How to use event, evar and prop adobe launch

[AronoeleS]

I have created a rule to track cta click and set these information:

eVar11: [v11] CTA Name

prop7: [prop7] CTA Name

event19: [e19] All Click CTA

if I check in adobe analytics report I don't understand the numbers, e.g:

 [v11] CTA Name (dimension) | Occurences |   [v11] CTA Name Instances (metric) |  [e19] All Click CTA (metric)

abcdname                               | 60.000        |   7.000                                                 | 30.000

[prop7] CTA Name (dimension) | Occurences |   [v11] CTA Name Instances (metric) |  [e19] All Click CTA (metric)

abcdname                                 | 7.000           |   7.000                                                | 30.000

I don't understand when I have to use prop var and event. If I just want to track click cta hit numbers split by cta name, the right setting is to set a prop and then match this prop with occurences, is it right? I really do not understand the aim of events.

[Pablo_Childe]

So Adobe evar , prop and events are tricky so hopefully I can explain it too you in a useful way.

Prop think of it as a variable it will happen once on a pageview hit. So lets say for each pageview you define a prop to see if a person is logged in. Prop populates or it doesn't.

Evar think of it as a variable that can in essence follow the users across multiple pages in a given session. SO if we use logged in reference again. Page one set evar (user logged in), then when user goes to next page evar follows them etc for as many pages they visit in that session. Evars can follow users across pages basically.

Event think of this as a particular action(s) you want to capture like its name sake think of some sort of event or series of actions that could be defined as an event. Lets say you want to capture a user visiting 2 pages in a specific order and on 2nd page they click a particular button call it a sign up event. It happens only after all criteria are met. It will only happen again if the user performs all steps again. they can happen multiple times for users and are not typcially session limited. They are typically count based meaning each time they happen the count increases by 1.

hope this helps 

[ppatel567]

Hi - 

Can one prop say prop60 be utilized multiple times with different name on the same page? lets say once to capture the original value and once to capture the final values? 

[Brian_Johnson_]

@AronoeleS - Metrics can be confusing, no doubt. I'll see if I can clear up the confusion, though:

eVar

• An instance is counted each and every time the eVar is populated. So, if you see the value in the Analytics call, you will see the instance increase by 1 for that value
• An occurrence is counted every time the eVar is populated and for each following hit where the value persists. For occurrences, you do not have to see the value in the Analytics call for the metric to increment
• You do not have control over when or if either instances or occurrences increment

prop 

• Props do not have the same concepts of expiration and allocation that eVars have, so both instances and occurrences increment only when the prop is populated. So, if you see the value in the Analytics call, both instances and occurrences will increase by 1 for that value
• You do not have control over when or if either instances or occurrences increment

event

• An event is a custom metric. It only counts/increments when the event is triggered in the Analytics call. You have complete control over when/if a custom event value increments (Unless specified, the default is to increment an event by 1 each time the it is present in the Analytics call)

Using the sample data from your initial question as a guide, I would assume the following:

• Out of 60,000 hits... (based on v11 occurrences)
• "abcdname" was present in the analytics call 7,000 times (based on v11 instances AND prop7 occurrences)...
• The "[e19] All Click CTA" event was triggered (present in the Analytics call) 30,000 times

[Brian_Johnson_ · Accepted solution]

@AronoeleS - I don't know that I answered your final question: 

"If I just want to track click cta hit numbers split by cta name, the right setting is to set a prop and then match this prop with occurences, is it right?"

You can go a lot of ways here. The way you suggest in your question is one, for sure.

Traditional tracking would likely include an eVar (last touch, either hit or visit expiration) to capture the CTA name and a success event (counter, count every time) to track CTA clicks. With the capabilities of Workspace, you could replace the eVar with a prop for the same use. Whether you go with an eVar or a prop, your report would show the CTA Name (prop or eVar) as the dimension and CTA Click (event) as the metric. 

[AronoeleS]

thank you for your all kindly replies.

I try to create a simulation and fill an hypothetical report based on yours definitions. Just to understand all the possibility that Adobe offers and the best way to track a website with Adobe.

hypothetical hits generated by a vistior on my website:

Activity	ServerCallType	Traffic Var (prop)	Conversion Var	Event	Custom Link
Visitor lands on the homepage	s.t()	PageName = Homepage
Click open pop up modal in homepage	s.tl()	prop2 = popName	evar2 = popName	openPopEv	openPop
Click on 'go to SPA' in homepage	s.tl()	prop2 = goName	evar2 = goName	ctaClickEv	ctaClick
SPA pages -> virtual Page1	s.t()	prop1 = Page1	evar1 = Page1
SPA pages -> virtual Page2	s.t()	prop1 = Page2	evar1 = Page2
SPA pages -> virtual PageTnk	s.t()	prop1 = PageTnk	evar1 = PageTnk	tnkPage

the reports that I could create in Adobe analytics

evar2	Instances	Occurences	Event (openPopEv)	Event (ctaClickEv)	PageView
popName	1	1	2	0	1
goName	1	2	1	1	1

evar1	Instances	Occurences	Event (openPopEv)	Event (tnkPage)	Pageview
Page1	1	1	2	0	2
Page2	1	2	2	0	3
PageTnk	1	3	3	1	4

Please correct the numebres if wrong.
Thank you

[Brian_Johnson_]

@AronoeleS - I think you're close, but I would expect slightly different numbers:

In your sample/hypothetical session, you mixed page (s.t()) and link tracking (s.tl()) calls, which has an impact on Page View and Page Event metrics. Think of it as only s.t() calls increment Page Views and s.tl() calls increment Page Events.

As I counted the different values, I made the assumption that your eVars were configured as most recent (last touch) with visit expiration. This makes a big difference in the eVar2="goName" Occurrences number because there are 4 calls that include that value. It first appears on the last s.t() call and persists through the last call of the session. This gives it 1 instance, but 4 total occurrences.

[AronoeleS]

Thank you @Brian_Johnson_
Google is easier  , three type of scope for dimensions: hit, session, user. No prop or eVar, neither eVar configurations. Too many ways to achieve the same goal in Adobe, so that is not clear which is the best one and it is quite confusing (at least for me). Adobe seems a very performing tool, but too complicated to be able to use it as its best in a reasonable period of time. I understood (I think) your table data schema so 'goName' replace 'popName' beacause is last touch and evar + occurences persist so they are 4 occurences, but it is not explain why events on my real report (first question) are counted four times as much the instances. I checked from console and the two clicks in homepage trigger double events:

First click in homepage (popUpOpen):
event:openPopEv
prop2 = popName
evar2 = popName

Second click in homepage (gotoSpa):
event:openPopEv, event:ctaClickEv (why not only ctaClickEv?)
prop2 = goName
evar2 = goName

and this means in report:

evar2	Event (openPopEv)	Event (ctaClickEv)
popName	1	0
goName	1	1

is it right? thank you a lot, sorry for the many questions

[Brian_Johnson_]

@AronoeleS - Taking those two sample hits into consideration, I agree with the numbers as you've listed them.

Consider the following points:

1. On the first hit, you populate both prop2 and eVar2 with "popName" AND you trigger the "openPopEv" event. This lets Adobe associate the event with the dimension values, thereby crediting "openPopEv" to "popName".
2. On the second hit, you populate both prop2 and eVar2 with "goName" AND you trigger both "openPopEv" and "ctaClickEv". Again, because these all happen on the same hit, Adobe associates both events to the "goName" value.
3. If you had a third hit with event:someNewEvent, but did not re-populate prop2 or eVar2, and taking expiration (as visit) and allocation (as last touch) into consideration, I expect you would also see the following:
   • eVar2 > goName - someNewEvent = 1
   • prop2 > goName - someNewEvent = 0

To your comments about Adobe's complexity, I don't disagree. It's a complex platform. But, that's part of its beauty. Once you understand the way everything works, you can do so much more with even a limited implementation. I recommend starting small, focus on what you do understand, then branch out as you have the capacity to take on more/new capabilities. If something doesn't make sense, you can always ask the community  

[AronoeleS]

Thank you @Brian_Johnson_
yes, that is my goal "understand the way everything works", but as soon as possible and your answers are helping me

Regarding point 2

On the second hit, you populate both prop2 and eVar2 with "goName" AND you trigger both "openPopEv" and "ctaClickEv". Again, because these all happen on the same hit, Adobe associates both events to the "goName" value. --> the problem is that: I don't trigger it both, openPopEv should trigger only if the html cliked element has class="openPopUp" instead ctaClickEv should trigger only if the html cliked element has class="ctaElement" and the two elements have distinct classes. So this is strange, I'll look into it in more detail.

Thank you for your help.

[Brian_Johnson_]

In your question, you listed the following for the second hit:

Second click in homepage (gotoSpa):
event:openPopEv, event:ctaClickEv (why not only ctaClickEv?)
prop2 = goName
evar2 = goName

I interpreted that as firing BOTH events on the same call. Based on that interpretation, both events would increment. However, if you're saying that only the "ctaClickEv" event should fire on the second hit, then "goName" would show 0 for the "openPopEv". (This assumes that, for the second hit, the event line would NOT include "openPopEv".)