Advertising Identification Methods #

In digital marketing, advertising links often include specific parameters to track user click behavior. These parameters help us identify if a URL originates from an advertisement. Ptengine's default method is UTM parameter identification. However, in recent years, some advertising platforms, for various reasons, or because ad operators haven't set UTM parameters, may lead to inaccurate traffic categorization, resulting in imprecise subsequent 'Experience' outreach.

Below, we will introduce two advertising identification methods:

Standard UTM Identification Method (Ptengine Default) #

http://www.example.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring_sale&utm_content=ad_version_1&utm_term=shoes+for+sale

• utm_source: This parameter is used to identify the specific ad source, such as "facebook" or "google".
• utm_medium: This parameter is used to identify the ad medium or method, such as "cpc" or "email".
• utm_campaign: This parameter is used to identify the specific ad campaign.
• utm_term: This parameter is used to identify search keywords, commonly seen in paid search advertising.
• utm_content: This parameter is used to differentiate between different ad content variations.

Non-Standard UTM Ad Identification #

Some advertising platforms may not use UTM parameters. Identifying ad links from these platforms generally requires understanding the specific URL structure and rules of each platform. Below are examples of URL identification for several common advertising platforms:

Facebook Ads: Facebook Ads can use fbclid

http://www.example.com/?fbclid=IwAR0V6MGxMHoeeeJip9FZbBB7k4w

Twitter Ads: Twitter has its own parameters, t_src and t_tw

http://www.example.com/?t_src=Twitter&t_tw=ExampleTweet

Google Ads: Google Ads also has its own auto-tagging feature, using the gclid parameter for link click tracking.

http://www.example.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwvr6EBhDOp9j2tOzg8NBEiQAM6Jevaa

Bing Ads: Bing Ads uses the msclkid parameter for click tracking.

http://www.example.com/?msclkid=12345abcde

LinkedIn Ads: LinkedIn uses the li_fat_id parameter.

http://www.example.com/?li_fat_id=a1234bc

Note: While the parameters mentioned above are commonly used by major advertising platforms, they are not sufficiently rigorous for precise identification. It is best to combine them with HTTP Referer identification for a more accurate judgment.