Referral Domains, Channels, UTM Tags

1. About Referral Domains (Referrers)

In Data4 reports, referral domains (Referrers) display only the domain name portion, not the complete source page URL. This is because browsers typically transmit only the domain name when passing referral information, excluding specific paths or parameters.

For example: If traffic originates from data4.com.cn/one-list/, you will only see data4.com.cn in your referral list, and not the specific article link.

2. About Channels

In the "Channels" tab of the "Top Sources" report, you can view your traffic sources categorized into high-level channels such as "Organic Search", "Paid Search", and "Email". Clicking on any individual channel reveals a detailed list of the specific sources driving traffic within that channel.

Data4's channel classification logic references industry standards (like Google Analytics), while we also continuously update our classification rules to encompass emerging platforms and channel changes.

(1) Channel Classification Logic:

• Priority 1: Check UTM Parameters
  If a utm_source exists, the channel is mapped directly based on its value.

• Priority 2: Check Search Engine Tracking Parameters (if no UTM)
  If the URL contains parameters like gclid, msclkid, yclid, or bd_vid, it's classified as Paid Search. Parameters like fbclid or ttclid classify it as Paid Social.

• Priority 3: Check Referrer (if no UTM or tracking parameters)
  The referrer domain is matched against search engine lists or social media domain lists, classifying the traffic as Organic Search or Referral.

• Priority 4: Default Classification
  If no source information is available, traffic is classified as Direct.

(2) Channel Types and Descriptions:

Please note: Channel groupings and definitions may evolve dynamically with market changes. We will keep this list updated to ensure classification accuracy and timeliness.

3. About UTM Tags

(1) UTM Tags are URL parameters used to track traffic sources. Data4 supports the following five UTM parameters:

• utm_source (Source)

• utm_medium (Medium)

• utm_campaign (Campaign)

• utm_content (Content)

• utm_term (Term)

(2) When setting UTM parameters, please note:

• Case Sensitivity: UTM tags are case-sensitive. Different capitalization (e.g., 'Facebook' vs. 'facebook') may be treated as different sources, potentially leading to duplicate entries or misclassified traffic.

• Display Rule: Data4 only displays UTM parameters that are actually set in the URL. Parameters not present in the URL will not be shown.

(3) Recommended Practice:
If you are running advertising campaigns on platforms like Facebook or Google, we recommend using UTM parameters for your campaign links to enable precise tracking.