanks for your reply.

But in your reply which is accepted as solution, the last table, it's said the Adobe Default Referrer is "Bing", but not "none". Could you please help me understand this? I thought as it's blank, then it will be "Typed/Bookmarked", but not "Bing".

Thanks again.

[Asheesh_P]

Hi H_L, It will be "none for custom eVar and Prop. In case of Adobe Default referral as it is same visit and Adobe Default referral expire after visit ends. It will remember previous referrer until it is overwrite by another referral.

[H_L]

@asheesh_P， Ah, I see, I thought a "blank" value will replace the existing value and make it to be categorized under Typed/Bookmarked.

But in fact, as you explained, it's not a blank in value, but there is no value, so nothing is going to be replaced, so, the last value persists. Very helpful!

May I invite, if you are available, help to this question which is similar but it's a scenario: start a new visit.

Have a good day.

[#10]

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

[#11]

fairly clear clarification.

Thank you so much asheeshp!

[#12]

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

[#13]

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

[#14]

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