A server-side conversion goal identifies conversions using data that is already available in a magnews data table. You can use it when the action you want to measure is recorded in your systems and synchronized with magnews, such as a purchase, a donation, or event attendance.
Unlike client-side goals, no script needs to run in the visitor’s browser: magnews identifies conversions directly from imported or synchronized data.
Prepare the conversion data
Before creating the goal, make sure the necessary information is available in a data table linked to your contacts.
To identify a conversion, magnews uses:
- The association field that links the contact to the data table.
- A unique conversion identifier, such as an order ID.
- The date and time when the conversion occurred.
- The monetary value, if you also want to measure the value of the conversion.
The data can be imported into magnews through a standard connector or through a custom integration, for example via API.
Configure the server-side goal
Open Conversion goals and create a new Server-side goal.
In the Configuration tab, configure:
- Name: the name used to identify the goal in magnews.
- Conversion type: indicates the type of action you want to measure.
- Currency: select the currency used for conversion values.
- Contact field linked to conversions: select the association field that links the contact to the data table.
- Conversion ID: select the data table field that identifies the conversion.
- Conversion date and time: select the field containing the date and time when the conversion occurred.
- Conversion value: select the field containing the monetary value, if applicable.
For example, for a goal that measures purchases, you can use the order ID as the Conversion ID, the order date as the Conversion date and time, and the order total as the Conversion value.
For a complete example, see How to track purchases with conversion goals.
Configure attribution and frequency
In the Options tab, you can define how magnews looks for new conversions and which interactions can be used for attribution.
Configure:
- Attribution window: enter the number of days before the conversion during which magnews looks for an interaction to associate with the result.
- Update data frequency: choose whether magnews should look for new conversions daily or hourly.
- Events to consider: choose which types of interactions can be used to attribute the conversion, such as a click on a communication or a web interaction.
Among the selected events that occurred within the attribution window, magnews attributes the conversion to the asset associated with the most recent event.
Filter the data to use
In the Filter tab, you can limit which records in the data table should be considered for the goal.
Filters are useful, for example, when the same table contains:
- Data for multiple brands.
- Different types of conversions.
- Values expressed in different currencies.
- Records that should not be considered conversions for this goal.
This allows you to create separate goals using different portions of the same data table.
Add parameters
In the Parameters tab, you can collect additional information about conversions and use it when analyzing the results.
For each parameter, associate:
- A data table field, from which magnews reads the value.
- The goal parameter where the value is stored.
For example, for a purchase you could associate information such as the brand, product category, or another attribute available in the data table with a parameter.
How conversions are recorded
Based on the configured frequency, magnews checks the data in the table and identifies conversions for the goal.
For each conversion, magnews can then:
- Associate it with the contact through the association field.
- Record its date, identifier, and value.
- Collect any configured parameters.
- Attribute it to a magnews asset based on the attribution window and the selected events.
The results are then available in conversion goal reports and in other magnews views that use conversion data.