Analytics basics

The Adobe Debugger (previously DigitalPulse Debugger) is a free tool provided by Adobe that lets you view the data being collected from your site on any given page.

Alerts

Intelligent Alerts let you create and manage alerts in Analysis Workspace, complete with alert preview and rule contribution.

Analytics Code

Data is sent to a report suite to display in reporting. The easiest and most common way to send data to Analytics is by using the DTM implementation. You can also enter the code with the JavaScript implementation.

Classifications

Classifications are created by grouping (classifying) granular data from a source report.

Conversion Variables (eVar)

The Custom Insight Conversion Variable (or eVar) is placed in the Adobe code on selected web pages of your site. Its primary purpose is to segment conversion success metrics in custom marketing reports.

Data Collection

Adobe has created multiple ways to send data into Analytics. These methods include tracking information in real-time from:

• Applications that can access the Internet
• Campaigns
• Client-server applications
• Emails
• Mobile devices
• Web-based kiosks
• Web sites

The JavaScript code sends an image request to the Adobe server, passing the variables, metrics, and page data that you defined in your implementation.

The code automatically collects additional details (such as operating system, browser type, browser height and width, IP address, and browser language).

The JavaScript code execution occurs quickly and does not noticeably affect page load times. This approach allows you to count pages that were displayed when a visitor clicked Reload or Back to reach a page, because the JavaScript runs even when the page is retrieved from cache.

Data Layer

A "data layer" is a framework of JavaScript objects that developers insert into pages. The data layers can be used by tracking tools (including tag management systems like Dynamic Tag Management) to populate reports.

Events

Events keep track of when a visitor has performed a specified action.

Metrics

Metrics are quantitative information about visitor activity, such as Views, Click-Throughs, Reloads, Average Time spent, Units, Orders, and Revenue.

Processing Rules

Processing rules simplify data collection and manage content as it is sent to reports.

Reports and Report Suites

A report suite defines the complete, independent reporting on a chosen website, set of websites, or subset of web pages. Usually, a report suite is one website, but it can be a global segment where you have combined several sites' numbers to get totals. When you log in to the marketing reports, ad hoc analysis, and report builder, you select one report suite to use (except when you use roll-ups that combine report suites).

Segments

Segments are custom subsets of data, or data filtered by rules that you create.

Traffic Props and Conversion eVars

Custom traffic variables, also called props (s.prop) or property variables, are counters that count the number of times each value is sent into Analytics.