Server-side forwarding required or not

[alexanderg32535]

Hello,

I am sharing Analytics Segments through the Adobe Marketing Cloud Profiles & Audiences Function with Target. Please let me know if I have to implement server-side forwarding or not in order for me to use shared Analytics Segments in Adobe Target in an experience targeting campaign.

Thanks.

Alex

[jantzen_b · Accepted solution]

Hey Alex,

server-side forwarding is required for real-time audiences created within the Audience Library interface. Historical Audiences do not require sever-side forwarding to be enabled. However, it's a good idea to enable it anyway so that if you use real-time audiences, it's already in place.

The only time you'd want to be careful enabling it, would be if you are an Audience Manager customer and have deployed DIL code to your page already. If this is the case, you'd want to remove the DIL code when you enabled the server-side forwarding. Otherwise, you'd end up double counting instance metrics within Audience Manager.

Cheers,
Jantzen

[alexanderg32535]

Hi Jantzen,

Thanks for your swift reply.

• So DIL is related to AAM customers only, correct?
• Since we are not an AAM customer (yet) and only use Profiles & Audiences enabling server-side forwarding should not cause any issues, right?
• However even if we don't use server-side forwarding personalising in Target based on Analytics segments should function (but not in real time)?

Best

Alex

[jantzen_b]

• Yes, DIL is the page code used by AAM customers. Prior to server-side forwarding, all AAM customer were required to use DIL code to scrape the Analytics object and send data to Analytics. Now, almost all use cases for AAM customers can be accomplished via server-side forwarding (assuming the customer also has Analytics)
• Correct, since you are not an AAM customer, you wouldn't have DIL deployed to your page and server-side forwarding would be your only option to use real-time audiences
• I'm not sure I understand the question. If you want to use the Audience Library interface, I'd recommend enabling server-side forwarding.

[alexanderg32535]

Great. Thanks!

I assume enabling server-side forwarding allows session-based targeting (real-time). Without it I can only manipulate content across sessions when using Analytics Segments shared via the Audience Library with Target, right?

[jantzen_b]

Mostly correct. Without it you are limited to Analytics shared segments via the Analytics segment builder rather than Audience Library. Technically, you don't even need to log into the Audience Library interface if you are sharing segments from Analytics and using them in Target.

[glennh54677089]

Seems like a relevant thread to post this question.

Goal:

We want to build real-time personalised experiences (XT) in Target using AA data.

We don't have AAM. We do have Server Side Forwarding enabled in AA. 

Audience Library:
I've tried using Audience Library, but every audience I create using real-time Analytics data never builds above 0.

How do we best troubleshoot why this is happening?

NB we first tried sharing AA segments with Experience Cloud for use with Target but couldn't get real-time due to the 24-48 hour delay.

Thanks

Glenn