What is the Best Practice for Dispatcher and Analytics Query Param?

[KCCW]

Dear all,

Dispatcher doesn't cache request with query parameters so how are people handling analytics query parameter? Here are a few different ways that I've thought of, please let me know if I'm on the right track.

1) Rely on CDN

2) In Dispatcher.any, add in the query parameters to ignore. Is this even feasible due to the number of possible analytics parameter marketers can add?

3) In Dispatcher.any, ignore query parameters for everything and only deny specific cases where you don't want them to be cached.

Thanks in advance

[Opkar_Gill]

Hi,

what kind of use cases are you thinking of? For campaign tracking[1], I would imagine you would use a common parameter for capturing all campaigns and then a unique campaign code for each campaign. If this agreed up front you can add the parameter to ignoreurlparameter in dispatcher.any 

With analytics you would really need to explain the implications of adding new query parameters has on AEM to your marketers. Ideally you manage this process so you are notified of any changes or additions.

Regards,

Opkar

[1] http://blogs.adobe.com/digitalmarketing/analytics/campaign-tracking-inside-omniture-sitecatalyst/

[Kunal_Gaba_]

You can configure dispatcher to ignore query params in this case. See "IGNORING URL PARAMETERS" section in the following documentation-  

https://docs.adobe.com/docs/en/dispatcher/disp-config.html

[KCCW]

Thanks Opkar,

I'm trying to find the right balance between giving marketers the flexibility they need and the performance of the cache. We already ignore the usual params for GA but if the marketers or outside agencies want to use their own custom parameters for Target, they usually won't inform us.

We also have to go through a lot of channels in order to change the production dispatcher.any.

It's looking likely that we'll only deny caching for the specific query params that are used in the site.

[Jörg_Hoh]

Hi,

I would use mod_rewrite on a webserver level to eliminate any unwanted query parameter.

kind regards,
Jörg

[Opkar_Gill]

Jörg,

that means you would need to have a list of which query parameters are valid? Or, how would you determine what is and what is not valid?

Regards,

Opkar

[Jörg_Hoh · Accepted solution]

From my point you should know what kind of query strings are required on a server-side, and you should let these query parameters get through. All the other query parameters, which are only required on client-side (for whatever reason) can be safely droppped when they are part of an incoming request (on server-side).

Jörg