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Target Inferface Decisioning Method

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Level 1

Hello!  Does anyone know how the Decisioning Method is determined?  We have tests created on the same page but one shows server-side and one shows client-side.  Implementation is client side but using A4T. 

 

Thanks

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2 Replies

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Employee Advisor

Hi @bcong 

In Adobe Target, the Decisioning Method determines where the logic for delivering personalized experiences is executed—either on the client-side (in the user's browser) or on the server-side (on Adobe's servers). This method can be influenced by several factors, even within a client-side implementation using Analytics for Target (A4T).

with at.js version 2.5.0, the default decisioning method is set to server-side only. This means all decisions are made on the Target edge network, involving a blocking server call.

The decisioningMethod can be configured with three possible values:

 

  • server-side: Decisions are made on the Target edge network.
  • on-device: Decisions are made on the client-side using a cached rules artifact.
  • hybrid: Combines both methods, where decisions are made on the server until the on-device artifact is fully downloaded.

Activity Types and Features:

Certain activity types and features may require server-side decisioning due to their complexity or reliance on real-time data. For example:

Auto-Target, Automated Personalization (AP), and Recommendations: These activities often depend on machine learning models and real-time data, necessitating server-side decisioning.

Profile Scripts and Audience Evaluations: If your activities utilize complex profile scripts or audiences that require evaluation on the server, the decisioning method may default to server-side.


Recommendations to Address the Discrepancy:

Review Activity Configurations:

Examine the specific settings of the tests showing different decisioning methods. Check if certain features or audience rules are enabled that necessitate server-side decisioning.

Check decisioningMethod Settings:

Ensure that the decisioningMethod is consistently set across your implementation. You can set this globally using the targetGlobalSettings() function or specify it per request.

 

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Community Advisor

Hi @bcong,

 

Adobe Target offers the flexibility of delivering the most relevant and up-to-date experience from your experimentation and ML-driven personalization campaigns via a live server call.

When performance is most important, you can choose to utilize on-device decisioning, but when the most relevant and up-to-date experience is needed, a server call can be made instead.

On-device decisioning is available for both client-side as well as server-side implementations. 

With on-device decisioning, Target introduces a new setting called Decisioning Method. The Decisioning Method setting dictates how at.js delivers your experiences. Decisioning Method has three values:

  • Server-side only
  • On-device only
  • Hybrid

Server-side only

Server-side only is the default decisioning method that is set out of the box when at.js 2.5.0+ is implemented and deployed on your web properties.

Using server-side only as the default configuration means that all decisions are made on the Target edge network, which involves a blocking server call. This approach can introduce incremental latency, but it also provides significant benefits, such as giving you the ability to apply Target’s machine-learning capabilities that include RecommendationsAutomated Personalization (AP), and Auto-Target activities.

 

On-device only

On-device only is the decisioning method that must be set in at.js 2.5.0+ when on-device decisioning should be used only throughout your web pages.

On-device decisioning can deliver your experiences and personalization activities at blazing fast speed because the decisions are made from a cached rules artifact that contains all of your activities that qualify for on-device decisioning.

 

Hybrid

Hybrid is the decisioning method that must be set in at.js 2.5.0+ when both on-device decisioning and activities that require a network call to the Adobe Target Edge network must be executed.

When you are managing both on-device decisioning activities and server-side activities, it can be a bit complicated and tedious when thinking about how to deploy and provision Target on your pages. With hybrid as the decisioning method, Target knows when it must make a server call to the Adobe Target Edge network for activities that require server-side execution, and also when to only execute on-device decisions.

 

For more information refer: https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/target-dev/developer/client-side/at-js-implementation/on-...