# Sporetag

> Sporetag is the analytics and attribution agencies use to prove results, keep clients and automate follow-up. It ties ads and branded short links to the sales they bring, sends conversions to the Meta Conversions API, builds dashboards and scheduled client reports, runs email automations, and keeps visitor and customer profiles. Privacy-friendly website analytics is built in. A basic Free plan exists to try the stats.

Facts:
- Private mode (the default) sets no cookies and stores nothing in the browser. Visitor IP addresses are never stored.
- 90-day tracking is opt in per site. It keeps a first-party id on the customer's own domain for 90 days and may need consent.
- Live in v1: analytics, short links on go.sporetag.com or a custom domain, platform presets for SMS, email, social, ads, QR and print, saved UTM presets, per-ad URL templates for Meta, Google, TikTok and Microsoft ads, QR codes, named dashboards with a goal picker and a share link each, client dashboards and client invites with no password, client reports by email on a schedule with a live link and a PDF, email automations (triggers, waits, if or else paths, emails, tags, signed webhooks), anonymous visitor profiles with 90-day tracking that become customers when they give an email, Sporetag Assistant (every change waits for Apply), a cookie banner that follows the site theme, two-step sign-in with a sessions list and security emails, an Events API (POST https://sporetag.com/api/v1/events), a read API with read-only keys (GET https://sporetag.com/api/v1, OpenAPI at https://sporetag.com/api/v1/openapi.json, CSV feeds for Google Sheets), a remote MCP server for AI assistants (https://sporetag.com/mcp), a script proxy, the Meta Conversions API, an attribution report by source, campaign, ad, ad set or keyword, ad platform and short link, customer profiles, Stripe and Shopify connectors that bring orders, refunds and subscriptions into those profiles, a Stripe revenue view (new revenue, MRR with new, expansion, contraction and churn, lifetime value by source and campaign, refunds, time from first visit to first payment, and the share of payments tied to a visit), Klaviyo, Mailchimp and Attentive connectors, and a signed webhook out.
- Short links: go.sporetag.com works at once on every plan. Paid plans can add their own short domain; the recommended pattern is a go subdomain of the customer's own site, like go.yourbrand.com, pointed at go.sporetag.com with one CNAME record.
- Click ids read: gclid, gbraid, wbraid (Google), fbclid (Meta), ttclid (TikTok), msclkid (Microsoft), li_fat_id (LinkedIn), ScCid (Snapchat), epik (Pinterest), twclid (X), rdt_cid (Reddit).
- A public live demo of the dashboard runs on a made-up shop at https://sporetag.com/demo, with demo data only. Read only, no sign-in.
- A free UTM builder runs in the browser at https://sporetag.com/tools/utm-builder. Nothing typed there is sent anywhere.
- The Events API, read API, MCP server, script proxy, attribution, Meta Conversions API and the Stripe and Shopify connectors are on paid plans only (Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom). Free has none of them.
- Planned after v1, not live: Google Ads conversions, texts sent by automations, one-login HubSpot, GoHighLevel and Airtable connectors, one-click logins for Stripe, Shopify, Klaviyo and Mailchimp (keys are pasted today), ad spend logins for Google, TikTok, Microsoft, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, X and Reddit, sending email from a customer's own domain, Search Console, history import from Google Analytics 4 (Plausible and Fathom export files import today).
- Ad spend and return on ad spend are live on paid plans: Meta Ads connects with a Meta login or a token, and any platform (Google Ads included, until its connector ships) imports spend from a CSV file.
- Prices are drafts and may change:
- Free: $0. 1 site, 5,000 pageviews and clicks a month, 5 active short links, 30 days of history, 2 goals per site, no Events API or script proxy, no attribution or Meta Conversions API, 1 dashboard per site, no automations, 20 AI actions a month.
- Solo: $29 a month or $290 a year. 5 sites, 100,000 pageviews and clicks a month, 250 active short links, 2 years of history, unlimited goals per site, Events API and script proxy, attribution and Meta Conversions API, 5 dashboards per site, 5 live automation flows per site, 25,000 anonymous visitor profiles per site, 200 AI actions a month.
- Studio: $79 a month or $790 a year. 25 sites, 1,000,000 pageviews and clicks a month, unlimited active short links, 2 years of history, unlimited goals per site, Events API and script proxy, attribution and Meta Conversions API, 12 dashboards per site, 25 live automation flows per site, 50,000 anonymous visitor profiles per site, client dashboards, client invites and client reports, 1,000 AI actions a month, own logo.
- Agency: $199 a month or $1,990 a year. 100 sites, 5,000,000 pageviews and clicks a month, unlimited active short links, 2 years of history, unlimited goals per site, Events API and script proxy, attribution and Meta Conversions API, 25 dashboards per site, 100 live automation flows per site, 100,000 anonymous visitor profiles per site, client dashboards, client invites and client reports, 3,000 AI actions a month, white label share pages and reports.
- Custom: priced per deal, ask at https://sporetag.com/setup-call?plan=custom. Unlimited sites, unlimited pageviews and clicks a month, unlimited active short links, unlimited history, unlimited goals per site, Events API and script proxy, attribution and Meta Conversions API, 25 dashboards per site, 500 live automation flows per site, 100,000 anonymous visitor profiles per site, client dashboards, client invites and client reports, 10,000 AI actions a month, white label share pages and reports.
- Overage: no hard stop. The first month over is free. From the second month in a row, 500,000 extra events cost $10.
- Comparisons were checked October 2026.

## For AI assistants and agents

- [Sporetag for AI assistants and agents](https://sporetag.com/ai.md): what Sporetag is in quotable facts, connecting Claude or ChatGPT, the read API and example prompts
- [MCP server](https://sporetag.com/docs/mcp.md): a remote MCP server at https://sporetag.com/mcp (Streamable HTTP, read-only tools, a read key as a Bearer token)
- [Read API](https://sporetag.com/docs/api.md): JSON over HTTPS at https://sporetag.com/api/v1 with read-only keys
- [OpenAPI document](https://sporetag.com/api/v1/openapi.json): OpenAPI 3.1, no key needed
- [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api.md): send server-side events

## Docs

- [Getting started](https://sporetag.com/docs/getting-started.md): Create an account, add your first site, paste one script tag and see your first visit in Sporetag. Then make your first short link.
- [Dashboards](https://sporetag.com/docs/dashboards.md): Boards built for your site, a breakdown behind every number, cards that say why they are empty, monthly targets, and edits that save themselves.
- [Assistant](https://sporetag.com/docs/assistant.md): Ask the assistant for goals, dashboards, links, segments, flows, client reports, emails and texts. Every change waits for your OK.
- [Add the script](https://sporetag.com/docs/add-the-script.md): Paste the Sporetag script tag into your site's head. Steps for plain HTML, WordPress, Shopify, Webflow, Squarespace, Wix and single page apps.
- [Install on Shopify](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-shopify.md): Add Sporetag to your Shopify store in about five minutes. Copy one line and paste it into your theme. No coding needed.
- [Install on WordPress](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-wordpress.md): Add Sporetag to a WordPress site with the free WPCode plugin. Copy one line, paste it in the header box, and save. No coding needed.
- [Install on Squarespace](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-squarespace.md): Add Sporetag to a Squarespace site with Code Injection. Copy one line, paste it into the Header box, and save. No coding needed.
- [Install on Wix](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-wix.md): Add Sporetag to a Wix site with Custom Code in your site settings. Paste one line, place it in the head of all pages, and apply.
- [Install on Webflow](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-webflow.md): Add Sporetag to a Webflow site. Paste one line into the Head code box in Site settings, save, then publish. No coding needed.
- [Install on Framer](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-framer.md): Add Sporetag to a Framer site. Paste one line into the Custom Code section of Site Settings, then publish. No coding needed.
- [Install with Google Tag Manager](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-google-tag-manager.md): Add Sporetag through Google Tag Manager with a Custom HTML tag on all pages. Use this if Tag Manager is already on your site.
- [Install on any site](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-html.md): Add Sporetag to any website. Paste one line into the head of every page, or into the head code setting your site builder has.
- [Your own tracking address](https://sporetag.com/docs/own-tracking-address.md): Load the Sporetag tag from a subdomain of your own site, like stats.yourdomain.com, with one DNS record. No proxy or code to run.
- [Script proxy](https://sporetag.com/docs/script-proxy.md): Serve the Sporetag script and its event endpoint from your own domain with a tiny Cloudflare Worker, so ad blockers drop fewer of your visits.
- [Tracking modes](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes.md): Private mode is cookieless with no banner. 90-day tracking keeps a 90-day first-party id so a sale ties back to an earlier click. How to choose.
- [Cookie banner](https://sporetag.com/docs/cookie-banner.md): Turn on a simple Accept or Decline banner for your site with no code. Nothing is stored until a visitor accepts. You decide whether you need it.
- [Bot filtering](https://sporetag.com/docs/bot-filtering.md): How Sporetag keeps bots, crawlers and automated browsers out of your numbers, and why visits from data centers still count as people.
- [Autopilot](https://sporetag.com/docs/autopilot.md): Plain-English summaries, a simple view for clients, alerts that watch your sites, setup that runs itself and a weekly plan.
- [Your week email](https://sporetag.com/docs/your-week.md): A short email every Monday morning with each site's visitors, top source and conversions, and the change from the week before. On every plan, off in one click.
- [Custom events and goals](https://sporetag.com/docs/custom-events-and-goals.md): Count signups, purchases and button clicks with sporetag() custom events, then turn events and pages into goals you can see in the dashboard.
- [Automatic events](https://sporetag.com/docs/automatic-events.md): Outbound link clicks, file downloads, 404 pages, scroll depth and form submits, counted with no code and free of your monthly allowance.
- [Tracking health](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-health.md): One score per site that says whether you can trust its numbers, with a short list of checks and a one-tap fix for each.
- [Funnels](https://sporetag.com/docs/funnels.md): See how many people make each step to a sale or a signup, where the rest leave, how long each step takes, and which sources finish best.
- [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api.md): Send signups and sales from your server to Sporetag with POST /api/v1/events and a per-site secret key. Examples in Node, Python, PHP and curl.
- [Notes on charts](https://sporetag.com/docs/chart-notes.md): Mark launches, sales and changes on your chart. Sporetag adds notes for new goals, campaign starts and big days, and reports include them.
- [Meta Conversions API](https://sporetag.com/docs/meta-conversions-api.md): Send conversions from Sporetag to Meta with the Conversions API. Paste a pixel id and access token, mark goals, test with a test event code.
- [Attribution report](https://sporetag.com/docs/attribution-report.md): See conversions and revenue by source, campaign, ad platform and short link, under six attribution models, with each customer's path.
- [Send results to your ad accounts](https://sporetag.com/docs/send-results-to-ad-accounts.md): Send leads and sales to TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat and Reddit, and to Google Ads, Microsoft Ads and LinkedIn (when shipped), so their bidding learns.
- [How did you hear about us](https://sporetag.com/docs/how-did-you-hear.md): Ask one optional question after a form or an order, and see the answers next to the source Sporetag tracked.
- [Revenue and MRR](https://sporetag.com/docs/revenue-and-mrr.md): New revenue, MRR and what moved it, lifetime value by source and campaign, refunds and time to first payment, from Stripe, each with one plain sentence.
- [Profit, blended ROAS and currencies](https://sporetag.com/docs/profit-and-currency.md): What every dollar on ads brought in sales, profit from the costs you give, and money in one currency at the European Central Bank's daily rate.
- [Profiles](https://sporetag.com/docs/customer-profiles.md): One page per visitor and customer with every click, visit, email, text and sale, their first and last source, and lifetime value. Needs 90-day tracking.
- [Import customers](https://sporetag.com/docs/import-customers.md): Bring in contacts from Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Shopify or a spreadsheet as a CSV file. Match the columns, then people are added or updated, never doubled.
- [Cohorts and lifetime value](https://sporetag.com/docs/cohorts.md): See how many visitors come back, grouped by the week or month they first came and by their first source, and what customers from each source spend.
- [Bring your data together](https://sporetag.com/docs/bring-your-data-together.md): One stream per customer from your site, your server and your other tools. What is automatic, what goes back to your tools, and how to send from any tool.
- [Stripe connector](https://sporetag.com/docs/stripe-connector.md): Connect Stripe with a read-only key. Payments, refunds and subscriptions tie to the visits, ads and links that brought each customer, with MRR kept current.
- [Shopify connector](https://sporetag.com/docs/shopify-connector.md): Connect a Shopify store with a custom app. Orders, refunds and customers join each customer profile, the attribution report and Meta.
- [Klaviyo connector](https://sporetag.com/docs/klaviyo-connector.md): Connect Klaviyo with a private API key. Email and text activity joins each customer, and sources, value, best send hour and segments go back.
- [Mailchimp connector](https://sporetag.com/docs/mailchimp-connector.md): Connect Mailchimp with an API key. Campaign sends, opens, clicks and unsubscribes join each customer, and Sporetag writes back merge fields and tags.
- [Attentive connector](https://sporetag.com/docs/attentive-connector.md): Connect Attentive with a custom app. Text and email sends and clicks arrive by webhook, and Sporetag sends back custom attributes and segments.
- [HubSpot and GoHighLevel](https://sporetag.com/docs/crm-connectors.md): Connect HubSpot or GoHighLevel with one login (when shipped). Won deals count as sales, and each profile goes back with where the person came from.
- [Airtable](https://sporetag.com/docs/airtable-connector.md): Send each customer profile, with where they came from and what they spent, to an Airtable table (when shipped). Orders can get their own table.
- [Webhooks out](https://sporetag.com/docs/webhooks-out.md): Post each customer profile, and optionally each order, to Zapier, Make, n8n or your own server. Signed, retried, and testable.
- [Postscript connector](https://sporetag.com/docs/postscript-connector.md): Postscript limits its API to integration partners and enterprise shops, so there is no Postscript connector yet. What works today with UTM tags and webhooks.
- [Segments and best send time](https://sporetag.com/docs/segments-and-best-send-time.md): Group customers by source, spend and activity, send groups to Klaviyo, Mailchimp or Attentive, and reach each person at the hour they are most likely to act.
- [Automations](https://sporetag.com/docs/automations.md): Flows that act at the moments that matter: an email when someone signs up, a reminder when a checkout stalls, a note to you when a lead looks at pricing.
- [Import your history](https://sporetag.com/docs/import-history.md): Bring past visits in from Google Analytics 4, Plausible or Fathom, so your charts are full on day one. What comes in, and how it is counted.
- [Meta ad spend and ROAS](https://sporetag.com/docs/meta-ads-spend.md): Connect Meta Ads in one click to see what each campaign, ad set and ad cost next to the sales Sporetag credits, with Meta's own numbers beside ours.
- [Email from your own domain](https://sporetag.com/docs/sending-domain.md): Send flow emails from you@yourbrand.com (when shipped), with replies on the person's profile and in your inbox. The DNS records, step by step.
- [Get a texting number](https://sporetag.com/docs/texting-number.md): Your own number for flow texts (when shipped). Sporetag registers it with US carriers for you, shows the price first, and tells you where the review stands.
- [Call tracking](https://sporetag.com/docs/call-tracking.md): Tracking numbers that show which ad, search or flyer made the phone ring (when shipped). Calls count as goals, join the caller's profile and reach your ads.
- [Import ad spend from a file](https://sporetag.com/docs/csv-spend-import.md): Bring spend from Google Ads, TikTok, Microsoft, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat or any platform as a CSV file or a Google Sheets paste, to see return on ad spend.
- [Messages](https://sporetag.com/docs/messages.md): One inbox for every site: replies to your flow emails and texts, what was sent and how it did, each person's stage, and writing back.
- [Short links](https://sporetag.com/docs/short-links.md): Make short links on your own go. domain or go.sporetag.com, track each place you share them, and follow each click to the visit and the sale.
- [UTM presets](https://sporetag.com/docs/utm-presets.md): Pick where you will share a link, like SMS, email, Instagram or Meta ads, and the UTM tags fill in. What each place sets, and how to save your own presets.
- [QR codes](https://sporetag.com/docs/qr-codes.md): Every Sporetag short link has a QR code you can download as an SVG. Use the QR code preset so scans show up apart from clicks in your stats.
- [Custom short domains](https://sporetag.com/docs/custom-short-domains.md): Put your short links on go.yourdomain.com, a go subdomain of your own site. Step by step for Cloudflare and any other DNS host, plus a Meta tip.
- [Tracking ads and email](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-ads-with-utms.md): Track each ad in Meta, Google, TikTok and Microsoft ads with copy-ready templates, and SMS and email with the right link. Naming rules included.
- [Client dashboards](https://sporetag.com/docs/client-dashboards.md): Share a read-only dashboard by private link or invite clients by email to sign in with no password. Agency makes it white label.
- [Client reports](https://sporetag.com/docs/client-reports.md): Build an email report from your dashboard's numbers, charts and ads, then send it to clients weekly, monthly or both.
- [Weekly reports](https://sporetag.com/docs/weekly-reports.md): The Monday email report now lives on each site's Reports tab, where you can also send monthly reports, add charts and ads, and pick who gets them.
- [Overview, digest and uptime](https://sporetag.com/docs/agency-overview.md): Every client site on one page, the ones that need you first, a daily or weekly digest in email, Slack or Teams, and uptime, SSL and domain checks.
- [The partner program](https://sporetag.com/docs/partner-program.md): For agencies on Studio and Agency. Get listed, earn up to a month of credit for each client that pays, and get help with your first three client sites.
- [Data and privacy](https://sporetag.com/docs/data-and-privacy.md): What Sporetag records about your visitors, what it never stores, where the data lives, how long it is kept, and how to export or delete it.
- [Billing and limits](https://sporetag.com/docs/billing-and-limits.md): What each Sporetag plan includes, what counts toward your monthly allowance, how overage works, and how to read, change or cancel your plan in Billing.
- [Read API](https://sporetag.com/docs/api.md): Read stats, goals, attribution, ad spend and short links with a read key. JSON over HTTPS, OpenAPI 3.1, CSV feeds and copyable curl examples.
- [MCP server for Claude and ChatGPT](https://sporetag.com/docs/mcp.md): Connect Claude, ChatGPT or another AI assistant to Sporetag with a read key, then ask how your site did last week in plain words.
- [Google Sheets and Looker Studio](https://sporetag.com/docs/looker-studio.md): Put Sporetag numbers in Google Sheets with one formula that refreshes by itself, then chart them in Looker Studio.

## Guides

Articles on analytics, UTMs, attribution and privacy, and platform tracking guides, written by the Sporetag team with dated sources.

- [Why your analytics numbers never match](https://sporetag.com/guides/why-analytics-numbers-dont-match.md): GA4, Shopify, Meta and Google Ads count with different rules, dates and blind spots. Where each number splits, and which one to trust for each question.
- [Meta ads vs Shopify: why purchases don't match](https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-ads-vs-shopify-sales.md): Meta Ads Manager shows more (or fewer) purchases than Shopify. The six causes, how to measure your own gap, and which number to use for budget calls.
- [GA4 not tracking conversions: a checklist that finds the cause](https://sporetag.com/guides/ga4-not-tracking-conversions.md): Key events missing in GA4? Work through ten checks in order, from the event never firing to consent, filters, processing delays and Google Ads imports.
- [Direct traffic: what (direct) / (none) really means](https://sporetag.com/guides/direct-traffic-explained.md): Direct traffic is every visit that arrived with no referrer and no tag. Where it really comes from, why it grows, and five ways to shrink it.
- [GA4 "(not set)": every cause and how to fix it](https://sporetag.com/guides/ga4-not-set.md): Why GA4 shows (not set) for landing page, source, medium and campaign, how to tell which cause you have, and the fix for each one.
- [Bot traffic in analytics: how to spot it and filter it](https://sporetag.com/guides/bot-traffic-in-analytics.md): How GA4 and other tools filter bots, the patterns that give bots away in your reports, and what you can do about the bots that get through.
- [Cross-domain tracking: checkouts, booking tools and iframes](https://sporetag.com/guides/cross-domain-tracking.md): Why a visitor who moves to a checkout, a booking tool or an embedded form loses their source, and how to keep the credit with the ad that brought them.
- [Leaving GA4 without losing your history](https://sporetag.com/guides/import-ga4-history.md): What you can take out of Google Analytics 4, what you cannot, the Data API limits, and why imported days never match a new tool's own numbers.
- [Unassigned traffic in GA4: causes and fixes](https://sporetag.com/guides/ga4-unassigned-traffic.md): GA4 labels a session Unassigned when its source and medium match no channel rule. The rules, the tag values that fall through, and how to fix a spike.
- [UTM parameters: the complete guide, with a naming scheme that holds up](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters.md): What each UTM parameter does, the naming rules GA4 actually applies, a scheme for source, medium and campaign, and the mistakes that break your reports.
- [How to track your Instagram link in bio, through to the sale](https://sporetag.com/guides/track-instagram-link-in-bio.md): Instagram's own insights stop at link taps. How to see which bio link, story or post brought visits, signups and sales, with tags and a short link.
- [gclid, fbclid and other click ids, explained](https://sporetag.com/guides/click-ids-explained.md): What gclid, gbraid, wbraid, fbclid, ttclid and msclkid are, what each one is for, how long they last, and why keeping them matters for ad tracking.
- [How to track QR codes on print, packaging and signs](https://sporetag.com/guides/qr-code-tracking.md): A QR code sends no referrer, so scans show up as direct traffic. How to track scans, visits and sales per placement, and print codes that keep working.
- [How to track email clicks and the sales they bring](https://sporetag.com/guides/track-email-clicks.md): Tag email links so every click and sale has a source, set it up in Klaviyo and Mailchimp, and spot the bot clicks that security scanners add.
- [How to track SMS link clicks and the sales they bring](https://sporetag.com/guides/track-sms-link-clicks.md): Tag text message links so clicks and sales have a source, keep links short and on your own domain, and tell real taps from link preview clicks.
- [Call tracking for local businesses: which ad made the phone ring](https://sporetag.com/guides/call-tracking-for-local-businesses.md): How call tracking numbers work, static numbers versus dynamic number insertion, how many you need, recording laws, and calls as conversions.
- [Attribution models explained, with one buyer's path worked through](https://sporetag.com/guides/attribution-models-explained.md): First touch, last click, linear, position-based and data-driven attribution, worked through on one buyer path. What each model is good for, and its limits.
- [Server-side vs client-side tracking: what each one sees](https://sporetag.com/guides/server-side-vs-client-side-tracking.md): Client-side tags run in the browser and miss what they cannot load. Server events come from your server. What each sees, costs, and when to use both.
- [Meta Conversions API explained: setup, matching and deduplication](https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-conversions-api-explained.md): What the Meta Conversions API sends, which fields Meta needs, how deduplication with the pixel works, and the mistakes that double count or lose purchases.
- [ROAS, blended ROAS and MER: which one to run the business on](https://sporetag.com/guides/roas-mer-blended-roas.md): Formulas for ROAS, blended ROAS, MER and break-even ROAS, a worked example, and why adding up each platform's ROAS overstates what your ads earn.
- [Google Ads conversion tracking for lead generation sites](https://sporetag.com/guides/google-ads-conversion-tracking-lead-gen.md): Track forms, calls and the leads that become customers in Google Ads, with the right counting, values and windows so bidding learns from real sales.
- [Offline conversions and enhanced conversions explained](https://sporetag.com/guides/offline-conversions-explained.md): How Google Ads and Meta accept sales and leads that happen off your website, how hashed email matching works, and the rules that make uploads fail.
- [TikTok ads attribution: pixel, Events API and why numbers differ](https://sporetag.com/guides/tiktok-ads-attribution.md): How TikTok credits conversions, why TikTok Ads Manager reports more sales than GA4 or your store, and how the pixel and Events API work together.
- [Lead-to-sale reporting: connect marketing sources to CRM revenue](https://sporetag.com/guides/crm-lead-to-sale-reporting.md): How to carry each lead's source into HubSpot or GoHighLevel, report won revenue by campaign, and avoid the mistakes that leave deals with no source.
- [MRR and SaaS attribution: which channels bring revenue that stays](https://sporetag.com/guides/saas-mrr-attribution.md): How MRR is calculated, what moves it, how churn is measured, and how to tie subscription revenue to the campaigns that brought each customer.
- [Klaviyo attribution windows vs your analytics](https://sporetag.com/guides/klaviyo-attribution.md): Klaviyo credits a sale to an email opened or clicked in the last 5 days. Why it runs above GA4 and Shopify, what to change, and which number to report.
- [Break-even ROAS and target MER: the formulas, with a margin table](https://sporetag.com/guides/break-even-roas-and-target-mer.md): Break-even ROAS is 1 ÷ margin; target MER adds fixed costs and profit. Formulas, a lookup table by margin and worked examples you can copy.
- [Meta Ads cost per lead and signups: what Meta counts, and what to pay](https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-ads-cost-per-lead.md): How Meta counts leads and signups, why Ads Manager's cost per lead differs from your CRM, and how to work out the most a lead is worth to you.
- [Cookieless analytics and GDPR: what needs consent, and what usually does not](https://sporetag.com/guides/cookieless-analytics-gdpr.md): Do you need a cookie banner for analytics? How ePrivacy, the GDPR, the CNIL exemption and the UK change of 2026 apply to cookieless and cookie tracking.
- [iOS and Safari tracking changes, version by version](https://sporetag.com/guides/ios-safari-tracking-changes.md): What Apple's Link Tracking Protection, ITP, App Tracking Transparency and Safari 26 remove, where each applies, and what still works for ad tracking.
- [First-party data for small businesses: what to collect and why](https://sporetag.com/guides/first-party-data.md): The first-party data worth collecting, from orders and emails to how did you hear, what each is for, what to leave out, and the consent rules that apply.
- [Bounce rate in GA4: what it means now, and when to worry](https://sporetag.com/guides/bounce-rate-ga4.md): GA4 defines bounce rate as the share of sessions that were not engaged. The rule, the formula, how it differs from the old one, and when it matters.
- [Visitors, sessions and pageviews: how each tool counts them](https://sporetag.com/guides/sessions-users-pageviews.md): What a user, a session, a visit and a pageview are in GA4, Shopify and privacy-first tools, why the counts differ, and which one to report.
- [Average session duration and time on page: how each tool measures it](https://sporetag.com/guides/session-duration-time-on-page.md): Why GA4, Universal Analytics and privacy tools report different session durations and time on page, the method each uses, and which to trust.
- [How to set up goals and conversions without a developer](https://sporetag.com/guides/goals-without-a-developer.md): Four ways to count sales, leads, bookings and signups without writing code, how to do each in GA4, and the checks that keep a goal honest.
- [Funnel analysis: find the step where people leave](https://sporetag.com/guides/funnel-analysis.md): How a conversion funnel is counted, open versus closed funnels, time windows, which drop-offs are normal, and how to read one without fooling yourself.
- [Cohorts and retention: do the people you win come back?](https://sporetag.com/guides/cohort-retention-analysis.md): How a cohort table is built, how to read it by row, column and diagonal, three ways to count retention, and how to compare sources by customer.
- [Ask your analytics in plain words: MCP and AI assistants](https://sporetag.com/guides/mcp-ai-assistants-analytics.md): What the Model Context Protocol is, how an AI assistant reads your analytics through it, what it answers well, and the safety rules for keys.
- [Ecommerce dashboard template: the cards that matter, and who counts each](https://sporetag.com/guides/ecommerce-dashboard-template.md): An ecommerce dashboard template card by card: revenue, orders, conversion rate and MER first, which tool should count each number, and a worked month.
- [Lead generation dashboard: what to show, and where each lead is counted](https://sporetag.com/guides/lead-generation-dashboard.md): A lead gen dashboard template: leads, lead rate, cost per lead and qualified leads by source, which tool counts each, and how to read a month.
- [SaaS metrics dashboard: signups, MRR and the source of each customer](https://sporetag.com/guides/saas-metrics-dashboard.md): A SaaS metrics dashboard template: signups, cost per signup, MRR and its moves, lifetime value by source, plus MRR vs ARR and churn vs retention.
- [Marketing dashboards for agencies: one for you, one for each client](https://sporetag.com/guides/marketing-dashboard-for-agencies.md): An agency needs two dashboards: a portfolio view that ranks clients by what needs attention, and a client board with three numbers and a target.
- [Year over year comparison in analytics: same dates or same weekdays](https://sporetag.com/guides/year-over-year-comparison.md): YoY growth formula, when to compare 364 days back so weekdays line up, partial months, moving holidays, and what breaks a comparison with last year.
- [Client reporting for agencies: a template clients actually read](https://sporetag.com/guides/client-reporting-for-agencies.md): What to put in a monthly client report, how often to send it, which numbers to lead with for stores and lead-gen clients, and how to explain gaps.
- [Uptime monitoring for agency client sites](https://sporetag.com/guides/uptime-monitoring-for-agencies.md): What to monitor on every client site, how intervals and retries trade speed for false alarms, SSL and domain expiry, and reporting uptime.
- [AI summaries in client reports, without made-up numbers](https://sporetag.com/guides/ai-client-report-summaries.md): How to use AI to write the summary at the top of a client report: what it should say, why models invent numbers, and a checking method that catches it.
- [How to track a Shopify store: visits, sources and every order](https://sporetag.com/track/shopify.md): What Shopify's own analytics shows, where browser tags stop at checkout, and how to see each order with the ad, post or link that brought it.
- [How to track a WordPress site without slowing it down](https://sporetag.com/track/wordpress.md): WordPress has no analytics of its own. How to add a light tracking tag with a header plugin, avoid cache problems, and count forms and WooCommerce sales.
- [How to track a Webflow site: visits, sources and form leads](https://sporetag.com/track/webflow.md): Add analytics to Webflow with one line in Site settings, see which ads and posts bring form leads, and the plan and publishing rules that trip people up.
- [How to track a Squarespace site beyond the built-in analytics](https://sporetag.com/track/squarespace.md): What Squarespace Analytics shows, what it cannot tell you about ads and links, and how to add a tracking tag with Code Injection where allowed.
- [How to track a Wix site: sources, leads and the custom code rules](https://sporetag.com/track/wix.md): What Wix Analytics covers, why custom code only runs on a published site with a connected domain, and how to see which campaigns bring leads.
- [How to track a Framer site: sources, signups and campaigns](https://sporetag.com/track/framer.md): Framer's built-in analytics counts visits. How to add a tracking tag in Site Settings, see which campaigns bring signups, and avoid the preview trap.
- [How to add analytics to a Next.js site, App Router and Pages Router](https://sporetag.com/track/nextjs.md): Where to put an analytics script in a Next.js app, how client-side navigation affects pageviews, CSP rules, and sending conversions from route handlers.
- [How to track GoHighLevel funnels and websites, from ad to booked call](https://sporetag.com/track/gohighlevel.md): Where the GoHighLevel tracking code goes, how to avoid double counting funnel steps, and how to see which ads bring leads, booked calls and won deals.
- [How to track ClickFunnels: which ads bring opt-ins and sales](https://sporetag.com/track/clickfunnels.md): Where tracking code goes in ClickFunnels 2.0, how to avoid double counting, and how to tie opt-ins and sales to the ad that brought them.
- [How to track a Kajabi site: sources for signups and course sales](https://sporetag.com/track/kajabi.md): Add a tracking tag to Kajabi with Header Page Scripts, why it does not run on checkout pages, and how to see which posts, emails and ads sell your courses.
- [How to track a Ghost site: readers, members and paid signups](https://sporetag.com/track/ghost.md): Add a tracking tag to Ghost with code injection, count free and paid member signups, and see which posts, newsletters and links bring members.
- [How to track a Carrd site: visits, sections and signups](https://sporetag.com/track/carrd.md): Add a tracking tag to Carrd with a hidden Embed element, why one-page sections count as one page, and how to count signups and link clicks.
- [How to track a GoDaddy Website Builder site, and its limits](https://sporetag.com/track/godaddy.md): Where tracking code can go in GoDaddy Websites + Marketing, why code in an HTML section runs in an iframe, and how to measure leads and campaigns anyway.
- [How to add tracking with Google Tag Manager, and when not to](https://sporetag.com/track/google-tag-manager.md): Add an analytics tag through Google Tag Manager with a Custom HTML tag, pick the right trigger, send events from triggers, and know the trade-offs.
- [How to track Stripe Checkout and Payment Links sales by source](https://sporetag.com/track/stripe-checkout.md): Tie Stripe Checkout and Payment Links sales to the ad, email or post that brought the buyer, count each sale once, and stop Stripe showing up as a source.
- [How to track WooCommerce sales by source, without a heavy plugin](https://sporetag.com/track/woocommerce.md): Count WooCommerce orders with their source three ways: the order received page, your Stripe account, or a server webhook, and what each one misses.
- [How to track Calendly bookings as conversions, by source](https://sporetag.com/track/calendly.md): Count Calendly bookings as conversions in analytics and Google Ads, with UTM pass-through, embed events or a thank-you redirect, and no email in URLs.
- [How to track a Substack: what it allows, and what it does not](https://sporetag.com/track/substack.md): Substack takes a GA4 Measurement ID and Meta and X pixel IDs, but no custom scripts. What each tracks, and how to measure the links that bring subscribers.
- [How to track a beehiiv newsletter site: subscribers by source](https://sporetag.com/track/beehiiv.md): Add analytics to a beehiiv website through its Google Tag Manager field, count subscriptions from the confirmation page, and see which links bring readers.
- [How to track Linktree clicks and the sales after them](https://sporetag.com/track/linktree.md): What Linktree's analytics, GA4 and Meta pixel integrations track, what they miss, and how to tie a bio link click to the sale on your own site.
- [How to track Typeform submissions as conversions, by source](https://sporetag.com/track/typeform.md): Count Typeform submissions as conversions with the embed callback, pass UTM tags into hidden fields, and see which ad or post brought each response.
- [How to track a BigCommerce store: tag, orders and sources](https://sporetag.com/track/bigcommerce.md): Add an analytics tag to BigCommerce with Script Manager, why to keep it off checkout under PCI DSS 4.0, and three ways to count orders with their source.
- [How to track a Teachable school: sources for course sales](https://sporetag.com/track/teachable.md): Add a tracking tag to Teachable with Head Code Snippets, why it stops at checkout.teachable.com, and how to see which posts, emails and ads sell courses.

## Product

- [Home](https://sporetag.com/)
- [Pricing](https://sporetag.com/pricing)
- [Product overview](https://sporetag.com/product)
- [Dashboards](https://sporetag.com/product/dashboards)
- [Client reports](https://sporetag.com/product/reports)
- [Automations](https://sporetag.com/product/automations)
- [Profiles](https://sporetag.com/product/profiles)
- [Assistant](https://sporetag.com/product/assistant)
- [How it works](https://sporetag.com/how-it-works)
- [Live demo dashboard (demo data)](https://sporetag.com/demo)
- [Sporetag for online store](https://sporetag.com/for/stores)
- [Sporetag for services and leads](https://sporetag.com/for/leads)
- [Sporetag for creators](https://sporetag.com/for/creators)
- [Sporetag for agencies](https://sporetag.com/for/agencies)
- [Book a setup call](https://sporetag.com/setup-call)

## Platforms

- [Sporetag for Meta ads](https://sporetag.com/platforms/meta)
- [Sporetag for Google Ads](https://sporetag.com/platforms/google)
- [Sporetag for TikTok](https://sporetag.com/platforms/tiktok)
- [Sporetag for Instagram](https://sporetag.com/platforms/instagram)
- [Sporetag for Email](https://sporetag.com/platforms/email)
- [Sporetag for SMS](https://sporetag.com/platforms/sms)

## Walkthroughs

Demo walkthroughs on a made-up shop. Every number in them is demo data.

- [Demo walkthroughs](https://sporetag.com/walkthroughs)
- [Walkthrough: Three ad sets looked equal. One made the sales.](https://sporetag.com/walkthroughs/ad-sets)
- [Walkthrough: The bio link that sold more than the ads.](https://sporetag.com/walkthroughs/bio-link)
- [Walkthrough: Which email actually paid.](https://sporetag.com/walkthroughs/email)

## Tools

- [Free tools](https://sporetag.com/tools)
- [Free tag checker: which analytics and ad tags a site loads](https://sporetag.com/tools/tag-checker)
- [Free UTM builder](https://sporetag.com/tools/utm-builder)
- [Ad blocker estimator: visitors your analytics may miss](https://sporetag.com/tools/ad-blocker-estimator)

## Compare

- [Comparisons](https://sporetag.com/vs)
- [Sporetag vs Google Analytics](https://sporetag.com/vs/google-analytics)
- [Sporetag vs Hyros](https://sporetag.com/vs/hyros)
- [Sporetag vs Triple Whale](https://sporetag.com/vs/triple-whale)
- [Sporetag vs Northbeam](https://sporetag.com/vs/northbeam)
- [Sporetag vs Wicked Reports](https://sporetag.com/vs/wicked-reports)
- [Sporetag vs Cometly](https://sporetag.com/vs/cometly)
- [Sporetag vs Plausible](https://sporetag.com/vs/plausible)
- [Sporetag vs Fathom](https://sporetag.com/vs/fathom)
- [Sporetag vs Umami](https://sporetag.com/vs/umami)
- [Sporetag vs Simple Analytics](https://sporetag.com/vs/simple-analytics)
- [Sporetag vs Matomo](https://sporetag.com/vs/matomo)
- [Sporetag vs Dub](https://sporetag.com/vs/dub)
- [Sporetag vs Bitly](https://sporetag.com/vs/bitly)
- [Sporetag vs Rebrandly](https://sporetag.com/vs/rebrandly)
- [Sporetag vs Short.io](https://sporetag.com/vs/short-io)
- [Sporetag vs AgencyAnalytics](https://sporetag.com/vs/agencyanalytics)

## Company

- [Agency partners: agencies that set up Sporetag for clients](https://sporetag.com/partners)
- [Security](https://sporetag.com/security)
- [Data, retention and backups](https://sporetag.com/data)
- [Status](https://sporetag.com/status)
- [Privacy policy](https://sporetag.com/privacy)
- [Terms of service](https://sporetag.com/terms)

## Optional

- [Full text of the docs, guides and glossary](https://sporetag.com/llms-full.txt): every page below and above as Markdown, in one file
- [Analytics glossary](https://sporetag.com/glossary.md)
- [Ad blocker](https://sporetag.com/glossary/ad-blocker.md): Browser software that blocks ads and, often, the tracking scripts and pixels that measure them.
- [ARR](https://sporetag.com/glossary/arr.md): Annual recurring revenue: the yearly run rate of active subscriptions, usually MRR × 12.
- [Attribution](https://sporetag.com/glossary/attribution.md): The rule that decides which marketing touch gets credit for a sale, signup or other conversion.
- [Attribution window](https://sporetag.com/glossary/attribution-window.md): How long after a click or view a conversion can still be credited to it.
- [Blended ROAS](https://sporetag.com/glossary/blended-roas.md): Total revenue from your store divided by total ad spend on every platform, for the same period.
- [Bot traffic](https://sporetag.com/glossary/bot-traffic.md): Visits made by automated software rather than people: crawlers, scrapers, monitors and fake clicks.
- [Bounce rate](https://sporetag.com/glossary/bounce-rate.md): The share of visits or sessions that ended without engagement; each tool defines it differently.
- [Break-even ROAS](https://sporetag.com/glossary/break-even-roas.md): The ROAS at which ad revenue exactly covers the ad spend and the cost of the goods sold: 1 ÷ gross margin.
- [Call tracking](https://sporetag.com/glossary/call-tracking.md): Crediting phone calls to their source by giving each ad, place or website visitor its own forwarding number.
- [Churn](https://sporetag.com/glossary/churn.md): The share of paying customers, or of recurring revenue, that stops in a period.
- [Click ID](https://sporetag.com/glossary/click-id.md): A unique value an ad platform adds to the link when someone clicks an ad, so it can match later conversions to that click.
- [Consent banner](https://sporetag.com/glossary/consent-banner.md): The notice that asks visitors to accept or decline cookies and similar tracking on a website.
- [Consent mode](https://sporetag.com/glossary/consent-mode.md): Google's way for its tags to change behavior based on the visitor's consent choices.
- [Conversion](https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversion.md): An action you count as success: a purchase, a signup, a booked call, a form sent.
- [Conversion rate](https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversion-rate.md): The share of visits, sessions or users that converted.
- [Conversion window](https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversion-window.md): The Google Ads setting for how long after an ad interaction a conversion can be recorded.
- [Conversions API](https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversions-api.md): Meta's server-to-server interface for sending conversion events, alongside or instead of the pixel.
- [Cookieless tracking](https://sporetag.com/glossary/cookieless-tracking.md): Measuring visits without storing cookies or other data on the visitor's device.
- [Cost per lead](https://sporetag.com/glossary/cost-per-lead.md): Ad spend divided by the number of leads it brought, for the same period and campaigns.
- [CPA](https://sporetag.com/glossary/cpa.md): Cost per acquisition: ad spend divided by the number of conversions.
- [Dark social](https://sporetag.com/glossary/dark-social.md): Shares through private channels, such as messaging apps and email, that arrive without a referrer.
- [Data thresholds](https://sporetag.com/glossary/data-thresholds.md): GA4 rules that withhold small rows of data so individual users cannot be identified.
- [Data-driven attribution](https://sporetag.com/glossary/data-driven-attribution.md): A model that learns how to split credit from your own conversion paths, instead of a fixed rule.
- [Direct traffic](https://sporetag.com/glossary/direct-traffic.md): Visits that arrived with no referrer, no campaign tags and no click id, so the tool cannot tell where they came from.
- [Dynamic number insertion](https://sporetag.com/glossary/dni.md): A script that shows each website visitor their own tracking number, so a call can be tied to the visit.
- [Engagement rate](https://sporetag.com/glossary/engagement-rate.md): In GA4, the share of sessions that were engaged.
- [Enhanced conversions](https://sporetag.com/glossary/enhanced-conversions.md): Google Ads' feature that sends hashed customer details with conversions to improve matching.
- [Event deduplication](https://sporetag.com/glossary/event-deduplication.md): Merging the same conversion reported twice, such as by the browser and the server, so it counts once.
- [Event Match Quality](https://sporetag.com/glossary/event-match-quality.md): Meta's score for how well the customer details on your server events can be matched to Meta accounts.
- [Exit rate](https://sporetag.com/glossary/exit-rate.md): The share of a page's views that were the last in their visit.
- [fbclid](https://sporetag.com/glossary/fbclid.md): Meta's click id, added to links people click on Facebook and Instagram.
- [First-party cookie](https://sporetag.com/glossary/first-party-cookie.md): A cookie set by the site the visitor is on, readable only by that site.
- [First-touch attribution](https://sporetag.com/glossary/first-touch-attribution.md): A model that gives all the credit for a conversion to the first known touch.
- [gclid](https://sporetag.com/glossary/gclid.md): Google Ads' click id, added to landing page links by auto-tagging.
- [Global Privacy Control](https://sporetag.com/glossary/global-privacy-control.md): A browser signal asking websites not to sell or share the visitor's personal data.
- [Incrementality](https://sporetag.com/glossary/incrementality.md): The conversions an ad caused that would not have happened without it.
- [Intelligent Tracking Prevention](https://sporetag.com/glossary/itp.md): Safari's set of limits on cookies and storage used for tracking.
- [Key event](https://sporetag.com/glossary/key-event.md): GA4's name for an event you mark as important to your business, such as a purchase, a signup or a booked call.
- [Landing page](https://sporetag.com/glossary/landing-page.md): The first page a visitor sees in a visit, or a page built for one campaign.
- [Landing page experience](https://sporetag.com/glossary/landing-page-experience.md): Google Ads' estimate of how relevant and useful a landing page is for the people who click an ad.
- [Last-touch attribution](https://sporetag.com/glossary/last-touch-attribution.md): A model that gives all the credit for a conversion to the final touch before it.
- [Lifetime value](https://sporetag.com/glossary/ltv.md): The total revenue, or profit, a customer brings over their whole relationship with you.
- [Lift test](https://sporetag.com/glossary/lift-test.md): An experiment that compares people who saw ads with a held-back group to measure the ads' real effect.
- [Marketing mix model](https://sporetag.com/glossary/marketing-mix-model.md): A statistical model that estimates each channel's effect on sales from aggregate spend and sales over time.
- [MER](https://sporetag.com/glossary/mer.md): Marketing efficiency ratio: total revenue divided by total marketing spend.
- [MRR](https://sporetag.com/glossary/mrr.md): Monthly recurring revenue: the monthly value of every subscription that is paying now.
- [Multi-touch attribution](https://sporetag.com/glossary/multi-touch-attribution.md): Any attribution model that splits credit across more than one touch.
- [Pageview](https://sporetag.com/glossary/pageview.md): One page loaded and counted by an analytics tool.
- [QR code](https://sporetag.com/glossary/qr-code.md): A square barcode that phones read with the camera to open a link.
- [Referrer](https://sporetag.com/glossary/referrer.md): The address of the page a visitor came from, sent by the browser when they follow a link.
- [Retention rate](https://sporetag.com/glossary/retention-rate.md): The share of customers, or of recurring revenue, still with you at the end of a period.
- [ROAS](https://sporetag.com/glossary/roas.md): Return on ad spend: revenue credited to ads divided by what the ads cost.
- [Sampling](https://sporetag.com/glossary/sampling.md): Building a report from a portion of the data and scaling the result up to estimate the whole.
- [Server-side tagging](https://sporetag.com/glossary/server-side-tagging.md): Running marketing and analytics tags on a server you control, which then forwards data to each vendor.
- [Server-side tracking](https://sporetag.com/glossary/server-side-tracking.md): Sending analytics or conversion events from a server, rather than from the visitor's browser.
- [Session](https://sporetag.com/glossary/session.md): A group of pageviews and events from one browser, ended by a period of inactivity or another rule.
- [Session timeout](https://sporetag.com/glossary/session-timeout.md): How long a visitor can be inactive before their session ends and the next action starts a new one.
- [Short link](https://sporetag.com/glossary/short-link.md): A short address on a link domain that redirects to a longer one, counting the click on the way.
- [Third-party cookie](https://sporetag.com/glossary/third-party-cookie.md): A cookie set by a domain other than the one in the address bar, used to follow people across sites.
- [Unique visitor](https://sporetag.com/glossary/unique-visitor.md): A browser or person counted once in a period, however many times they visited.
- [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-parameters.md): Tags added to the end of a link that tell analytics tools the source, medium and campaign of the visit.
- [utm_campaign](https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-campaign.md): The UTM parameter that names the specific push, offer or promotion a link belongs to.
- [utm_content](https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-content.md): The UTM parameter that tells apart links or creatives within the same campaign.
- [utm_medium](https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-medium.md): The UTM parameter that names the kind of channel: social, cpc, email, sms, qr.
- [utm_source](https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-source.md): The UTM parameter that names who sent the visit: a site, app, newsletter or partner.
- [utm_term](https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-term.md): The UTM parameter originally made for the paid search keyword, often used for the ad set or audience.
- [View-through conversion](https://sporetag.com/glossary/view-through-conversion.md): A conversion credited to an ad the person saw but did not click.
- [Year over year](https://sporetag.com/glossary/year-over-year.md): A comparison of a period with the same period a year earlier, to see growth after seasonality.

---

# Getting started

> Create an account, add your first site, paste one script tag and see your first visit in Sporetag. Then make your first short link.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/getting-started
Section: Start here

Sporetag counts visits to your website and clicks on your short links. It shows both in one dashboard, so you can follow a click from Instagram to the visit, then to the signup or sale.

This page takes you from a new account to your first visit. It takes about five minutes.

## 1. Create an account

Go to [Sign up](https://sporetag.com/signup) and enter your email and a password. We send you a link to confirm your email. You can look around before you confirm, but you need a confirmed email to make short links.

## 2. Add a site

In the dashboard, choose **Add site** and enter the domain, for example `shop.example.com`. Leave out `https://` and `www.`. Subdomains of the domain you enter are counted too.

The Free plan has 1 site. Solo has 5, Studio has 25 and Agency has 100. See [Billing and limits](https://sporetag.com/docs/billing-and-limits).

## 3. Add the script

Paste this tag into the `<head>` of every page. Use your own domain in `data-site`.

```html
<script defer data-site="shop.example.com" src="https://sporetag.com/s.js"></script>
```

Most site builders have a box for code in the head. [Add the script](https://sporetag.com/docs/add-the-script) has steps for common ones.

## 4. Check that it works

Open your site in a normal browser tab and stay on the page for a few seconds. The script waits until the tab has been visible for 1.5 seconds before it counts a visit. That keeps out tabs that open in the background and close again.

Then open the site in your dashboard. The **Live** count shows visitors from the last five minutes.

The dashboard is built for your kind of site and fills in as you connect ads or a store. Click any number to see what makes it. See [Dashboards](https://sporetag.com/docs/dashboards).

> If nothing shows up, check that the domain in `data-site` matches the site you added, and that an ad blocker is not stopping the script. A [script proxy](https://sporetag.com/docs/script-proxy), on paid plans, gets past most blockers.

### Pick the dates

The button over the dashboard holds the period and what it is compared with. Every card follows it. **Previous period** compares like for like: this month so far, October 1 to 23, against September 1 to 23. **Same period last year** uses the same dates a year back. Turn on **Match weekdays** to go back 364 days instead, so a Monday lines up with a Monday. **No comparison** hides every change.

Keys: **T** today, **W** last 7 days, **M** last 30 days, **X** comparison on or off, **Left** and **Right** step back and forward one period. The address keeps the period and the comparison, so a copied link or a dashboard's share link opens the same view.

## 5. Make a short link

Open **Links** and choose **New link**. Paste a long address, pick where you will share it, such as SMS or Instagram bio, and choose **Make link**. You get a link like `go.sporetag.com/a8Kd2Q`, ready to copy. If the link points to a site you track, Sporetag ties the click to the visit that follows. See [Short links](https://sporetag.com/docs/short-links).

## 6. Use your own domain

On a paid plan, put your links on `go.yourdomain.com` instead. People, Meta, Instagram and email filters trust your own name more. It takes one DNS record. See [Custom short domains](https://sporetag.com/docs/custom-short-domains).

## Next steps

The Events API, the Meta Conversions API, the script proxy and attribution are on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom.

- Count signups and sales with [custom events and goals](https://sporetag.com/docs/custom-events-and-goals).
- Send sales from your server with the [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api).
- Send conversions to Meta with the [Meta Conversions API](https://sporetag.com/docs/meta-conversions-api).
- Pick a [tracking mode](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes) for each site.

---

# Dashboards

> Boards built for your site, a breakdown behind every number, cards that say why they are empty, monthly targets, and edits that save themselves.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/dashboards
Section: Start here

Each site opens on its dashboard: a board of cards, each one a number, a chart or a table. Every card follows the period and the comparison at the top (see [Pick the dates](https://sporetag.com/docs/getting-started#pick-the-dates)).

## Boards built for you

Sporetag builds the first board from the kind of site and what you have connected. Until you change its cards, it keeps itself current: connect Meta or Stripe and the cards for them appear on their own.

Click the dashboard's name to switch boards. **New dashboard** starts one from a board for your business:

| Board | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Overview | Picked for this site from what you connect |
| Store | Revenue, orders, return on ads, the funnel |
| Lead gen | Leads, cost per lead and where they come from |
| SaaS | Signups, MRR and lifetime value by source |
| Local service | Calls, form leads and cost per lead |
| Content | Readers, top pages and newsletter signups |
| Agency client | Three numbers and the goal, for a client |
| Blank | Start empty and add cards |

The same menu has **Duplicate**, **Rename**, **Earlier versions** and **Set as default**. Each person can have 1 board per site on Free, 5 on Solo, 12 on Studio and 25 on Agency.

## See what makes a number

Click a number, an ad tile or a point on a chart to open its breakdown. It slides in from the right, or up from the bottom on a phone. It shows the number for the period, or for the day you clicked, split up to four ways:

- Visits: **Source**, **Campaign**, **Page** and **Device**.
- Ads: **Platform**, **Campaign**, **Ad set** and **Ad**.

A split the card is already filtered on is left out. The foot of the breakdown has one link that goes deeper:

- **See these visitors** opens Profiles with the people seen in that span, on sites with [90-day tracking](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes).
- **Open in Attribution** opens the ads on the [Attribution report](https://sporetag.com/docs/attribution-report).
- **Add a note** writes a [note](https://sporetag.com/docs/chart-notes) on that day, from a day on the main chart.

Press Escape or click outside to close it.

## When a card has no numbers

A card with nothing to show says why in one line, with one button to fix it:

| The card says | The button |
|---|---|
| No ad account connected yet. | **Connect your ads**, or the platform the card is about, such as **Connect Meta Ads** |
| No store connected yet. | **Connect your store**, or the store the card is about, such as **Connect Shopify** |
| No email tool connected yet. | **Connect your email tool**, or the tool the card is about, such as **Connect Klaviyo** |
| Stripe is not connected yet. | **Connect Stripe** |
| No tracking number yet. | **Set up call tracking** |
| Pick what counts as a lead. | **Add a goal** |
| No visitors in this range, or the card's own number, such as No signups in this range. | **Try last 30 days**, when the range is shorter than 4 weeks |
| Tracking started Oct 12. | **Show from Oct 12**, when the whole range is before the first visit |
| On Solo, Studio and Agency. | **See plans**, or a free trial if you never had a paid plan |
| This card could not load. | **Try again** |

Days before the first tracked visit show as no data, not zero. Charts start their visit lines on that day, and the main chart gets a **Tracking started** note, unless you [imported history](https://sporetag.com/docs/import-history) from before it.

### When numbers are late

A card whose numbers come from a connected tool says so when they are older than they should be:

- **Meta synced 9 h ago**: an ad platform that has not synced for 4 hours, or a store or email tool for 1 hour.
- **Meta stopped Oct 21.** with **Reconnect**: the connection broke. The card keeps the numbers it had.

### Filters that cannot apply

Filters at the top narrow visits. Ad spend, sales, email and calls have no visitor source, so those cards are grayed out and say **Not filtered**. A UTM campaign filter on its own does narrow ad numbers to that campaign.

## What the card sentences mean

When a comparison is picked at the top, a number card with **Compare to previous period** on can add one sentence that names what moved it, such as "Signups up 22%, mostly from Meta (+31)". A one-row card shows only the second half: "Mostly from Meta (+31)".

A sentence shows only when all of these are true:

- The period before had at least 10.
- The change is 15% or more, and at least 5.
- One source or platform made at least half of the change, and at least 5 of it.

When the change is spread thin, there is no sentence. The card's percent already says it. In the [simple view](https://sporetag.com/docs/autopilot#the-simple-view-for-clients), up to two of these sentences from the number cards clients see follow the summary.

### The unusual dot

When a number moved far from a usual day for that weekday, its number card gets a dot in the header, and on a card half the board wide or more, the words "Unusual for a Tuesday". Point at it to read what changed and its likely cause. Click it to open the change on **Alerts**. It shows on visitors, your goal's conversions and conversion rate, revenue, ad spend and cost per result. See [Unusual changes](https://sporetag.com/docs/autopilot#unusual-changes).

## Monthly targets

Give a number card a target and it shows where you stand this month.

1. Open the card's menu and choose **Edit this widget**.
2. Under **More**, type a number in **Monthly target**. Clear it to remove the target.

The card grows to two rows for a bar, a mark for where it should be by today, and one line:

- For a total, such as visitors, signups, revenue or spend: "236 of 500 this month", then "Needs 18 a day, getting 15" or "On pace for 520". Once the site has 4 weeks of data, pace is weighted by its busy and quiet weekdays over the last 8 weeks, so a quiet Monday does not read as behind.
- For a rate or a cost per one, such as conversion rate or cost per lead, there is no pace. The month so far is held against the target: "$22 this month" and "Target $25 or less".

The status reads **On track** at the target's pace or better, **Close** at 90% to 99% of it, and **Behind** under 90%. A number where lower is better, like a cost per lead, reads **Over** instead of Behind. Nothing is judged in the first 2 days of the month. A total that reaches its target reads **Hit** and **Target reached**.

On day 10 and day 20 of the month, a target that is Behind or Over sends the **A target falls behind** alert, once per target per month. Turn it off in **Alerts**, under the site's **Alert settings**. Targets on the dashboard your clients see also show in the simple view and in [client report](https://sporetag.com/docs/client-reports) emails.

## Change a dashboard

There is no Save button. Every change saves itself about a second after you make it.

- **Add card** opens one sheet: **Suggested** cards picked from your own numbers, each with why; **Search every card**; and **Or start a new dashboard**. A card you pick lands where you are looking. You do not need to press **Edit** first. A dashboard holds 24 cards.
- **Edit** lets you move cards and change them. Drag a card by its header, or select one and use the arrow keys. A card's menu has **Chart settings**, **Duplicate**, **Move up**, **Move down** and **Remove**. In **Chart settings**, pick the **Metric**, **Show as** (Number, Line, Bar or Table) and **Split by**. Title, filters (up to 3), goal, compare, target and size are under **More**.
- On a phone or tablet, press **Arrange** while editing to move cards up or down, or remove them, from a list.
- The bar says **Saving**, then **Saved**. Press **Done** when you are finished.

### Undo and earlier versions

**Undo** and **Redo** go back and forward up to 50 steps while the page is open, in or out of editing. Cmd+Z or Ctrl+Z undoes. Add Shift, or press Ctrl+Y, to redo. Adding a card, removing one, **Reset** and **Restore** each show a message with **Undo**, so none of them asks first.

**Earlier versions**, in the menu under the dashboard's name, keeps the last 20 versions of the board, each with its time and number of cards. A burst of quick changes is one version: a new one is kept only when the board had stood for 5 minutes, and before every Reset and Restore. Press **Restore** next to a version to bring it back.

### If a change does not save

- **This dashboard changed in another tab. Reload to see it.** Another tab saved first. This tab stops saving, so it never wipes that change. Press **Reload**.
- **Not saved. Check your connection.** Press **Try again** once you are back online. The change waits until then.

Closing the tab sends any change still waiting. Shared links, client logins and the demo never save changes.

---

# Assistant

> Ask the assistant for goals, dashboards, links, segments, flows, client reports, emails and texts. Every change waits for your OK.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/assistant
Section: Start here

Sporetag Assistant sets things up for you when you ask in plain words. It reads your stats and settings, then proposes each change on a card. Nothing changes until you press **Apply**.

If the assistant reads "(when shipped)" in the app, it is not switched on for Sporetag yet.

## Open it

Press **Assistant** at the top of any page in the app. On a computer it opens on the right. On a phone it slides up from the bottom. It knows which site and page you are on, and keeps one conversation per site. **New chat** (the plus) starts over.

Not sure what to ask? Each page shows a few ideas, like:

- Set up my goals
- Build me a signups dashboard
- Set up an abandoned checkout flow
- Write and schedule a welcome series
- Make a weekly ads report for my client

## What it can do

| Ask for | What happens |
|---|---|
| Stats and results | It reads your dashboard and the Attribution report, then answers. |
| Goals | It proposes a goal, like "Someone buys" or a thank-you page. |
| A dashboard | It makes a new named dashboard from a template (Store, Lead gen, SaaS, Local service, Content, Agency client), changes the charts and tables on any of your dashboards, or sets which goal a dashboard counts. |
| Short links | It proposes a link with the right UTM tags, like `instagram` and `bio`. |
| Segments | It proposes a group of customers by source, orders or spend. |
| Setup help | It checks your tag and integrations and says what is wrong, with the steps from these guides. |
| Emails and texts | It reads your website for your brand voice, then drafts a subject, preview text and body, or a text message. |
| Automations | It builds [flows](https://sporetag.com/docs/automations): an abandoned checkout reminder, a welcome series, or any trigger and steps you describe. It adds emails and texts to a flow, pauses and resumes flows, and sends you a test. |
| Client reports | It makes a [client report](https://sporetag.com/docs/client-reports) from a template, sets when it goes and who gets it, changes it, and sends you a test. |

## Flows send to real people

A flow the assistant builds is saved as a draft in **Automations**. Nothing goes to a customer until you publish it. The **Publish** card says what it will send and to whom, and asks you to apply only if those people gave you their details to hear from you. **Undo** on it pauses the flow.

- Emails come from Sporetag's sending address with your site's name, your postal address and an unsubscribe link. Sending from your own domain is (when shipped).
- Texts go only to people who agreed to texts, never at night their time, and each part costs money. Cards with texts say so. Texts are (when shipped).
- Tests go to you only: a test email to your sign-in address, a test text to the number you type on the card.

Reports work the same way: the card says when the report will email your clients. Add their addresses on the card with **Edit**; the assistant never asks for them in chat.

## Apply, Edit, Cancel

Every change shows as a card first: what will be created or changed, on which site.

- **Apply** makes the change.
- **Edit** lets you change the name, address or wording first, then Apply.
- **Cancel** leaves everything as it was.

If you type a new message instead, any open card is canceled.

The **Changes** tab lists what you applied, newest first. Most changes have **Undo**: a goal is removed, a dashboard goes back to how it was or a new one is deleted, a short link is archived, a segment or draft is deleted, a new flow or report is deleted, an added step comes out again, and a published flow is paused. Test sends cannot be undone.

## Drafts

Emails and texts are saved as drafts in the **Drafts** tab once you press Apply. Press **Use in a flow** and the assistant proposes a flow card with it, to send it from Sporetag. Or copy the subject or the whole email into your email tool: pick **For Klaviyo** or **For Mailchimp** and the merge fields are written the way that tool expects.

In a flow, `{{first_name}}` becomes the flow's first name field (with "there" when it is not known) and both source fields become where they came from. Flows add the unsubscribe link themselves. Orders and lifetime spend cannot go in a flow yet.

Drafts can use these merge fields:

| Field | What it is |
|---|---|
| `{{first_name}}` | The person's first name |
| `{{sporetag_first_source}}` | Where they first came from |
| `{{sporetag_last_source}}` | Where they came from most recently |
| `{{sporetag_orders}}` | How many orders they made |
| `{{sporetag_ltv}}` | What they spent in total |
| `{{unsubscribe_link}}` | The unsubscribe link (emails only) |

The `sporetag_` fields are filled in by your email tool from the details Sporetag sends it. See [Segments and best send time](https://sporetag.com/docs/segments-and-best-send-time).

## Clients

People you invite to a site's dashboard can open the assistant too. By default they can only ask questions. To let them add goals, segments and drafts (still only after they press Apply), open the assistant on that site, go to **Changes**, and turn on **Invited clients can make changes**. Short links and dashboard layouts stay with you. Their messages count toward your plan.

## AI actions per month

Each message you type is one AI action. So is each weekly plan made for a site. Your plan includes some every month, from the 1st:

| Plan | AI actions a month |
|---|---|
| Free | 20 |
| Solo | 200 |
| Studio | 1,000 |
| Agency | 3,000 |
| Custom | 10,000 |

Applying or canceling a card does not count again. **Billing** shows how many you used and when they reset. We email you once at 80% and once when they are all used.

**Past your plan.** On a paid plan you can keep going. Each extra action is a small usage charge, shown in the **Past your plan** line on **Billing**, with texts and emails. Billing says whether it is billed yet: until usage billing starts, it is not. Your **usage limit** (set on Billing, $25 to start) caps it: at the limit, extra actions pause until the 1st, and we tell you. Set it to 0 to stop at what your plan includes. Free stops at its 20 a month.

To keep things fair, one person can send 20 messages in 10 minutes and 150 a day.

## What the assistant sees

Sporetag Assistant runs on an open model hosted by Cloudflare Workers AI, inside the same Cloudflare account that hosts Sporetag. Anthropic is not used today. The [privacy policy](https://sporetag.com/privacy) lists who processes what. To answer, Sporetag sends the model your question, the page you are on, and what the tools read: stats and report summaries, goal and segment names, counts of customers and visitors, and text from your public website. It never sends contact details (emails, phone numbers or names of your customers) or passwords and keys.

Text from websites and customer data is marked as outside data, and the assistant is told never to follow instructions in it. Even if it were fooled, it could only propose a change. Nothing happens until you press Apply, and a card shows a warning when it was suggested after reading your website or customer data.

---

# Add the script

> Paste the Sporetag script tag into your site's head. Steps for plain HTML, WordPress, Shopify, Webflow, Squarespace, Wix and single page apps.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/add-the-script
Section: Start here

The script is one tag. In Private mode, the default, it sets no cookies and stores nothing in the browser.

```html
<script defer data-site="shop.example.com" src="https://sporetag.com/s.js"></script>
```

Put it in the `<head>` of every page. `data-site` is the domain you added in Sporetag.

## What the script does

- Counts a pageview once the tab has been visible for 1.5 seconds.
- Sends how long the page was visible when the visitor leaves.
- Follows page changes in single page apps that use the History API.
- Reads UTM tags and ad click ids (`gclid`, `gbraid`, `wbraid`, `fbclid`) from the landing address.
- Does nothing in automated browsers that report `navigator.webdriver`.

Step-by-step guides: [Shopify](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-shopify), [WordPress](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-wordpress), [Squarespace](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-squarespace), [Wix](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-wix), [Webflow](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-webflow), [Framer](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-framer), [Google Tag Manager](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-google-tag-manager) and [any other site](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-html).

## Plain HTML

Paste the tag inside `<head>` on each page, or in your shared header template.

## WordPress

Use your theme's header settings, or a plugin that adds code to the head. Paste the tag as it is. Clear any page cache after you save.

## Shopify

In the admin, open **Online Store**. Next to your theme, click **...**, then **Edit code**. Open `theme.liquid` and paste the tag just before `</head>`. [Full Shopify guide](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-shopify).

## Webflow, Squarespace and Wix

Each has a site wide setting for custom code in the head. Paste the tag there and publish the site. Some of these builders only allow custom code on paid plans.

## Single page apps

Load the tag once, in the main HTML file. The script listens for route changes and counts each one as a pageview. You do not need to call anything yourself.

## Check it

Open your site, wait a few seconds, then look at the **Live** count in your dashboard. The same browser counts as one visitor per day.

## Ad blockers

Some blockers stop analytics scripts by their address. To count those visits, serve the script from your own domain with a [script proxy](https://sporetag.com/docs/script-proxy).

---

# Install on Shopify

> Add Sporetag to your Shopify store in about five minutes. Copy one line and paste it into your theme. No coding needed.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/install-shopify
Section: Start here

You copy one line from Sporetag and paste it into your Shopify theme. It takes about five minutes.

## Before you start

Copy your tag. In Sporetag, open [Set up your site](https://sporetag.com/app/start), or open your site's **Settings**. Your tag looks like this, with your own address:

```html
<script defer data-site="yourshop.com" src="https://sporetag.com/s.js"></script>
```

## Steps

1. In your Shopify admin, open **Online Store**. You land on your themes.
2. Next to your current theme, click the **...** button, then **Edit code**.
3. In the **layout** folder, open `theme.liquid`.
4. Find the line `</head>`. Paste the tag on the line just above it.
5. Click **Save**.

## Check it works

Go back to Sporetag. On the last setup step, click **Check my site**. Then open your store in a new tab. Your first visit shows up in a minute or two.

## Good to know

- Shopify checkout pages do not run theme code, so the tag does not see them. To count sales, connect your store with the [Shopify connector](https://sporetag.com/docs/shopify-connector), on paid plans. Each order then shows with the ad or link that brought it, and every buyer and new customer account is added to [Profiles](https://sporetag.com/docs/customer-profiles) with their email. No extra code.
- If you switch to a new theme later, paste the tag into the new theme too.
- A store with a password page still works, but our check cannot see past the password. Open the store yourself and wait for the first visit.

---

# Install on WordPress

> Add Sporetag to a WordPress site with the free WPCode plugin. Copy one line, paste it in the header box, and save. No coding needed.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/install-wordpress
Section: Start here

You add a small free plugin, then paste one line from Sporetag. It takes about five minutes.

## Before you start

Copy your tag. In Sporetag, open [Set up your site](https://sporetag.com/app/start), or open your site's **Settings**. Your tag looks like this, with your own address:

```html
<script defer data-site="yoursite.com" src="https://sporetag.com/s.js"></script>
```

## Steps

1. In your WordPress admin, go to **Plugins**, then **Add New Plugin**.
2. Search for **WPCode**. Click **Install Now**, then **Activate**.
3. Go to **Code Snippets**, then **Header & Footer**.
4. Paste the tag into the **Header** box and save.
5. If you use a cache plugin, clear its cache.

## Check it works

Go back to Sporetag. On the last setup step, click **Check my site**. Then open your site in a new tab. Your first visit shows up in a minute or two.

## Good to know

- Any plugin that adds code to the head works the same way. Some themes have a header code box in their own settings too.
- On WordPress.com, adding plugins may need a paid plan.
- If the check says the tag is missing, clear your cache plugin and any CDN cache, then check again.

---

# Install on Squarespace

> Add Sporetag to a Squarespace site with Code Injection. Copy one line, paste it into the Header box, and save. No coding needed.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/install-squarespace
Section: Start here

You paste one line from Sporetag into Squarespace's Code Injection panel. It takes about three minutes.

## Before you start

Copy your tag. In Sporetag, open [Set up your site](https://sporetag.com/app/start), or open your site's **Settings**. Your tag looks like this, with your own address:

```html
<script defer data-site="yoursite.com" src="https://sporetag.com/s.js"></script>
```

## Steps

1. Open the **Code Injection** panel. In most sites it is under **Pages**, then **Website Tools**.
2. Paste the tag into the **Header** box.
3. Click **Save**.

## Check it works

Go back to Sporetag. On the last setup step, click **Check my site**. Then open your site in a new tab. Your first visit shows up in a minute or two.

## Good to know

- Squarespace offers Code Injection on its Core, Plus and Advanced plans.
- Squarespace checkout pages do not run injected code, so Sporetag does not count them.
- A site with a password or that is not published yet cannot be checked from outside. Open it yourself and wait for the first visit.

---

# Install on Wix

> Add Sporetag to a Wix site with Custom Code in your site settings. Paste one line, place it in the head of all pages, and apply.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/install-wix
Section: Start here

You paste one line from Sporetag into Wix's Custom Code settings. It takes about five minutes.

## Before you start

Copy your tag. In Sporetag, open [Set up your site](https://sporetag.com/app/start), or open your site's **Settings**. Your tag looks like this, with your own address:

```html
<script defer data-site="yoursite.com" src="https://sporetag.com/s.js"></script>
```

## Steps

1. In your site dashboard, open **Settings**.
2. Under **Development & integrations**, click **Custom Code**.
3. Click **+ Add Custom Code** and paste the tag. Name it Sporetag.
4. Under **Add Code to Pages**, pick **All pages**, and load the code on each new page.
5. Under **Place Code in**, pick **Head**. Click **Apply**.

## Check it works

Go back to Sporetag. On the last setup step, click **Check my site**. Then open your site in a new tab. Your first visit shows up in a minute or two.

## Good to know

- Wix runs custom code only on a published site with a connected domain.
- Add the site to Sporetag with that domain, like yoursite.com, not the Wix editor address.

---

# Install on Webflow

> Add Sporetag to a Webflow site. Paste one line into the Head code box in Site settings, save, then publish. No coding needed.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/install-webflow
Section: Start here

You paste one line from Sporetag into Webflow's site settings, then publish. It takes about three minutes.

## Before you start

Copy your tag. In Sporetag, open [Set up your site](https://sporetag.com/app/start), or open your site's **Settings**. Your tag looks like this, with your own address:

```html
<script defer data-site="yoursite.com" src="https://sporetag.com/s.js"></script>
```

## Steps

1. Open your site's **Site settings**.
2. Click **Custom code**.
3. Paste the tag into the **Head code** box. Click **Save**.
4. Publish your site. The tag runs only after you publish.

## Check it works

Go back to Sporetag. On the last setup step, click **Check my site**. Then open your site in a new tab. Your first visit shows up in a minute or two.

## Good to know

- Webflow may ask you to add a site plan before you can use custom code.
- Code in **Head code** runs on every page. You do not need to add it page by page.

---

# Install on Framer

> Add Sporetag to a Framer site. Paste one line into the Custom Code section of Site Settings, then publish. No coding needed.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/install-framer
Section: Start here

You paste one line from Sporetag into Framer's site settings, then publish. It takes about three minutes.

## Before you start

Copy your tag. In Sporetag, open [Set up your site](https://sporetag.com/app/start), or open your site's **Settings**. Your tag looks like this, with your own address:

```html
<script defer data-site="yoursite.com" src="https://sporetag.com/s.js"></script>
```

## Steps

1. Open your project's **Site Settings**.
2. Find the **Custom Code** section.
3. Paste the tag into the box for the start of the head tag.
4. Publish your site.

## Check it works

Custom code does not run in the Framer preview, only on the published site. Go back to Sporetag. On the last setup step, click **Check my site**. Then open your published site in a new tab. Your first visit shows up in a minute or two.

## Good to know

- Code in Site Settings runs on every page. Page settings can add more, but you do not need them for Sporetag.

---

# Install with Google Tag Manager

> Add Sporetag through Google Tag Manager with a Custom HTML tag on all pages. Use this if Tag Manager is already on your site.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/install-google-tag-manager
Section: Start here

If Google Tag Manager is already on your site, you can add Sporetag there. It takes about five minutes.

## Before you start

Copy your tag. In Sporetag, open [Set up your site](https://sporetag.com/app/start), or open your site's **Settings**. Your tag looks like this, with your own address:

```html
<script defer data-site="yoursite.com" src="https://sporetag.com/s.js"></script>
```

## Steps

1. In Tag Manager, open your container. Click **Tags**, then **New**.
2. Name it Sporetag. Click **Tag Configuration** and pick **Custom HTML**.
3. Paste the tag into the **HTML** box.
4. Under **Triggering**, pick **Initialization - All Pages**. Click **Save**.
5. Click **Submit**, then **Publish**.

## Check it works

Tag Manager adds tags after the page loads, so the **Check my site** button cannot see them. Open your site in a new tab instead. On the last setup step in Sporetag, your first visit shows up in a minute or two.

## Good to know

- Nothing is counted until you publish the container.
- If your site has no Tag Manager yet, it is simpler to paste the tag straight into your site. See [Install on any site](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-html).

---

# Install on any site

> Add Sporetag to any website. Paste one line into the head of every page, or into the head code setting your site builder has.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/install-html
Section: Start here

Every website can run Sporetag. You paste one line into the `<head>` of each page.

## Before you start

Copy your tag. In Sporetag, open [Set up your site](https://sporetag.com/app/start), or open your site's **Settings**. Your tag looks like this, with your own address:

```html
<script defer data-site="yoursite.com" src="https://sporetag.com/s.js"></script>
```

## Steps

1. Open the HTML of each page, or the header file all pages share.
2. Paste the tag just above `</head>`.
3. Save, then upload or publish the change.

## Using a site builder?

Most builders have a setting called head code, header code, custom code or code injection. Paste the tag there. It then runs on every page. We have step-by-step guides for [Shopify](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-shopify), [WordPress](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-wordpress), [Squarespace](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-squarespace), [Wix](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-wix), [Webflow](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-webflow), [Framer](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-framer) and [Google Tag Manager](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-google-tag-manager).

## What the one line does

On paid plans, a new site starts with 90-day tracking, and the tag in setup loads `sa.js` instead of `s.js`. That one line then does three things, with no second step:

- **Visits.** Every page view, with where the visitor came from.
- **Sales and goals.** Conversions tie back to the ad or link that brought the visitor, for 90 days.
- **People.** Someone who signs up, signs in or sends a form with an email field is added to [Profiles](https://sporetag.com/docs/customer-profiles), with their email and name. Password and card fields are never read.

With **Wait for consent** on, the tag stores and sends nothing about a person until they agree. On Free, the plain tag counts visits only.

## Signs people in with Google or a magic link?

Then your site never shows a sign-in form, so the tag has nothing to read. Add one more line, called right after someone signs in:

```js
window.sporetag?.('identify', { email, name, id });
```

`email`, `name` and `id` are the person's email, name and your own user id. Send at least one of email or id. Setup shows this line under **Signs people in with Google or a magic link? Add one more line**, on the install step, and the email to your developer includes it. Sign-up and sign-in forms with an email field need nothing.

## Check it works

Go back to Sporetag. On the last setup step, click **Check my site**. Then open your site in a new tab. Your first visit shows up in a minute or two.

## Good to know

- Add the tag once per page, not twice.
- Single page apps need the tag once, in the main HTML file. See [Add the script](https://sporetag.com/docs/add-the-script).
- Need someone else to do it? On step 2 of setup, pick **I have a developer**. We email them the tag and the steps.

---

# Your own tracking address

> Load the Sporetag tag from a subdomain of your own site, like stats.yourdomain.com, with one DNS record. No proxy or code to run.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/own-tracking-address
Section: Start here

Your tag can load from your own domain: `stats.yourdomain.com` instead of `sporetag.com`. You add one DNS record. Sporetag does the rest: the HTTPS certificate, serving the tag and taking its events.

What it gets back, honestly: visitors whose blocker looks for Sporetag's address now count. Blockers that follow the DNS record to Sporetag, such as uBlock Origin in Firefox, can still stop it. Nobody can say how many visits that is for your site, so we do not guess.

It is on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom. It is the easy version of the [script proxy](https://sporetag.com/docs/script-proxy): nothing to host, and the visitor's real address and country come through without a token.

## Step 1: add the address in Sporetag

1. Open the site, then **Settings**.
2. Under **Your own tracking address**, keep `stats.yourdomain.com` or type another subdomain of your site.
3. Choose **Set up**. Sporetag shows the record to add.

Pick a name you do not use for anything else. It cannot be your site itself or `www`.

## Step 2: add one CNAME record

| Type | Name | Target |
|---|---|---|
| CNAME | `stats` | `go.sporetag.com` |

Some DNS hosts want the full name, `stats.yourdomain.com`, instead of `stats`. Some call the target **Value**, **Points to** or **Content**. Sporetag shows the steps for your DNS host when it can tell which one you use.

### On Cloudflare

Set **Proxy status** to **DNS only**, the gray cloud. With the orange cloud, Cloudflare answers for the name itself and the tag never reaches Sporetag. If your record is orange, Sporetag tells you which record to click. Nothing else on your site changes.

### The name already points somewhere

If `stats.yourdomain.com` already points to another service, Sporetag shows where. Changing the record moves the name off that service. If something still lives there, remove the address in Sporetag and pick a new name.

## Step 3: wait for Active

Sporetag checks the record when you press **Check now**, when you open Settings and every 15 minutes. Once the record is right, the HTTPS certificate usually takes a few minutes.

## Step 4: paste the new tag, once

When the address is **Active**, the tag in Settings changes by itself:

```html
<script defer data-site="yourdomain.com" data-api="https://stats.yourdomain.com/js/u" src="https://stats.yourdomain.com/js/app.js"></script>
```

Paste it over the old tag in the `<head>` of every page. Until you do, the old tag keeps counting as before. The same tag works with Private mode and 90-day tracking, so switching modes later needs no new tag. Settings says **In use** once visits arrive through it.

## What the address serves

- `/js/app.js`: your site's tag, the same as the standard one.
- `/js/u`: your site's events, for this site only.
- `/`: sends visitors to your site.
- Short links, only if you choose **Use it for short links too**. That uses one of your custom short domains.
- Everything else: not found.

Nothing changes for privacy. The address sets no cookies. With 90-day tracking the tag keeps its first-party id on your own domain, as before, and the same bot filtering and limits apply.

## Remove it

Choose **Remove** next to the address. Put the standard tag back on your site first, because a tag that loads from the address stops counting. If short links use the address, archive them first.

---

# Script proxy

> Serve the Sporetag script and its event endpoint from your own domain with a tiny Cloudflare Worker, so ad blockers drop fewer of your visits.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/script-proxy
Section: Start here

A script proxy serves the script and the event endpoint from your own domain. The browser only talks to your site, so blockers that match on our address let it through. Your numbers get closer to the real count.

The script proxy is on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom. Free does not include it.

## How it works

1. Your site loads the script from a path on your own domain, such as `/st/s.js`.
2. A small proxy on your domain fetches `https://sporetag.com/s.js` and returns it.
3. Events go to `/st/api/e` on your domain. The proxy forwards them to `https://sporetag.com/api/e`.

The script also loads `/st/x.js`, the [automatic events](https://sporetag.com/docs/automatic-events) add-on, from the same path. The snippets below pass it on. A proxy that does not still counts every visit; only the automatic events stop.

The site's **Integrations** page (under **Settings**) has each snippet below with your domain and token filled in, ready to copy.

## The visitor's address

Behind a proxy, the request that reaches Sporetag comes from your proxy's server. Without help, every visitor would look like the same address in the same country, and unique counts would be wrong.

So the proxy passes the visitor's real address in a header. Sporetag only believes that header when the proxy also sends your site's **proxy token**:

| Header | Value |
|---|---|
| `x-sporetag-proxy-key` | The site's proxy token |
| `x-sporetag-client-ip` | The visitor's IP address |
| `x-sporetag-client-country` | Optional. Two letters, such as `DE` |

Make the token on the site's **Integrations** page (under **Settings**), under **Script proxy**. Keep it in your proxy's settings. It never goes into a page, and the browser never sees it.

Why a token: anyone can type an `X-Forwarded-For` header, so Sporetag never reads it. Without a valid token, Sporetag uses the address its own network saw, which a browser cannot fake. A proxy without the token still works. It just counts every visitor from the proxy's own address.

If the token leaks, press **Make a new token** and update your proxy. The old one stops working at once.

## Cloudflare Worker

Create a Worker on a route of your site, such as `shop.example.com/st/*`. Add the token as a secret named `PROXY_KEY` (`npx wrangler secret put PROXY_KEY`).

```js
// Sporetag script proxy. Route: <your domain>/st/*
export default {
  async fetch(request, env) {
    const url = new URL(request.url);
    const path = url.pathname.replace(/^\/st/, '');
    if (path === '/s.js' || path === '/sa.js' || path === '/x.js') {
      return fetch('https://sporetag.com' + path + url.search, { cf: { cacheTtl: 300 } });
    }
    if (path === '/api/e' && request.method === 'POST') {
      const headers = new Headers(request.headers);
      headers.set('x-sporetag-proxy-key', env.PROXY_KEY);
      headers.set('x-sporetag-client-ip', request.headers.get('cf-connecting-ip') || '');
      headers.set('x-sporetag-client-country', request.cf?.country || '');
      return fetch('https://sporetag.com/api/e', { method: 'POST', headers, body: request.body });
    }
    return new Response('Not found', { status: 404 });
  },
};
```

## Next.js on Vercel

A plain rewrite in `next.config.js` works, but cannot add headers, so every visitor counts from Vercel's address. Use middleware instead. Set `SPORETAG_PROXY_KEY` in the project's environment variables.

```ts
// middleware.ts
import { NextResponse, type NextRequest } from 'next/server';

export const config = { matcher: '/st/:path*' };

export function middleware(req: NextRequest) {
  const path = req.nextUrl.pathname.replace(/^\/st/, '');
  const target = new URL(path + req.nextUrl.search, 'https://sporetag.com');
  const headers = new Headers(req.headers);
  if (path === '/api/e') {
    headers.set('x-sporetag-proxy-key', process.env.SPORETAG_PROXY_KEY ?? '');
    headers.set('x-sporetag-client-ip', (req.headers.get('x-forwarded-for') ?? '').split(',')[0].trim());
    headers.set('x-sporetag-client-country', req.headers.get('x-vercel-ip-country') ?? '');
  }
  return NextResponse.rewrite(target, { request: { headers } });
}
```

Vercel sets `x-forwarded-for` itself, so here it is safe to read.

## nginx

Inside your `server { }` block:

```nginx
location = /st/s.js  { proxy_pass https://sporetag.com/s.js;  proxy_set_header Host sporetag.com; proxy_ssl_server_name on; }
location = /st/sa.js { proxy_pass https://sporetag.com/sa.js$is_args$args; proxy_set_header Host sporetag.com; proxy_ssl_server_name on; }
location = /st/x.js  { proxy_pass https://sporetag.com/x.js$is_args$args;  proxy_set_header Host sporetag.com; proxy_ssl_server_name on; }
location = /st/api/e {
  proxy_pass https://sporetag.com/api/e;
  proxy_set_header Host sporetag.com;
  proxy_ssl_server_name on;
  proxy_set_header x-sporetag-proxy-key "YOUR_PROXY_TOKEN";
  proxy_set_header x-sporetag-client-ip $remote_addr;
}
```

If nginx sits behind a load balancer, set `$remote_addr` from the real client with the `real_ip` module first.

## The tag

Point the tag at your own path, and tell the script where to send events with `data-api`.

```html
<script defer data-site="shop.example.com" data-api="/st/api/e" src="/st/s.js"></script>
```

In [90-day tracking](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes) the tag loads `sa.js` instead:

```html
<script defer data-site="shop.example.com" data-mode="attribution" data-api="/st/api/e" src="/st/sa.js?d=shop.example.com"></script>
```

## Check it

Open your site, then the site's dashboard. The visit shows within a few seconds, with your own country. If every visit shows the same country, the token or the address header is missing.

---

# Tracking modes

> Private mode is cookieless with no banner. 90-day tracking keeps a 90-day first-party id so a sale ties back to an earlier click. How to choose.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes
Section: Start here

Each site has a tracking mode. You choose it in the site's **Settings** tab, under **Tracking mode**. The dashboard always shows which mode a site is in.

## Private (the default)

- No cookies and nothing stored in the browser.
- Each visitor gets a hash made from a salt that changes every day, the site, the IP address and the browser's user agent. The IP address is never stored.
- The same person on the next day counts as a new visitor.
- Ad click ids (`gclid`, `gbraid`, `wbraid`, `fbclid`) are read on the landing page and kept with that visit's events only.
- The attribution report can only tie a sale to a source within the same visit.

Private mode is built so that in most places you do not need a consent banner for it. We are not your lawyer, so check the rules where you and your visitors are.

## 90-day tracking

90-day tracking is on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom. Free does not include it. The script keeps a random first-party id and the latest click ids on your own domain for 90 days. So a sale on day 3 ties back to the ad or short link clicked on day 1.

What it stores, on your domain only:

| Name | Holds | Kept |
|---|---|---|
| `_st_id` | A random id, 32 hex characters | 90 days from the last visit |
| `_st_ck` | The latest click ids and when they were clicked | 90 days from each click |
| `_st_c` | `1` once the visitor agreed, with Wait for consent on | 90 days |

Each is a first-party cookie and a copy in `localStorage`. A new Google click replaces older Google click ids; a Meta `fbclid` stays until a newer one comes. If Meta's own pixel set `_fbp` or `_fbc` cookies, the script reads them too, so conversions sent to Meta match better.

- The id lives on your domain, not on ours. It is not shared across sites, and Sporetag cannot follow a person from one site to another.
- [Profiles](https://sporetag.com/docs/customer-profiles) build on this id. Call `sporetag('identify', { email })` on signup or checkout, and the person's visits join one profile.
- Your own server receives the `_st_id` cookie. Send it as `visitor.id` with the [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api) to tie a server sale to earlier visits.
- Safari and some other browsers may clear script-set storage after 7 days without a visit. Then the next visit starts a new id.
- It stores data on the visitor's device. In many places that needs consent first. In the EU and UK this usually means a consent banner.

You are responsible for consent on your site. Sporetag gives you a switch to wait for it.

### The tag

90-day tracking uses its own tag. Copy it from the site's **Settings** tab after you switch:

```html
<script defer data-site="shop.example.com" data-mode="attribution" src="https://sporetag.com/sa.js?d=shop.example.com"></script>
```

Keep the plain tag (`s.js`) after you switch, and visits still count, but no id is kept and no one gets a profile. Sporetag notices this from the visits it receives and shows a warning with the tag to paste.

If you switch back to Private, the 90-day tag keeps working but stores nothing. You can swap it back to the plain tag when you like. If the plan ends, the site works as Private.

## Wait for consent

Turn on **Wait for consent** in the site's settings. The script then stores nothing, and sends nothing to Meta from the browser, until your consent tool tells it to. Until then it works like Private mode.

No consent tool yet? Turn on Sporetag's [simple cookie banner](https://sporetag.com/docs/cookie-banner) in the same Settings tab. It turns on Wait for consent and needs no code.

```js
// Call this when the visitor agrees, for example from your consent banner.
sporetag('consent', true);

// Call this when they say no, or take consent back. It deletes what was stored.
sporetag('consent', false);
```

Before consent, `sporetag('identify', ...)` does nothing too.

Many consent tools let you run a line of code when a category is accepted. Put this line there. The script remembers the yes for 90 days, so you only need to call it when the visitor answers.

## Honest notes on consent

- Private mode does not store anything on the device and keeps no id across days. That is why it usually needs no banner. It still processes the IP address in memory to make the daily hash.
- 90-day tracking stores an id and click ids on the device. Rules like the EU ePrivacy Directive usually ask for consent before that, unless it is strictly needed for a service the visitor asked for. Measuring ads is usually not.
- Sending conversions to Meta shares the visitor's IP address, browser and click ids with Meta, plus hashed email and phone when you send them. That usually needs consent in the EU and UK in either mode, and a line in your privacy policy everywhere.
- Customer profiles keep hashed emails and phones, and the email, name and phone number encrypted unless you turn **Show contact details** off. Name this in your privacy policy. You can delete a customer or forget an email at any time.
- Server events you send with the Events API are yours to justify. Send only what your privacy policy covers.

When unsure, use Private mode, or 90-day tracking with Wait for consent on.

## Which one to pick

| Situation | Mode |
|---|---|
| You want simple stats and no banner | Private |
| You run ads and want sales tied to them | 90-day tracking |
| You send conversions to Meta from later visits | 90-day tracking |
| Most visitors are in the EU and you have no banner | Private |
| You have a consent banner | 90-day tracking with Wait for consent |

You can switch a site between modes at any time. Switching does not change data you already have.

---

# Cookie banner

> Turn on a simple Accept or Decline banner for your site with no code. Nothing is stored until a visitor accepts. You decide whether you need it.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/cookie-banner
Section: Start here

Sporetag can show a simple cookie banner on your site. Visitors pick **Accept** or **Decline**. Until they accept, Sporetag stores nothing on their device and works like Private mode.

You decide whether your site needs a banner and what it says. This page explains how the banner works. It is not legal advice. See [Tracking modes](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes) for what each mode stores.

## Turn it on

1. Open the site, then **Settings**.
2. Under **Cookie banner**, pick **Simple banner**.
3. Change the message and the button words if you like, add your privacy page, and pick your button color.
4. Press **Save banner**.

The banner shows on your site within 5 minutes. You do not change your tag: the 90-day tag loads the banner on its own while it is on.

**See it on a test page** opens a page that shows the banner with your settings, so you can try it before your visitors do.

The banner works in [90-day tracking](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes), on paid plans. Private mode stores nothing on the device, so it has nothing to ask.

## What it does

- Turning it on also turns on **Wait for consent**. Before a visitor answers, Sporetag stores nothing and sends nothing to Meta from the browser. Visits still count, the Private mode way.
- **Accept** is the same as `sporetag('consent', true)`: Sporetag may now keep its id and click ids for 90 days.
- **Decline** is the same as `sporetag('consent', false)`: anything stored is deleted.
- The answer is kept for 180 days in a first-party cookie, `_st_b`, which holds only `1` or `0`. The banner does not show again until then.
- Form capture and tap counting wait for **Accept** too.

## Google Consent Mode

If your site runs Google tags (Google Ads, Google Analytics or Tag Manager), the banner passes each answer to Google as a Consent Mode v2 update: `ad_storage`, `ad_user_data`, `ad_personalization` and `analytics_storage`, all granted on **Accept** and all denied on **Decline**. On later pages it passes the saved answer again. Sites without Google tags get nothing extra.

Google also needs a starting state before its tag loads. Paste this above your Google tag. It starts from the visitor's saved answer, or denied until they pick:

```html
<script>
window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
var v = /(^|; )_st_b=1/.test(document.cookie) ? 'granted' : 'denied';
gtag('consent', 'default', { ad_storage: v, ad_user_data: v, ad_personalization: v, analytics_storage: v, wait_for_update: 500 });
</script>
```

The same snippet is under **Cookie banner** in the site's Settings, ready to copy.

## Let visitors change their answer

Add a link to `#sporetag-consent` anywhere on your site, such as in the footer:

```html
<a href="#sporetag-consent">Cookie settings</a>
```

A click on it opens the banner again.

## How it looks

- It sits at the bottom of the screen, over the page. Nothing on the page moves when it shows.
- **Match your site's theme** (the default) follows your site: a dark or light class or `data-theme` on the page, else how dark the page background is, else the visitor's device. It switches when your site does. You can pick **Always light** or **Always dark** instead.
- The Accept button uses your color, with black or white text, whichever reads better.
- Both buttons are the same size and at least 44 pixels tall. On narrow phones they sit under the message and fill its width.

## Accessibility

- The banner is a labeled region named "Cookie choice", placed first in the page, so keyboard and screen reader users meet it first. It does not trap focus.
- Both buttons work with the keyboard and show a clear focus ring.
- With reduced motion turned on, it appears without sliding in.

## Your own banner instead

If you already use a consent tool, keep the banner off. Turn on **Wait for consent**, and have your tool run this when a visitor agrees:

```js
sporetag('consent', true);
```

See [Tracking modes](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes#wait-for-consent).

---

# Bot filtering

> How Sporetag keeps bots, crawlers and automated browsers out of your numbers, and why visits from data centers still count as people.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/bot-filtering
Section: Start here

A lot of web traffic is not people. Sporetag filters it in a few layers, so your numbers stay close to real visits.

## What is dropped

These events are never written:

- A user agent that names a crawler, a link preview, an uptime monitor, a headless browser or an HTTP library such as `curl`. An empty user agent and a bare `Mozilla/5.0` count as bots too.
- Requests from verified bots, such as search engine crawlers.
- Browsers that report `navigator.webdriver`, which most automation tools do. The script sends nothing from them.
- Browsers that cannot send a beacon. Real browsers today all can.

## What is marked

What gets through is written with a set of flags, so it can be judged again later.

| Flag | Means |
|---|---|
| Unknown user agent | The user agent names no browser and no operating system |
| Bot score | The network's bot score says it is likely automated |
| Data center | The request came from a known cloud or hosting network |

The dashboard leaves out events with either of the first two flags.

## Why data centers still count

Many real people browse through a VPN or a privacy relay. Those often run in data centers. If we dropped every data center visit, we would undercount real people. So a data center flag on its own does not remove a visit.

## Pageviews need a visible tab

The script waits until the tab has been visible for 1.5 seconds before it counts a pageview. Tabs that open in the background and close unseen are not counted. That also stops many simple bots that load a page and leave at once.

---

# Autopilot

> Plain-English summaries, a simple view for clients, alerts that watch your sites, setup that runs itself and a weekly plan.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/autopilot
Section: Start here

Autopilot does the watching for you. It tells you what is happening in plain words, warns you when something needs a look, finishes setup on its own where it can, and suggests a few next steps each week. Nothing changes on your site or account until you press Apply.

## What's happening

On the **Overview**, each site has a short briefing, and every client's view starts with one. It is three to five short sentences written from your own numbers. For example: "38 people visited in the last 7 days, 12 more than the 7 days before." Each sentence links to the place that proves it, such as the dashboard filtered to that source.

- On the Overview they cover the last 7 days. On a client's view they follow the period picked.
- On a client's view, up to two [card sentences](https://sporetag.com/docs/dashboards#what-the-card-sentences-mean) follow, such as "Signups up 22% over the 7 days before, mostly from Meta (+31)."
- When a period has fewer than 10 visitors, you see "Not enough visits yet to spot trends." instead of guesses.
- Ad cost per signup or sale shows only when Sporetag worked out which ads brought them.
- Money is shown in your reporting currency. Other currencies are converted at the European Central Bank rate for each day.
- With filters on, the summary steps aside, since it covers the whole site.

When the Assistant is on, **Explain more** asks it to say what stands out. It counts as one Assistant message.

## The simple view for clients

Most clients want one page with big numbers and no jargon, so a client you invite by email opens the simple view. Set it up in the site's **Reports**, then **Share**, under **Simple view**:

- Pick the three big numbers. The default is visitors, signups or sales, and ad cost per signup or sale. A number with no data is swapped for the next useful one.
- Pick what counts as a signup or sale, or let Sporetag pick.
- Invited clients start on it. Press **Show full dashboard** next to a client to give them the full dashboard instead. The share link shows it only when you tick **Show the simple view on the share link**.

Clients see the summary, the three numbers, the [targets](https://sporetag.com/docs/dashboards#monthly-targets) on the dashboard they see, where visitors came from as a ranked list in plain words ("Google", "Instagram", "Your email"), and the latest signups or sales with where each came from. Names, emails and phone numbers are never shown. A **See the full dashboard** button opens everything else. Press **Preview** to see what they see.

## Alerts

Open **Alerts** in the sidebar to see every alert on every site, newest first. Each one links to where you fix it. Tap a site's name at the top to see only that site, its uptime, and **Alert settings**, where you pick which alerts it sends.

- **Ad spend with no signups today**: your ads spent more than the amount you set and no signup came in by the hour you pick. Default: over 50, by 3 PM.
- **Traffic dropped by half**: yesterday brought half or less of a usual day for that weekday, so a quiet Monday is compared with other Mondays. Sites with fewer than 20 visitors a day are left out.
- **Unusual change**: a number moved far from a usual day. See [Unusual changes](#unusual-changes) below.
- **A target falls behind**: on day 10 or day 20 of the month, a card's [monthly target](https://sporetag.com/docs/dashboards#monthly-targets) is Behind, or Over for a number where lower is better. Once per target per month.
- **Tag stopped sending**: no visits for the hours you set (default 12) on a site that usually has them.
- **Tracking needs a fix**: a [tracking health](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-health) check turned red, such as orders no longer tying to visits or Meta sends failing. Once per break: it alerts again only after the check has passed in between.
- **Big day**: yesterday was your best day in 4 weeks, for signups or visitors.
- **New signup**: the first signup of the day, within 15 minutes. Off by default.

At most one alert of each kind goes out per site per day. Nothing is sent during quiet hours (9 PM to 8 AM by default, in the time zone you pick); what still holds true goes out after. Alerts go by email to you, and to invited clients if you turn that on ("Tag stopped sending" and "Tracking needs a fix" stay with you). Texts to you are (when shipped).

The weekly report already covers the good news of the week, so there is no separate weekly alert.

### Emails you get

**Alerts** also lists every email Sporetag sends you, each with its own switch. A switch works the moment you tap it.

- **Alerts**, **Site down, SSL and domain** and **Weekly plan**: for every site, or for the site you picked at the top.
- **Digest**: every site that needs you, daily or weekly (Studio and Agency). Its time, and Slack or Teams, are under **Digest and chat**.
- **Reports sent to you**: each report that includes you.
- **From Sporetag**: milestones, setup tips and plan reminders.

Security, billing and failed payment emails always reach you, so they have no switch.

### Unusual changes

Each morning Sporetag compares yesterday with the same weekday in the 8 weeks before. It needs 4 of those weeks first. "Usual" is the middle value of those days, so one odd week does not move it. A change counts only when it is 40% or more and well outside how much the number usually swings. There is nothing to set.

It watches:

- Visitors, from 30 on a usual day.
- Your goal's conversions, from 8 on a usual day, and its conversion rate, from 200 visitors and 8 conversions.
- Sales from connected stores, from 5 orders on a usual day.
- Visits from each of your top 5 sources, from 20 on a usual day.
- Ad spend per platform, from 20 a day in the account's currency, and cost per result where the platform reports results. Only once the platform's numbers for yesterday are in.

Each alert says what changed and, when the data shows it, the likely cause: a campaign that stopped or started spending, the one source behind most of a change, the tag that stopped, or one big order. When the data shows no cause, the alert says none. For example: "Visits from Facebook fell 70% yesterday: 18, from about 60 on a usual Wednesday. Meta campaign "Fall sale" stopped spending on Oct 21."

A change that lasts several days is one change: it alerts once, on its first day. What **Traffic dropped by half**, **Big day** or **Tag stopped sending** already told you is left out. **Alerts** lists the last 30 days of changes. Tap **Mute** next to one to stop hearing about that number or source. Muted ones are under **Muted**, where **Unmute** brings them back.

### On your phone

Open **Alerts** and find **Phone alerts**. Tap **Turn on for this device**, then allow alerts when your phone asks. Each alert is one short line; tap it to open the page that shows why.

- **Wins**: first sale of the day, milestones (going live, a first sale, 100 visitors), a record day, and the weekly summary.
- **Problems**: tag stopped, site is down (and back up), traffic halved, unusual changes, a target behind, tracking needs a fix, ad spend with no results, and an SSL certificate or domain about to end. Uptime, SSL and domain checks come with paid plans.

Turn each one on or off, and set quiet hours. Alerts that come in quiet hours wait until they end. Phone alerts follow your own switches, even when a site's email alert is off.

On iPhone and iPad, alerts work only in the Home Screen app, on iOS 16.4 or later. In Safari, tap **Share**, then **Add to Home Screen**. Open Sporetag from your Home Screen and turn alerts on there. Signing out on a phone stops its alerts.

## Setup that runs itself

When you add a site through **Set up my site**, Sporetag reads your home page once:

- It works out what the site is built with (Shopify, WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Webflow, Framer, Next.js, Ghost, or your own code) and opens the right install steps.
- **Email these steps to my developer** sends them the tag and those steps.
- It works out what kind of site it is (a store, a site that gets leads, or a content site) and starts your first dashboard with the right charts.

For the first 7 days, Sporetag checks your site for the tag every 15 minutes. When it finds the tag, or a first visit, you get one email and an "It works." banner on the Overview.

After the first day, Sporetag looks at what your site already sends, like a "Signup" event or a /thank-you page, and suggests goals. Add one with one tap, or turn on **Add suggested goals without asking** in the Alerts settings.

## The weekly plan

Every Monday morning (and any time you press **Make a plan**), each site's briefing on the **Overview** shows three to five next steps, each tied to a real number. Some run with Apply: add a goal, set up an abandoned checkout email, send new signups a welcome email, schedule a weekly client report, or build a signups dashboard. Some open a page, like connecting an ad account. Some are advice, like moving budget to the ad platform that brings signups for less; Sporetag never changes your ads.

- **Apply** first shows exactly what will be made. Press **Apply** again to do it. Applied steps are in the Assistant's **Changes** list, with **Undo** where the feature has one.
- **Not now** hides a step for a week. **Dismiss** hides it for good.
- With the Assistant on, it picks and words the steps from a fixed list of what Sporetag can do. A plan counts as one Assistant message. If any number in its words is not in your data, that step keeps the plain wording instead. With the Assistant off, or no messages left this month, the steps come from the same numbers by fixed rules.
- The plan is emailed to you each Monday, with a link back to Sporetag. Nothing is applied from the email. Turn the email off in **Alerts**, under **Emails**.
- The Assistant never sees names, emails or phone numbers, and treats text from your website as data, not instructions.

---

# Your week email

> A short email every Monday morning with each site's visitors, top source and conversions, and the change from the week before. On every plan, off in one click.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/your-week
Section: Start here

Every Monday morning Sporetag sends you **Your week**: how each of your sites did in the week that just ended. It comes on every plan, Free included, so you can see your numbers without signing in.

## What it says

For each site that had visitors, busiest first:

- **Visitors** in the week, and the change from the week before, such as "+12% on the week before".
- **Conversions**, when the site has goals, with the same change.
- **Top source**: where most visitors came from, such as Google or Instagram, and how many.

The week is Monday to Sunday in your time zone. Up to 8 sites are shown; the rest are a count and a link. The button opens your dashboard.

## When it comes

Monday from 8 AM in your time zone: the first site's alert time zone, set in the site's **Settings** under **Alerts**, else the site's own time zone.

It is not sent when:

- No site had a visit all week.
- You turned it off.
- Your account gets the **Digest** from the Overview by email (Studio and Agency). The digest covers every site already, so you get one Monday email, not two. Turn the digest off and **Your week** comes back.

## Turn it off

Press **Unsubscribe** at the bottom of the email, or open **Settings** and clear **Your week** under **Emails from Sporetag**. Turn it back on in the same place.

The weekly plan from [Autopilot](https://sporetag.com/docs/autopilot#the-weekly-plan) and the [client reports](https://sporetag.com/docs/client-reports) you send are separate emails with their own settings.

---

# Custom events and goals

> Count signups, purchases and button clicks with sporetag() custom events, then turn events and pages into goals you can see in the dashboard.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/custom-events-and-goals
Section: Measure

Pageviews tell you who came. Events and goals tell you who did something.

## Send a custom event

Once the script is on the page, call `sporetag` with an event name.

```js
sporetag('Signup');
```

You can add details as props. Keep values short: plain strings or numbers.

```js
sporetag('Purchase', { plan: 'Pro', value: 49, currency: 'USD' });
```

Events from the browser count toward your monthly allowance like pageviews. [Automatic events](https://sporetag.com/docs/automatic-events), such as outbound link clicks and file downloads, are free and need no code.

The script loads with `defer`, so call `sporetag` from code that runs after the page has loaded, such as a click handler or a form's submit handler.

## Make a goal

A goal is something you want to count as a win, like a sale or a signup. Open the site, then **Goals**. The common goals take one tap and no code:

| Goal | Counts | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| Someone buys | Each paid order (the `Purchase` event) | [Stripe](https://sporetag.com/docs/stripe-connector) or [Shopify](https://sporetag.com/docs/shopify-connector) connected, the [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api), or `sporetag('Purchase')` |
| Someone fills in a form | Each form sent with an email or phone field (the `Form sent` event) | 90-day tracking. Adding the goal turns on [form capture](https://sporetag.com/docs/customer-profiles#people-from-sign-ups-and-forms) |
| Someone books or calls | Taps on your phone number, email address and booking links such as Calendly and Cal.com (the `Book or call` event) | 90-day tracking. Adding the goal turns on tap counting |
| Someone reaches a thank-you page | Visits to the page people see after they buy or sign up | Nothing. Pick the page from your own pages, or type it |

Form sent and Book or call come from a small add-on that the 90-day tag loads only while its switch is on. Like the rest of 90-day tracking, it sends nothing until the visitor agrees when **Wait for consent** is on. Booking links count when a visitor taps a link or button that opens them. A booking made inside an embedded Calendly widget counts too.

### Custom goals

Under **Custom goal** there are two kinds.

| Kind | Counts when |
|---|---|
| A page is visited | A visitor opens a matching path, such as `/thanks`. Use `*` for any part, like `/blog/*` |
| An action happens | An event with this name arrives, such as `Signup` |

A site can have up to 20 goals, and your plan may allow fewer. A new goal counts past visits too.

## See goals in the dashboard

Each goal shows its conversions and its conversion rate: the share of visitors who reached it. Filter by source, campaign or short link to see which one brought the people who converted.

## Send a goal to Meta

On the site's **Integrations** page (under **Settings**), tick a goal under **Goals to send** and its conversions go to the Meta Conversions API, from the browser and from your server. See [Meta Conversions API](https://sporetag.com/docs/meta-conversions-api).

## Events from your server

Some events only your server knows about, like a paid order. Send those with the [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api).

---

# Automatic events

> Outbound link clicks, file downloads, 404 pages, scroll depth and form submits, counted with no code and free of your monthly allowance.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/automatic-events
Section: Measure

Some things are worth counting on every site. Sporetag counts these five for you, with no code:

| Event | Counts | Shows |
|---|---|---|
| `Outbound link` | Clicks on links to other sites, like your booking page or a map | Each link, by host and path |
| `File download` | Clicks on PDFs, menus, price lists, zips, documents, audio and video files, and any link with a `download` attribute | Each file |
| `Page not found` | Visits to your 404 page | Each missing page, and where people came from |
| `Scroll depth` | How far down each page people read: 25, 50, 75 and 100% | The share of views of each page that reached each mark |
| `Form submit` | Every form sent on your site, except search boxes | Each form, by its name or id |

All five are on for every site. Turn any of them off in the site's **Settings**, under **Automatic events**. The reports are in the site's **Goals**, under **Events**.

## What they never read

- No form field. A form submit names the form, never what was typed.
- No query string or `#` part of an address. A link to `calendly.com/acme?email=ann@example.com` counts as `calendly.com/acme`.
- No cookie and no storage. Automatic events work the same in Private mode and 90-day tracking.

## Free of your allowance

Automatic events never count toward your plan's monthly events. Turning them on costs nothing.

## Make one a goal

Under **Events**, **Make it a goal** turns outbound link clicks, file downloads or form submits into a goal in one tap. It counts past events too. Scroll depth and 404 pages are reports, not goals.

## 404 pages

Sporetag looks for "404" or "not found" in the page title. If your 404 page says something else, type its words under **More options** in the Automatic events card. Or add `data-sporetag-404` to any tag on that page:

```html
<main data-sporetag-404>
```

## Scroll depth, exactly

Each page view reaches a mark once. A visitor who reads half a page, switches tabs, then comes back and reads to the end counts once at 50% and once at 100%, never twice at 50%. A page shorter than the screen counts as read to the end.

## How it loads

The tracking script loads a small add-on, `x.js`, with your site's switches already set. It is under 1.5 KB. With every switch off, the file is empty. Behind a [script proxy](https://sporetag.com/docs/script-proxy), pass `/st/x.js` on like the script itself.

Automatic events are kept out of customer profiles and their timelines when they are not something the person chose to do: scroll depth and 404 pages.

---

# Tracking health

> One score per site that says whether you can trust its numbers, with a short list of checks and a one-tap fix for each.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-health
Section: Measure

Every site gets a tracking health score out of 100: the share of the checks that apply that pass, so 9 of 10 checks is 90. It shows as a ring that fills to the score: in the **Tracking health** badge next to the site's name on its dashboard and on each site in your sites list, and in each site's tiles on the [Overview](https://sporetag.com/docs/agency-overview). Tap the badge for the checks.

The ring's color says the status. Green means all good. Amber means something is worth a look. Red means something needs a fix: some numbers are missing or wrong until it is fixed.

## The checks

| Check | Passes when | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| Tag sends visits | A visit came in during the last 24 hours, or the site is quiet anyway | Check the tag on your site |
| Tag on every page | Each page we read, and each page your short links lead to, loads the tag | Add the tag to the pages named |
| 90-day tag | With 90-day tracking, your pages load the 90-day tag, not the plain one | Swap in the 90-day tag |
| One tag per page | No page loads the tag twice, which would count each visit twice | Remove the extra tag |
| Orders tied to a visit | 60% or more of store and CRM orders in 30 days came from a tracked visit | The Shopify snippet, the Stripe visitor id, or 90-day tracking |
| Ad clicks arrive tracked | 40% or more of the clicks your ad accounts report reach your site with their click id | Google auto-tagging, or ad links that keep their click id |
| Visitors who say yes | When the site asks for consent, 30% or more of visitors say yes | Check or shorten the banner, or connect your consent tool |
| Conversions reach Meta | 95% or more of this week's sends to Meta arrived | See the failed sends |
| Goals counting | The site has goals, and each counted something in 30 days | Add or check goals |
| No checkout as a source | No payment page or your own domain starts visits | **Count them as my site**, in one tap |
| Ads name their campaign | 80% or more of visits from ads carry UTM tags | Add the ad URL template |

A check that does not apply yet is listed under **Not checked yet** with what it needs, like "Connect Shopify or Stripe to check this." It does not count toward the score.

Some ad blockers stop the tag from loading, so a share of clicks and orders never reaches any tool. The bars above leave room for that.

## Checkout pages as a source

A buyer who pays on PayPal or a Stripe page and comes back would otherwise look like a new visit from that page, and the ad that brought them would lose the sale. **Count them as my site** treats those pages as part of your site from then on: the visit carries on, and the credit stays with the ad.

## How often

Sporetag checks each site about once an hour, and reads your home page and up to four pages it links to once a day. **Check again** on the health page does it all now.

## Alerts

When a check turns red, Sporetag sends one **Tracking needs a fix** alert, like the other [Autopilot alerts](https://sporetag.com/docs/autopilot#alerts). It goes to you only, never to invited clients, and only once per break. A tag that stops sending has its own alert, **Tag stopped sending**.

---

# Funnels

> See how many people make each step to a sale or a signup, where the rest leave, how long each step takes, and which sources finish best.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/funnels
Section: Measure

A funnel is the path people take to a win, step by step: visit the site, view a product, open the cart, start checkout, buy. It shows how many make each step, and where the rest leave.

Funnels are on Solo, Studio and Agency.

## Your first funnel is ready

Open the site, then **Goals**, then **Funnels**. Sporetag builds a funnel for you from your [goals](https://sporetag.com/docs/custom-events-and-goals) and the pages people really visit. A shop gets visit, product, cart, checkout, then the sale. A lead site gets visit, pricing or contact, then the form. It is marked **Suggested**. Tap **Save** to keep it as it is, or **Change steps** to start from it.

No goal yet? Add one on the **Goals** tab and the suggestion appears.

## Read it

- **The sentence on top** names the step where most people leave.
- **Started, Finished and Conversion** sum it up. Conversion is the share of starters who finished, with the change from the period before.
- **Each bar** is the people who reached that step, and their share of the starters.
- **Between the bars:** the share who went on, how many left, and the typical (median) time the next step took.
- **The thin mark** on each bar is where the period before ended up.

Pick 7, 30 or 90 days on top. **Split by** shows the same funnel by source, campaign or device, so you can see that Instagram visitors finish twice as often as Google ones.

## See who left

With 90-day tracking, the number of people who left at a step is a link. It opens the visitor profiles behind it, newest first, so you can see where they came from and what they did. Profiles start after consent when your site waits for it, so the list can be shorter than the count.

## Build or change a funnel

**New funnel** opens the builder, filled with the suggested steps.

| Step | Counts when | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Page | Someone views a page. Use `*` for any part | `/products/*`, `/cart`, `/*` for any page |
| Event | Your site or the Events API sends that event | `Signup`, `Add to cart` |
| Goal | One of your goals is reached | Purchase, Form sent |

Steps must happen in this order. A later step never counts from the same event as the step before it.

**Count the steps** sets how far apart they can be:

- **In one visit:** all steps in the same visit (one visitor on one day). This is all Private mode can do.
- **Within 1, 7 or 30 days, across visits:** for sites with [90-day tracking](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes). Someone who looks today and buys on Friday counts as one finish.

A site can have 10 funnels with 2 to 8 steps each.

## On dashboards and in reports

On any dashboard, tap **Add card**, type "funnel" and pick **Funnel**. It starts on the suggested funnel. To show another, open the card's menu, choose **Edit this widget** and pick it under **Funnel**. It shows for the dashboard's period, on shared client dashboards too. Client reports have a **Funnel** block. The Store, Lead gen and SaaS [dashboards](https://sporetag.com/docs/dashboards#boards-built-for-you) start with the suggested funnel.

## How it is counted

- A funnel starts when step 1 happens inside the period. Later steps may land after the period ends, while they are within the window.
- If someone starts more than once, the try that got furthest counts.
- Bots never count, as everywhere in Sporetag.
- A funnel reads the last 90 days at most. On a very busy site a funnel reads the first 50,000 matching events of a period, and the page says when that limit was reached.

---

# Events API

> Send signups and sales from your server to Sporetag with POST /api/v1/events and a per-site secret key. Examples in Node, Python, PHP and curl.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api
Section: Measure

The Events API records an event from your server. Use it for things the browser never sees, or cannot be trusted with: a paid order, a webhook from Stripe or Shopify, a signup confirmed by email.

Server events count toward goals and the attribution report like browser events. If a goal is set to send to Meta, server events go there too. See [Meta Conversions API](https://sporetag.com/docs/meta-conversions-api).

The Events API is on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom. Free does not include it.

## Endpoint

```text
POST https://sporetag.com/api/v1/events
Authorization: Bearer st_sk_...
Content-Type: application/json
```

Each site has its own secret keys. Make one on the site's **Integrations** page (under **Settings**), under **Events API**. The key is shown once, when you make it. Sporetag stores only a hash of it.

Keep the key on your server. Never put it in a page, an app or a public repo. The endpoint sends no CORS headers, so a browser page cannot call it. If a key leaks, press **Rotate**: you get a new key and the old one stops working at once. **Revoke** stops a key without a new one.

## Fields

Send one event per request, as a JSON object.

| Field | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| `name` | string | Required. The event name, such as `Purchase`. Up to 120 characters |
| `url` | string | The page the event belongs to. Must be on the site's domain |
| `timestamp` | number or string | When it happened: Unix seconds, milliseconds, or ISO 8601. Up to 7 days back. Default: now |
| `event_id` | string | Your unique id. The same id twice is counted once (kept 30 days) |
| `value` | number | Order value, such as `49.00` |
| `currency` | string | Three letters, such as `USD`. Required with `value` |
| `order_id` | string | Your order number |
| `email` | string | Hashed with SHA-256 on arrival if you send it plain |
| `phone` | string | Same as email. Use the full number with country code |
| `ip` | string | The visitor's IP address, if you have it |
| `user_agent` | string | The visitor's browser user agent, if you have it |
| `visitor` | object | Or send `ip`, `ua` and `id` together here. `id` is the visitor's first-party id |
| `gpc` | boolean | `true` when the visitor's browser sent Global Privacy Control. Also accepted as `visitor.gpc` |
| `click_ids` | object | Any of `fbclid`, `gclid`, `gbraid`, `wbraid`, `fbc`, `fbp` |
| `props` | object | Extra details, with string or number values, up to 20 keys |
| `kind` | string | For [customer profiles](https://sporetag.com/docs/customer-profiles): `order`, `refund`, `email_opened`, `sms_clicked`, `call` and more. See [Bring your data together](https://sporetag.com/docs/bring-your-data-together) |
| `source` | string | The tool the event came from, such as `klaviyo`. Lowercase |
| `external_ids` | object | Ids in other tools, such as `{"stripe_customer": "cus_123"}` |
| `payload` | object | Short details for a customer item, up to 12 values |

Ids (`event_id`, `order_id`, `visitor.id`) use up to 100 letters, digits and `. _ - : ~ @`.

A refund is `kind: "refund"` with the amount refunded as `value` and the sale's `order_id`. When that sale went to Google Ads or Microsoft Ads, its value there drops by the refund. See [Refunds](https://sporetag.com/docs/send-results-to-ad-accounts#refunds).

### Email and phone

Sporetag normalizes them the way Meta asks, then hashes them with SHA-256:

- Email: spaces trimmed, then lowercase.
- Phone: digits only, leading zeros dropped. `+1 (555) 123-4567` becomes `15551234567`.

A value that is already a SHA-256 hash (64 hex characters) is used as it is. Neither the plain email or phone nor their hashes are stored with your stats. The hash goes to Meta when a goal sends to Meta.

### Customer profiles

When the site is in [90-day tracking](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes), `email`, `phone`, `visitor.id` and `external_ids` also find or make the [customer profile](https://sporetag.com/docs/customer-profiles). The hashes are kept on the profile, and the email, name and phone too (encrypted) while **Show contact details** is on. A `value` adds an order to the customer. The answer then has `customer_id`.

With a `kind` other than `event` or `order`, the request adds an item to the customer's stream only. It does not count as an event. See [Bring your data together](https://sporetag.com/docs/bring-your-data-together).

### Global Privacy Control

A browser with Global Privacy Control on sends the header `Sec-GPC: 1` with every request, to your server too. Pass it on as `gpc: true`. Sporetag treats it exactly as it treats the signal on a visit: the event still counts in your stats, but nothing about it goes to Meta or any other ad platform. In [90-day tracking](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes), with `visitor.id`, the signal is kept for that visitor, so their later sales are not sent either.

```js
gpc: req.get('sec-gpc') === '1',
```

### Tying the event to a visit

- `ip` and `user_agent` from the visitor's own browser give the same visitor hash as their visit that day. The event then joins that visit's source, campaign and short link.
- In [90-day tracking](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes), the script keeps a first-party id in the cookie `_st_id` on your domain. Your server gets it with every request. Send it as `visitor.id`, and the event joins visits from up to 90 days back.
- Click ids tie the event straight to an ad click.

Without any of these the event still counts, but it cannot be tied to a source.

Events count at the time Sporetag receives them. `timestamp` is what goes to Meta as the event time.

## Node

```js
await fetch('https://sporetag.com/api/v1/events', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.SPORETAG_KEY}`,
    'content-type': 'application/json',
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    name: 'Purchase',
    url: 'https://shop.example.com/thanks',
    event_id: `order-${order.id}`,
    value: order.total,
    currency: 'USD',
    email: order.email,
    ip: req.ip,
    user_agent: req.get('user-agent'),
    visitor: { id: req.cookies._st_id },
  }),
});
```

## Python

```python
import os, requests

requests.post(
    "https://sporetag.com/api/v1/events",
    headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['SPORETAG_KEY']}"},
    json={
        "name": "Purchase",
        "url": "https://shop.example.com/thanks",
        "event_id": f"order-{order.id}",
        "value": order.total,
        "currency": "USD",
        "email": order.email,
    },
    timeout=5,
)
```

## PHP

```php
$ch = curl_init('https://sporetag.com/api/v1/events');
curl_setopt_array($ch, [
    CURLOPT_POST => true,
    CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
    CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 5,
    CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => [
        'Authorization: Bearer ' . getenv('SPORETAG_KEY'),
        'Content-Type: application/json',
    ],
    CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => json_encode([
        'name' => 'Purchase',
        'url' => 'https://shop.example.com/thanks',
        'event_id' => 'order-' . $order->id,
        'value' => $order->total,
        'currency' => 'USD',
        'email' => $order->email,
        'visitor' => ['id' => $_COOKIE['_st_id'] ?? null],
    ]),
]);
curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);
```

## curl

```sh
curl https://sporetag.com/api/v1/events \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPORETAG_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name":"Purchase","event_id":"order-1042","value":49,"currency":"USD"}'
```

## From a Stripe webhook

When Stripe tells your server that a Checkout Session is complete, send a `Purchase` with the session id as the `event_id`. A retried webhook then never counts twice.

```js
// Inside your checkout.session.completed handler, after checking the signature.
const s = event.data.object;
await fetch('https://sporetag.com/api/v1/events', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.SPORETAG_KEY}`, 'content-type': 'application/json' },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    name: 'Purchase',
    event_id: s.id,
    timestamp: event.created,
    value: s.amount_total / 100,
    currency: s.currency.toUpperCase(),
    order_id: s.client_reference_id ?? undefined,
    email: s.customer_details?.email,
    visitor: s.metadata?.st_id ? { id: s.metadata.st_id } : undefined,
  }),
});
```

To tie the sale to the visit, copy the `_st_id` cookie into the Checkout Session's `metadata.st_id` when you create it.

## From a Shopify webhook

Subscribe to `orders/paid` in Shopify. In your handler, after checking the `X-Shopify-Hmac-Sha256` header:

```js
const o = JSON.parse(rawBody);
await fetch('https://sporetag.com/api/v1/events', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.SPORETAG_KEY}`, 'content-type': 'application/json' },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    name: 'Purchase',
    event_id: `shopify-${o.id}`,
    timestamp: o.processed_at ?? o.created_at,
    value: Number(o.total_price),
    currency: o.currency,
    order_id: String(o.order_number),
    email: o.email,
    phone: o.phone ?? o.customer?.phone ?? undefined,
    ip: o.browser_ip ?? undefined,
    user_agent: o.client_details?.user_agent ?? undefined,
  }),
});
```

You can skip this code: the [Stripe connector](https://sporetag.com/docs/stripe-connector) and the [Shopify connector](https://sporetag.com/docs/shopify-connector) read sales for you. If you keep both, send the same `event_id` (the Checkout Session id, or `shopify-` and the order id) and each sale is counted and sent to Meta once.

## Answers

| Status | Means |
|---|---|
| `202` | Accepted. The body has `event_id` and the names of the goals it reached. A repeated `event_id` answers `202` with `"duplicate": true` |
| `400` | A field is not valid. `field` names it and `error` says why |
| `401` | The key is missing, wrong or revoked |
| `403` | The site's plan does not include the Events API, or a `kind` was sent while the site is in Private mode |
| `413` | The body is over 16,000 bytes |
| `415` | The body is not sent as `application/json` |
| `429` | More than 300 events a minute on one key. Wait a minute and try again |

Send events in the background or after your response, so a slow network never holds up your checkout.

---

# Notes on charts

> Mark launches, sales and changes on your chart. Sporetag adds notes for new goals, campaign starts and big days, and reports include them.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/chart-notes
Section: Measure

A note says what happened on a day, so a jump on the chart has a reason next to it. Notes show as a small flag on the main chart. Point at the day to read them.

## Add a note

1. Open your site's dashboard.
2. Click **Add a note** under the main chart. Once the period has notes, the button reads **Notes (3)**. Or click a day on the chart: its [breakdown](https://sporetag.com/docs/dashboards#see-what-makes-a-number) opens, with **Add a note** at the foot.
3. Pick the day, write a few words, like "Launched the spring sale", and click **Add note**.

Notes are up to 140 characters. A site can have 500.

## Notes Sporetag adds

These come from data Sporetag already has. You do not need to do anything.

| Note | When |
|---|---|
| Tracking started | The day of the site's first tracked visit. Days before it show as no data, not zero |
| Sporetag's own numbers start | The day imported [history](https://sporetag.com/docs/import-history) hands over to Sporetag's own count |
| Tracking tag found on the site | Sporetag found the tag, on a site with imported history, where it takes the place of Tracking started |
| Tracking tag stopped sending | The tag went quiet (an [alert](https://sporetag.com/docs/autopilot)) |
| Goal added | You added a goal |
| Campaign started | An ad campaign's first day of spend, from connected or imported [ad spend](https://sporetag.com/docs/meta-ads-spend) |
| Big day | A day with at least twice the usual visitors |
| Unusual change | A number far from a usual day for that weekday, with its likely cause when the data shows one (see [Unusual changes](https://sporetag.com/docs/autopilot#unusual-changes)) |

## Remove a note

Click **Notes** under the chart and click the cross next to a note. Notes Sporetag added are marked **Automatic**. A note you wrote is deleted. A note Sporetag added is hidden for good.

## Where notes show

- On the main chart of the dashboard, and on [shared dashboards](https://sporetag.com/docs/client-dashboards), so clients see them too.
- In the breakdown for a day on a chart, under its number.
- In [client reports](https://sporetag.com/docs/client-reports), with a **What happened** block. The Monthly performance template has one.
- To the [Assistant](https://sporetag.com/docs/assistant), so when you ask why traffic jumped it can point to the note for that day.

---

# Meta Conversions API

> Send conversions from Sporetag to Meta with the Conversions API. Paste a pixel id and access token, mark goals, test with a test event code.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/meta-conversions-api
Section: Measure

The Meta Conversions API (CAPI) lets you send conversions to Meta from a server instead of only from the pixel in the browser. Blockers and short cookie lifetimes make the browser pixel miss sales. Server events fill the gap, and Meta can match them back to the ad.

Sporetag does the server part for you. You paste two values, mark which goals to send, and Sporetag sends them. It is on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom. Free does not include it.

## What you need

- A Meta pixel for your site. Meta also calls it a dataset.
- Its **pixel id**, a number.
- An **access token** for the Conversions API.

## Get the access token

1. Open [Meta Events Manager](https://business.facebook.com/events_manager2).
2. Pick your pixel (dataset) in the list on the left.
3. Open the **Settings** tab.
4. Scroll to **Conversions API** and find **Set up manually**.
5. Press **Generate access token**. Copy it right away. Meta shows it once.

The pixel id is at the top of the same Settings tab.

## Connect a site

1. Open the site in Sporetag, then **Settings**, then **Integrations**.
2. Under **Meta Conversions API**, paste the pixel id and the access token.
3. Press **Save**.

The token is encrypted before it is stored. Nobody can read it back in the dashboard, not even you. To replace it, paste a new one. **Disconnect** deletes it.

If the setup card says Meta sending is not switched on yet, the server is missing its encryption key. That is ours to fix, not yours.

## Choose what to send

In the same card, under **Goals to send**, tick each goal you want and pick its Meta event:

| Meta event | Use it for |
|---|---|
| `Purchase` | A paid order |
| `Lead` | A form or a quote request |
| `CompleteRegistration` | A signup |
| `AddToCart` | An item added to the cart |
| `InitiateCheckout` | The start of checkout |
| `Subscribe` | A paid subscription or a newsletter |
| `Contact` | A call, chat or email |
| Custom | Any other name, letters and digits |

Press **Save goals**. From then on, every match of the goal goes to Meta, from the browser and from the [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api).

## What each event carries

- `event_name`, `event_time` and `event_id`.
- `action_source` set to `website`, and `event_source_url`: the page, without its query string.
- `client_ip_address` and `client_user_agent` of the visitor.
- `fbc`, from the `fbclid` on the landing page or Meta's `_fbc` cookie, and `fbp` from Meta's `_fbp` cookie, when present.
- `em` and `ph`: email and phone, normalized and SHA-256 hashed, when you sent them with the Events API.
- `external_id`: the SHA-256 hash of the visitor's first-party id, or of the `visitor.id` you sent.
- `value`, `currency` and `order_id`, when the event has them.

The raw email and phone never leave your server unhashed, and Sporetag never stores them.

## Count once with the pixel

If your pages also run the Meta pixel, Meta would count the same sale twice. It counts once when both sides send the same event name and the same event id. Make the id in the page and give it to both:

```js
const id = crypto.randomUUID();
fbq('track', 'Purchase', { value: 49, currency: 'USD' }, { eventID: id });
sporetag('Purchase', { event_id: id, value: 49, currency: 'USD' });
```

From your server, send the same id as `event_id` in the Events API. An order id works well, such as `order-1042`, if the page uses it too.

A goal on a page visit (such as `/thanks`) gets an id Sporetag makes up, which the pixel cannot know. Send that conversion from one side only.

## Refunds

Meta has no documented way to change or take back a sale once it is sent, and no refund event. So a refund is not sent to Meta, and Meta's revenue still counts the refunded sale. Sporetag's own [revenue](https://sporetag.com/docs/revenue-and-mrr) takes refunds off. Google Ads and Microsoft Ads do take refunds: see [Refunds](https://sporetag.com/docs/send-results-to-ad-accounts#refunds).

## Test it

1. In Events Manager, open your pixel, then the **Test events** tab.
2. Copy the test event code, such as `TEST12345`.
3. Paste it into **Test event code** in Sporetag and save.
4. Trigger the goal on your site. It shows in Meta's Test events tab within a minute.

While a test code is saved, Meta treats every event as a test. Remove the code when you are done.

## The delivery log

**Delivery log** lists the last 100 sends, newest first, with Meta's answer for each one. **Failed** shows only those that did not get through.

- Sends that fail for a passing reason (Meta busy, a network error) retry after 1, 2, 4, 8 minutes and so on, up to 6 hours apart, for 24 hours. Then they show as **Gave up**.
- Sends Meta refuses for good (a bad field) show as **Failed**.
- If Meta refuses the token, sends wait as **Waiting** until you save a new token. They then go out, if they are under 24 hours old.

The log never shows the token, the IP address or any email or phone.

## Consent

Sending the visitor's IP address, browser and click ids to Meta shares personal data with Meta. In the EU and UK this usually needs consent, whatever mode the site is in. With 90-day tracking and **Wait for consent** on, browser events go to Meta only after `sporetag('consent', true)`. See [Tracking modes](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes).

A browser that sends [Global Privacy Control](https://globalprivacycontrol.org/) (`Sec-GPC: 1`) is never sent to Meta, with or without consent. California treats the signal as an opt-out of the sale and sharing of personal data. With 90-day tracking, the signal stays with the visitor's random id for 13 months, so later sales tied to it are not sent either. Your own statistics still count the visit. See [Send results to your ad accounts](https://sporetag.com/docs/send-results-to-ad-accounts#global-privacy-control).

## Match quality

Meta matches better with more to go on. In Private mode, click ids live only for the visit, so a sale on a later day has no `fbclid`. Use [90-day tracking](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes) to keep click ids for 90 days, and send email or phone from your server with the [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api).

## Google Ads

Google Ads has its own row under [Send results to your ad accounts](https://sporetag.com/docs/send-results-to-ad-accounts) (when shipped).

---

# Attribution report

> See conversions and revenue by source, campaign, ad platform and short link, under six attribution models, with each customer's path.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/attribution-report
Section: Measure

The attribution report answers one question: what brought the people who bought? It lists your conversions and revenue by where those people came from. Open a site, then the **Attribution** tab. It is on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom. Free does not include it.

A conversion is any event or page visit that reaches one of the site's goals. Pick **All goals** or one goal, and a period of 7, 30 or 90 days.

> The attribution report and 90-day tracking are on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom. Free does not include them.

## What it groups by

| Group | Comes from |
|---|---|
| Source | The referrer, or `utm_source` when there is one |
| Campaign | `utm_campaign` |
| Ad platform | The click id on the landing page: `fbclid` for Meta, `gclid`, `gbraid` or `wbraid` for Google |
| Short link | A click on one of your short links |

The ad platform is **Meta ads** for `fbclid`, **Google Ads** for `gclid`, `gbraid` or `wbraid`, and **No ad click** otherwise.

## Attribution models

Most people visit more than once before they buy. A model decides which visits get the credit. Pick one for the site under **Credit** at the top of the report. The dashboard's ad rows, client reports and the Assistant use the same one. The default is **Last touch**.

| Model | Who gets the credit |
|---|---|
| Last touch | The latest visit before they converted gets all of it. |
| First touch | Where they first came from gets all of it. |
| Linear | Every visit gets an equal share. |
| Position based | The first and last visits get 40% each. The visits between share 20%. |
| Time decay | Visits closer to the conversion get more. Credit halves for every 7 days back. |
| Any touch | Every visit gets full credit. Rows then add up to more than the total, and the report says so. |

Each conversion's credit adds up to one conversion and its full value, except under Any touch. When two visits happen at the same moment, they share the credit equally. Spend and return use last touch when Any touch is picked, so ROAS never counts a sale twice.

A direct visit (no referrer, campaign, click id or short link) never takes the credit from a known source. A server event that carries its own click id counts as a touch at that moment.

### Compare models

**Compare models** shows conversions and revenue by source, campaign or ad platform under all six models side by side, with your model marked. When the columns agree, the choice of model does not matter much. When they differ, first touch usually shows what made people aware of you, and last touch shows what closed the sale.

### Customer journeys

**Customer journeys** lists the most common paths to a conversion, such as "Meta ads, Email, Direct, Converted", with how many conversions took each path, the average days from the first visit and the average number of visits. Repeats in a row count once. A path with more than five steps shows the first step, a count of the hidden ones, then the last four. **Latest** shows the most recent conversions with their paths, and the person when they gave an email.

## How far back it reaches

In Private mode a visitor is only known within one visit: the same daily hash on the same day. A sale tomorrow from today's ad click shows as Direct. In [90-day tracking](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes) a visitor is known for 90 days on your domain by the first-party id. The report can then link a sale today to a click weeks ago. Pick how far back it looks under **Look back**: 1, 7, 30 or 90 days. The default is 90. The report says which mode and window it is using.

Server events join a visit when you send the visitor's IP and user agent (same day), or their first-party id as `visitor.id` (90-day tracking). See [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api).

## Short link pages

Each short link that points to one of your sites shows **Visits after**, the visits that arrived from the link, and **Conversions after**, the conversions credited to those visits under the site's model.

## Revenue

Revenue comes from the `value` and `currency` you send with an event, from the browser or from the [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api). It also comes from the [Stripe](https://sporetag.com/docs/stripe-connector) and [Shopify](https://sporetag.com/docs/shopify-connector) connectors. Their sales count as the `Purchase` event, on the date they happened. A sale sent both ways, with the same `event_id` or `order_id`, is counted once.

With Stripe connected, **Revenue** beside **Conversions** at the top of the tab shows new revenue, MRR, lifetime value and refunds by source and campaign. See [Revenue and MRR](https://sporetag.com/docs/revenue-and-mrr).

## Ad spend

Add your ad spend, and **Spend and return** shows spend, Sporetag revenue, return on ad spend (ROAS) and cost per purchase by platform, campaign, ad set and ad, with what the platform itself reports beside it. It follows the period, the goal and the site's model.

- Meta Ads connects in one click. See [Meta ad spend and ROAS](https://sporetag.com/docs/meta-ads-spend).
- Google Ads, TikTok, Microsoft and any other platform import spend from a file. See [Import ad spend from a file](https://sporetag.com/docs/csv-spend-import). Connecting Google Ads in one click is next (when shipped).

Spend with no tracked visit shows as spend we could not match to tracked links, with a tip to fix it. This report keeps each currency on its own line; the dashboard adds them up in your reporting currency.

## What people told us

When the site asks [How did you hear about us](https://sporetag.com/docs/how-did-you-hear), the report adds **What people told us**: each answer, how many people gave it and where Sporetag tracked them from. It says how many who answered came in as Direct, which is where word of mouth usually hides. The answers sit beside the tracked numbers and never change them.

---

# Send results to your ad accounts

> Send leads and sales to TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat and Reddit, and to Google Ads, Microsoft Ads and LinkedIn (when shipped), so their bidding learns.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/send-results-to-ad-accounts
Section: Measure

Ad platforms bid better when they know which clicks became customers. Sporetag sends your leads and sales to each ad account you turn on, from our server, so blockers and short cookie lives do not hide them. It is on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom. Meta has its own card: see [Meta Conversions API](https://sporetag.com/docs/meta-conversions-api).

## Turn a platform on

Open your site's **Settings**, then **Integrations**, and find **Send results to your ad accounts**. Each platform is one row.

- **TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat and Reddit**: click **Connect**, paste the id and the access token from the platform's events manager (the page says where), then **Save and turn on**.
- **Google Ads, Microsoft Ads and LinkedIn** (when shipped): connect the platform under **Ad spend** first, then click **Turn on**. Sporetag makes its own conversion actions in your account: "Sporetag lead", "Sporetag sale" and, for Google, "Sporetag closed deal".

## Pick what to send

Under **What to send**, tick the goals. A goal named like a purchase goes as a sale, with its value; the rest go as leads. When one visit reaches two ticked goals, it goes once, as the sale.

**Deals you win in your CRM** sends HubSpot and GoHighLevel deals marked won to Google Ads and Microsoft Ads, with the deal value, so bidding learns from closed business, not only form fills. Turn it off there if you would rather not.

Live Stripe and Shopify sales on a ticked **Purchase** goal go too.

## Refunds

When a sale you sent is refunded, in full or in part, from Stripe, Shopify or the [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api), Sporetag tells each platform that has a way to hear it, so its revenue and return on ad spend stay true. **Refunds** under **What to send** is on by default.

| Platform | What a refund does |
|---|---|
| Google Ads | The sale's value becomes what is left after every refund. Refunded in full, it is set to 0, which Google counts as taking the sale back. |
| Microsoft Ads | The same: the new value, or the sale is retracted when refunded in full. |
| Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat, Reddit, LinkedIn | Nothing. None of them has a documented way to change a sale once it is sent. |

A refund is sent once, even when Stripe tells Sporetag twice. Refunds go out for sales sent in the last 30 days, in the sale's own currency. The **Delivery log** lists each one beside its sale. A visitor who sent Global Privacy Control is never sent, refund or not.

Google Ads conversions go through Google's Data Manager API. When Google Ads is switched on for Sporetag, sites that connected Google before need to **Reconnect** under **Ad spend** once, to allow it.

## How each conversion is matched

| Platform | Matched by |
|---|---|
| Google Ads | gclid, gbraid or wbraid; or a hashed email or phone for leads without a click |
| Microsoft Ads | msclkid, with a hashed email or phone when known |
| TikTok | ttclid, hashed email and phone, the visitor id, IP address and browser |
| Pinterest | the epik click id, hashed email and phone, IP address and browser |
| Snapchat | the ScCid click id, hashed email and phone, IP address and browser |
| Reddit | the rdt_cid click id, hashed email and phone, hashed IP address and browser |
| LinkedIn | li_fat_id or a hashed email |

Click ids last 90 days with [90-day tracking](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes), so a sale or won deal days after the click still names it. Emails and phones come from the [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api), your store or your CRM, and leave Sporetag hashed with SHA-256. If nothing can be matched, nothing is sent.

On a site that waits for consent, nothing goes until the visitor agreed.

## Global Privacy Control

When a visitor's browser sends [Global Privacy Control](https://globalprivacycontrol.org/) (the `Sec-GPC: 1` header), Sporetag sends nothing about that visit to any ad platform: not to Meta, not to the platforms on this card. California treats the signal as a request to opt out of the sale and sharing of personal data, and sending conversions to ad platforms is sharing. With 90-day tracking, the signal is also kept with the visitor's random id for 13 months, so a later sale, won deal or Events API call tied to that id is not sent either, and ad click ids are not kept for them.

Your own statistics still count the visit. The **Delivery log** says how many conversions were held back this way in the last 30 days. There is nothing to set up.

## Check it

The row shows when it last sent and how many sends carried a click or contact details. **Delivery log** lists the last 100 sends with each platform's answer. Failed sends retry with growing gaps for 24 hours. If a platform refuses your token or login, the row says **Needs attention** and sends wait until you fix it.

---

# How did you hear about us

> Ask one optional question after a form or an order, and see the answers next to the source Sporetag tracked.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/how-did-you-hear
Section: Measure

Some people find you through a friend, a podcast or a radio spot. No link is clicked, so they arrive as Direct. One short question catches them: "How did you hear about us?" The answers show next to the tracked source on the **Attribution** tab.

It needs a paid plan and [90-day tracking](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes), so each person is asked once.

## Turn it on

1. Open your site, then **Settings**.
2. Find **How did you hear about us** and tick **Ask the question**.
3. Change the question or the choices if you like, one per line, up to 8. "Other" with a text box is added for you.
4. Click **Save question**.

## Where it is asked

| Where | When |
|---|---|
| After a form | Someone sends a form with an email or phone field. A small card asks on that page, or on the next page within two minutes. |
| Thank-you pages | The page address matches one you list, like `/thank-you` or `/order-received*`. `*` stands for any part. |
| Your own form | Your form already has a field named like "how did you hear". Its answer is read and the card is not shown. |
| Order emails | A link in your shop's order confirmation email opens a one-question page with your shop's name. |

The card asks once per person, only after they agree to cookies when your site waits for consent. Closing it counts as an answer of nothing, so it does not come back.

## Shopify

Shopify checkout pages do not run your tag, so the card cannot show on the Shopify thank-you page. Use the order email link instead:

1. In Sporetag, copy the **Link for your order email** from the question's settings.
2. In Shopify, open **Settings**, **Notifications**, **Order confirmation**, then **Edit code**.
3. Paste a line such as `<a href="LINK">How did you hear about us?</a>` where you want it, with your link in place of LINK.
4. Save.

The link carries the order number. Once the [Shopify connector](https://sporetag.com/docs/shopify-connector) syncs that order, the answer joins the customer and their tracked source. Asking on the Shopify thank-you page itself comes with the Sporetag Shopify app (when shipped).

## How answers are counted

Answers are grouped, so "my neighbor" and "A friend or family" both count as **Friend or family**. The groups are Google, Facebook or Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Friend or family, Local paper or radio, AI assistant, Podcast, Email and Other. Choices you add yourself keep their own row.

**What people told us** on the Attribution tab shows each answer with where Sporetag first tracked those people from. The line on top says how many who answered came in as Direct.

People can misremember, so the answers never change the tracked numbers or any model. They sit beside them. A person's answer also shows on their profile, and client reports can include a **What people told us** block.

## Privacy

An answer is what the person picked or typed, up to 80 characters. It is never used to identify anyone.

---

# Revenue and MRR

> New revenue, MRR and what moved it, lifetime value by source and campaign, refunds and time to first payment, from Stripe, each with one plain sentence.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/revenue-and-mrr
Section: Measure

The Revenue page shows what your Stripe customers paid and what brought them. Open a site, then **Attribution**, then **Revenue**. It needs the [Stripe connector](https://sporetag.com/docs/stripe-connector), on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom.

Each part starts with one sentence that sums it up, such as "MRR grew $450 to $12,400: $900 new and $150 from upgrades, minus $600 canceled." The numbers under it show the detail.

Pick a period: 30 days, 90 days or 12 months. Credit follows your site's attribution model, the same one the Conversions view uses, and changing it on either view changes both. See [Attribution report](https://sporetag.com/docs/attribution-report) for the models.

Revenue keeps two touches per customer: the first and the last visit from a source. So:

- **First touch** and **Last touch** credit that visit. Last touch is the last one before the payment.
- **Linear** and **Position based** split credit evenly between the two.
- **Time decay** gives more to the one closer to the payment, halving every 7 days.
- **Any touch** gives both full credit, so rows add up to more than the total.

A visit after a payment never takes credit for it.

## New revenue

- **Revenue**: every payment in the period, renewals included.
- **New revenue**: payments from customers whose first payment was in the period.
- **New customers**: how many paid for the first time.

Tables split revenue and new revenue by source, campaign, ad platform, ad (`utm_content`, which ad URL templates fill with the ad's name) and short link.

## MRR

Monthly recurring revenue: what your active subscriptions bring in each month.

- A yearly plan counts as a twelfth a month, a weekly plan as 52 weeks over 12 months, and a plan billed every 3 months as a third. Quantity counts.
- A coupon that runs forever or for some months lowers MRR while it runs. A coupon used once does not.
- A trial counts from the day it turns into a paid plan.
- Past due subscriptions still count. Canceled, unpaid and paused ones do not. A subscription set to cancel at the end of its period counts until it ends.
- Proration does not move MRR. An upgrade in the middle of a month bills the difference once, which shows as a payment, and MRR moves by the new plan's monthly worth.
- Usage-based and tiered prices are left out, since their monthly amount is not known ahead. The page says how many subscriptions have one.

What moved MRR in the period:

| Move | What it is |
|---|---|
| New | A subscription started paying, or one that had stopped paid again |
| Upgrades | A subscription moved to a higher monthly worth |
| Downgrades | A subscription moved to a lower monthly worth |
| Canceled | A subscription stopped paying |

Each move ties to the customer, so the page shows MRR added and lost by source.

MRR history starts with your first import, which reads every subscription Stripe has. Plan changes made before that are not in Stripe's records, so an older subscription counts at its current plan from the day it started.

## Lifetime value

What each paying customer has paid so far, minus refunds, by first source and by campaign. Counted from 90 days before you connected Stripe. The sentence names the best source with 3 or more customers, so one big buyer does not decide it.

## Refunds

The money refunded in the period, how many refunds, and the share of revenue.

## Time to first payment

How long new customers took from their first visit to their first payment: the same day, 1 to 7 days, 8 to 30 days, or longer. Only customers seen on your site before they paid count here.

## Payments tied to visits

The share of payments Sporetag could tie to a visit, and how:

| How | What it means |
|---|---|
| Payment Link | The tag added the visitor's id to the link |
| Checkout with the visitor id | Your code passed `client_reference_id` or `metadata.st_id` |
| Stripe customer seen before | The same Stripe customer paid before, tied to a visit then |
| Email given on the site | The payment's email is one the person gave on your site |
| Matched after paying | The person was tied to a visit later |
| Not seen on the site | No visit known yet |

To tie more, see [Tie payments to visits](https://sporetag.com/docs/stripe-connector#tie-payments-to-visits).

## Money in more than one currency

Money adds up in your reporting currency (**Settings**, **Reporting currency**), else the currency with the most revenue. Payments in other currencies are converted at the European Central Bank rate for the day they were paid, and each MRR change at the rate for the day it happened, so past MRR never moves with exchange rates. The **ECB rates** tip under the numbers names what was converted. See [Profit, blended ROAS and currencies](https://sporetag.com/docs/profit-and-currency).

## On the dashboard and in client reports

Add **Revenue and MRR from Stripe** to a [dashboard](https://sporetag.com/docs/client-dashboards) in edit mode, then pick its view: new revenue, MRR, lifetime value, refunds, time to first payment or payments tied to visits. Add one per view you want. Each leads with the same plain sentence.

[Client reports](https://sporetag.com/docs/client-reports) take the same blocks. The **Revenue and MRR** template has new revenue, MRR, lifetime value, refunds and time to first payment, sent monthly.

---

# Profit, blended ROAS and currencies

> What every dollar on ads brought in sales, profit from the costs you give, and money in one currency at the European Central Bank's daily rate.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/profit-and-currency
Section: Measure

With a store and ad spend connected, the dashboard shows **Return on all ad spend**: one sentence, such as "Every $1 on ads brought $4.20 in sales last month, up from $3.80 the month before.", then the numbers behind it. Add your costs, and it shows profit too. It needs [Stripe](https://sporetag.com/docs/stripe-connector) or [Shopify](https://sporetag.com/docs/shopify-connector), plus [Meta Ads](https://sporetag.com/docs/meta-ads-spend), another ad platform or a [spend file](https://sporetag.com/docs/csv-spend-import), on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom.

## Blended ROAS

Blended ROAS is every sale from your store divided by every ad platform's spend, for the period. Some tools call it MER (marketing efficiency ratio). It is the same number.

- **Sales** are orders and renewals from Stripe and Shopify, before refunds: the same as the Sales card.
- **Ad spend** is every platform you connected or imported, added up.
- It counts every sale, whether or not Sporetag tied it to an ad. The ROAS on the [ad spend panel](https://sporetag.com/docs/attribution-report) counts only sales from tracked ad visits. Blended ROAS is the one that still works when tracking misses some sales.
- **Ads cost** is the same comparison the other way round, as a share of sales: $1,000 of spend on $4,200 of sales is 23.8%.

With no ad spend in the period, there is nothing to divide by, and the panel says so.

## Profit

Profit shows only once you say what things cost. Sporetag never guesses a cost.

1. Open the site, then **Settings**, then **Profit**.
2. Type your **cost of goods** as a percent of sales, such as 40.
3. Optional: type your **fixed costs a month**, such as rent, salaries and software, and pick their currency.
4. Click **Save costs**.

The panel then shows:

| Number | What it is |
|---|---|
| Gross profit | Sales, minus refunds, minus cost of goods |
| Net profit | Gross profit minus ad spend, and minus fixed costs when you set them |
| Break-even ROAS | The blended ROAS where ads pay for themselves: 1 divided by your gross margin. At 40% cost of goods, it is 1.67x |

Fixed costs are spread over each day of their month, so a 7-day period carries 7 days of them.

### Product costs from Shopify

When your Shopify app can read products or inventory (the `read_products` or `read_inventory` scope), Sporetag reads each product's cost from Shopify and keeps what each order's products cost. Orders with a cost for every product use it. The percent covers the rest.

- Shopify keeps only today's cost. An order Sporetag reads later uses the cost at that time.
- If some orders have product costs and you set no percent, profit is not shown, rather than counting the rest as free. Add a percent to fix it.
- Added the scope after connecting? Paste the app details again on the Shopify connector page, so Sporetag sees it.

## One currency

Sporetag adds money up in one currency. Pick it in **Settings**, **Reporting currency**. On **Automatic**, it is the currency most of each site's sales are in.

Sales, refunds, ad spend and MRR in other currencies are converted at the European Central Bank's euro reference rate:

- Each sale at the rate for the day it was paid, and each day of ad spend at that day's rate.
- Each change in MRR at the rate for the day it happened, so past MRR does not move when rates do.
- A weekend or bank holiday uses the last rate before it.
- The ECB publishes rates for about 30 currencies, around 4 PM in Frankfurt on working days. Money in a currency it does not quote stays out of the totals, and the panel says **Some currencies left out**.

Converted numbers carry an **ECB rates** tip with the original amounts, such as "Includes 1,240 EUR and 300 GBP, converted to USD at the European Central Bank rate for each day." Emailed reports print the same line.

The ECB publishes these rates for information. They are right for reporting, not for accounting or tax.

### Where money is converted

| Where | Currency |
|---|---|
| Dashboard, client dashboards and client reports | Your reporting currency |
| [Revenue and MRR](https://sporetag.com/docs/revenue-and-mrr) | Your reporting currency |
| [Attribution report](https://sporetag.com/docs/attribution-report) | Each currency on its own line |
| [Read API](https://sporetag.com/docs/api) | Each currency on its own, as sent |

## Common questions

### Why is my blended ROAS higher than my ad ROAS?

Blended ROAS counts every sale, including people who came back by email, search or word of mouth. Ad ROAS counts only sales from tracked ad visits. The gap between them is roughly what your ads bring that tracking cannot see, plus what would have sold anyway.

### What is a good break-even ROAS?

It depends on your margin. At 30% cost of goods, ads break even at 1.43x. At 60%, they need 2.5x. Blended ROAS above break-even means ads pay for themselves, before fixed costs.

---

# Profiles

> One page per visitor and customer with every click, visit, email, text and sale, their first and last source, and lifetime value. Needs 90-day tracking.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/customer-profiles
Section: Measure

Profiles show each person who visits, signs up or buys, one page each. You see every visit, short link click, email or text click, event and sale over time. You also see their first and last source, their orders and what they spent in total (lifetime value).

Each profile has a **stage** (Lead, Engaged, Customer and so on) and one conversation stream: every email and text sent and received, and every visit, goal, form, order and CRM stage, in time order. A box at the bottom lets you write to them. See [Messages](https://sporetag.com/docs/messages).

Open a site, then the **Profiles** tab. Profiles are on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom. Free does not include them.

## Visitors before they give an email

With 90-day tracking, every visitor gets an anonymous profile on their first visit, named like **Visitor 4F2A9C** from their device id. It shows when they were first and last seen, their visits, the page they landed on, their first and latest source (with the ad platform when an ad click id came with them), country, device and browser, and the same journey as a customer: visits, pages, goals and events.

- With **Wait for consent** on, a visitor gets a profile only after they agree.
- When the visitor gives an email (a form, the identify call, a checkout), that profile becomes the customer. Nothing is copied or doubled: it is the same profile, now with their email and name. If the email already belongs to a customer, the visits join that customer.
- An anonymous profile is deleted 90 days after the last visit, when the device id runs out too.
- Each site keeps up to 25,000 anonymous profiles on Solo, 50,000 on Studio and 100,000 on Agency and Custom. Past that, the visitor seen longest ago makes room for each new one, so recent visitors always have a profile. Everyone still counts in your stats and still becomes a customer when they give an email.
- In Private mode there are no visitor profiles. Private mode keeps no id from one day to the next, by design.

On the Profiles tab, **All** lists everyone, anonymous visitors too, and **With email** lists only customers: people who gave an email or another id. Each shows its count. The tab opens on **All**.

### Visits but no profiles?

90-day tracking needs its own tag, the one that loads `sa.js`. The plain tag (`s.js`) still counts visits, but keeps no id, so no one gets a profile and sales tie back only within the same day. When a site with 90-day tracking has sent visits from the plain tag in the last 24 hours, and none from the 90-day tag, the dashboard, the Profiles tab and the **Tracking mode** card in **Settings** say so and show the tag to paste instead.

If your site asks for consent itself and loads the tag only after the visitor agrees, you can leave **Wait for consent** off.

## What you need

1. **90-day tracking** on the site. Profiles build on its first-party id (the `_st_id` cookie), which ties one person's visits together for 90 days. Switch it in the site's **Settings** tab. See [Tracking modes](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes).
2. **Consent, where the law asks.** 90-day tracking stores an id on the device. In the EU and UK this usually needs consent first. Turn on **Wait for consent**, and nothing is stored or identified until your banner says yes. Sporetag has a [simple cookie banner](https://sporetag.com/docs/cookie-banner) you can turn on with no code.
3. **Nothing else, for most sites.** The tag you added in setup already adds people who sign up, sign in or send a form. The Profiles tab shows it under **How people are added**.

## How people are added

New people arrive on their own. No importing again.

- **Synced from your tag.** On a new site, the one tag line adds people from sign-up, sign-in and other forms on your site. The card says how many it added this week. Details below.
- **Shopify.** Connect it under **Integrations**. It adds every buyer from their order, and every new customer account, with their email, phone and name. Nothing to add to your theme for this.
- **Stripe, Klaviyo or Mailchimp.** Connect them under **Integrations**. Each brings in its customers or subscribers, and keeps doing so.
- **Sign-ins with no form**, like Sign in with Google, Sign in with Apple or a magic link. Your site never shows a form, so the tag has nothing to read. Add one more line, called right after sign-in. The install step in setup offers it under **Signs people in with Google or a magic link? Add one more line**, and the Profiles card links there. See [Identify on your site](#identify-on-your-site).

**Import a list once** sits under the card as a quiet link: a one-time catch-up for people who have not visited lately. See [Import customers](https://sporetag.com/docs/import-customers). When nothing automatic is on, the card also shows the identify line and server code under **For developers**.

## People from sign-ups and forms

The switch is **Add people from sign-ups and forms**, on the Profiles tab. New sites start with it on. Sites added earlier start with it off; one tap turns it on. Turn it off any time. Your privacy policy should say that your site's forms send the email and name to an analytics service.

When a visitor sends a form on your site that has an email or phone field:

- Sporetag adds them as a customer with the email, and the phone and name if the form has fields for them. Their earlier visits join the profile.
- Sign-up and sign-in forms count. An email typed in a username or login field counts too. A username that is not an email is skipped.
- Forms sent by script, as in many single-page apps, count too. When the page sends the form itself and no submit event fires, a press of the form's submit button counts instead, once. A form the browser would refuse, for example with a required field empty, is not counted.
- It sends a `Form sent` event, which the **Someone fills in a form** goal counts.

What it never does:

- It never reads password fields. A field of type password, or named like a password, card number, security code, IBAN, social security number, secret or token, is skipped before its value is read. Hidden and file fields are skipped too.
- It never reads the rest of the form, only fields that look like an email, a phone or a name.
- It never sends anything in Private mode, and never before the visitor agrees when **Wait for consent** is on.

Press **Test it**, send a form on your site with your own email, then **Check again**. The panel shows the page and the fields it found, never the values.

## Identify on your site

For sign-ins with no form on your site (Google, Apple, magic links), or to send your own user id. Right after someone signs in, tell Sporetag who this is:

```js
window.sporetag?.('identify', { email: user.email, name: user.name, id: user.id });
```

You can send `email`, `phone`, `name` and `id` (your own user id). Send at least one of email, phone or id. The `?.` makes the line safe on pages where the tag is not loaded: it then does nothing.

- It works only with 90-day tracking, and only after consent when you wait for it. In Private mode the call does nothing and sends nothing.
- Earlier visits from the same device join the profile. So the ad or short link that first brought them in becomes their first touch.
- The same email from a phone and a laptop is one customer.

## Identify from your server

Events you send with the [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api) identify the customer too, when the site uses 90-day tracking. Send any of `email`, `phone`, `visitor.id` (the `_st_id` cookie) or `external_ids`:

```js
body: JSON.stringify({
  name: 'Purchase', event_id: 'order-1042', value: 49, currency: 'USD',
  email: order.email,
  visitor: { id: req.cookies._st_id },
  external_ids: { stripe_customer: order.customer },
}),
```

A sale with a `value` adds an order and its value to the customer. Revenue adds up in the customer's first currency.

### Shopify and Stripe

The easiest way: connect [Stripe](https://sporetag.com/docs/stripe-connector) or [Shopify](https://sporetag.com/docs/shopify-connector) on the site's **Integrations** page (under **Settings**). Orders, refunds and subscriptions then join each customer on their own, with the last 90 days imported.

To send them yourself instead:

### Shopify checkout

Send `orders/paid` webhooks to the Events API with the order email, as in [From a Shopify webhook](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api#from-a-shopify-webhook). Add `external_ids: { shopify_customer: String(o.customer.id) }`.

### Stripe

Send `checkout.session.completed` to the Events API, as in [From a Stripe webhook](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api#from-a-stripe-webhook). Copy `_st_id` into `metadata.st_id` when you create the session, and send it back as `visitor.id`.

## The customer page

- **Lifetime value**, **orders**, **first seen** and **last seen**.
- **First touch** and **last touch**: the source, campaign, ad platform and short link of their first and latest known visit. A direct visit never replaces a known one.
- **Journey**: one list, newest first. Visits with their source, short link clicks, email and text clicks (visits tagged `utm_medium=email` or `sms`), custom events, server events, purchases with their value, and sends to Meta. Items from other tools show here too. Filter by source or by kind.
- **Seen on**: countries and devices, and what the person is known by.
- **Messages and flows**: whether they agreed to texts or unsubscribed from email, where that answer came from (a website form, an import, the unsubscribe link, a STOP reply) and when, the tags [automations](https://sporetag.com/docs/automations) gave them, and each flow they are in or went through, with a link to it.

Visits and events are kept in detail for about 90 days. After that the journey shows less. The first touch, orders and revenue stay on the profile for as long as the customer does. The page says so when it applies.

## The list

Search by email, name or phone, or by a visitor's name such as `Visitor 4F2A9C`. Sort by last seen, revenue or first seen. **Came from** shows where each person came from: your site, a website form, an import, Stripe, Shopify and so on. Filter by whether they have an email, where they came from (pick **Imported lists** for imports), and by source, ad platform, campaign or short link, for the first touch or the last touch. **Export CSV** downloads the list as it is filtered.

The customer page has a **Contact** card with the email, phone and name, and **Details** with any extra columns from an import.

The [attribution report](https://sporetag.com/docs/attribution-report) counts customers per source and splits them into new and returning. Each count links to the customers behind it.

## Matching and merging

A customer can be known by many things: an email, a phone number, a device id, your user id, and ids in other tools such as a Stripe customer id. When one call shows that two profiles are the same person, they merge into one. The page lists each merge and why.

Two different emails are never merged. If two people share a device, the device moves to whoever identified last.

## Privacy

- Emails and phone numbers are normalized and hashed with SHA-256, the way Meta asks. People are matched on the hashes.
- **Show contact details** (on by default) keeps the email, name and phone number, and details from an import, encrypted, so you can see who is who. Turn it off under **Privacy and data requests** on the Profiles tab. They are then deleted, and people show as a masked label such as `a•••@g•••.com`. While it is off, only hashes are kept.
- Emails, phones, names and details never go into your stats. Events carry only the random device id and a random customer id.
- Anonymous visitor profiles hold no email, phone, name or IP address: only the random device id, dates, counts, the landing page, sources, country, device and browser.

### Delete a customer or visitor

Open the profile, then **Delete this customer** (or **Delete this visitor**). The profile, its ids and its items are deleted. Its ids are never linked again on this site. Visits and events already recorded cannot be edited; they age out within about 90 days.

### Forget this email

For a data request, use **Forget this email** under **Privacy and data requests**. It deletes the customer with that email, if there is one, and never links that email again on this site.

---

# Import customers

> Bring in contacts from Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Shopify or a spreadsheet as a CSV file. Match the columns, then people are added or updated, never doubled.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/import-customers
Section: Measure

Import a list of people from any tool: an export from your email tool, Klaviyo, Mailchimp or Shopify, or a spreadsheet saved as CSV. Each person gets a [customer profile](https://sporetag.com/docs/customer-profiles), and someone who is already there is updated, not added twice. People who unsubscribed stay unsubscribed.

An import is a one-time catch-up. From then on, new people arrive on their own, without importing again: the ways are under **How people are added** on the Profiles tab: your tag (sign-ups, sign-ins and forms), Shopify, Stripe, Klaviyo or Mailchimp.

Import is on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom. Free does not include it.

## Import a list

1. Open the site, then **Profiles**, then **Import** (or **Import a list**).
2. **Choose a list.** Drop the CSV file on the box, pick it, or paste the rows. The first line must name the columns, like `Email, First name, Phone`. Commas, semicolons and tabs all work.
3. **Match columns.** Sporetag guesses what each column holds. Check each one and change it if needed. The first 3 rows show below, as they will be read.
4. If the list has no email status column, answer **Did these people agree to hear from you by email?** It starts on **No, or not sure**. **Yes** notes their consent on each profile, with the date and the file. **No** means they get no marketing email until they opt in (see below).
5. Tick the box to confirm these people gave you their details and you may use them.
6. Press **Import**. Keep the page open until it says **Import done**. If you close it, open it again from **Recent imports** and it carries on where it stopped.

## Columns

| Pick | Means |
|---|---|
| Email | The email address. Used to match people |
| Phone | The phone number, with the country code if you have it. Used to match people |
| First name, Last name | Joined into one name |
| Full name | The whole name in one column |
| Id in your other tool | Their id in the tool you exported from. Used to match the same list next time |
| Email status | Whether they may get email. Subscribed, confirmed, opted in or yes notes their consent. Unsubscribed, bounced, cleaned, complained, spam or no marks them unsubscribed. Anything else, such as never subscribed, pending or blank, means they did not agree. A column named **Unsubscribed** or **Opted out** reads yes and no the other way round |
| Date they joined | When they joined the other tool, like `created_at` or **Date added**. It becomes their first seen date when it is earlier |
| Tags | Words split by commas, like `vip, spring-sale`. Each becomes a tag on the profile, up to 10 |
| Custom property | Shown on the customer page under **Details**, named after the column |
| Do not import | Left out |

You need at least one of Email, Phone or Id. A column named like a password, card number or secret is never imported.

## Matching

Sporetag matches each row the same way it matches people from your site and your connected tools:

- The same email, in any case, is the same person. So is the same phone number.
- A row that matches someone already here updates them: a new name, phone or detail is added, and a property with the same name is replaced.
- Two rows for the same person in one file become one customer.
- When a row shows that two existing records are one person, they merge. The customer page says why.
- An email you were asked to forget (**Forget this email**) is never added back.
- Someone who unsubscribed here, by a link or a reply, stays unsubscribed even if the list says subscribed.

## Unsubscribed people

A row whose email status says unsubscribed, bounced or complained is still imported, so their history stays in one place. Their profile shows the email as unsubscribed, and the address goes on the site's do-not-email list. Automations and messages never email them.

## People who did not agree

When you answer **No, or not sure**, or a row's status is not subscribed, each new person's profile shows the email as **Not agreed**. Flows, one-off messages and campaigns skip them, until they opt in:

- They give their email on a form on your site.
- A later import marks them subscribed.

If they write to you, you can still reply from **Messages**. People who were already here before the import keep what they had.

Imported people show **Import** under **Came from** on the list. Filter by **Came from**, then **Imported lists**, to see only them.

## The summary

When it is done you see how many people were **added**, **merged** with someone already here, came in **unsubscribed**, and were **skipped**, and how many never agreed to email, and why rows were skipped. **See who was imported** opens the list with only them:

| Reason | Means |
|---|---|
| No email, phone or id | The row had nothing to match on |
| Email is not valid | The email could not be read, and there was no phone or id |
| Id has spaces or symbols | Ids may use letters, digits and `. _ - : ~ @ +` |
| Asked to be forgotten | The email or phone was forgotten on this site |

The first skipped row numbers are listed. Row 1 is the header.

## Limits

- Up to 10,000 rows and 2 MB per file, and up to 50 columns. Split a bigger list into several files.
- Up to 10 imports per site per day.
- Up to 30 custom properties per person, each up to 200 characters.

## Privacy

- While the import runs, its rows wait encrypted, bound to your site, with only the columns you kept. Each part is deleted as soon as it is imported. Anything left after a day is deleted.
- Emails, phones, names and properties are kept encrypted, and only while **Show contact details** is on. With it off, only hashed emails and phones are kept. See [Profiles](https://sporetag.com/docs/customer-profiles#privacy).
- Imported details never go into your stats or to Meta.
- Import only people who gave you their details. Name Sporetag in your privacy policy.

---

# Cohorts and lifetime value

> See how many visitors come back, grouped by the week or month they first came and by their first source, and what customers from each source spend.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/cohorts
Section: Measure

Cohorts answer two questions: do people come back, and which sources bring the customers worth the most. Open the site, then **Profiles**, then **Cohorts**.

Cohorts are on Solo, Studio and Agency.

## Who comes back

Each row is everyone whose first visit fell in one week (or month, with **Monthly**). The columns are the weeks after: **Week 1** is the share who visited again the next week, **Week 2** the week after that, and so on. Darker cells mean more came back. Weeks that have not begun for a row stay empty.

The sentence on top gives the average return rate for the next week (or month), from cohorts whose next week has ended.

**Who comes back, by first source** groups the same people by where they first came from. Each column counts only the people whose week has begun, so a new source is never marked down for weeks it has not had. Once two sources have 10 visitors or more, the sentence on top names the one whose visitors come back most.

Return visits need [90-day tracking](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes), which keeps a first-party id so the same person is known across days. Weeks start on Monday and use your site's time zone.

Anonymous profiles are deleted 90 days after their last visit, but their first visit stays in the cohort, so return rates never rise because the people who never came back were removed.

## Lifetime value

The table lists customers with an email who bought, by first source or by first campaign:

| Column | Means |
|---|---|
| Customers | People from that source who bought at least once |
| Per customer | Revenue to date, divided by those customers |
| Bought again | The share who bought more than once |
| First 30, 90 and 365 days | Revenue per customer in their first days, counted from their first visit |
| Revenue | All their revenue to date |

The day columns show when a store is connected, since synced orders say when each sale happened. They count only customers first seen at least that many days ago, so new customers never pull a column down. Refunds come off.

Money is shown in the currency most of your customers pay in. Customers who pay in another currency are counted in one line under the table, never converted.

The sentence on top names the source (or campaign) whose customers spend the most each, once two of them have 3 customers or more.

---

# Bring your data together

> One stream per customer from your site, your server and your other tools. What is automatic, what goes back to your tools, and how to send from any tool.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/bring-your-data-together
Section: Measure

Your customers leave a trail in many tools: your site, your store, your email and text tools, your CRM, your phone. Sporetag puts it in one place. Each [customer profile](https://sporetag.com/docs/customer-profiles) has one stream, in time order, with every item labeled by where it came from.

Customer profiles are on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom, with the site in [90-day tracking](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes).

## What is automatic today

| From | What shows up |
|---|---|
| Your site (the Sporetag script) | Visits with their source, short link clicks, email and text clicks, custom events, purchases |
| Your server ([Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api)) | Server events and purchases, with value |
| [Stripe](https://sporetag.com/docs/stripe-connector) | Payments, refunds, and subscriptions started, renewed, changed and canceled |
| [Shopify](https://sporetag.com/docs/shopify-connector) | Orders, refunds and new customers, with the UTMs Shopify kept |
| [Klaviyo](https://sporetag.com/docs/klaviyo-connector) | Email and text sends, opens, clicks and unsubscribes |
| [Mailchimp](https://sporetag.com/docs/mailchimp-connector) | Campaign sends, opens, clicks and unsubscribes |
| [Attentive](https://sporetag.com/docs/attentive-connector) | Text and email sends, opens, clicks and unsubscribes, by webhook from the day you turn it on |
| Meta Conversions API | Each send to Meta and its status |
| [Meta Ads](https://sporetag.com/docs/meta-ads-spend) | Daily spend by campaign, ad set and ad, with Meta's own purchase counts |
| [Spend files](https://sporetag.com/docs/csv-spend-import) | Daily spend from Google Ads, TikTok, Microsoft, LinkedIn or any platform |

All connectors connect from the site's **Integrations** page (under **Settings**). Stripe, Shopify, Klaviyo and Mailchimp import the last 90 days, then keep up on their own. A sale that also came in from your site or the Events API is counted once, and shows once on the customer's timeline with both sources.

## What goes back out

Klaviyo, Mailchimp and Attentive also get data back from Sporetag, for people they already have: each customer's first and last source, lifetime value, orders and [best send hour](https://sporetag.com/docs/segments-and-best-send-time), and the [segments](https://sporetag.com/docs/segments-and-best-send-time) you pick. Your tool can then send to the right people at the right hour.

## Send data from any tool

Any tool that can call a webhook can add to the stream today. Send it to the Events API with two extra fields:

- `kind`: what happened. One of `email_sent`, `email_opened`, `email_clicked`, `email_unsubscribed`, `sms_sent`, `sms_clicked`, `sms_unsubscribed`, `form`, `call`, `note`, `order`, `refund`, `subscription_started`, `subscription_renewed`, `subscription_changed` or `subscription_canceled`.
- `source`: the tool, in lowercase, such as `klaviyo`, `mailchimp`, `attentive`, `postscript`, `hubspot` or `my_crm`.

Say who it is with `email`, `phone`, `visitor.id` or `external_ids`. Put short details in `payload`.

```json
{
  "name": "October letter",
  "kind": "email_opened",
  "source": "klaviyo",
  "event_id": "klaviyo-open-81723",
  "email": "ann@example.com",
  "payload": { "campaign": "october-letter" }
}
```

- `order` counts like any purchase: it reaches goals, the attribution report and Meta.
- Every other kind is added to the customer's stream only. It does not count toward your plan's events or your goals.
- `refund` with a `value` lowers the customer's revenue.
- `event_id` keeps a retried webhook from being added twice.
- `payload` takes up to 12 short text or number values. Anything that looks like an email or phone number is dropped.

### External ids

`external_ids` ties ids from other tools to the customer, so the next item can use them alone:

```json
"external_ids": { "stripe_customer": "cus_Q8x2", "hubspot_contact": "5012" }
```

Names are lowercase with underscores. Up to 10 per event.

### Zapier

1. Make a Zap with the trigger from your tool, such as "New Open" in your email tool.
2. Add the action **Webhooks by Zapier**, then **POST**.
3. URL: `https://sporetag.com/api/v1/events`. Payload type: `json`.
4. Data: `name`, `kind`, `source`, `email` and `event_id`, mapped from the trigger.
5. Headers: `Authorization` with `Bearer ` and your site's secret key.

### Make

1. Add the **HTTP** module, **Make a request**.
2. URL `https://sporetag.com/api/v1/events`, method `POST`.
3. Header `Authorization: Bearer st_sk_...`. Body type **Raw**, content type **JSON**.
4. Write the JSON body as in the example above, with values from the earlier modules.

Keep the secret key in the tool's own settings. Never put it in a page.

## Native connectors

Live now: [Stripe](https://sporetag.com/docs/stripe-connector), [Shopify](https://sporetag.com/docs/shopify-connector), [Klaviyo](https://sporetag.com/docs/klaviyo-connector), [Mailchimp](https://sporetag.com/docs/mailchimp-connector), [Attentive](https://sporetag.com/docs/attentive-connector) and [Meta Ads spend](https://sporetag.com/docs/meta-ads-spend). Spend from any other ad platform comes in [from a file](https://sporetag.com/docs/csv-spend-import).

Ad spend joins your sales on the Attribution tab, not the customer stream: it belongs to campaigns, not people.

Postscript limits its API to partners, so it has no connector yet (when shipped). [What works today](https://sporetag.com/docs/postscript-connector).

Next (when shipped): Google Ads spend in one click, then CRMs such as HubSpot and GoHighLevel, call tracking and form tools. Until then, the Events API above covers any of them that can send a webhook.

---

# Stripe connector

> Connect Stripe with a read-only key. Payments, refunds and subscriptions tie to the visits, ads and links that brought each customer, with MRR kept current.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/stripe-connector
Section: Measure

The Stripe connector reads your payments, refunds and subscriptions. Each one ties to the customer who paid, and to the visits, ads and short links that brought them. You see it on the [Revenue page](https://sporetag.com/docs/revenue-and-mrr), on each [customer profile](https://sporetag.com/docs/customer-profiles), in the [attribution report](https://sporetag.com/docs/attribution-report), and live sales go to your ad accounts.

It is on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom. Free does not include it.

**Connect with Stripe (when shipped).** A one-click login: click **Connect**, log in to Stripe in the new tab and allow read access, and you are done, with no key to paste. Until it is switched on, use the steps below.

Sporetag only reads. The key you give it cannot charge, refund or change anything in Stripe.

## Connect

1. In Sporetag, open your site, then **Settings**, then **Integrations**. Next to **Stripe**, click **Connect**.
2. In Stripe, open [API keys](https://dashboard.stripe.com/apikeys) and click **Create restricted key**. If Stripe asks how you will use the key, pick the option for another app or website.
3. Name it `Sporetag`. Set these to **Read** and leave everything else at **None**:
   - Customers
   - Charges
   - PaymentIntents
   - Checkout Sessions
   - Invoices
   - Refunds
   - Subscriptions
4. Click **Create key**. Stripe may ask for a code it sends you. Copy the key. It starts with `rk_live_`.
5. Paste it into Sporetag and click **Connect Stripe**.

Sporetag checks that the key can read each of the seven. If one is missing, it says which one. Use a test key (`rk_test_`) to try it with test data first.

Do not paste your secret key (`sk_live_`). It can do anything in your account, so Sporetag refuses it.

## What happens next

- **The first import** reads the last 90 days of payments and refunds, and every subscription you have, whatever its age, so MRR starts right. A busy account can take a few hours, since each run reads a small batch. Integrations shows **Importing** and a count.
- **After that**, Sporetag checks for new payments and plan changes every 15 minutes.
- **Sync now** starts a check at once.

The key is stored encrypted. It is never shown again, and it never appears in logs.

## Tie payments to visits

A payment ties to the visits before it when Stripe knows the visitor's id. This needs the site in [90-day tracking](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes).

**Payment Links, Buy Buttons and pricing tables: nothing to do.** Once Stripe is connected, the Sporetag tag adds the visitor's id to every `buy.stripe.com` link on your pages as `client_reference_id`, and sets `client-reference-id` on Stripe Buy Buttons and pricing tables. It never replaces an id you set yourself, and on a site that waits for consent it waits too. Stripe reads the Buy Button and pricing table attribute when they first draw, so keep the Sporetag tag above Stripe's script on the page.

**Checkout from your own code: one line.** Where you create the Checkout Session, pass the `_st_id` cookie:

```js
const session = await stripe.checkout.sessions.create({
  // ...your line items, mode and URLs
  client_reference_id: req.cookies._st_id,
});
```

`metadata: { st_id: req.cookies._st_id }` works too, on a Checkout Session, a PaymentIntent or a subscription. Sporetag only takes an id that looks like one of its own (32 letters and numbers), so a `client_reference_id` you use for your own order numbers is left alone.

**Without the id**, Sporetag still ties a payment when:

- the Stripe customer paid before and was tied to a visit then, or
- the email on the payment is one the person gave on your site, in a form Sporetag reads or through `sporetag('identify', ...)`.

The Revenue page says how many payments are tied, and how. A payment that is not tied still counts in revenue and MRR, under Direct.

## Instant updates (optional)

Without a webhook, new sales and plan changes show up within 15 minutes. With one, they show up in seconds, and a live sale goes to your ad accounts right away.

1. Open the Stripe connector's page in Sporetag (**Settings** next to Stripe). Copy the **Endpoint URL**. It looks like `https://sporetag.com/hooks/stripe/...`.
2. In Stripe, open [Webhooks](https://dashboard.stripe.com/webhooks) and add an endpoint. Stripe may call it an event destination.
3. Pick these events:
   - `checkout.session.completed`
   - `charge.succeeded`
   - `charge.refunded`
   - `invoice.paid`
   - `customer.subscription.created`
   - `customer.subscription.updated`
   - `customer.subscription.deleted`
4. Paste the endpoint URL and save.
5. Reveal the endpoint's **Signing secret** (it starts with `whsec_`), copy it, and paste it into Sporetag under **Instant updates**.

Set up before `customer.subscription.updated` was on this list? Add it to your endpoint in Stripe. Until you do, upgrades and downgrades show up with the 15-minute check.

Sporetag checks the signature on every webhook and refuses any that do not match. It then reads the object again from Stripe with your key, so it never trusts the webhook body alone. Each event is handled once: when Stripe sends the same event id again, Sporetag answers and changes nothing.

## What shows up on a customer

| Stripe | On the customer |
|---|---|
| A paid Checkout Session | **Order**, with the amount and product names |
| A paid invoice | **Order**, or **Subscription renewed** for a renewal |
| A payment with no session or invoice | **Order** |
| A refund | **Refund**, which lowers revenue |
| A new subscription | **Subscription started**, with the plan |
| An upgrade or downgrade | **Plan changed**, with the change to MRR |
| A canceled subscription | **Subscription canceled** |

One payment is one order. A Checkout Session, its PaymentIntent, its charge and its invoice are linked, so Stripe telling us about each of them never counts the sale twice.

Orders and revenue add up into the customer's lifetime value. Revenue adds up in the customer's first currency.

## Who the customer is

Sporetag finds the customer by:

- the Stripe customer id,
- the email and phone on the payment (hashed with SHA-256, the way Meta asks),
- the visitor's id, from `client_reference_id` or `metadata.st_id`.

## Goals, Meta and your ad accounts

Synced sales count as the **Purchase** event. They reach any goal on the event `Purchase`.

A new sale goes once to [Meta](https://sporetag.com/docs/meta-conversions-api) when that goal sends to Meta, and once to each ad account turned on under [Send results to your ad accounts](https://sporetag.com/docs/send-results-to-ad-accounts) when that goal is ticked there:

- Only live sales: ones that happened in the last 24 hours. The 90-day import never sends old sales.
- Renewals are not sent. They are not new buyers.
- The hashed email and phone go along, and the ad click ids (such as `gclid` or `ttclid`) from any visit tied to the buyer, so the platform can match the sale to its click.
- A refund of a sale that was sent lowers its value in Google Ads and Microsoft Ads. See [Refunds](https://sporetag.com/docs/send-results-to-ad-accounts#refunds).
- A sale the browser or the Events API already sent under the same id is not sent again, and the other way round.

### The event_id rule

Meta, the other platforms and Sporetag all count a sale once per `event_id`. The Stripe connector uses the Stripe object id:

| Sale | event_id |
|---|---|
| Stripe Checkout | The Checkout Session id, `cs_...` |
| A paid invoice | The invoice id, `in_...` |
| Any other payment | The PaymentIntent id, `pi_...` |

If you also send the sale from the browser or the [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api), use the same id as `event_id`. For Checkout, your success page gets the session id when the success URL has `?session_id={CHECKOUT_SESSION_ID}`:

```js
sporetag('Purchase', { event_id: sessionId, value: 49, currency: 'USD' });
fbq('track', 'Purchase', { value: 49, currency: 'USD' }, { eventID: sessionId });
```

Then:

- Sporetag sees the same id from both and counts the order once on the customer.
- A sale already sent from the browser or the Events API is not sent again by the connector, and the other way round.
- Meta also drops the second copy it gets from the pixel.

An `order_id` that matches one of the Stripe ids is treated the same way.

## The attribution report

Synced sales appear in the [attribution report](https://sporetag.com/docs/attribution-report) on their real date, under **All goals** and under a goal on `Purchase`. A sale that your site also sent as an event, with the same `event_id` or `order_id`, is counted once.

Synced sales do not change your visitor stats and do not count toward your plan's events.

## Sync log

The connector's page lists the last 50 runs and webhooks: what was added and any errors. Keys and personal data are never shown there. Rows older than 30 days are deleted.

## If something goes wrong

Integrations shows **Needs attention** with the reason:

- **Stripe did not accept the key.** It was deleted or expired. Make a new restricted key and paste it under **Paste a new key**.
- **The key cannot read Invoices** (or another resource). Edit the key in Stripe and set it to Read.
- **Stripe is busy right now.** Nothing to do. Sporetag tries again in 15 minutes.
- **Paused. Connectors are on paid plans.** The plan changed to Free. Sync starts again after an upgrade.

## Disconnect

Click **Disconnect** on the connector's page. The key and the signing secret are deleted at once, and the tag stops adding ids to Stripe links within a few minutes. Orders already imported stay on your customers. To remove one person's data, use **Delete this customer** on their profile. Delete the restricted key and the webhook in Stripe too.

If you connect again later, the endpoint URL stays the same.

---

# Shopify connector

> Connect a Shopify store with a custom app. Orders, refunds and customers join each customer profile, the attribution report and Meta.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/shopify-connector
Section: Measure

The Shopify connector reads your store's orders, refunds and customers and adds them to each [customer profile](https://sporetag.com/docs/customer-profiles). Sales also show in the [attribution report](https://sporetag.com/docs/attribution-report), and live sales can go to Meta.

It is on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom. Free does not include it.

**Connect with Shopify (when shipped).** A one-click login: type your shop address, click **Connect with Shopify**, approve Sporetag in the new tab, and you are done, with no app to make. Until it is switched on, use the steps below.

Sporetag only reads. The app you make has read access only, so it cannot change your store.

## Make a custom app

Shopify connects through a custom app that you make for your own store. These steps follow Shopify's help pages as of October 2026. Shopify changes its screens often, so a button may have a slightly different name.

1. In your Shopify admin, go to **Settings**, then **Apps**. Click **Develop apps**, then **Build apps in Dev Dashboard**.
2. In the Dev Dashboard, click **Create app** and name it `Sporetag`.
3. Make a version of the app. Keep the app address Shopify suggests. Under access scopes, add:
   - `read_orders`
   - `read_customers`
   - `read_all_orders`, to import the full 90 days. Without it, Shopify shows apps only the last 60 days of orders.
4. Release the version.
5. Install the app on your store.
6. In the app's settings, find the **Client ID** and **Client secret**.

You need to be the store owner, or have the **App development** permission. Shopify's guide: [custom apps](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/apps/app-types/custom-apps).

This works when the app and the store belong to the same Shopify organization, which is the case when you make the app from your own store's admin. An agency connecting a client's store should make the app from that store.

## Connect

1. In Sporetag, open your site, then **Settings**, then **Integrations**. Next to **Shopify**, click **Connect**.
2. Type your shop address, such as `my-shop.myshopify.com`. Find it under **Settings**, then **Domains**.
3. Paste the **Client ID** and **Client secret**, and click **Connect Shopify**.

Sporetag gets an access token from Shopify with the client ID and secret. It checks the app has `read_orders` and `read_customers`, and says which one is missing if not. Shopify's tokens last 24 hours, so Sporetag gets a new one when it runs out.

The client secret is stored encrypted. It is never shown again, and it never appears in logs.

### An app made in the Shopify admin before 2026

Older custom apps show an **Admin API access token** (it starts with `shpat_`) and an **API secret key**. Leave Client ID empty, paste the API secret key in **Client secret**, and paste the token under **Made your app in the Shopify admin before 2026?**

## What happens next

- **The first import** reads orders from the last 90 days. A busy store can take a few hours, since each run reads a small batch. Integrations shows **Importing** and a count.
- **Webhooks.** Sporetag adds five webhooks to the app for you: `orders/paid`, `orders/updated`, `refunds/create`, `customers/create` and `app/uninstalled`. They go to `https://sporetag.com/hooks/shopify/...`. New orders then show up in seconds. The connector's page says whether they were added.
- **Every 15 minutes**, Sporetag also reads orders that changed since its last check, in case a webhook was missed.
- **Sync now** starts a check at once.

Each webhook is checked with the `X-Shopify-Hmac-Sha256` header and your client secret, and must come from your shop. Anything else is refused. Sporetag then reads the order again from Shopify, so it never trusts the webhook body alone.

## What shows up on a customer

| Shopify | On the customer |
|---|---|
| A paid order (or partly paid, or refunded later) | **Order**, with the total and product names |
| A refund | **Refund**, which lowers revenue |
| A new customer | A profile, with no order yet |

Orders that are not paid yet, such as cash on delivery, show up once they are paid.

Orders and revenue add up into the customer's lifetime value. Revenue adds up in the customer's first currency.

## Who the customer is

Sporetag finds the customer by:

- the Shopify customer id,
- the email and phone on the order (hashed with SHA-256, the way Meta asks),
- the visitor's first-party id in the cart attribute `_st_id`.

## Where the sale came from

Shopify keeps the first and last visit before an order, with their landing pages and UTM tags. Sporetag reads them, along with click ids such as `fbclid` and `gclid` on the landing page. They move the customer's first and last touch, and the order shows its `utm_source` and `utm_campaign`.

For a full journey across visits, pass the first-party id to the order. Your site needs [90-day tracking](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes) and the 90-day tag on your theme. Then add this before `</body>` in your theme's `theme.liquid` (**Online Store**, **Themes**, **Edit code**):

```html
<script>
  (function () {
    var m = document.cookie.match(/(?:^|; )_st_id=([a-f0-9]{32})/);
    if (!m) return;
    fetch('/cart/update.js', {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
      body: JSON.stringify({ attributes: { _st_id: m[1] } })
    });
  })();
</script>
```

It saves the id on the cart, and Shopify copies cart attributes to the order. The underscore keeps it out of sight at checkout. With **Wait for consent** on, the cookie only exists after the visitor agreed, so nothing is passed before that.

UTM tags saved as cart attributes named `utm_source`, `utm_campaign`, `utm_content` and `utm_term` are read too, when Shopify has no journey for the order.

## Goals and Meta

Synced orders count as the **Purchase** event. They reach any goal on the event `Purchase`.

When that goal is set to send to Meta (see [Meta Conversions API](https://sporetag.com/docs/meta-conversions-api)), a new order goes to Meta once:

- Only live orders: ones placed in the last 24 hours. The 90-day import never sends old orders.
- The hashed email and phone go along, and the buyer's IP address and browser when Shopify kept them.

Meta has no documented way to change a sale once it is sent, so a refund is not sent to Meta. Google Ads and Microsoft Ads do take refunds: see [Refunds](https://sporetag.com/docs/send-results-to-ad-accounts#refunds).

### The event_id rule

The connector uses `shopify-` and the order id as the `event_id`, such as `shopify-5523018432`. That is the same id the [Events API Shopify example](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api#from-a-shopify-webhook) uses.

If you also send orders from the browser or the Events API, use that `event_id`, or send the order number as `order_id`. Then:

- Sporetag counts the order once on the customer.
- An order already sent to Meta from the browser or the Events API is not sent again by the connector, and the other way round.

The order id, the order name (`#1042`) and the order number (`1042`) all match the same order.

## The attribution report

Synced orders appear in the [attribution report](https://sporetag.com/docs/attribution-report) on their real date, under **All goals** and under a goal on `Purchase`. An order that your site also sent as an event, with the same `event_id` or `order_id`, is counted once.

Synced orders do not change your visitor stats and do not count toward your plan's events.

## If something goes wrong

Integrations shows **Needs attention** with the reason:

- **Shopify did not accept the client ID and secret.** Check them, and that the app is installed on this store. Paste them again under **Paste new app details**.
- **The app is missing read_orders.** Add the scope in a new version of the app, release it, then paste the details again.
- **Shopify is busy right now.** Nothing to do. Sporetag tries again in 15 minutes.
- **Paused. Connectors are on paid plans.** The plan changed to Free. Sync starts again after an upgrade.

The connector's page lists the last 50 runs and webhooks. Keys and personal data are never shown there.

## Disconnect

Click **Disconnect** on the connector's page. Sporetag removes the webhooks it added, then deletes the client secret and token at once. Orders already imported stay on your customers. To remove one person's data, use **Delete this customer** on their profile. You can also uninstall the app in Shopify.

If you uninstall a custom app you made, the connector shows **Needs attention**. Your data stays. Make the app again and paste its details.

## Privacy requests from Shopify

These apply when you connect with **Connect with Shopify (when shipped)**, which uses Sporetag's own Shopify app.

- **A customer asks for their data.** Shopify tells Sporetag. Sporetag emails you what it holds about that customer for each site linked to the store: contact details it keeps, what they are known by, totals, and their orders and visits. Send it to the customer with what your store holds.
- **A customer asks to be deleted.** Sporetag deletes their profile, its ids and the orders Shopify names, on each linked site. Their ids are never linked again on that site.
- **You uninstall the app.** Syncing stops at once and the login is deleted. 48 hours later, Sporetag deletes the store's orders, the profiles that only came from Shopify, and the connection. Profiles your site knows in other ways stay, with the Shopify sales taken off. Install the app again within 48 hours to keep the data.

The connector's log lists each request. It never shows the customer's details.

---

# Klaviyo connector

> Connect Klaviyo with a private API key. Email and text activity joins each customer, and sources, value, best send hour and segments go back.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/klaviyo-connector
Section: Measure

The Klaviyo connector works in two directions:

- **In:** email and text sends, opens, clicks and unsubscribes join each [customer profile](https://sporetag.com/docs/customer-profiles).
- **Out:** Sporetag writes each customer's first and last source, lifetime value, orders and best send hour onto their Klaviyo profile. Segments you pick become Klaviyo lists.

It is on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom. Free does not include it.

**Connect with Klaviyo (when shipped).** A one-click login: click **Connect**, log in to Klaviyo in the new tab and allow access, and you are done, with no key to paste. Until it is switched on, use the steps below.

## Connect

1. In Sporetag, open your site, then **Settings**, then **Integrations**. Under **Email and texts**, click **Connect** next to **Klaviyo**.
2. In Klaviyo, click your account name, then **Settings**, then **API keys**. Click **Create Private API Key**.
3. Name it `Sporetag` and pick **Custom Key**. Set these, and leave everything else at **No Access**:

   | Scope | Access | Why |
   |---|---|---|
   | Events | Read | Sends, opens, clicks and unsubscribes |
   | Metrics | Read | To find those events in your account |
   | Profiles | Full | To read who each event is about, and to write the Sporetag properties |
   | Lists | Full | To keep segment lists up to date |

4. Click **Create**. Copy the key. It starts with `pk_`.
5. Paste it into Sporetag and click **Connect Klaviyo**.

Sporetag checks that the key can read Events, Metrics and Profiles. Klaviyo has no way to check a write scope without writing, so a missing Profiles or Lists write scope shows up on the first send back, with the scope to fix.

Klaviyo does not let you change a key's scopes later. To fix one, make a new key and paste it under **Paste a new key**.

The key is stored encrypted. It is never shown again, and it never appears in logs.

## What comes in

Sporetag reads these Klaviyo events:

| Klaviyo event | On the customer |
|---|---|
| Received Email | **Email sent** |
| Opened Email | **Email opened** |
| Clicked Email | **Email clicked**, with the link (without its query string) |
| Unsubscribed from Email Marketing | **Unsubscribed from email** |
| Received SMS | **Text sent** |
| Clicked SMS | **Text clicked** |

Each item shows the email subject or campaign name.

- **The first import** reads the last 90 days. A busy account can take a few hours, since each run reads a batch.
- **After that**, Sporetag checks every 15 minutes, and reads one day back each time, so late events are not missed. Each event is stored once.

### Who the customer is

Sporetag finds the customer by the Klaviyo profile id, and by the profile's email and phone (hashed with SHA-256, as everywhere in Sporetag).

- A **click** or an **unsubscribe** can add a new customer.
- A **send** or an **open** only joins a customer Sporetag already knows. Sends are many, and most mail apps open some mail on their own, so on their own they say little.

If the profile has a time zone, Sporetag keeps it for the [best send time](https://sporetag.com/docs/segments-and-best-send-time).

## What goes back

For people Klaviyo already has, Sporetag keeps these profile properties up to date:

| Property | What it holds |
|---|---|
| `sporetag_first_source` | Where they first came from, like `instagram` |
| `sporetag_last_source` | Where they came from last |
| `sporetag_ltv` | Lifetime value |
| `sporetag_orders` | Number of orders |
| `sporetag_best_send_hour` | Their best hour to get a message, 0 to 23, in their time zone |
| `sporetag_timezone` | The time zone that hour is in |

Use them in Klaviyo segments and flows. For example, a flow can wait until `sporetag_best_send_hour`, or a segment can pick people whose `sporetag_first_source` is `tiktok`.

- Sporetag only updates people who came from Klaviyo. It never adds new profiles and never changes consent.
- A profile is sent again only when one of its values changed.
- To stop, click **Stop sending back** on the connector's page.

### Segments as lists

Each [segment](https://sporetag.com/docs/segments-and-best-send-time) you send to Klaviyo becomes a static list named `Sporetag: ` and the segment's name. Sporetag adds people who match and removes people who stop matching, every 15 minutes.

Klaviyo's own segments are built from rules inside Klaviyo, so another tool cannot add people to them. That is why Sporetag uses a list. Build a Klaviyo segment on top of the list if you like.

Renaming a segment in Sporetag does not rename the list. If you delete the list in Klaviyo, Sporetag makes it again.

## Sync log

The connector's page lists the last 50 runs: what was added, profiles updated and segment changes, and any errors. Keys and personal data are never shown there.

## If something goes wrong

- **Klaviyo did not accept the key.** It was deleted. Make a new private key and paste it.
- **The key cannot read Events** (or another scope). Make a new key with that scope set as in the table above.
- **Klaviyo is busy right now.** Nothing to do. Sporetag tries again in 15 minutes.
- **Paused. Connectors are on paid plans.** The plan changed to Free.

## Disconnect

Click **Disconnect** on the connector's page. The key is deleted at once. Items already imported stay on your customers, and the properties and lists stay in Klaviyo. Delete the key in Klaviyo too.

---

# Mailchimp connector

> Connect Mailchimp with an API key. Campaign sends, opens, clicks and unsubscribes join each customer, and Sporetag writes back merge fields and tags.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/mailchimp-connector
Section: Measure

The Mailchimp connector works in two directions:

- **In:** campaign sends, opens, clicks and unsubscribes join each [customer profile](https://sporetag.com/docs/customer-profiles).
- **Out:** Sporetag writes each customer's first and last source, lifetime value, orders and best send hour into merge fields. Segments you pick become tags.

It is on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom. Free does not include it.

**Connect with Mailchimp (when shipped).** A one-click login: click **Connect**, log in to Mailchimp in the new tab and allow access, and you are done, with no key to paste. Until it is switched on, use the steps below.

## Connect

1. In Sporetag, open your site, then **Settings**, then **Integrations**. Under **Email and texts**, click **Connect** next to **Mailchimp**.
2. In Mailchimp, click your profile icon, then **Profile**. Open **Extras**, then **API keys**.
3. Click **Create A Key** and name it `Sporetag`.
4. Copy the whole key. It ends with a dash and your server, like `-us6`.
5. Paste it into Sporetag and click **Connect Mailchimp**.

Sporetag reads your server from the end of the key, so you never type it.

Mailchimp keys cannot be limited to some data. Any key can read and change the whole account. Sporetag only reads campaign reports and writes its own merge fields and tags. If that is too much access for you, use the [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/bring-your-data-together) from a tool such as Zapier instead.

The key is stored encrypted. It is never shown again, and it never appears in logs.

## What comes in

Sporetag reads Mailchimp's campaign reports:

| Mailchimp report | On the customer |
|---|---|
| Sent to | **Email sent** |
| Email activity: open | **Email opened** |
| Email activity: click | **Email clicked**, with the link (without its query string) |
| Unsubscribes | **Unsubscribed from email** |

Each item shows the campaign's subject line.

- **The first import** reads campaigns sent in the last 90 days, up to 100 campaigns.
- **After that**, every 15 minutes, Sporetag reads opens, clicks and unsubscribes for campaigns sent in the last 30 days, and sends for new campaigns.
- Automated emails (Customer Journeys) have no campaign report in Mailchimp's API, so they are not read. Their clicks still show up as visits when the links carry UTM tags.

### Who the customer is

Sporetag finds the customer by the member's email (hashed with SHA-256) and by Mailchimp's member id in each audience.

- A **click** or an **unsubscribe** can add a new customer.
- A **send** or an **open** only joins a customer Sporetag already knows.

## What goes back

Mailchimp merge tags are at most 10 characters, so the names are short. Sporetag makes these fields in each audience the first time, hidden from signup forms:

| Merge tag | Field name | What it holds |
|---|---|---|
| `STFIRST` | Sporetag first source | Where they first came from |
| `STLAST` | Sporetag last source | Where they came from last |
| `STLTV` | Sporetag lifetime value | Lifetime value |
| `STORDERS` | Sporetag orders | Number of orders |
| `STBESTHR` | Sporetag best send hour | Their best hour, 0 to 23, in their time zone |
| `STTZ` | Sporetag time zone | The time zone that hour is in |

- Sporetag only updates members Mailchimp already has. It never adds members and never changes their status.
- A member is sent again only when one of the values changed.
- Your plan limits how many merge fields an audience can have. If an audience is full, those fields are not made.
- To stop, click **Stop sending back** on the connector's page.

### Segments as tags

Each [segment](https://sporetag.com/docs/segments-and-best-send-time) you send to Mailchimp becomes a tag named `Sporetag: ` and the segment's name. Sporetag adds the tag to members who match and takes it off members who stop matching, every 15 minutes.

## If something goes wrong

- **Mailchimp did not accept the key.** It was turned off or deleted. Make a new key and paste it.
- **Mailchimp is busy right now.** Nothing to do. Sporetag tries again in 15 minutes.
- **Paused. Connectors are on paid plans.** The plan changed to Free.

## Disconnect

Click **Disconnect** on the connector's page. The key is deleted at once. Items already imported stay on your customers, and the fields and tags stay in Mailchimp. Delete the key in Mailchimp too.

---

# Attentive connector

> Connect Attentive with a custom app. Text and email sends and clicks arrive by webhook, and Sporetag sends back custom attributes and segments.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/attentive-connector
Section: Measure

The Attentive connector works in two directions:

- **In:** Attentive tells Sporetag about texts and emails as they go out, get opened and get clicked. They join each [customer profile](https://sporetag.com/docs/customer-profiles).
- **Out:** Sporetag writes each customer's first and last source, lifetime value, orders and best send hour as custom attributes. Segments you pick become Attentive segments.

It is on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom. Free does not include it.

## What Attentive allows

Checked against Attentive's developer docs in October 2026:

- Attentive's public API has **no way to read past messages or clicks**. It sends them as they happen, through a webhook. So Sporetag sees messages from the day you turn the webhook on. Nothing older is imported.
- Custom attributes and segments are written **by email or phone**. Sporetag updates people by email. That needs **Show contact details** on for the site. People Sporetag knows only by phone are skipped.
- Attentive's Segments API is an **open beta**. Attentive may change it.

## Connect

1. In Sporetag, open your site, then **Settings**, then **Integrations**. Under **Email and texts**, click **Connect** next to **Attentive**.
2. In Attentive, open **Integrations**, then **Custom apps**, and click **Create app**. Name it `Sporetag`.
3. Under permissions, set **Custom Attributes** and **Segments** to write. Leave the rest off.
4. Click **Create**. Copy the API key.
5. Paste it into Sporetag and click **Connect Attentive**.

Sporetag checks the key with Attentive. It is stored encrypted, never shown again, and never appears in logs.

## Turn on the webhook

1. Open the Attentive connector's page in Sporetag and copy the **Webhook address**. It looks like `https://sporetag.com/hooks/attentive/...`.
2. In Attentive, open the Sporetag app, then the **Webhooks** tab. Turn on **Event Webhook Status**.
3. Pick **Universal webhook** and paste the address as the **HTTP Post URL**.
4. Pick these events:
   - `sms.sent`
   - `sms.message_link_click`
   - `sms.unsubscribed`
   - `email.sent`
   - `email.opened`
   - `email.message_link_click`
   - `email.unsubscribed`
5. Copy the **Signing key** and paste it into Sporetag under **Messages from Attentive**. Save in Attentive.

Sporetag checks the signature (`x-attentive-hmac-sha256`) on every webhook and refuses any that do not match.

Attentive asks that each event type goes to one app only. If another app already listens to an event, pick the rest.

## What comes in

| Attentive event | On the customer |
|---|---|
| `sms.sent` | **Text sent** |
| `sms.message_link_click` | **Text clicked**, with the link (without its query string) |
| `sms.unsubscribed` | **Unsubscribed from texts** |
| `email.sent` | **Email sent** |
| `email.opened` | **Email opened** |
| `email.message_link_click` | **Email clicked** |
| `email.unsubscribed` | **Unsubscribed from email** |

Sporetag finds the customer by Attentive's subscriber id and by the email and phone (hashed with SHA-256). The phone number itself is never stored.

- A **click** or an **unsubscribe** can add a new customer.
- A **send** or an **open** only joins a customer Sporetag already knows.

A webhook sent twice is stored once.

## What goes back

For people Attentive already sent to, and whose email Sporetag keeps, these custom attributes stay up to date:

| Attribute | What it holds |
|---|---|
| `sporetag_first_source` | Where they first came from |
| `sporetag_last_source` | Where they came from last |
| `sporetag_ltv` | Lifetime value |
| `sporetag_orders` | Number of orders |
| `sporetag_best_send_hour` | Their best hour, 0 to 23, in their time zone |
| `sporetag_timezone` | The time zone that hour is in |

Attentive types an attribute from the first value it gets. Sporetag sends every value as text, so the types stay the same.

Each [segment](https://sporetag.com/docs/segments-and-best-send-time) you send to Attentive becomes a segment named `Sporetag: ` and the segment's name. Sporetag adds and removes members every 15 minutes.

To stop, click **Stop sending back** on the connector's page.

## Disconnect

Click **Disconnect** on the connector's page. The key and the signing key are deleted at once, and the webhook address stops answering. Items already imported stay on your customers. Turn off the webhook and remove the app in Attentive too.

---

# HubSpot and GoHighLevel

> Connect HubSpot or GoHighLevel with one login (when shipped). Won deals count as sales, and each profile goes back with where the person came from.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/crm-connectors
Section: Measure

The HubSpot and GoHighLevel connectors work in two directions:

- **In:** contacts join your [customer profiles](https://sporetag.com/docs/customer-profiles). Deal stages, wins and losses show on each person's timeline. A won deal counts as a sale in revenue and in the [Attribution report](https://sporetag.com/docs/attribution-report).
- **Out:** Sporetag sends each person who gave you an email to your CRM as a contact, with their first and last source, campaign, ad platform, landing page, short link, visits, revenue and orders.

It is on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom. Free does not include it.

Each connector needs Sporetag's own HubSpot or GoHighLevel app. Until it is set up for this server, the row says **(when shipped)**. A [webhook](https://sporetag.com/docs/webhooks-out) to Zapier or Make can do the same job until then.

## Connect

1. In Sporetag, open your site, then **Settings**, then **Integrations**. Under **CRMs and sending**, click **Connect** next to **HubSpot** or **GoHighLevel**. The login opens in a new tab.
2. Log in and approve what Sporetag asks for.
   - **HubSpot:** pick the HubSpot account if you have more than one.
   - **GoHighLevel:** pick one sub-account (location). Agency logins are not supported. Connect each client's sub-account on that client's site.
3. You land on the connector's page. The import of the last 90 days starts right away.

What Sporetag asks for:

| Tool | Permissions | Why |
|---|---|---|
| HubSpot | `crm.objects.contacts.read`, `crm.objects.deals.read` | Read contacts and deals |
| HubSpot | `crm.objects.contacts.write`, `crm.schemas.contacts.read`, `crm.schemas.contacts.write` | Send profiles back, and add the Sporetag properties |
| GoHighLevel | `contacts.readonly`, `opportunities.readonly`, `locations.readonly` | Read contacts, opportunities and the sub-account name |
| GoHighLevel | `contacts.write`, `locations/customFields.readonly`, `locations/customFields.write` | Send profiles back, and add the Sporetag custom fields |

Sporetag never deletes anything in your CRM, and never changes a deal or an opportunity.

If you already connected the same CRM account on another site, the page offers **Use** that login, so you do not log in again.

## What comes in

- **Contacts** made in the last 90 days become customer profiles, with an **Added to CRM** item. The item keeps the CRM's own source, like "Paid social, Facebook" in HubSpot or "Facebook form" in GoHighLevel.
- **Older contacts** only join people Sporetag already knows (by email or phone). A big CRM does not fill your profiles with people who never visited.
- **UTM tags and click ids** the CRM kept become the person's first touch, when they are older than what Sporetag saw. HubSpot keeps them in the first page address. GoHighLevel keeps them in the contact's attribution.
- **Deals** (HubSpot) and **opportunities** (GoHighLevel): each stage the deal entered is a **Deal stage changed** item, then **Deal won** or **Deal lost**. HubSpot keeps every stage with its time. GoHighLevel only says the current stage, so Sporetag stores the stages it sees.

After the first import, Sporetag checks every 15 minutes, and reads one day back each time so late changes are not missed. Each item is stored once.

### Won deals as sales

A won deal with a value counts as a sale:

- It adds to the person's orders and revenue.
- It counts as a conversion of your goals on the `Purchase` event in the Attribution report, at the time it was won. When the person never visited your site, the deal is credited to the UTM tags on their CRM contact.
- It counts once, however often Sporetag reads it. Its id is `hubspot-deal-` or `ghl-opp-` and the CRM's id.
- It is never sent to Meta, since it is not a website purchase.

A deal won in the last 3 days also starts any [automation](https://sporetag.com/docs/automations) that begins with **A deal is won in your CRM**. A flow can send someone to your CRM too, with a **Push to CRM** step.

If the same sales already come from [Stripe](https://sporetag.com/docs/stripe-connector) or [Shopify](https://sporetag.com/docs/shopify-connector), turn off **Count won deals as sales**. The wins stay on the timeline, with their amount, but are not counted twice. The switch applies to deals won from then on.

**GoHighLevel:** its API does not say which currency your opportunity values are in. Pick it under **Contacts and opportunities in**. It is USD until you do.

## What goes out

Under **Send profiles to HubSpot** (or GoHighLevel), tick the fields to send and click **Start sending**.

| Field | HubSpot property | GoHighLevel custom field |
|---|---|---|
| Name | First name and last name | First name and last name |
| Phone | Phone number | Phone |
| First source, campaign and ad platform | `sporetag_first_source`, `sporetag_first_campaign`, `sporetag_first_platform` | Sporetag first source, and so on |
| First seen | `sporetag_first_seen` (a date) | Sporetag first seen |
| Last source, campaign and ad platform | `sporetag_last_source`, `sporetag_last_campaign`, `sporetag_last_platform` | Sporetag last source, and so on |
| Landing page | `sporetag_landing_page` | Sporetag landing page |
| Short link | `sporetag_short_link` | Sporetag short link |
| Visits, revenue, orders | `sporetag_visits`, `sporetag_revenue`, `sporetag_orders` | Sporetag visits, and so on |
| Profile | `sporetag_profile_url` (a link to the profile in Sporetag) | Sporetag profile |

- Sporetag makes the properties (in a HubSpot group named **Sporetag**) and the custom fields the first time it sends.
- People are matched on email. Someone new is added as a contact. Someone the CRM has is updated.
- Name and phone replace what the CRM has. Untick them to leave the CRM's own.
- A field with no value is left out, never sent empty.
- Pick a [segment](https://sporetag.com/docs/segments-and-best-send-time) under **Who** to send only some people.

### When people go out

- **Right away** when your site identifies someone with an email: a form, a checkout on your site, or `sporetag('identify')`.
- **Within 15 minutes** for everyone else whose profile changed: a Stripe or Shopify sale, an import, a new touch.
- **Send everyone now** sends every profile once more.

A profile goes out again only when one of its values changed.

### Who is not sent

- People with no email.
- Everyone, while **Show contact details** is off. Sporetag then keeps only hashed emails, so it has no email to send. Turn it on in the Customers tab.
- People Sporetag only knows from this same CRM. There is nothing new to add.

## When something fails

A failed send waits 1, 5, 15, 30, then 60 minutes before the next try, without a warning. From the sixth failure in a row, the row says **Needs attention** with the reason, and Sporetag keeps trying every 15 minutes.

If the login ends, the row says **Reconnect**. One click opens the login again. Nothing already imported is lost.

## Disconnect

**Disconnect** on the connector's page deletes the saved login and stops sending. Contacts and deals already imported stay on your customers. Properties and contacts already in your CRM stay there.

---

# Airtable

> Send each customer profile, with where they came from and what they spent, to an Airtable table (when shipped). Orders can get their own table.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/airtable-connector
Section: Measure

The Airtable connector keeps a table of your customers up to date: one row per person who gave you an email, with their first and last source, campaign, ad platform, landing page, short link, visits, revenue and orders. It can also add one row per order to a second table.

It is on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom. Free does not include it.

It needs Sporetag's own Airtable integration. Until it is set up for this server, the row says **(when shipped)**. A [webhook](https://sporetag.com/docs/webhooks-out) to Zapier or Make can fill a table until then.

## Connect

1. In Sporetag, open your site, then **Settings**, then **Integrations**. Under **CRMs and sending**, click **Connect** next to **Airtable**. The login opens in a new tab.
2. Log in to Airtable. Pick the bases Sporetag may use, and click **Grant access**.
3. Back in Sporetag, pick the **Base**, then the **Table**. Pick **Make a "Sporetag profiles" table for me** to start fresh.
4. Tick the fields to send, and click **Start sending**.

What Sporetag asks for:

| Permission | Why |
|---|---|
| `data.records:read`, `data.records:write` | Add and update rows |
| `schema.bases:read` | List your bases, tables and columns |
| `schema.bases:write` | Make the table and add missing columns |

To make a table or add columns you need to be a creator on the base.

## Columns

Each field goes in a column named like the field, such as **Sporetag first source**. Change a name under **Column names** to use a column you already have.

- Rows are matched on the **Email** column, so each person is one row. Change its name if your table uses another.
- Missing columns are added with the right type: text, number, date or link. Sporetag never renames or deletes a column.
- A field with no value is left out, so Sporetag never empties a cell.

## Orders

Tick **Also add one row per order**. Sporetag makes a **Sporetag orders** table with Order ID, Email, Date, Value, Currency, Source, Kind and Title. Orders from Stripe, Shopify, the Events API and won CRM deals go in, one row each, matched on Order ID.

## When rows go out

- **Right away** when your site identifies someone with an email.
- **Within 15 minutes** for everyone else whose profile changed.
- **Send everyone now** sends every profile once more.

Airtable takes up to 10 rows a request and 5 requests a second to a base. Sporetag keeps to that, so a big first send takes a few minutes. If Airtable asks it to slow down, it waits 30 seconds and carries on.

People with no email are not sent. While **Show contact details** is off, nobody is sent, since Sporetag keeps only hashed emails.

## When something fails

A failed send waits 1, 5, 15, 30, then 60 minutes before the next try. From the sixth failure in a row, the row says **Needs attention** with the reason. A deleted table or base says so: pick a table again.

An Airtable login ends after 60 days without use. While sending is on, Sporetag renews it on its runs, so it stays alive. If it ends, the row says **Reconnect**.

## Disconnect

**Disconnect** deletes the saved login and stops sending. Rows already in Airtable stay there.

---

# Webhooks out

> Post each customer profile, and optionally each order, to Zapier, Make, n8n or your own server. Signed, retried, and testable.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/webhooks-out
Section: Measure

A webhook sends each customer profile to an address you choose, as JSON. Use it to reach any tool through Zapier, Make or n8n, or your own server. It carries the same fields as the [HubSpot and GoHighLevel](https://sporetag.com/docs/crm-connectors) push.

It is on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom. Free does not include it.

## Set up

1. In Zapier, Make or n8n, start a flow with a **Webhook** trigger that catches a POST. Copy its address.
2. In Sporetag, open your site, then **Settings**, then **Integrations**. Under **CRMs and sending**, click **Set up** next to **Webhook**.
3. Paste the address and click **Save**. It must start with `https://` and be on a public host name.
4. Click **Send test**. Sporetag posts a sample event, marked `"test": true`, and shows the answer.
5. Build the rest of your flow from the test event.
6. Tick the fields to send and click **Start sending**.

Tick **Also send one event per order** to get orders, renewals and won deals too.

## Events

Each request is one event. Every event has the same outer shape:

```json
{
  "id": "evt_3f9c2a7b1d0e4c55a8e2f901",
  "type": "profile.updated",
  "created": "2026-10-23T14:02:11.000Z",
  "site": { "id": "a4bd9d08183f00a2", "domain": "plantshop.com" },
  "data": {
    "profile_id": "Xk29dLq0aB7cZp",
    "email": "sam@example.com",
    "name": "Sam Rivera",
    "currency": "USD",
    "sporetag_first_source": "instagram",
    "sporetag_first_campaign": "spring-sale",
    "sporetag_first_platform": "Meta",
    "sporetag_first_seen": "2026-10-01",
    "sporetag_last_source": "google",
    "sporetag_landing_page": "/shop",
    "sporetag_short_link": "go.sporetag.com/spring",
    "sporetag_visits": 4,
    "sporetag_revenue": 120,
    "sporetag_orders": 2,
    "sporetag_profile_url": "https://sporetag.com/app/s/a4bd9d08183f00a2/customers/Xk29dLq0aB7cZp"
  }
}
```

This is demo data. Only the fields you ticked are in `data`, and a field with no value is left out.

| Type | When | `data` |
|---|---|---|
| `profile.updated` | A person with an email is new or changed | The profile, as above |
| `order.created` | An order, renewal or won deal, if you turned orders on | `order_id`, `profile_id`, `email`, `occurred_at`, `value`, `currency`, `source`, `kind`, `title` |
| `test` | You clicked **Send test** | A sample profile |

The `Sporetag-Event` header holds the type too.

## Check the signature

Each request has a `Sporetag-Signature` header:

```
Sporetag-Signature: t=1792764131,v1=5f2b...e9
```

`t` is the time in Unix seconds. `v1` is a hex HMAC-SHA256 of `t`, a dot, and the raw body, made with your signing secret. Find the secret under **Signing secret** on the webhook page.

To check a request:

1. Read `t` and `v1` from the header.
2. Compute HMAC-SHA256 of `t + "." + body` with the secret, as hex.
3. Compare it with `v1`. Reject the request if they differ, or if `t` is more than 5 minutes old.

**Make a new secret** replaces it at once. Update it where you check signatures.

## Retries

An answer other than 2xx within 10 seconds is a failure. Sporetag tries again after 1, 5, 15, 30, then 60 minutes. From the sixth failure in a row, the row says **Needs attention**, and Sporetag keeps trying every 15 minutes.

A retry can send an event you already got. Use `id` to skip one you have seen: the same profile with the same values has the same `id`.

## When events go out

- **Right away** when your site identifies someone with an email.
- **Within 15 minutes** for everyone else whose profile changed.
- **Send everyone now** sends every profile once more.

People with no email are not sent. While **Show contact details** is off, nobody is sent, since Sporetag keeps only hashed emails.

## Stop

**Stop sending** pauses it. **Disconnect** deletes the address and the secret.

---

# Postscript connector

> Postscript limits its API to integration partners and enterprise shops, so there is no Postscript connector yet. What works today with UTM tags and webhooks.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/postscript-connector
Section: Measure

There is no Postscript connector yet (when shipped).

## Why

Postscript calls its API a Partner API. Its own docs (checked October 2026) say:

- Since April 2022, a shop can use its own API key for its own code only on an enterprise plan.
- Other shops can make keys, but only for Postscript's integration partners.
- The webhooks Postscript sends are for opt ins, opt outs, replies and collected emails. There is no webhook for a text sent or a link clicked.

Sporetag is not a Postscript integration partner today. Building a connector on a shop's key would break those terms for most shops, so Sporetag does not.

## What works today

**Clicks from texts.** Add UTM tags to the links in your Postscript messages, with `utm_medium=sms`:

```
https://yourshop.com/products/mug?utm_source=postscript&utm_medium=sms&utm_campaign=fall-sale
```

With the Sporetag script on your site, each visit from a text shows as **Text clicked** on the customer, with the campaign. With 90-day tracking, it ties to the person once they are identified. See [UTM presets](https://sporetag.com/docs/utm-presets).

**Opt ins and opt outs.** If your shop has API access, point a Postscript webhook at a small script or a Zapier step that sends them to the [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/bring-your-data-together) with `kind` set to `sms_unsubscribed` and `source` set to `postscript`.

**Sending data to Postscript.** Not possible from Sporetag today. Export a segment from the Profiles tab as CSV if you need the list.

---

# Segments and best send time

> Group customers by source, spend and activity, send groups to Klaviyo, Mailchimp or Attentive, and reach each person at the hour they are most likely to act.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/segments-and-best-send-time
Section: Measure

Two things Sporetag knows that your email and text tools do not: where each customer came from, and when they tend to act. Segments and the best send time put that to work.

Both are on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom, with [customer profiles](https://sporetag.com/docs/customer-profiles) filling in.

## Segments

A segment is a saved group of customers. Open your site's **Profiles** tab, then **Segments**, then **New segment**.

Pick any of these. A customer has to match all of the ones you pick:

| Rule | Matches |
|---|---|
| First source | Where they first came from, like `instagram` |
| Last source | Where they came from most recently |
| Ad platform, campaign, short link | On the first or the last touch (under **More options**) |
| Orders, at least | People with this many orders or more |
| Lifetime value from, to | People who spent in this range |
| Last seen | Seen in the last 7, 30, 90, 180 or 365 days |
| Email and texts | Opened or clicked an email, clicked a text, or either, in the last 90 days |

**Count people** shows how many match before you save. After saving, **See them** opens the customer list filtered to the segment, and **Export CSV** there downloads it.

A site can have up to 50 segments.

### Send a segment to your email or text tool

Under **Send to**, tick any connected [Klaviyo](https://sporetag.com/docs/klaviyo-connector), [Mailchimp](https://sporetag.com/docs/mailchimp-connector) or [Attentive](https://sporetag.com/docs/attentive-connector). Then:

| Tool | The segment becomes |
|---|---|
| Klaviyo | A list named `Sporetag: ` and the segment name |
| Mailchimp | A tag with that name on each member |
| Attentive | A segment with that name |

Every 15 minutes, Sporetag adds people who now match and removes people who stopped matching.

- Only people the tool already has are sent. Sporetag never adds new contacts to a tool and never changes anyone's consent.
- Attentive is updated by email, so it needs **Show contact details** on.
- Unticking a tool, or deleting the segment, stops the updates. The list, tag or segment stays in the tool.

## Best send time

Each customer page has a **Best time to send** card: the hour and day that person is most likely to act, and the time zone it is in.

### How it is worked out

Every time a customer does something, Sporetag adds a weight to that hour of their week:

| What they did | Weight |
|---|---|
| An order | 4 |
| A click (email, text or short link) | 3 |
| A visit or an event | 2 |
| An email open | 1 |
| An email or text sent to them | 0 |

Opens count little because many mail apps open mail on their own. Sends count nothing: they say when you mailed, not when the person was around.

Then:

1. The week is moved into the customer's time zone, from their Klaviyo profile when it has one, else your site's time zone.
2. Each hour is smoothed with the hours next to it, so 6:55 and 7:05 count together.
3. The busiest hour of the day is the best send hour. The busiest day is the best day.

**Customers with little history** (less than about two clicks' worth) get your site's pattern instead: everyone's weeks added up, each person counted once, so a few busy customers do not decide for all. The card says when it uses the site's pattern.

Times move by whole hours at today's offset from UTC. A time zone with a half hour, or a visit from before a daylight saving change, can be an hour off.

### Best hours on the Profiles tab

The **Best hours to send** card shows the site's pattern by hour of the day, with the best hour and day.

Your site's time zone is the one most of your customers have, or UTC when none is known. To set it, open **Times in ...** under the chart, pick yours and save.

### What your tools get

Each connected tool gets `sporetag_best_send_hour` (0 to 23) and `sporetag_timezone` (Mailchimp: `STBESTHR` and `STTZ`) on each person. Build segments in the tool on them, such as people whose best hour is between 6 PM and 9 PM, and send each group at its hour.

---

# Automations

> Flows that act at the moments that matter: an email when someone signs up, a reminder when a checkout stalls, a note to you when a lead looks at pricing.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/automations
Section: Measure

An automation (a flow) waits for a moment, like a signup or a stalled checkout, then runs its steps for that one person.

**Automations** in the sidebar holds every flow on every site in one place: the site, the flow's status (Live, Draft or Paused), its trigger, how many people are **in it now**, what it **sent** and its **sales** in the last 30 days, and its **last run**. Filter by status, search by name, or pick a site; the site shows as a chip, and its **x** shows every site again.

Each flow belongs to one site. With more than one site, **New flow** and **Use this** on a template ask which site; with one site, they ask nothing.

Automations are on paid plans: Solo, Studio and Agency. Free shows the page with the plans.

## Make a flow

1. Open **Automations** in the sidebar. A new account starts on the templates.
2. Press **Use this** on a template, such as **Welcome new signups** or **Abandoned checkout**, or press **New flow** to start blank.
3. Press the trigger at the top to choose what starts the flow.
4. Press **+** between steps to add one. Press a step to change it in the panel on the right (on a phone it slides up from the bottom).
5. Drag a step by its handle to move it, or use the up and down arrows in the panel.
6. Press **Test run**, pick a person, and read what each step would do for them. Nothing is sent.
7. Press **Publish**. The flow is live.

Changes save as you go, as a draft. People already in a flow keep the version they started on. **Publish changes** makes a new version for everyone who starts after that. **Pause** stops new people from starting; people on the way wait until you press **Resume**.

## Manage flows

Each flow's **⋯** menu has **Edit**, **Rename** (type the new name in place, Enter to keep it), **Open in new tab**, **Publish** (or **Pause** and **Resume** once it is live), **Duplicate** and **Delete**. With more than one site, **Copy to** puts a draft copy on another site.

- **Delete** keeps the flow for 30 days under **Deleted**, where **Restore** brings it back, paused, so it never starts sending on its own. After 30 days it is gone for good, with its numbers. Deleting a live flow asks once: the people in it stop there.
- **Undo** shows for a few seconds after a delete.
- Tick flows to **Pause**, **Delete** or **Move to site** them together. On a computer the tick box shows when you point at a flow. A moved flow arrives paused, and the people in it stop, since people belong to a site.

## Triggers

| Trigger | Starts when |
|---|---|
| Someone gives their email or phone | A profile gets an email or phone for the first time: a website form, the Events API, a connected store or tool. Never from an import. Pick **Website forms only** to start only from forms |
| Someone reaches a goal | Any goal, or the one you pick |
| First visit from an ad | Their first visit, with an ad click id in the address. Any ad platform, or the one you pick |
| Someone comes back after a while | They visit again after at least the days you set |
| Someone visits a page | A page like `/pricing`. Use `*` for any part, like `/pricing*` |
| Checkout started, no purchase | They reach a checkout page (like `/checkout*`) or send a checkout event (like `InitiateCheckout`), then buy nothing within the minutes you set |
| Someone buys | A sale from Stripe, Shopify, the Events API or your script, optionally above an amount. One sale starts a flow once, even when two sources report it |
| Someone clicks a short link | They visit through any short link, or the one you pick |
| Someone joins a segment | They join a [segment](https://sporetag.com/docs/segments-and-best-send-time). Checked every 15 minutes. People already in it when you publish are left out |
| Someone enters a stage | They become a Lead, Engaged, Customer, Repeat, At risk or Unsubscribed (see [stages](https://sporetag.com/docs/messages#stages)). Checked every 15 minutes, like a segment. People already in it when you publish are left out, and someone who leaves the stage and comes back does not start it again |
| Only people you add | Nobody starts it on their own. Add people from Profiles: filter by stage, then **Add to automation** |
| A deal is won in your CRM | A deal is marked won in [HubSpot or GoHighLevel](https://sporetag.com/docs/crm-connectors), for the person on the deal. Needs one of them connected. Only deals won in the last 3 days start it, so connecting a CRM never starts it for old deals. One deal starts a flow once |

Triggers that come from visits (goals, pages, ads, links, checkouts, coming back) need [90-day tracking](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes), and consent where the site waits for it, because they follow one person.

**Can someone go through it again?** **Once only**, **Again after some days**, or **Every time** (one run at a time). **Stop when they buy** ends their run as soon as a sale comes in. Abandoned checkout flows always stop on a purchase.

Ask the [assistant](https://sporetag.com/docs/assistant) to "Set up an abandoned checkout flow" or "Write and schedule a welcome series" and it builds the draft for you, in your brand's voice. It never publishes without your OK.

## Steps

| Step | Does |
|---|---|
| Wait | For minutes, hours or days, or until a time of day in their time zone |
| If / else | Checks one thing, then runs the Yes steps or the No steps. The two paths do not join again |
| Send email | Your email, built from blocks |
| Send text | A text from your texting number (when shipped) |
| Add tag | Puts a tag on the profile, for If / else steps and for finding people later |
| Send to webhook | Posts the profile as JSON to an address you give, signed |
| Push to CRM | Sends the profile right away to your connected [CRM or webhook](https://sporetag.com/docs/crm-connectors) (HubSpot, GoHighLevel, Airtable or a webhook), every one or the one you pick, with the fields picked for that tool. Works even if **Start sending** is off there. Needs one connected |
| Notify me | Emails you, with a link to the profile |
| End | The flow ends here |

**If / else can check:** has an email, has a phone, agreed to texts, came from a source, came from an ad platform, came from a campaign, visited a page, reached or did not reach a goal (within some days, or since they entered), is in a segment, is in a stage, spent more than an amount, has a tag.

**Their time zone** comes from their email or text tool when it told us one, else from the first country they visited from (a guess), else your site's time zone.

## Email

Build an email from blocks: heading, text, button, image and divider. Links in text and buttons are counted when clicked.

**Merge fields** fill in for each person: `{first_name}`, `{name}`, `{source}`, `{campaign}`, `{last_page}` and `{site_name}`. Add a fallback after a bar for people you do not know the field for: `{first_name|there}`.

Press **Preview** to see it with a sample person, and **Send a test to me** to get it in your own inbox.

Every email:

- Comes from your **From name**. It is sent from Sporetag's sending address, until you set up [email from your own domain](https://sporetag.com/docs/sending-domain); then it comes from your own address.
- Has its own reply address. When someone replies, the reply shows in [Messages](https://sporetag.com/docs/messages), and a copy goes to your **Replies go to** address (your account email when empty). Turn the copy off in **Automations settings**.
- Ends with your name, your **postal address** and an **Unsubscribe** link, as the US CAN-SPAM Act asks. A flow with an email cannot go live until the postal address is set in **Automations settings**.
- Carries one-click unsubscribe headers, so Gmail and Apple Mail show their own unsubscribe button.
- Has a plain-text version.

Emails go only to people whose email is stored: **Show contact details** must be on, in the settings of the site's customer profiles. Someone who unsubscribed, from a flow email or in Klaviyo or Mailchimp, is skipped.

## Texts (when shipped)

Texts go from your [texting number](https://sporetag.com/docs/texting-number), at 2¢ a part, billed with your plan each month. Until texts are switched on, text steps are skipped and say why. Once they are:

- **Consent first.** A text goes only to someone with consent to texts on record: a ticked box about texts on your website form (with form capture on; its words are kept as the record), or a yes in an imported **Agreed to texts** column. Everyone else is skipped.
- **Quiet hours.** No texts from 9 pm to 8 am in their time zone. A text due then waits until 8 am.
- **STOP works at once.** A reply of STOP (or STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, QUIT) stops all texts from that site. START turns them back on. HELP gets a short answer.
- **Your brand first.** Each text starts with your brand name, and the first text a person gets ends with "Reply STOP to opt out."
- **US numbers need registration.** Carriers block business texts to US numbers from unregistered senders. [Get a texting number](https://sporetag.com/docs/texting-number) registers your brand and campaign (or a toll-free number) for you, with every fee shown first.
- The editor counts characters and message parts. A plain text fits 160 characters in one part; emoji and some letters bring that to 70.

## Limits

| Plan | Live flows per site | Emails a day per site | Texts a day per site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | 5 | 500 | 100 |
| Studio | 25 | 2,000 | 500 |
| Agency | 100 | 10,000 | 2,000 |

Set a lower daily limit in **Automations settings**: **Settings** on Automations, or on any flow of the site. A send past the day's limit waits until the next day (UTC), it is not dropped.

## Numbers

Each flow in the list shows four numbers: **In it now** (people waiting on a step), **Sent** (emails and texts, last 30 days), **Sales** (last 30 days) and **Last run**. Open a flow for the rest of the last 30 days: how many people **entered** and **completed** it, emails sent, opened and clicked, texts sent, delivered and replied, and **sales**. Each step shows its own counts on the canvas.

A sale counts for a flow when the buyer's last flow email or text came within the days you set in settings (5 by default): last touch. The **Attribution** tab shows these sales in a **By automation** table.

Opens are counted when the email's images load. Some mail apps load them on their own, so opens run high. Clicks are a better signal.

## Webhooks

A **Send to webhook** step posts JSON: the flow, the step, the site and the profile (id, label, email and name when stored, first and latest source, orders and revenue). It is signed: `x-sporetag-timestamp` and `x-sporetag-signature: sha256=` the HMAC-SHA256 of the timestamp, a dot and the body, with the key in **Automations settings**, under **For developers**. Addresses must use https.

## How it runs

Steps that are due run every 15 minutes, so a wait of 10 minutes can take up to 25. The first steps of a flow run the moment it starts. Each step is recorded before it acts, so an email or text is never sent twice, even when something is retried.

---

# Import your history

> Bring past visits in from Google Analytics 4, Plausible or Fathom, so your charts are full on day one. What comes in, and how it is counted.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/import-history
Section: Measure

Moving to Sporetag does not mean starting from an empty chart. Bring the days before Sporetag in from the tool you used, and your dashboard shows them next to the days Sporetag tracks.

Open your site, then **Settings**. The **Import history** card has both ways in.

## From Google Analytics 4

Connect Google Analytics (when shipped).

1. Click **Connect Google Analytics** and sign in with a Google account that can see the property. Sporetag asks to read your analytics, nothing else.
2. Pick the property and click **Start import**.

The import runs on its own, newest days first, and the card shows how far it has come. You can close the page. When it ends, Sporetag gives the Google access back.

## From Plausible

1. In Plausible, open the site's settings, then **Imports and Exports**, and export to CSV.
2. Upload the zip file to the card as it is, and click **Import file**.

## From Fathom

Fathom's dashboard download holds totals for the whole range, not each day, so use a custom export:

1. In Fathom, start a new export of **Pageviews**, grouped **Daily**, with all metrics, over the range you want.
2. Export once with no dimension. That file holds the daily totals and is needed.
3. Export once more for each breakdown you want: page, referrer, country, device type, browser, operating system, a UTM field or event name.
4. Upload all the files to the card at once.

## How the days are counted

- **No day counts twice.** Only days before your first tracked day come in. From that day on, only Sporetag's own numbers count. The chart marks the day, and a note above it says where the earlier days come from.
- **Your plan's history applies.** The import reaches back as far as your plan keeps history, and imported days age out with it.
- **Other tools count differently.** GA4 counts a user by a browser cookie, so a GA4 user is not a Sporetag visitor. Visits are GA4 sessions, a bounce is a session GA4 did not count as engaged, and time is the time the page was in front. Imported days will not line up exactly with tracked days.
- **Google may hold numbers back.** For privacy, Google leaves out small numbers in some reports (thresholds), and may estimate a report from a sample. The card says so when that happened.
- **Goals:** key events from GA4 and custom events from Plausible and Fathom show on a goal with the same event name. Sales, revenue and visitor profiles start with Sporetag.
- **Filters** apply to tracked days only. GA4 days follow your property's time zone; Sporetag's follow UTC.

## Import again or remove

A new import replaces the days imported before. **Remove imported days** takes them all out. Days Sporetag tracked are never changed by either.

---

# Meta ad spend and ROAS

> Connect Meta Ads in one click to see what each campaign, ad set and ad cost next to the sales Sporetag credits, with Meta's own numbers beside ours.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/meta-ads-spend
Section: Measure

Connect Meta Ads, and the **Attribution** tab shows what each campaign, ad set and ad cost next to the sales Sporetag credited to it. You see return on ad spend (ROAS), cost per purchase, and what Meta says beside what Sporetag saw.

Sporetag only reads. It can never change your ads, budgets or audiences.

It is on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom. Free does not include it.

## Connect with Meta

1. Open your site, then **Settings**, then **Integrations**. Under **Ad spend**, click **Connect** next to **Meta Ads**.
2. Log in to Meta and allow Sporetag to read your ad results.
3. Back in Sporetag, tick the ad accounts to read. Accounts that spent in the last 90 days are ticked for you.
4. Click **Start**. A progress bar shows the import of the last 90 days. You can leave the page.

That is all. After the import, spend updates every hour.

### When the login ends

A Meta login can end, often after about 60 days. When it does, the **Meta Ads** row says **Reconnect**. Click **Reconnect Meta** and log in again. Your spend so far is kept, and the sync picks up where it stopped.

## Other ways to connect: a System User token

A System User token never ends, which suits agencies with many clients. Open **Other ways to connect** on the Meta Ads page and follow these steps. Meta's screens change from time to time, so the names may differ a little.

1. In Meta, open [Business settings](https://business.facebook.com/settings/system-users), then **Users**, then **System users**. Click **Add**. Name it `Sporetag` and pick the **Employee** role.
2. Click **Assign assets**. Pick **Ad accounts**, tick your ad account and turn on **View performance**. Save.
3. Click **Generate token**. Pick your business app. If you have none, make one first at [developers.facebook.com](https://developers.facebook.com/apps), type **Business**.
4. Set the expiry to **Never** if Meta offers it. Tick the `ads_read` permission, then generate.
5. Copy the token. Meta shows it only once. Paste it in Sporetag and click **Connect**.

Sporetag checks that the token has `ads_read` and can see an ad account. It is stored encrypted and never shown again.

Already use the [Meta Conversions API](https://sporetag.com/docs/meta-conversions-api) on this site? The page offers **Use the token saved for Meta Conversions API**. It works when that token can also read ad results.

## What Sporetag reads

For each ad account you pick, per day: spend, impressions, reach, clicks, and every action Meta reports (signups, leads, purchases, landing page views, link clicks, custom conversions and the rest) with the value Meta puts on them, in the account's currency. It reads campaigns, ad sets and ads, and what each ad set is optimized for.

- Numbers follow each ad set's own attribution setting, such as 7-day click and 1-day view, so they match Ads Manager.
- Meta reports some actions under two names, like `complete_registration` and `offsite_conversion.fb_pixel_complete_registration`. Sporetag counts them once.

- The first import reads the last 90 days.
- Each hour after, it reads again from 3 days before the last sync, because Meta updates recent days late. A day read twice replaces itself. It never counts twice.
- When Meta asks Sporetag to slow down, the sync pauses and carries on later. It does not show as an error.

## The Ad spend card

The card on your dashboard leads with what Ads Manager calls **Results**: what each ad set is optimized for, like **Signups (Meta) 106** and **Cost per signup (Meta) $2.25**. A number Meta reports always says (Meta). A number Sporetag tracked on your site says (tracked). The two are never added together.

A cost per action divides only the spend of the platforms that report that action. With Meta and Google both spending, **Cost per signup (Meta)** is Meta's spend over Meta's signups, the same as Ads Manager.

Point at a day on the card's chart to see its numbers for that day. Click a number on top, or a day, to open its [breakdown](https://sporetag.com/docs/dashboards#see-what-makes-a-number) by platform, campaign, ad set and ad.

Open the card's menu and pick **Customize** to choose:

- **Result**: each ad set's own (the default), or one action for every row, like signups.
- **Numbers on top**: which ones, in what order.
- **Columns**: start from Performance, Signups, Sales or Delivery, then add, remove and order them. Sort by any column.
- **Chart**: spend, or any number with a value per day.

Reach is added up day by day, so someone reached on two days counts twice. Frequency uses the same reach.

## Matching spend to sales

Spend joins the sales Sporetag credits by the tags on each ad's link:

1. **Campaign id first.** Our Meta URL template sends `utm_id={{campaign.id}}`, which matches even after you rename a campaign.
2. **Then names.** `utm_campaign`, `utm_term` and `utm_content` are matched to the campaign, ad set and ad names, written the way the link builder writes them: lowercase, with hyphens for spaces. "Spring Sale" and `spring-sale` match.
3. **Then the click id and the day.** A visit with Meta's `fbclid` but no tags that name an ad goes to the campaign, ad set and ad when only that one had clicks that day and the days either side. With two running, it stays untied: a click id says it came from Meta, not from which ad.

When visits from Meta arrive but cannot be tied to an ad, the Ad spend card says so in one line, with **Copy parameters** for the line below.

After the import, the Meta Ads page checks your active ads. If some have no Sporetag tags, it shows the one line to paste:

```
utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid-social&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{ad.name}}&utm_term={{adset.name}}&utm_id={{campaign.id}}
```

In Ads Manager, open the ad, find **URL parameters** under **Tracking**, paste it and publish. You can select many ads and edit them together. More in [Tracking ads with UTMs](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-ads-with-utms).

## Reading the numbers

On the **Attribution** tab, **Spend and return** has a switch for **Platform**, **Campaign**, **Ad set** and **Ad**. It follows the period and the first touch or last touch switch above it.

| Column | What it is |
|---|---|
| Spend | What Meta charged in the period |
| Sales | Purchases Sporetag credited to it |
| Revenue | Their value |
| ROAS | Revenue divided by spend. 3.0x means $3 back for each $1 |
| Cost per purchase | Spend divided by sales |
| Meta says | The purchases and value Meta counts itself |

Meta and Sporetag count in different ways. Meta counts views and clicks inside its own windows, and models some sales it cannot see. Sporetag counts the sales it saw on your site, your server and your store, credited by first or last touch. Both are useful. A big gap is worth a look.

**Spend we could not match to tracked links** lists campaigns with spend but no tracked visit in the period. Most often their ads have no tags. Add the URL template to fix it.

### Currencies

The dashboard adds spend up in your reporting currency, converted at the European Central Bank rate for each day (see [Profit, blended ROAS and currencies](https://sporetag.com/docs/profit-and-currency)). This report keeps each currency on its own line, and ROAS shows only where spend and sales use the same currency. Sales sent without a currency count as US dollars, as on the rest of the report.

## Disconnect

On the Meta Ads page, click **Disconnect Meta**. Sporetag deletes the saved login and the spend it brought in. Connect again to bring the spend back.

---

# Email from your own domain

> Send flow emails from you@yourbrand.com (when shipped), with replies on the person's profile and in your inbox. The DNS records, step by step.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/sending-domain
Section: Measure

Flow emails can come from your own address, like `you@yourbrand.com`, instead of Sporetag's address with your name. This is "(when shipped)" until Sporetag switches it on. Until then, emails go from Sporetag's address with your name, and replies go to your **Replies go to** address.

What you get:

- Emails come from your own address. People see your name and your domain.
- Replies come back to Sporetag, count on the flow, and go on to your own inbox. To the person, it is a normal reply.
- Inboxes trust mail signed by your own domain more, so fewer emails land in spam.

You add a few DNS records once. It takes about ten minutes, plus waiting for DNS.

## Step 1: add the domain

1. Open **Automations**, then **Settings** (with more than one site, pick the site).
2. Under **Email from your own domain**, enter your domain, like `yourbrand.com`. It starts with your site's domain.
3. Enter the address to send from, like `you@yourbrand.com`, and the name people see.
4. Choose **Add domain**.

Sporetag gets ready for your domain, then shows the records to add. Each record has **Copy** buttons for its name and value.

A domain belongs to your account. Every site in your account can use it: pick it under **Send this site's email from**.

## Step 2: add the records

| Type | Name | Value | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNAME (3 of them) | `<code>._domainkey` | `<code>.dkim.amazonses.com` | Signs your email (DKIM), so inboxes know it is really from you. |
| MX | `bounce` | `feedback-smtp.<region>.amazonses.com`, priority 10 | Takes bounce reports. |
| TXT | `bounce` | `v=spf1 include:amazonses.com ~all` | Lets Sporetag send for you (SPF). |
| MX | `reply` | `inbound-smtp.<region>.amazonaws.com`, priority 10 | Brings replies back to Sporetag. |
| TXT (suggested) | `_dmarc` | `v=DMARC1; p=none;` | Tells inboxes what to trust (DMARC). Skip it if you have one. |

The page shows the exact codes and region for your domain. Copy them from there. The values name the mail servers Sporetag sends through, so type them exactly as shown.

- The `bounce` and `reply` names are new subdomains just for this. They do not change your normal email. Your own inbox keeps working as it is.
- The `bounce` name must have exactly one MX record. The `reply` name needs the mail server above as its only one.
- On Cloudflare, set the three CNAME records to **DNS only**, the gray cloud.
- Some DNS hosts ask for the priority in its own box. Enter `10`.
- If your domain already has a DMARC record, keep yours. The page says when it finds one.

The page names your DNS host when it can tell (Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Namecheap, Squarespace and others), with that host's steps and a link to its DNS page. Where your DNS host supports Domain Connect, a button sets everything up in one go.

## Step 3: wait for Verified

Opening the page checks each record live, and so does **Check now**. We also check every 15 minutes. Each record shows **Found**, **Different** (with what it holds now) or **Not found yet**.

Once the DKIM records are seen, the domain shows **Verified**. That is usually minutes after DNS updates, and at most 72 hours. From then on, the site's flow emails go out from your address.

## Replies

Each email has its own reply address on your reply subdomain, like `you+3f9a...@reply.yourbrand.com`. People never type it. They just press reply.

When someone replies:

1. Sporetag matches it to the person and the email they got.
2. The flow counts it as a reply.
3. Sporetag forwards it to your inbox, from your own address, with **Reply-To** set to the person. Answer from your inbox, and your answer goes straight to them.

Replies go to **Forward replies to**, else **Replies go to**, else your account email. Out-of-office replies, spam and viruses are not forwarded. Replies over 150 KB, usually ones with large attachments, bounce back to the sender: that is the limit for passing mail on.

## Bounces and complaints

If an address bounces for good, or someone marks your email as spam, Sporetag stops emailing that address from the site. It is added to the same list as unsubscribes.

## If it does not verify

- **Different**: the record holds another value. Change it to the value shown.
- **Not found yet**: add the record, or wait. DNS can take up to an hour.
- **Failed**: the records were not seen within 72 hours. Check the three DKIM records, then remove the domain and add it again.

## Remove a domain

Choose **Remove** on its row. Sites that used it go back to Sporetag's address. You can delete the DNS records afterward.

---

# Get a texting number

> Your own number for flow texts (when shipped). Sporetag registers it with US carriers for you, shows the price first, and tells you where the review stands.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/texting-number
Section: Measure

Flow texts go out from a number that is yours. Sporetag gets it for you and does the carrier registration. This is "(when shipped)" until Sporetag switches texts on.

US carriers block business texts from numbers that are not registered. Registration tells them who you are and what you will send. It is the same for every business, and it takes some patience: reviews take days, sometimes a few weeks.

## Pick your path

| You have | You get | Registration |
|---|---|---|
| An EIN (a US business tax ID) | A local number with your area code | Your brand, then your campaign |
| No EIN (sole proprietor) | A toll-free number | Toll-free verification |

Both can send the same texts. Open **Get a texting number** from your Automations settings, or go to `/app/texting`.

## Prices

The same on both paths:

| Usage | Price |
|---|---|
| Texting setup, once | $25 |
| Texting number | $5 a month |
| Texts | 2¢ a part |

Texting setup covers the carrier registration. A part is up to 160 characters, or 70 with emoji; long texts count as 2 or more. Billed with your plan each month. What you used shows under **Usage** in Billing.

## Fill in your details

The form starts with what we know from your account. It asks for:

- **Your business**: the legal name exactly as on your tax forms, the type, your EIN, your industry and website.
- **Address**: where the business is registered.
- **Contact person**: someone the carriers can reach, with their job title.
- **Your texts**: what you text about, two real sample texts, and how people agree to get them.

What carriers look at most:

- **Samples** name your brand and say how to opt out, like "Reply STOP to opt out."
- **How people agree** is specific: the page, the checkbox, and what it says. A checkbox that is ticked for people is not consent.
- Your **website** works and shows the same business name.

Tick the box to agree to the prices, then choose **Submit registration**. Your details are stored encrypted and used only for the carrier registration.

## Where it stands

The page shows each stage:

1. **Business profile**: we check your details.
2. **Brand**: the carriers' registry checks your business.
3. **Campaign**: the carriers check what you will text.
4. **Number**: you pick it.

We check every 15 minutes. **Check now** asks at once. If something is turned down, the page shows the reason the carriers gave. Fix it with **Start over with new details**, or choose **Try again** if it was a passing problem.

## Pick your number

Once the campaign is approved (or right away, on the toll-free path), enter an area code and pick a number. It is set up and attached for you. Every site in your account that has no texting sender yet starts using it. You can change each site's sender in its Automations settings.

On the toll-free path, verification starts once you have the number. Texts can go out once it is approved.

## Replies and STOP

Replies come back to Sporetag. STOP, START and HELP work at once, on every site that uses the number. See [Automations](https://sporetag.com/docs/automations) for the texting rules: consent, quiet hours and the opt-out line.

---

# Call tracking

> Tracking numbers that show which ad, search or flyer made the phone ring (when shipped). Calls count as goals, join the caller's profile and reach your ads.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/call-tracking
Section: Measure

Many customers call instead of filling in a form. Call tracking gives you phone numbers that ring your real phone and tell Sporetag where each caller came from. It is on Solo, Studio and Agency, and "(when shipped)" until Sporetag switches calls on.

Open your site's **Settings**, then **Integrations**, and tap **Set up call tracking**. It takes two steps. Once the site has a number, it gets its own **Calls** tab.

## 1. Where calls ring

Enter the number your phones ring on today. Every tracking number forwards here. Callers hear ringing as usual, and your phone shows their own number, so you can call them back.

Then list the numbers your website shows, up to three. Leave it blank if your website shows the same number.

## 2. Pick your numbers

| Kind | What it is for | How it counts calls |
|---|---|---|
| Numbers for your website | Your site shows each visitor their own number, in place of yours | A call is tied to that visit: its source, campaign, ad and click ids |
| A number for one place | A flyer, a truck, Google Business Profile, an ad's call button | Every call to it counts for that place, by the name you give it |

Pick local numbers with an area code, or toll-free numbers. You see the price before you get anything. Calls need no carrier registration, so a number works as soon as you get it.

## Prices

| Usage | Price |
|---|---|
| Phone number, local or toll-free | $3 a month |
| Calls, recording included | 5¢ a minute |

Each call counts its started minutes, so a 61-second call is 2 minutes. Billed with your plan each month. What you used shows under **Usage** in Billing.

## How numbers on your website work

Sporetag's tag already loads the swap once you have website numbers. There is nothing to add to your site.

- The swap looks for your listed numbers in `tel:` links and in the words on the page. It keeps the way you wrote the number, like (503) 555-0142 or 503.555.0142.
- It only asks for a number on pages that show yours, so the pool is not used up by pages with no number.
- If no number comes back, your own number stays. A call to it still reaches you; it just has no source.
- Each visitor keeps their number for 30 minutes after their last page or tap.

How many numbers you need depends on how many visitors look at your site at the same moment. Four suits most small businesses, and a pool holds up to ten. When every number is in use, the one idle longest goes to the new visitor, and a call on it counts for the newest visit. The Calls tab tells you when this happened this week and how many numbers to add.

A number split across tags, like `<b>503</b> 555 0142`, or drawn in an image, is not swapped. Write it as plain text or a `tel:` link.

## What a call becomes

- **Phone call**: every answered call. It is a goal, so it shows on your dashboard, in reports, in the attribution report and in Autopilot.
- **Phone lead**: an answered call of 60 seconds or more. Change the length in the Calls tab settings.
- Missed calls are listed in the call log but are not goals.

Both goals are added for you when you get your first number, if your plan has room for them.

With [90-day tracking](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes) on, the caller's number finds or makes their [profile](https://sporetag.com/docs/customer-profiles), and the call joins it, with its length, where it came from and whether they called before. The same stream shows in [Messages](https://sporetag.com/docs/messages). The number is kept encrypted, and only while **Show contact details** is on. Automations can start on the Phone call or Phone lead goal.

To send phone leads to Google Ads, Meta and your other ad accounts, tick **Phone lead** under **What to send**, in **Settings**, **Integrations**. See [Send results to your ad accounts](https://sporetag.com/docs/send-results-to-ad-accounts).

## The call log

The Calls tab shows calls by source and the latest 50 calls: when, where from, the caller's area code and last two digits, first call or not, and how long it lasted or that it was missed. The dashboard has a **Phone calls** widget, and client reports a **Phone calls** block.

## Whisper

When you answer, you hear "Call from Google Ads." before the caller is put through. The caller does not hear it. Turn it off in the settings.

## Recording

Recording is off unless you turn it on. When it is on:

- every caller hears "This call may be recorded." before they are put through;
- whoever answers hears "This call is recorded." in the whisper;
- the recording plays in the call log for you, never on shared dashboards or reports, and you can delete it. Deleting it, or archiving the site, deletes it everywhere it is stored.

Some states, like California, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Washington, need everyone on a call to know it is recorded. The two notices tell both sides. You are still responsible for following the rules where you and your callers are. This is not legal advice.

## Privacy

- The swap sets no cookies and uses no storage.
- A visitor whose browser sends [Global Privacy Control](https://sporetag.com/docs/data-and-privacy) keeps no ad click ids with their number, and their calls are never sent to ad platforms. Your own stats still count them.
- The call log never shows a full caller number.

---

# Import ad spend from a file

> Bring spend from Google Ads, TikTok, Microsoft, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat or any platform as a CSV file or a Google Sheets paste, to see return on ad spend.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/csv-spend-import
Section: Measure

Any ad platform can bring its spend into Sporetag as a file. Sporetag then shows return on ad spend (ROAS) for it on the **Attribution** tab, next to the sales it credited. This is also how Google Ads spend comes in until its one-click connect ships (when shipped).

It is on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom. Free does not include it.

## Import a file

1. Open your site, then **Settings**, then **Integrations**. Under **Ad spend**, click **Import a file**.
2. Pick the **Platform** if your file has no platform column, like a Google Ads report.
3. Pick the file and click **Import**.

Or open **Paste from Google Sheets**, select the cells in your sheet with the header row, copy and paste.

Sporetag says how many rows it added, and lists any line it could not read with what to fix. Fix those lines and import the whole file again. A row with the same date, platform, campaign, ad set and ad replaces the one already there, so nothing counts twice.

## Columns

Start from **Download the template** on the import page. The first row names the columns. Their order does not matter.

| Column | Needed | Example |
|---|---|---|
| `date` | Yes | `2026-10-01` or `10/1/2026` |
| `platform` | Yes, or pick one on the page | `google`, `tiktok`, `microsoft`, `linkedin`, `pinterest`, `snapchat`, `meta` or `other` |
| `campaign` | Yes | `Spring sale` |
| `ad set` | No | The ad set or ad group |
| `ad` | No | The ad name |
| `spend` | Yes | `125.40` |
| `currency` | Yes | `USD` |
| `campaign id` | No | The platform's campaign id. Matches `utm_id` best. |
| `impressions`, `clicks` | No | Whole numbers |

Common names from platform reports work too: `Day`, `Campaign name`, `Ad group`, `Cost`, `Amount spent`, `Currency code`, `Impr.`.

- One row per day and campaign (or ad set, or ad). Add up duplicates into one row.
- Dates up to two years back. No future dates.
- Spend in the ad account's own currency, as the platform bills it. The dashboard converts it to your reporting currency.
- Meta or Google Ads connected? Leave their rows out. Their spend comes in by itself, and the import refuses those rows so nothing counts twice.

## Google Ads

1. In Google Ads, open **Campaigns**. Pick the date range.
2. Click **Segment**, then **Time**, then **Day**.
3. Make sure the columns include **Campaign**, **Cost** and **Currency code**. Add **Campaign ID** for the best match.
4. Click **Download** and pick **.csv**.
5. In Sporetag, pick **Google Ads** as the platform and import the file. The title lines and the total row at the end are skipped for you.

For ad group or ad detail, download the same report from **Ad groups** or **Ads**.

## TikTok, Microsoft and others

Export a report by day with the campaign name, cost and currency, then import it with that platform picked. If the report has no currency column, add one to the file. The platform's help pages name the report screens.

## Matching spend to sales

Spend joins the sales Sporetag credits by the tags on each ad's link: by campaign id (`utm_id`, or Google's `{campaignid}`) first, then by names. `utm_campaign`, `utm_term` and `utm_content` are matched to the campaign, ad set and ad, written the way the link builder writes them: lowercase, with hyphens for spaces. So "Spring Sale" in the file matches `spring-sale` on the link.

Campaigns with spend but no tracked visit show as **spend we could not match to tracked links**. Add the platform's URL template to those ads. See [Tracking ads with UTMs](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-ads-with-utms).

## Delete imported spend

The import page lists what came in, per platform. Click **Delete** next to a platform to remove all its imported spend.

---

# Messages

> One inbox for every site: replies to your flow emails and texts, what was sent and how it did, each person's stage, and writing back.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/messages
Section: Measure

**Messages** in the sidebar is one inbox for all your sites. It holds what your [automations](https://sporetag.com/docs/automations) send and the replies that come back. It comes with Automations, on Solo, Studio and Agency.

## Inbox

The **Inbox** tab lists each conversation, newest first: the site, the person, their [stage](#stages), the last message and when it came. A number shows how many messages you have not read. The same number shows next to **Messages** in the sidebar.

It holds:

- **Text replies.** Anything someone texts back to your texting number (when shipped). STOP shows as an opt-out, START as opting back in, HELP as a request for help.
- **Email replies.** Every flow email has its own reply address. A reply lands here, with the old quoted email and the signature cut off.
- **Out-of-office replies.** Kept, marked **Auto-reply**, never counted as unread or as someone engaging.
- **Requests to stop.** A reply that says "unsubscribe" or "remove me" is marked **Asks to unsubscribe**. Press **Unsubscribe them** to stop all email to them from that site, or **Not an opt-out** to keep it as a normal reply. Words alone never unsubscribe anyone, since "do not stop sending me deals" is not a request to stop.

A copy of each email reply also goes to the site's **Replies go to** address (your account email when empty), so nothing waits in Sporetag alone. Turn the copy off in the site's **Automations settings**.

Filter by site and stage, or search by name, email or phone number.

## Sent

The **Sent** tab lists the last 30 days of emails and texts, from flows, campaigns and your own replies. Each shows its status:

| Status | Means |
|---|---|
| Sent | It left. For email, nothing more is known yet |
| Delivered | The carrier says the text reached the phone |
| Opened | The email's images loaded. Some mail apps load them on their own, so opens run high |
| Clicked | They clicked a link in the email |
| Replied | They wrote back |
| Failed | It did not send, or the carrier refused the text. The reason shows under it |

Email bounces are (when shipped): Sporetag's email sending does not report them yet.

## A conversation

Press a conversation to see everything about that person in one stream, oldest at the top: emails and texts both ways, and their visits, pages, goals, forms, orders, CRM deal stages and the flows they entered. **All**, **Messages** and **Activity** filter it. The same stream is on their profile page.

At the bottom, write to them:

- **Text** works once texts are switched on (when shipped), they agreed to texts, they have not replied STOP, and it is not 9 pm to 8 am their time. The first text you send them ends with "Reply STOP to opt out."
- **Email** goes from your site's sender, with your footer, postal address and unsubscribe link. It needs your postal address in **Automations settings**, and they must not have unsubscribed.

When a channel cannot be used, it is greyed out and says why. Once the site's flows and replies reach its daily email or text limit, replies on that channel are off until the next day (UTC).

## A new message

To write to someone who has not written to you, press **New message** on Messages, or **Send a message** at the top of their profile.

1. Search by name or email. Only people with an email on file show, from all your sites; the message goes from the site the person belongs to.
2. Add a subject and your message, then press **Send**.

It goes the same way as an answer in a conversation: from your site's sender, with your footer, postal address and unsubscribe link, and only if they have not unsubscribed and the site has not reached its daily email limit. Then the conversation opens, with your email in it. Texts (when shipped).

## Stages

Each profile has one stage, worked out from what Sporetag already knows. It shows on the profile, in the Profiles list and in Messages. The first that fits wins:

| Stage | Means |
|---|---|
| Visitor | Anonymous. Only their device is known |
| Unsubscribed | Opted out of email or texts, with no way left to reach them |
| At risk | A customer with no visit, open, click or reply in 60 days |
| Repeat | Bought 2 or more times |
| Customer | Bought once, or won as a deal in your CRM |
| Engaged | Opened, clicked or replied in the last 14 days, or came back to your site in the last 14 days |
| Lead | Gave an email or phone. Nothing more yet |

Opens count toward Engaged even though some mail apps open mail on their own. Out-of-office replies never count.

Use stages to act:

- In **Profiles**, press a stage to see only those people, with counts for each.
- **Send a message** emails everyone in that stage once (a campaign, up to 1,000 people). People who unsubscribed or have no email are left out, and each send is checked again when it goes. Sending starts within 15 minutes and keeps to your daily email limit.
- **Add to automation** starts a live flow for them (up to 150 at a time). The flow's own rules apply: someone already in it is not added twice.
- In a flow, start it when someone **enters a stage**, or check **Is in a stage** in an If / else step.
- In a [segment](https://sporetag.com/docs/segments-and-best-send-time), pick a stage as one of its rules.

---

# Short links

> Make short links on your own go. domain or go.sporetag.com, track each place you share them, and follow each click to the visit and the sale.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/short-links
Section: Short links

A short link is a short address that sends people on to a long one. Sporetag counts each click. When the link leads to a site you track, it also shows the visits and goals that came after the click.

## Make a link

1. Open **Links** and choose **New link**.
2. Paste your link, the page people should land on.
3. Pick where you will share it: SMS, Email, Instagram bio, Meta ads, QR code and more. The tracking fills in for you.
4. Check the **Campaign name**. It starts from the link's name, or from your last campaign.
5. Choose **Make link**.

Next you see your link with a big **Copy link** button. You can also copy the full link for ads, download the QR code, or make the same link for other places in one tap.

You need a confirmed email to make links. That is one of the ways we keep the shared domain free of spam.

## Your domain

New links get six random letters and numbers, like `go.sporetag.com/a8Kd2Q`. On paid plans you can choose your own ending, like `go.sporetag.com/spring`. A few words are reserved and cannot be used.

Use your own domain, like `go.yourbrand.com/spring`, on any paid plan. People, Meta, Instagram and email filters trust your own name more. New links start on it once it is verified. See [Custom short domains](https://sporetag.com/docs/custom-short-domains).

## Tracking, made simple

Each place you pick fills in the tracking tags for you, in one style: lowercase with hyphens. Anything you type is tidied the same way, so `Spring Sale` becomes `spring-sale` and your reports group it.

The tags themselves sit under **Advanced (UTM fields)**. You rarely need to open it. See [UTM presets](https://sporetag.com/docs/utm-presets) for what each place sets, and save your own.

If you paste a link that already has UTM tags, they move into the fields. Other parts of the address stay as they were.

## Short link or full link

- **Short link**: for SMS, bios, stories, DMs, email and QR codes. It is short, it counts each click, and you can change where it goes.
- **Full link**: for ads. The ad opens your page directly, with the tags on it. Copy it with **Copy full link** on the link's page.

For per-ad tracking in Meta, Google, TikTok and Microsoft ads, see [Tracking ads and email](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-ads-with-utms).

## Follow the click to the sale

When the destination is on a site in your account, the redirect adds `_st` and the link id to the address. The script reads it on the landing page, then removes it from the address bar. Goals that visitor reaches later that day count for the link. In [90-day tracking](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes) the link keeps the credit for 90 days.

## Ad clicks pass through

When Instagram or Facebook opens your short link, it adds `fbclid` to it, even on a post you did not pay for. The redirect passes it on to your page, so Meta and the [attribution report](https://sporetag.com/docs/attribution-report) still see the click. The same goes for these ad click ids: `fbclid`, `gclid`, `gbraid`, `wbraid`, `msclkid`, `ttclid`, `twclid`, `li_fat_id`, `rdt_cid`, `ScCid` and `epik`.

A click id already in your link stays as it is. Everything else added to a short link is dropped, so nobody can change where it goes.

## Link stats

Each link shows:

- Clicks over time.
- Where the clicks came from, by referrer.
- Countries and devices.
- For a tracked site: the visits and goals that followed.

## Variants

One offer often goes to many places. On the link's page, tick the places under **Make variants** and choose **Make variants**. Each one gets its own short link and tags. The group shows the total, with a row for each place.

## Safety checks

Every destination is checked when you save it:

- It must start with `http://` or `https://`.
- It cannot hold a username or password.
- It cannot be another link shortener or redirector.
- It is checked against Google Safe Browsing.

Links are checked again at least once a day. A link that turns up on a blocklist is turned off and answers with a short error instead of redirecting.

## Archive

Archive a link you no longer use. It stops counting toward your active link limit, and its stats are kept.

---

# UTM presets

> Pick where you will share a link, like SMS, email, Instagram or Meta ads, and the UTM tags fill in. What each place sets, and how to save your own presets.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/utm-presets
Section: Short links

UTM tags are short labels on the end of a link, like `?utm_source=instagram`. Analytics tools, Sporetag included, read them to tell you where a visit came from. Typing them by hand is slow and easy to get wrong. When you make a link, you pick where you will share it and the tags fill in.

## What each place sets

| Place | utm_source | utm_medium | utm_content |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMS | `sms` | `sms` | |
| Email | `newsletter` | `email` | |
| Instagram bio | `instagram` | `social` | `bio` |
| Instagram story | `instagram` | `social` | `story` |
| TikTok bio | `tiktok` | `social` | `bio` |
| Facebook post | `facebook` | `social` | `post` |
| Meta ads | `facebook` | `paid-social` | |
| Google Ads | `google` | `cpc` | |
| TikTok Ads | `tiktok` | `paid-social` | |
| Microsoft Ads | `bing` | `cpc` | |
| LinkedIn Ads | `linkedin` | `paid-social` | |
| Pinterest Ads | `pinterest` | `paid-social` | |
| Snapchat Ads | `snapchat` | `paid-social` | |
| QR code | `qr` | `qr` | |
| Print | `print` | `print` | |

The campaign name, `utm_campaign`, starts from the link's name, like `spring-sale`. With no name, it uses the campaign of your last link. Change it any time.

## One style for every value

Sporetag keeps every value lowercase, with hyphens for spaces. `Spring Sale!` becomes `spring-sale`. That way `Instagram` and `instagram` never show up as two sources. Ad platform placeholders, like `{{campaign.name}}`, are kept exactly as typed.

## Plain names

The form uses plain names. The tags behind them:

- **Campaign name** is `utm_campaign`.
- **Which ad or post** is `utm_content`.
- Under **Advanced (UTM fields)**: **Where it is shared** is `utm_source`, **Kind of traffic** is `utm_medium`, and **Ad set or keyword** is `utm_term`.

## Save your own presets

Fill in the tags you use often, open **Advanced (UTM fields)**, give them a name and choose **Save preset**. The preset saves the five tags and the client, if you set one. It shows as a chip next time, under **Yours**. Saving with the same name again replaces it. Manage your presets from the **Manage** chip.

## One offer, many places

Make one link, then tick more places under **Make variants** on its page. Each variant gets its own short link and tags, with the same campaign. The group adds them up, so you see the whole offer and each place.

## Where tags show up

Open the site's dashboard and look at the Sources panel: UTM source, medium, campaign, ad and ad set. Filter by any of them to see the pages and goals for that traffic only. The [attribution report](https://sporetag.com/docs/attribution-report) shows sales by campaign, ad and ad set too.

---

# QR codes

> Every Sporetag short link has a QR code you can download as an SVG. Use the QR code preset so scans show up apart from clicks in your stats.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/qr-codes
Section: Short links

Every short link has a QR code. Scanning it opens the short link, so each scan counts like a click.

## Download it

Open the link and choose **QR code**. Download it as an SVG. SVG stays sharp at any size, from a sticker to a poster, and print shops accept it.

## Tell scans from clicks

Make a variant of the link with the **QR code** preset, and print that one. Its visits carry `utm_medium=qr`, so the dashboard shows scans apart from taps on the same link elsewhere. See [UTM presets](https://sporetag.com/docs/utm-presets).

## Print it well

- Leave a clear margin around the code, at least the width of four of its small squares.
- Print dark on light. Light codes on dark paper scan badly on some phones.
- Test a print with two or three phones before a big run.

## If the destination changes

The QR code holds the short address, not the destination. Edit the link's destination and every printed code goes to the new place. Nothing needs to be reprinted.

Keep the link active as long as the print is out in the world. An archived link stops redirecting.

---

# Custom short domains

> Put your short links on go.yourdomain.com, a go subdomain of your own site. Step by step for Cloudflare and any other DNS host, plus a Meta tip.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/custom-short-domains
Section: Short links

Your short links can live on your own domain: `go.yourdomain.com/spring` instead of `go.sporetag.com/spring`. We suggest a `go` subdomain of the site you already have.

Why it helps:

- People trust a link more when they know the name.
- Links on your own domain are trusted more by Meta, Instagram and email filters. A shared short domain carries everyone's reputation.
- Your links stay apart from everyone else's.

`go.sporetag.com` works the moment you sign up, on every plan. Add your own domain when you are ready. Solo includes 1 custom short domain, Studio includes 5 and Agency includes 20. Free uses `go.sporetag.com` only.

## Before you start

- Pick `go.yourdomain.com`, where `yourdomain.com` is your own site. The `go` subdomain is used only for redirects. It cannot also show a website.
- Use a subdomain, not your main domain. Most DNS hosts cannot point a main domain like `yourdomain.com` this way.
- You need to sign in where your domain's DNS is managed. That is often where you bought the domain, or Cloudflare.

## Step 1: add the domain in Sporetag

1. Open **Settings** and find **Custom short domains**.
2. Enter `go.yourdomain.com` and choose **Add domain**. If you have a site in Sporetag, the box starts with `go.` and that site's domain.
3. Sporetag shows the record to add. Keep the page open.

## Step 2: add one CNAME record

Every DNS host asks for the same three things:

| Type | Name | Target |
|---|---|---|
| CNAME | `go` | `go.sporetag.com` |

Some DNS hosts want the full name, `go.yourdomain.com`, instead of `go`. Some call the target **Value**, **Points to** or **Content**.

### On Cloudflare

1. Open your domain in the Cloudflare dashboard, then **DNS** and **Records**.
2. Choose **Add record**.
3. Set **Type** to `CNAME`, **Name** to `go` and **Target** to `go.sporetag.com`.
4. Set **Proxy status** to **DNS only**, the gray cloud.
5. Choose **Save**.

DNS only lets the request reach Sporetag directly, so Sporetag can check the domain and get its certificate.

### On any other DNS host

1. Sign in where you manage your domain's DNS. Look for **DNS**, **DNS records** or **Advanced DNS**.
2. Add a new record of type `CNAME`.
3. Enter `go` as the name or host, and `go.sporetag.com` as the target or value.
4. Leave the TTL as it is, or pick the shortest one.
5. Save.

If there is already a record for `go`, remove it first. A name can have only one CNAME record.

## Step 3: wait for Active

Back in **Settings**, the domain shows **Setting up** with a live check of its record. Opening the page checks it, and so does **Check now**. We also check every 15 minutes. The check says one of:

- **Record not found yet.** Add the record, or wait. DNS can take up to an hour.
- **Found, pointing to** something else. Change the record to the target shown. On Cloudflare, an address here usually means the proxy is on: set the record to **DNS only**.
- **Found and correct.** We get the HTTPS certificate next. It usually takes a few minutes.

Settings also names your DNS host when it can tell (Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Namecheap, Squarespace and others), with that host's own steps and a link to its DNS page.

Once it shows **Active**, the HTTPS certificate is issued and the domain is ready. You do not need to set up a certificate yourself.

## More than one domain

Add as many as your plan has room for, on any subdomain you like: `go.`, `links.`, `l.` and so on. Each one gets its own row, its own record and its own check. Once a domain is Active its row folds to one line.

## Use it

New links start on your default domain. Choose **Make default** next to any Active domain, or next to `go.sporetag.com`. Until you choose, new links start on your first Active domain. You can still pick another in the **Domain** list on each new link. The links list shows your domains at the top, with how many links each one has.

## Tip: verify your domain with Meta

If you run Meta ads, verify `yourdomain.com` in Meta Business Settings, under **Brand safety** and **Domains**. Meta then knows the domain is yours. You verify the main domain, and Meta counts its subdomains, like `go`, as part of it. Verifying is done in Meta, not in Sporetag, and it is free.

## What the domain serves

A short domain only does redirects:

- `/your-link` sends people to the link's page.
- A link that was turned off answers with a short error.
- The bare domain sends people to sporetag.com.
- Anything else answers "Not found".

It never shows a page, a sign in form or a file. That keeps it hard to misuse.

## Remove it

Archive the links that use the domain, then choose **Remove** next to it in **Settings**. Then delete the CNAME record. Links on that domain stop working once it is removed.

---

# Tracking ads and email

> Track each ad in Meta, Google, TikTok and Microsoft ads with copy-ready templates, and SMS and email with the right link. Naming rules included.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-ads-with-utms
Section: Short links

This page shows how to see which ad, email or text brought each visit and sale. Sporetag fills in most of it for you. You copy one thing and paste it in one place.

## Short link or full link

- **Short link**: use it for SMS, bios, stories, DMs, email and QR codes. It is short, it counts every click, and it works on your own domain.
- **Full link**: use it in ads. The ad opens your page directly, with no extra redirect. Ad platforms check where an ad leads, and a direct link keeps that simple.

Both carry the same tags, so your stats line up.

## Naming rules

Sporetag uses one style, and tidies what you type to match it:

- Lowercase, with hyphens for spaces: `spring-sale`, not `Spring Sale`.
- `utm_source` is the platform: `facebook`, `google`, `tiktok`, `newsletter`, `sms`.
- `utm_medium` is the kind of traffic: `social`, `paid-social`, `cpc`, `email`, `sms`, `qr` or `print`.
- `utm_campaign` is the campaign, like `spring-sale`.
- `utm_content` is the ad or the spot, like `bio`, `story` or the ad name.
- `utm_term` is the ad set or the keyword.

The [attribution report](https://sporetag.com/docs/attribution-report) shows sales by campaign, by ad (`utm_content`) and by ad set or keyword (`utm_term`).

## Meta ads

Pick **Meta ads** when you make a link, then copy the template:

```text
utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid-social&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{ad.name}}&utm_term={{adset.name}}&utm_id={{campaign.id}}
```

1. In Ads Manager, open your ad. Put your page address in **Website URL**, not the short link.
2. Under **Tracking**, find **URL parameters** and paste the template.
3. Publish. Meta fills in the campaign, ad set and ad names for each click.

Meta reads the names when the ad is published. If you rename an ad later, publish it again to see the new name. Meta also adds `fbclid` to the address, which Sporetag reads.

## Google Ads

```text
utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={campaignid}&utm_content={creative}&utm_term={keyword}
```

1. In Google Ads, open the settings of your account or campaign and find **Final URL suffix**.
2. Paste the template. Keep **auto-tagging** on: it adds `gclid`, which Sporetag reads too.
3. Save. Google fills in the campaign id, the ad and the keyword.

## TikTok Ads

```text
utm_source=tiktok&utm_medium=paid-social&utm_campaign=__CAMPAIGN_NAME__&utm_content=__CID_NAME__&utm_term=__AID_NAME__&utm_id=__CAMPAIGN_ID__
```

1. In TikTok Ads Manager, open your ad and find **Destination**.
2. Under **URL parameters**, paste the template. Keep the capital letters: TikTok only reads them that way.
3. Submit. TikTok fills in the campaign, ad group and ad names. It also adds `ttclid`, which Sporetag reads.

## Microsoft Ads

```text
utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={Campaign}&utm_content={AdId}&utm_term={keyword}&utm_id={CampaignId}
```

1. In Microsoft Advertising, open the settings of your account or campaign and find **Final URL suffix**.
2. Paste the template. Keep the Microsoft Click ID (`msclkid`) on. Turn off Microsoft's own UTM tagging, which can replace these values.
3. Save. Microsoft fills in the campaign, ad and keyword.

## LinkedIn, Pinterest and Snapchat

Pick the platform and copy the full link as the ad's destination. LinkedIn Campaign Manager can also add dynamic UTM tags for you, set once for the account. For Pinterest and Snapchat dynamic values, check each platform's ads help. Sporetag reads their click ids: `li_fat_id` (LinkedIn), `epik` (Pinterest) and `ScCid` (Snapchat).

## SMS

Pick **SMS**. Sporetag makes the shortest link it can: your own `go.` domain with six random characters. The result shows the link and how many characters it takes.

SMS tools such as Attentive, Postscript and Klaviyo often shorten links again with their own domain, so they can count clicks. Then two redirects run: theirs, then yours. Both still work. To keep only your link:

- Turn off the tool's link shortening or click tracking for that message, if it lets you. In Klaviyo, this is the **Automatically shorten links** option on an SMS message.
- Or accept the double redirect. Your Sporetag stats still count the click.

Each tool names these settings a little differently, so check its help pages.

## Email

Pick **Email**. Use the short link in the email: it is tidy, it counts clicks, and Sporetag's tags always win, because the short link ignores anything added to it.

Many email tools add their own UTM tags to every link. On a short link that does no harm. On a full link, the tool may replace your tags or add a second set, depending on the tool. Turn its tags off, or set it to use the same names as above.

To fill the campaign in per send, use the full link with your email tool's merge tags instead of a short link. A short link cannot carry merge tags. For Mailchimp, pick **Email** and copy the template:

```text
utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=*|CAMPAIGN_UID|*
```

Mailchimp fills in the campaign id when it sends. Klaviyo can add UTM tags to every link from its UTM tracking settings, with the campaign name as a value. Merge tags differ by tool, so check your tool's docs for the exact tag.

## Check that it works

Click your own ad preview, text or email link. Then open your site's dashboard. The Sources panel shows the visit under the campaign, the ad and the ad set or keyword.

---

# Client dashboards

> Share a read-only dashboard by private link or invite clients by email to sign in with no password. Agency makes it white label.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/client-dashboards
Section: Clients

A client dashboard is a read-only copy of a site's stats. Share it two ways: a private link anyone can open, or an invite by email, where your client signs in with no password. Either way, they cannot change anything.

Client dashboards are part of the Studio and Agency plans.

## Make one

1. Open the site, then **Reports**, then **Share**.
2. Turn on **Client dashboard**.
3. Copy the link and send it to your client.

The link looks like `sporetag.com/share/` followed by a long random token. Anyone with the link can see the stats, so share it only with people who should.

## Invite a client by email

An invite is safer than a link: only that person can open the dashboard, and you can take it back at any time.

1. Open the site, then **Reports**, then **Share**.
2. Under **Invite a client by email**, type your client's email and press **Send invite**.
3. Your client gets an email with one button. Pressing it signs them in. There is no password to set.

The button works once, for 7 days. Later, your client signs in at `sporetag.com/login` with **Email me a sign-in link**, or with **Continue with Google** when their Google account uses the same email.

Signed in, your client sees a short list of the sites shared with them, and each site's read-only dashboard. It opens in the [simple view](https://sporetag.com/docs/autopilot#the-simple-view-for-clients): big numbers and plain words, with a button to the full dashboard. To start a client on the full dashboard, press **Show full dashboard** next to them under **Simple view** on the **Share** tab. They do not see billing, settings, your other sites or anything else of your account. A site can be shared with up to 25 people by email.

**Send again** sends a new button and stops the old one. **Revoke** ends their access at once, even if they have the dashboard open.

You need to confirm your own email before you can send invites.

## Ask your client to connect their ad account

Your client can connect their own Meta Ads account to the site, so you see ad spend next to sales without their password and without sharing your Sporetag login.

1. Invite your client by email first.
2. Under **Ask your client to connect ads**, pick who to send it to, then press the button. Or choose to send the link yourself and copy it.
3. Your client opens the link, reads what will be shared, logs in on Meta's own page and ticks the ad accounts to share.

Sporetag only reads ad spend and results. Meta asks your client to allow the `ads_read` permission, which cannot change ads. The connection shows on the site's **Integrations** page (under **Settings**) as "Connected by" and your client's email. Your client can disconnect it from the same link at any time, which deletes the login and the spend it brought in.

Only people you invited to that site can use the link. It works once, for 7 days, and you can remove it before then. Google Ads works the same way once Google approves Sporetag (when shipped).

## What it shows

The same numbers you see: visitors, pageviews, bounce rate, visit duration, conversions, the chart and the lists of pages, sources, campaigns, countries and devices. The period menu works too.

It does not show your other sites, your links or your settings.

## Your logo

Studio and Agency put your logo on the client dashboard and on [weekly reports](https://sporetag.com/docs/weekly-reports). Upload it in **Settings**. A square or wide logo on a clear background looks best in both light and dark.

## White label

On Agency, the client dashboard shows only your brand. There is no Sporetag header, footer, name or link. Set your brand name in **Settings**, next to your logo. The page then shows your logo, or your name when there is no logo.

Invite emails on Agency come from your brand name, with your logo or name at the top and no Sporetag letterhead. The sending address is still `hello@sporetag.com`, and the button links to `sporetag.com`. On Studio, invites come from Sporetag on your behalf.

## Turn it off

Turn off **Client dashboard**, or make a new link. The old link stops working at once. People you invited by email keep their access until you revoke it.

If your plan moves below Studio, client dashboards close, both the link and the invites.

## Labels for many clients

Give each site a client label in its settings, such as the client's name. The sites list can then show one client's sites at a time.

---

# Client reports

> Build an email report from your dashboard's numbers, charts and ads, then send it to clients weekly, monthly or both.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/client-reports
Section: Clients

A client report is an email with a site's numbers. You build it from the same charts and numbers as your dashboard, add a few words, and Sporetag sends it on a schedule. Your clients see ad spend, sales and visits without logging in anywhere.

Client reports are part of the Studio and Agency plans.

Or ask the [assistant](https://sporetag.com/docs/assistant), like "Make a weekly ads report for my client". It proposes the report with its schedule on a card; you add client addresses there and press **Apply**.

## Make one

1. Open the site, then **Reports**.
2. Under **New report**, pick a template:

   | Template | What it holds | Sent |
   |---|---|---|
   | Weekly ads report | Spend, revenue from ads, ROAS, cost per sale, campaigns and platforms | Mondays, for last week |
   | Monthly performance | Visitors, conversions, revenue, spend, top sources and pages, goals, ad spend | The 1st, for last month |
   | Ecommerce summary | Revenue, orders, conversion rate, ROAS, sales by store, where buyers came from | Mondays, for last week |
   | Lead gen summary | Conversions, conversion rate, cost per lead, spend, goals, campaigns and sources | Mondays, for last week |
   | Blank | A heading and a short note | Mondays, for last week |

3. Change anything you like, then click **Save**.

A site can have up to 20 reports. **Duplicate** copies one, paused, so it does not send twice while you change it.

## Build it

A report is one column of blocks, top to bottom. Click a block to open its settings. Use the arrows to move it, and the bin to remove it. **Add block** adds one under the block you have open.

Numbers and charts work as they do on the [dashboard](https://sporetag.com/docs/dashboards): pick a metric (website, sales, ads or email and texts, for all platforms or one), rows, a filter, and for ad tables which campaigns show, the sort, the columns and how many.

| Block | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Number | One metric, with the change from the period before |
| Line chart, Bar chart | A metric for each day. Email apps cannot draw curves, so both arrive as bars. |
| Table | The top rows of a breakdown, such as sources or campaigns |
| Goals | Each goal and its conversions |
| Ad spend | Spend, revenue and ROAS, then the rows you picked |
| Sales, Email and texts | What your connected store or email tool reports |
| Heading, Text | Your own words, with merge fields |
| Highlights | The biggest changes, written for you (see below) |
| Divider | A thin line |
| Image or logo | Your logo, or an image at an https address |

Tick **Side by side** on two blocks in a row to put them next to each other. On a phone they stack, except two numbers, which stay side by side.

Conversion numbers and the Goals block are left out while the site has no goals.

### Merge fields

Type these into a heading, a text block or the subject. Each one becomes its value when the email is sent.

| Field | Becomes |
|---|---|
| `{client_name}` | The site's client name, else the site's name |
| `{site_name}` | The site's name |
| `{period}` | The days the report covers, like "Oct 12 to Oct 18" |
| `{top_campaign}` | The best campaign (see Highlights) |
| `{top_source}` | The source with the most visitors |
| `{agency_name}` | Your brand name |
| `{report_name}` | The report's name |
| `{visitors}`, `{conversions}`, `{revenue}`, `{spend}`, `{roas}` | That total for the period |

A field Sporetag does not know stays as you typed it, so a typo shows in the preview.

### Highlights

The Highlights block writes 2 to 6 short lines from the numbers. It compares the period with the one before and puts the biggest changes first: ROAS, revenue, ad spend, visitors, conversions, orders, the source that moved most, and the best campaign.

The best campaign is the one with the highest ROAS among campaigns with at least 5% of the spend. Without ROAS, it is the one with the most sales, then the most clicks.

No AI writes these. Each line is a fixed sentence filled in with your numbers.

### Targets

When the dashboard your clients see has [monthly targets](https://sporetag.com/docs/dashboards#monthly-targets), every report shows them under the summary, before its first block: each one's status, where it stands and its pace, as of the last day the report covers. There is nothing to add.

## Preview

The preview on the right is the real email, drawn for the last finished period. Switch between **Desktop** and **Phone**, and **Light** and **Dark**, to see it as your client will.

## Schedule

- **Every week** on a day you pick, **every month** on a day you pick, or both. Day 29 to 31 sends on the last day in shorter months. When both fall on the same day, only the monthly one goes.
- **Covers**: last 7 days, last week (Monday to Sunday), last month, or month to date. Month to date sent on the 1st covers the whole month before.
- **Send at**: a time on the quarter hour, in the time zone you pick. New reports start in your browser's time zone. Daylight saving moves with the clock.

Every change compares with the same span just before. A whole month compares with the month before.

Untick both to stop sending on a schedule. **Pause** stops it until you resume it.

## Recipients and sender

- **Me**: your own address.
- **Invited clients**: all the people you [invited by email](https://sporetag.com/docs/client-dashboards), only the ones you pick, or none. Someone whose access you revoke stops getting it.
- **More addresses**: up to 10 more.
- **Subject**: with merge fields.
- **From name** and **Reply-to**: replies go to the reply-to address. New reports start with your own address there.

Each email has a **View the live report** button. It opens a read-only page with the latest report. Anyone with the link can open it, and search engines are told not to list it. The link is on the report's page under **Manage**.

Each email also has an unsubscribe link. It stops that report for that one address.

### Your brand

With Studio, your logo is at the top when you add one in **Settings**. The email comes from Sporetag, or from "Your name via Sporetag" when you fill in a from name. With Agency, the email is white label: your logo or brand name at the top, your name as the sender, and no Sporetag name or logo. The email still comes from our sending address.

## Send now, test, PDF

- **Send me a test** sends the saved report to you alone. Its subject starts with "Test:".
- **Send now** sends the saved report to everyone it goes to. Click it twice to confirm.
- **PDF** opens a print-ready page. Click **Save as PDF**, then pick Save as PDF in your browser's print window.

Both send buttons save your changes first. You can send up to 5 reports and 10 tests an hour.

## Sent

The **Sent** list shows the last sends: when, which period, and how many went out. Sporetag's email service says whether each email left, not whether it was opened, so there are no open counts.

If the site's visit stats cannot be read when a report is due, Sporetag tries again every 15 minutes for 12 hours. After that it skips that send and says so in the list, rather than sending a report full of zeros.

## Your old weekly report

If a site had addresses under **Weekly report** in its settings, they moved to a report named **Weekly report** on the Reports tab. It holds the same numbers and goes to the same people at the same time, Monday at 13:00 UTC. Change it like any other report.

---

# Weekly reports

> The Monday email report now lives on each site's Reports tab, where you can also send monthly reports, add charts and ads, and pick who gets them.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/weekly-reports
Section: Clients

The weekly email report is now one of your [client reports](https://sporetag.com/docs/client-reports). Open the site, then **Reports**.

Client reports are part of the Studio and Agency plans.

## What changed

- If a site had addresses under **Weekly report** in its settings, they moved to a report named **Weekly report** on the Reports tab.
- It holds the same numbers as before: visitors, pageviews, bounce rate, visit duration, conversions when the site has goals, top sources, top pages and goals.
- It goes to the same addresses at the same time, Monday at 13:00 UTC, for the week Monday to Sunday before.

Nothing more is sent than before, and nobody gets it twice.

## What you can do now

- Change the day, the time and the time zone, or send it monthly too.
- Add charts, ad spend, sales, your own words and highlights.
- Send it to the clients you invited, not only to addresses you type.
- Send a test, send it now, or save it as a PDF.

The [client reports guide](https://sporetag.com/docs/client-reports) has the details.

## Stop it

Open the report on the Reports tab, then **Pause**, or remove the addresses. Each email also has a link at the bottom that stops it for that one address.

---

# Overview, digest and uptime

> Every client site on one page, the ones that need you first, a daily or weekly digest in email, Slack or Teams, and uptime, SSL and domain checks.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/agency-overview
Section: Clients

The **Overview** shows every site in your account on one page. Sites that need you come first, each with the one thing to do next.

Each site is a card. Its numbers sit in a row of tiles: **Visitors, 7 days**, with the last 7 days drawn and the change against a usual week; the goal's conversions, **Ad spend** and **Tracking health** when the site has them; and **Uptime**. **Open dashboard** opens the site.

## What counts as needing attention

Worst first:

- **Site down.** Two uptime checks in a row failed.
- **Tag stopped.** No visits in 24 hours, on a site where a usual day brings 10 or more.
- **Conversions or visitors fell.** The last 7 days came in under 70% of a usual week, and well outside how much the site usually swings. A usual week is the middle of the 4 weeks before. Small sites are left out: under 70 visitors or 5 conversions a week, a drop says little.
- **Ads spent with no results.** Ads spent in the last 7 days, and the site's goal got nothing. With no goal yet, it asks you to add one, unless the ad platform reports results, like signups from Meta. Those show on the row instead.
- **SSL or domain ending soon.** The certificate ends within 14 days, or the domain within 30.
- **An unusual change.** In the last 2 days a number moved far from a usual day for that weekday, the way that hurts: a top source or sales fell, or ad spend or cost per result rose. Muted ones are left out. See [Unusual changes](https://sporetag.com/docs/autopilot#unusual-changes).
- **A sync stopped.** A connected tool, such as Shopify, stopped syncing.
- **Tracking health is low.** The site's [tracking health](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-health) score is under 60 of 100.
- **A report waits for your OK.** A report set to **Check first** is ready for you.

Visits refresh every hour and goals once a day, so the page loads fast however many sites you have. Pick a client name above the list to see only that client's sites.

## What's happening on each site

Under **What's happening**, each site has a short briefing for the last 7 days: a few plain sentences from its numbers, then its [weekly plan](https://sporetag.com/docs/autopilot#the-weekly-plan) and any suggested goals. **Open**, **Not now** and **Dismiss** work right there. A site's dashboard opens straight on its charts.

## The digest

In **Alerts**, under **Digest and chat**, choose **Every day** or **Every Monday**, the hour and your time zone. The digest lists each site that needs you with its action, then how many are all good. It goes to your email, and to Slack or Teams when you add them. Studio and Agency include it.

### Slack

1. In Slack, add the **Incoming Webhooks** app to the channel you want.
2. Copy its webhook address. It starts with `https://hooks.slack.com/`.
3. Paste it in **Alerts**, under **Digest and chat**, and press **Save**, then **Send a test**.

### Microsoft Teams

1. In Teams, open **Workflows** and pick **Post to a channel when a webhook request is received**.
2. Choose the team and channel, then copy the address it gives you.
3. Paste it in **Alerts**, under **Digest and chat**, and press **Save**, then **Send a test**.

The address lets anyone who has it post to that channel, so Sporetag stores it encrypted and shows only its last four characters.

## Uptime, SSL and domain checks

On paid plans, Sporetag loads each site's home page every 15 minutes.

- Each check tries three times before it counts as failed, and a site is called down only after two failed checks in a row. One slow minute never wakes anyone up.
- A site is up when it answers. Server errors (500 and up), "page not found" on the home page and no answer in 15 seconds count as down.
- The SSL date comes from public certificate logs, looked up once a day. Certificates usually renew a month early, so one that ends within 14 days usually means renewal is failing.
- The domain date comes from the registry, looked up once a day. Some registries do not publish it; then the page says so.

You get an email when a site goes down and when it is back, and when a certificate or domain is about to end. Each kind goes at most once a day per site. Tick **Also post site down, SSL and domain alerts there** to send them to Slack or Teams too. In **Alerts**, tap a site's name to see its uptime for the last 30 days. To stop these emails, turn off **Site down, SSL and domain** under **Emails**. Add the **Uptime** block to a report to show it to your client.

## The report summary

Every client report opens with a short summary: **What happened**, **Why**, **What we did** and **What's next**, written from that period's numbers.

- **What we did** lists changes made in Sporetag during the period, such as goals added and email flows set up.
- **What's next** comes from the site's Autopilot plan.
- With the Assistant on, AI writes it and uses one AI action per report period. Sporetag then checks every number in it against your data. If one does not match, the plain version written from the numbers goes instead.

In the report's **Summary** card, pick **Automatic** to send it with each report, **Check first** to get an email when it is ready and send the report when you approve, or **Off**. You can change the words in either mode.

---

# The partner program

> For agencies on Studio and Agency. Get listed, earn up to a month of credit for each client that pays, and get help with your first three client sites.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/partner-program
Section: Clients

The partner program is for agencies on Studio and Agency. It has three parts:

- **A listing** on [sporetag.com/partners](https://sporetag.com/partners).
- **Up to a month of credit** for each business that signs up through your link and pays for its own plan.
- **Setup help** for your first three client sites, on a call with us.

Credit lowers your Sporetag invoices. It is never paid out as cash.

## Apply

1. Open **Settings**, then **Partner**.
2. Fill in your agency name, city, website, the kinds of clients you serve and one short line. A logo is optional: PNG, JPEG or WebP, up to 256 KB. Without one, the listing shows your name only.
3. Tick that you agree to be listed, then click **Apply**.

We check each agency by hand and email you when it is listed. Until then you can change your details on the same page. Once you are listed, write to hello@sporetag.com to change or remove the listing.

## Your referral link

Once you are listed, **Settings**, **Partner** shows your link. It looks like `https://sporetag.com/r/your-agency`.

When someone opens it, Sporetag keeps your code in a cookie on their browser for 90 days, then shows the sign-up page. If they create an account in that browser within the 90 days, the account counts as your referral. If they open another partner's link after yours, the last link counts.

The page shows three numbers:

- **Sign-ups:** accounts made through your link.
- **Paying clients:** those that have paid for their own plan.
- **Credit earned:** the credit already on your account, and when the next one is due.

These are counts only. Sporetag never shows you who signed up.

## How credit works

1. A business signs up through your link and starts its own paid plan. A free trial does not count until its first real payment.
2. We wait 30 days from that first payment. That is the length of our money-back promise.
3. If the payment was not refunded or disputed, and the business is still on an active paid plan that is not set to end, credit goes on your account. It is one month of your own plan (the monthly price, or a twelfth of the yearly price), or what the business paid for its first paid month if that is less. A business on Solo at $29 a month earns you $29. You get an email titled "Your referral earned" and the amount.
4. Stripe takes the credit off your next invoice.

Each business earns credit once, ever. If its first payment is refunded or disputed, or it stopped paying before the 30 days were up, there is no credit.

You need to be on a paid Studio or Agency plan when a credit is due. If you are not, that credit lapses.

### What does not count

- Your own accounts: the same account, the same Stripe customer (the billing record Stripe keeps for an account), or an email at the same domain as yours. If your address is `you@youragency.com`, a sign-up from `anyone@youragency.com` does not count.
- Accounts made before someone opened your link.
- Client logins you invite to a site. They are not accounts of their own.

## Setup help

We set up your first three client sites with you, on a call.

1. Open **Settings**, then **Partner**, and click **Book a setup call**.
2. The form comes filled in as a partner request. Add the client's website and anything we should know.
3. We reply within one business day with a time.

The page shows how many of the three are left.

## Leaving

Write to hello@sporetag.com and we take the listing down. Your link stops working. Credit for clients who already paid still comes when it is due.

The full rules are in the [partner terms](https://sporetag.com/terms#partners), which are a draft until the legal entity behind Sporetag is named.

---

# Data and privacy

> What Sporetag records about your visitors, what it never stores, where the data lives, how long it is kept, and how to export or delete it.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/data-and-privacy
Section: Account

This page is about the visitors to the sites you track. For what we do with your own account data, read the [privacy policy](https://sporetag.com/privacy).

## What is recorded for each event

- The page path and the referrer's host name.
- UTM tags, and ad click ids if the landing address had them.
- Country, device type, browser and operating system. These are worked out from the request and the IP address is then dropped.
- How long the page was visible.
- A visitor hash, so one person counts once.
- For a click: the short link it was.

## What is never stored

- The IP address.
- The full user agent string.
- Cookies or anything in the browser, in Private mode.
- Plain emails and phone numbers in your stats. Emails and phones you send are kept only as a SHA-256 hash, except that [customer profiles](https://sporetag.com/docs/customer-profiles) keep the email, name and phone number (and details from an import) encrypted while **Show contact details** is on.

## The visitor hash

In Private mode a visitor is `sha256(salt, site, IP, user agent)`. The salt changes every day and the old one is deleted. So nobody, us included, can link a visitor across days or across sites.

In [90-day tracking](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes) the script also keeps a random first-party id on your domain for 90 days. It is not linked to any other site.

## Visitor profiles

With 90-day tracking, after consent when you wait for it, each first-party id gets an anonymous [visitor profile](https://sporetag.com/docs/customer-profiles#visitors-before-they-give-an-email) in D1. It keeps the random id, first and last seen, the number of visits, the landing page, the first and latest source and ad platform, countries, devices and the browser. It keeps no IP address, email, phone or name. It is deleted 90 days after the last visit. Its page reads the visits themselves from the event store. In Private mode no profile is made.

## Where it lives

Sporetag runs on Cloudflare. Events are stored in Cloudflare Workers Analytics Engine. Accounts, sites, links and goals are stored in Cloudflare D1. We do not offer EU-only hosting today.

## How long it is kept

Your plan sets how far back you can see: 30 days on Free and 2 years on Solo, Studio and Agency. See [Billing and limits](https://sporetag.com/docs/billing-and-limits).

## Export

Every list in the dashboard has a CSV export.

## Delete

Delete one customer or visitor, or forget an email for a data request, on the site's **Profiles** tab. A deleted visitor's device id is never given a profile again on that site. See [Profiles](https://sporetag.com/docs/customer-profiles#privacy).

Delete a site in its settings to remove it from your account. To close your account and remove your data, email hello@sporetag.com from the address on the account.

## Sending data to Meta

Nothing goes to Meta unless you connect a site to the [Meta Conversions API](https://sporetag.com/docs/meta-conversions-api) and mark goals to send. Then only those goals' conversions are sent, with hashed contact details. The same holds for the platforms under [Send results to your ad accounts](https://sporetag.com/docs/send-results-to-ad-accounts).

What went to Google Ads or Microsoft Ads for a sale (the click id and hashed contact details) is kept encrypted for 30 days, so a refund can change that sale. It is deleted after that, or as soon as you turn off **Refunds** or the platform.

## Global Privacy Control

A visitor whose browser sends [Global Privacy Control](https://globalprivacycontrol.org/) (`Sec-GPC: 1`) is never sent to Meta or any other ad platform. With 90-day tracking, the signal is kept with their random id for 13 months, and later sales or deals tied to it are not sent either. First-party statistics are not a sale or a share, so the visit is still counted.

---

# Billing and limits

> What each Sporetag plan includes, what counts toward your monthly allowance, how overage works, and how to read, change or cancel your plan in Billing.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/billing-and-limits
Section: Account

Prices on this page are drafts and may change before launch. The [pricing page](https://sporetag.com/pricing) always has the current numbers.

## What each plan includes

| | Free | Solo | Studio | Agency | Custom |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | $29 a month or $290 a year | $79 a month or $790 a year | $199 a month or $1,990 a year | [Talk to us](https://sporetag.com/setup-call?plan=custom) |
| Sites | 1 | 5 | 25 | 100 | Unlimited |
| Pageviews and clicks a month | 5,000 | 100,000 | 1,000,000 | 5,000,000 | Unlimited |
| Active short links | 5 | 250 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Custom short domains | None | 1 | 5 | 20 | Unlimited |
| History | 30 days | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years | Unlimited |
| Goals per site | 2 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Events API and script proxy | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 90-day tracking and attribution report | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Meta Conversions API | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Custom link endings | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Client dashboards | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Weekly reports | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Your logo | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| White label | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |

Free is a small way to try the basic stats. It has no Events API, script proxy, attribution or Meta Conversions API. Those are on Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom.

Agency adds white label. Client dashboards and weekly reports then show only your name and logo, with no Sporetag branding.

## What counts

One allowance covers a calendar month (UTC):

- Pageviews.
- Clicks on your short links.

Custom events, Events API events and automatic events do not count. Bots that we filter out do not count either. The month starts again on the 1st.

## Going over

There is no hard stop. Your stats keep coming in.

- **First month over:** we tell you, and that is all. You are not charged.
- **Second month over in a row:** extra use is billed in blocks of 500,000 events for $10 each.

So one busy month never brings a surprise bill. If you are over two months running, it is usually cheaper to move up a plan, and we will say so.

## Your Billing page

Open **Settings**, then **Billing**.

**Your plan** is at the top. It shows:

- **Price**: what you pay, a month or a year.
- **Next payment**: the date Stripe charges your card next.
- **Trial** and **First payment**, while a trial runs: the days left and the date of the first charge.
- **Ends**, after you cancel: the last day of the plan.

**Card and invoices** opens Stripe, where you update your card and download invoices. **Change plan** jumps to the plans. **Cancel plan** starts the cancel flow.

**This month** has a meter for each limit: pageviews and clicks, active short links, live sites and AI actions. A meter turns amber at 80%. Counts update about every 15 minutes, and the date they reset is in the corner. Anything with no limit on your plan is named once, under the title.

When you go past your plan, one **Past your plan** line says what, how much, and whether it is billed yet. On paid plans, **Usage limit** caps what AI actions, texts and emails past your plan can cost in a month. Open it to change the amount.

**Plans** marks the one you are on with **Current plan**. The other buttons say what happens: **Upgrade to Studio**, **Downgrade to Solo**. Pick **Yearly** above the plans to see **Switch to yearly** on your own plan. On a phone each plan shows its price and limits; **Compare every feature** opens the full table.

## Usage

Call tracking and texts are priced by use, on top of your plan. Billed with your plan each month:

| Usage | Price |
|---|---|
| Call tracking number, local or toll-free | $3 a month |
| Calls, recording included | 5¢ a minute |
| Texting setup, once | $25 |
| Texting number | $5 a month |
| Texts | 2¢ a part; long texts count as 2 or more |

Calls and texts are (when shipped). What you used shows under **Past your plan** in Billing.

## Paying

Plans are paid by card through Stripe, monthly or yearly. Yearly costs the same as 10 months. We never see or store your card number.

Bigger agencies can ask for the Custom plan. It has no limits, and we set the price with you. Use **Talk to us** on the [pricing page](https://sporetag.com/pricing), or [book a call](https://sporetag.com/setup-call?plan=custom). We bill it by card through Stripe or by invoice.

## 14-day free trial

Your first paid plan is free for 14 days. Checkout asks for your card, and Stripe charges nothing until day 15. **Billing** shows the day your trial ends.

To stop, cancel in **Billing** before the trial ends. You pay nothing, and when the trial ends your account moves to Free. The trial is for an account's first paid plan only. Free needs no card at all.

## If a payment fails

Nothing stops at once. You have 7 days from the failed payment to fix it, and your plan keeps working the whole time.

A red bar at the top of the app says the date. **Retry payment** opens a window with your saved card and what is due today:

- **Retry now** charges the saved card right away. When it goes through, the bar is gone.
- **Change** lets you use another card, then retry.
- If the card is refused, the window says why in plain words, such as "Card expired".
- If your bank wants to confirm the payment, **Confirm with your bank** opens Stripe's page to finish it.

After 7 days without payment, your account works like Free. Nothing is deleted, and your tracking keeps counting. Sites and links past Free's room are read-only. Pay the bill and your plan is back at once.

## 30-day money back

If Sporetag is not right for you, ask within 30 days of your first payment and we refund that payment in full. After a free trial, the 30 days start with the first payment. No questions asked. Write to hello@sporetag.com from your account email. We end the plan at the same time, and your account moves to Free. Stripe returns the money to your card, usually within 5 to 10 days. Later renewals are not refunded, so cancel before the next one if you are done. The full wording is in the [terms](https://sporetag.com/terms#refunds).

## Change or cancel

- **Upgrade** or **Downgrade** between paid plans starts at once. Stripe puts the difference, a charge or a credit, on your next invoice.
- **Cancel plan** asks why, then offers what fits, such as a pause. A canceled plan stays on until the end of the time you paid for, then the account moves to Free. Your data stays, within the Free plan's 30 days of history.

## Questions

Email hello@sporetag.com.

---

# Read API

> Read stats, goals, attribution, ad spend and short links with a read key. JSON over HTTPS, OpenAPI 3.1, CSV feeds and copyable curl examples.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/api
Section: Developers

The read API gives your own code, a client's dashboard or a spreadsheet the same numbers you see in Sporetag. It only reads. Nothing it does can change a site, a goal or a link.

The read API is on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom. It also powers the [MCP server](https://sporetag.com/docs/mcp) and [Google Sheets feeds](https://sporetag.com/docs/looker-studio).

## Make a key

1. Open **Settings**, then **API**.
2. Name the key, pick what it reads (**All sites**, or one site) and press **Make a key**.
3. Copy the key. It is shown once. Sporetag keeps only a hash of it.

A key starts with `st_rk_`. **All sites** covers sites you add later too. For a client, a script that runs somewhere else, or a shared sheet, make a key for one site. **Revoke** stops a key at once.

Read keys are not [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api) keys. Events API keys (`st_sk_`) send events and cannot read. Read keys (`st_rk_`) read and cannot send.

## First request

```bash
export SPORETAG_KEY="st_rk_..."
curl https://sporetag.com/api/v1/sites \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPORETAG_KEY"
```

```json
{
  "data": [
    {
      "id": "8fK2pQ",
      "name": "Demo shop",
      "domain": "shop.example.com",
      "client_label": null,
      "timezone": "America/New_York",
      "tracking_mode": "attribution",
      "created_at": "2026-09-14T16:02:11.000Z"
    }
  ],
  "pagination": { "page": 1, "limit": 100, "has_more": false, "next_page": null }
}
```

Every other call takes a site `id` from this list.

## Endpoints

All are `GET` under `https://sporetag.com`. The full schema is the [OpenAPI 3.1 document](https://sporetag.com/api/v1/openapi.json).

| Endpoint | What it returns |
|---|---|
| `/api/v1/sites` | Sites the key reads |
| `/api/v1/sites/{site_id}` | One site |
| `/api/v1/sites/{site_id}/stats` | Totals for a range, the span before it, and the change |
| `/api/v1/sites/{site_id}/timeseries` | The same totals per hour, day or month |
| `/api/v1/sites/{site_id}/breakdown/{dimension}` | Top sources, pages, campaigns, countries, devices or goals |
| `/api/v1/sites/{site_id}/goals` | Goals with conversions |
| `/api/v1/sites/{site_id}/attribution` | Conversions and revenue credited by source, campaign, ad, platform or short link |
| `/api/v1/sites/{site_id}/ads` | Ad spend, credited revenue and ROAS |
| `/api/v1/links` | Short links with clicks |
| `/api/v1/links/{link_id}` | One link: clicks per day and where they came from |

### Totals

```bash
curl "https://sporetag.com/api/v1/sites/8fK2pQ/stats?period=7d" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPORETAG_KEY"
```

```json
{
  "data": {
    "site_id": "8fK2pQ",
    "range": { "period": "7d", "date_from": "2026-10-17", "date_to": "2026-10-23", "timezone": "America/New_York", "from": "2026-10-17T00:00:00-04:00", "to": "2026-10-23T11:00:00-04:00" },
    "previous_range": { "compare": "previous", "match_weekdays": false, "from": "2026-10-10T00:00:00-04:00", "to": "2026-10-16T11:00:00-04:00" },
    "filters": {},
    "metrics": { "visitors": 1840, "visits": 2210, "pageviews": 5120, "views_per_visit": 2.32, "bounce_rate": 41, "visit_duration": 96, "conversions": 63, "conversion_rate": 2.9 },
    "previous": { "visitors": 1702, "visits": 2050, "pageviews": 4790, "views_per_visit": 2.34, "bounce_rate": 43, "visit_duration": 91, "conversions": 55, "conversion_rate": 2.7 },
    "change_pct": { "visitors": 8.1, "visits": 7.8, "pageviews": 6.9, "views_per_visit": -0.9, "bounce_rate": -4.7, "visit_duration": 5.5, "conversions": 14.5, "conversion_rate": 7.4 }
  }
}
```

The numbers above are an example. `bounce_rate` and `conversion_rate` are percents. `visit_duration` is seconds per visit. `conversions` counts visits that reached any goal. `previous_range` is the span the change is measured against. By default it is the same number of days just before, ending at the same time of day, so a part day is compared with a part day. This month, quarter or year compares with the same days of the one before: October 1 to 23 against September 1 to 23. Add `compare=year` for the same dates a year back, and `match_weekdays=true` with it to go back 364 days so a Monday lines up with a Monday. Add `compare=false` to skip it.

### Per day

```bash
curl "https://sporetag.com/api/v1/sites/8fK2pQ/timeseries?period=30d&interval=day" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPORETAG_KEY"
```

`interval` is `day` (the default), `hour` (up to 7 days) or `month`. Every bucket is in the list, empty ones too. `date` is the local day (`2026-10-01`), hour (`2026-10-01 14:00`) or month (`2026-10`).

### Breakdowns

```bash
curl "https://sporetag.com/api/v1/sites/8fK2pQ/breakdown/source?period=30d&limit=10" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPORETAG_KEY"
```

Dimensions: `source`, `referrer`, `utm_source`, `utm_medium`, `utm_campaign` (or `campaign`), `utm_content`, `utm_term`, `page`, `entry_page`, `country`, `device`, `browser`, `os` and `goal`. Rows come most visitors first, each with visitors, visits, pageviews, bounce rate, visit duration, conversions and conversion rate. A blank source is `Direct / None`.

### Goals

```bash
curl "https://sporetag.com/api/v1/sites/8fK2pQ/goals?period=mtd" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPORETAG_KEY"
```

Each goal has `conversions` (visits that reached it), `events` (every match) and `conversion_rate` (percent of visits).

### Attribution

```bash
curl "https://sporetag.com/api/v1/sites/8fK2pQ/attribution?period=30d&by=campaign&model=last" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPORETAG_KEY"
```

This is the [attribution report](https://sporetag.com/docs/attribution-report). `by` is `source`, `campaign`, `content` (the ad), `term` (the ad set or keyword), `platform` or `link`. `model` is `last` (the default) or `first`. `goal_id` counts one goal. Revenue is per currency, such as `{"USD": 1240.5}`, and never converted.

### Ad spend and ROAS

```bash
curl "https://sporetag.com/api/v1/sites/8fK2pQ/ads?period=30d&level=campaign" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPORETAG_KEY"
```

From connected ad platforms and [spend files](https://sporetag.com/docs/csv-spend-import). `level` is `platform`, `campaign`, `adset` or `ad`. `revenue` is what Sporetag credits to the ads, last touch. `platform_reported` is what the platform itself counts. `roas` is null when there is no spend or when spend and revenue are in different currencies. `connected` is `false` when the site has no ad spend.

### Short links

```bash
curl "https://sporetag.com/api/v1/links?period=30d" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPORETAG_KEY"
curl "https://sporetag.com/api/v1/links/LINK_ID?period=30d" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPORETAG_KEY"
```

A key for one site lists the links tied to that site. Add `site_id` to an all-sites key to do the same. `status` is `active` (the default), `archived` or `all`.

## Dates and time zones

Send a `period`, or `date_from` and `date_to` as `YYYY-MM-DD`. Both days are included.

| `period` | Covers |
|---|---|
| `today` | Today, up to now |
| `yesterday` | Yesterday |
| `7d`, `30d`, `90d` | The last 7, 30 or 90 days, today included (default `30d`) |
| `12m` | The last 365 days |
| `mtd` | This month, up to now |
| `lastmonth` | Last calendar month |
| `quarter` | This quarter, up to now |
| `lastquarter` | Last calendar quarter |
| `year` | This year, up to now |

Days start at local midnight in one time zone: the `timezone` you send (an IANA name such as `Europe/Berlin`), else the site's, else UTC. Every answer repeats the range with ISO 8601 times and their offset, so you never have to guess. Days and months in a time series use the zone's offset at the start of the range.

Short link clicks are kept in whole UTC days, so link calls are always UTC.

A range can be up to 731 days, and only as far back as your plan keeps stats.

## Filters

Add `filter=dimension:value`. Repeat it to combine, up to 8.

```bash
curl -G "https://sporetag.com/api/v1/sites/8fK2pQ/stats" \
  --data-urlencode "period=30d" \
  --data-urlencode "filter=source:Instagram" \
  --data-urlencode "filter=device:Mobile" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPORETAG_KEY"
```

Filters work on stats, time series, breakdowns and goals. A `goal` filter takes a goal id from the goals call.

## Pages of results

Lists take `limit` (1 to 1,000, default 100) and `page` (from 1). The answer says if there is more:

```json
"pagination": { "page": 1, "limit": 100, "has_more": true, "next_page": 2 }
```

Lists go 1,000 rows deep.

## CSV feeds

Add `format=csv` to any list for a CSV file with every row. For tools that cannot send headers, such as Google Sheets, the key can ride in the address, for CSV feeds only:

```text
https://sporetag.com/api/v1/sites/8fK2pQ/timeseries?period=90d&format=csv&key=st_rk_...
```

Anyone with that address can read what the key reads. Use a key for one site, and revoke it if the address leaks. See [Google Sheets and Looker Studio](https://sporetag.com/docs/looker-studio).

## Errors

Errors have a status code and the same shape:

```json
{ "error": { "code": "invalid_parameter", "message": "date_from must be a date as YYYY-MM-DD.", "field": "date_from" } }
```

| Status | Code | Means |
|---|---|---|
| 400 | `invalid_parameter`, `range_too_long`, `key_in_url` | A parameter is wrong. `field` names it |
| 401 | `unauthorized` | No key, or the key was revoked |
| 403 | `plan` | The account's plan does not include the read API |
| 403 | `history_limit` | The range starts before the plan keeps stats |
| 404 | `not_found` | No such site, link or endpoint for this key |
| 429 | `rate_limited` | Over the rate limit. Wait `Retry-After` seconds |
| 502, 503 | `upstream_error`, `stats_unavailable` | Stats could not be read. Try again in a minute |

A site or link another key or account owns reads as `not_found`, never as forbidden.

## Rate limit

Each key can make 120 requests a minute, across the read API, CSV feeds and the MCP server. Every answer has `X-RateLimit-Limit` and `X-RateLimit-Remaining`.

## Safety

- Keep keys on a server or in a password manager. The API sends no CORS headers, so a web page cannot call it.
- Each key reads only its sites. Revoke it in **Settings**, **API** and it stops at once.
- Answers never include visitor emails, names or phone numbers.

---

# MCP server for Claude and ChatGPT

> Connect Claude, ChatGPT or another AI assistant to Sporetag with a read key, then ask how your site did last week in plain words.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/mcp
Section: Developers

Sporetag has a remote MCP server. MCP (Model Context Protocol) is the open standard AI assistants use to read other tools. Once it is connected, ask your assistant things like:

- "How did shop.example.com do last week compared with the week before?"
- "Which campaigns brought sales this month?"
- "What is my ROAS on Meta for the last 30 days?"
- "Which short link got the most clicks this week?"

The assistant reads the numbers through Sporetag and answers from them. It can only read. It cannot change a site, a goal, a link or a setting.

The MCP server is on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom. [Sporetag for AI assistants](https://sporetag.com/ai) has the short version, more questions to ask, and where AI tools find Sporetag's docs as Markdown.

## 1. Make a read key

Open **Settings**, then **API**, and make a key. Pick **All sites**, or one site if the assistant should only see that one. Copy the key. It is shown once. See [Read API](https://sporetag.com/docs/api) for more on keys.

## 2. Connect your assistant

The server lives at:

```text
https://sporetag.com/mcp
```

It takes the key as `Authorization: Bearer st_rk_...`. Apps that only take an address can use the key in the address instead:

```text
https://sporetag.com/mcp/st_rk_...
```

Treat that address like a password. Anyone who has it can read what the key reads.

### Claude (claude.ai and the desktop app)

1. Open **Settings**, then **Connectors**.
2. Choose **Add custom connector**.
3. Name it **Sporetag**. For the URL, paste the address with your key: `https://sporetag.com/mcp/st_rk_...`
4. Leave the OAuth fields empty and press **Add**.
5. In a chat, turn on Sporetag from the tools menu, then ask a question.

On Team and Enterprise plans, an owner may need to add the connector for the organization first.

### Claude Code

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http sporetag https://sporetag.com/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer st_rk_..."
```

### ChatGPT

Custom MCP servers in ChatGPT need developer mode, which OpenAI offers on some plans. Turn it on under **Settings**, **Apps and Connectors**, **Advanced**. Then create a connector with the address that has your key in it, and choose no authentication. OpenAI may name these menus differently on your plan.

### Cursor, VS Code and other MCP clients

Most clients take a JSON entry like this:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sporetag": {
      "url": "https://sporetag.com/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer st_rk_..." }
    }
  }
}
```

A client that only runs local servers can reach it through `mcp-remote`:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sporetag": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["mcp-remote", "https://sporetag.com/mcp", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer st_rk_..."]
    }
  }
}
```

## Tools

| Tool | What it reads |
|---|---|
| `list_sites` | Your sites: id, name, address and time zone |
| `get_stats` | Visitors, visits, pageviews, bounce rate, visit duration, conversions and conversion rate, with the span before; optionally per hour, day or month |
| `get_breakdown` | Top sources, referrers, UTM values, pages, countries, devices, browsers or goals |
| `get_goals` | Goals with conversions and conversion rate |
| `get_attribution` | Conversions and revenue credited by source, campaign, ad, ad set, platform or short link, first or last touch |
| `get_ad_spend` | Ad spend, credited revenue and ROAS by platform, campaign, ad set or ad |
| `get_links` | Short links with clicks |

Every tool is marked read-only. Dates work as in the [read API](https://sporetag.com/docs/api#dates-and-time-zones): whole local days in the site's time zone, unless the assistant passes another.

## Good to know

- Each request counts toward the key's 120 requests a minute, shared with the read API.
- Source names, page paths and campaign names come from visitors and ad platforms. The server tells the assistant to treat them as data, never as instructions.
- No visitor emails, names or phone numbers are ever sent to the assistant.
- To disconnect, remove the connector in your assistant and revoke the key in **Settings**, **API**.

## Docs your assistant can read

Sporetag's docs come as plain Markdown too, so an assistant can read them without a browser:

- [/llms.txt](https://sporetag.com/llms.txt): a short map of the site, linking to the Markdown copies.
- [/llms-full.txt](https://sporetag.com/llms-full.txt): every docs article, guide, platform page and glossary term in one file.
- Any docs, guide or glossary page with `.md` on the end, such as [/docs/mcp.md](https://sporetag.com/docs/mcp.md). A request that asks for `text/markdown` in its `Accept` header gets the same.

## For developers

The server speaks MCP over Streamable HTTP: JSON-RPC 2.0 in a `POST`, one JSON answer back, no server-sent events and no session. It supports protocol versions 2025-11-25, 2025-06-18, 2025-03-26 and 2024-11-05, and the methods `initialize`, `ping`, `tools/list` and `tools/call`. `GET` answers 405.

```bash
curl https://sporetag.com/mcp \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPORETAG_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Accept: application/json, text/event-stream" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"get_stats","arguments":{"site_id":"8fK2pQ","period":"7d"}}}'
```

---

# Google Sheets and Looker Studio

> Put Sporetag numbers in Google Sheets with one formula that refreshes by itself, then chart them in Looker Studio.

Source: https://sporetag.com/docs/looker-studio
Section: Developers

Every list in the [read API](https://sporetag.com/docs/api) has a CSV feed. Google Sheets reads a feed with one formula and refreshes it by itself, and Looker Studio charts any sheet. That is the path today.

A Sporetag connector for Looker Studio (when shipped) will let you pick a site and a report inside Looker Studio, with no sheet in between.

CSV feeds are on paid plans: Solo, Studio, Agency and Custom.

## 1. Make a key for one site

Open **Settings**, then **API**. Under **Reads**, pick the site, name the key (for example "Sheets") and press **Make a key**. Copy it.

A feed address holds the key, and Google fetches it from its own servers. Anyone who sees the formula can read that site. A key for one site keeps that small, and **Revoke** stops it at once.

## 2. Find the site id

The site's dashboard address ends with it: `sporetag.com/app/s/8fK2pQ` has the id `8fK2pQ`.

## 3. Add a feed to Google Sheets

In an empty sheet, click cell A1 and paste a formula. Put your site id and key in.

Visitors per day for the last 90 days:

```text
=IMPORTDATA("https://sporetag.com/api/v1/sites/8fK2pQ/timeseries?period=90d&format=csv&key=st_rk_...")
```

Top sources this month:

```text
=IMPORTDATA("https://sporetag.com/api/v1/sites/8fK2pQ/breakdown/source?period=mtd&format=csv&key=st_rk_...")
```

More feeds, all with `&format=csv&key=st_rk_...` at the end:

| Feed | Address after `https://sporetag.com` |
|---|---|
| Totals for a range, one row | `/api/v1/sites/SITE_ID/stats?period=30d` |
| Per day, hour or month | `/api/v1/sites/SITE_ID/timeseries?period=90d&interval=day` |
| Top pages | `/api/v1/sites/SITE_ID/breakdown/page?period=30d` |
| Campaigns | `/api/v1/sites/SITE_ID/breakdown/campaign?period=30d` |
| Countries or devices | `/api/v1/sites/SITE_ID/breakdown/country?period=30d` |
| Goals | `/api/v1/sites/SITE_ID/goals?period=30d` |
| Sales credited by campaign | `/api/v1/sites/SITE_ID/attribution?period=30d&by=campaign` |
| Ad spend and ROAS by campaign | `/api/v1/sites/SITE_ID/ads?period=30d&level=campaign` |
| Short link clicks | `/api/v1/links?period=30d` |

Money feeds have one currency column. Add `&currency=EUR` to pick it; by default it is the one with the most money.

Google Sheets refreshes these formulas on its own, about once an hour. Put each feed on its own tab, so they never overlap.

## 4. Chart it in Looker Studio

1. In [Looker Studio](https://lookerstudio.google.com), create a report and choose **Add data**.
2. Pick **Google Sheets**, then your sheet and the tab with the feed.
3. Keep **Use first row as headers** on and press **Add**.
4. Check that `date` reads as a date: in the data source, set its type to **Date** if Looker Studio did not.

Charts update when the sheet does.

## Good to know

- Feed numbers are the same as the dashboard's: whole days in the site's time zone. Add `&timezone=America/New_York` to read them in another.
- A feed holds up to 1,000 rows.
- Each refresh counts toward the key's 120 requests a minute.
- If a feed stops, the cell shows an error. A revoked key or a plan change is the usual reason.

---

# Why your analytics numbers never match

> GA4, Shopify, Meta and Google Ads count with different rules, dates and blind spots. Where each number splits, and which one to trust for each question.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/why-analytics-numbers-dont-match
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Open Meta Ads Manager, Google Ads, GA4 and your store on the same morning and you will get four different answers to "how many sales did we make yesterday?" None of them is broken. Each one counts something slightly different, credits it by a different rule, and puts it on a different day.

Once you know the five places the numbers split, most gaps stop being a mystery. Some can be closed. The rest just need to be read the right way.

## The five reasons numbers differ

1. **They count different things.** An ad platform counts clicks and the conversions it can tie to people who saw or clicked an ad. An analytics tool counts sessions or visits. A store counts orders. A click is not a visit, and a visit is not a buyer.
2. **They credit different touches.** Most buyers touch more than one channel. Each tool has an [attribution](https://sporetag.com/glossary/attribution) rule for who gets the sale, and the rules disagree on purpose.
3. **They look back over different windows.** Meta counts a purchase within 7 days of a click by default. Google Ads uses a 30-day window unless you change it. GA4 looks back 90 days for most [key events](https://sporetag.com/glossary/key-event).
4. **They put the sale on different dates.** Google Ads reports a conversion on the day of the ad click, not the day of the purchase. Your store reports it on the day the order was paid. Time zones move the line again.
5. **They see different slices of traffic.** Ad blockers, consent banners, Safari's storage limits, checkout pages that do not run your tags, and bots all change what each tool can see.

## Different things being counted

Clicks in an ad platform are almost always higher than visits in analytics. Between a click and a counted visit, people close the tab before the page loads, the tag is blocked, the click came from a bot the ad network did not filter, or someone clicked twice. A gap here is normal. A gap that suddenly widens is worth checking, because it often means the tag stopped loading on a landing page.

Visits, sessions and users are also defined differently from tool to tool. GA4 starts a new session after 30 minutes of inactivity by default. Sporetag counts a visit as one visitor's day on a site. Shopify has its own session rules. The guide to [visitors, sessions and pageviews](https://sporetag.com/guides/sessions-users-pageviews) covers each definition, and the same gap shows as a step on the day you move from GA4 to another tool (see [leaving GA4 without losing your history](https://sporetag.com/guides/import-ga4-history)).

## Different credit rules

Take one buyer who taps a Meta ad on their phone on Monday, searches your brand name on a laptop on Thursday, clicks the Google ad at the top, and buys.

- **Meta** counts the purchase if it can match the buyer to the person who tapped the ad, inside its attribution setting. Its default for website conversions is 7-day click and 1-day view, and since early 2026 it also has a separate 1-day "engage-through" window for non-link clicks ([Jon Loomer, March 2026](https://www.jonloomer.com/meta-ads-attribution-2026/)).
- **Google Ads** counts the conversion too, because the buyer clicked a Google ad inside its window.
- **GA4** gives the credit to one channel or splits it with its data-driven model. All of GA4's models leave direct visits out of the credit unless the whole path was direct ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10596866)).
- **Shopify** uses "last non-direct click" by default ([Shopify](https://www.shopify.com/blog/marketing-insights)), so it credits the Google search.

The two ad platforms both claim the sale. Add up "conversions" across ad platforms and you will almost always get more sales than you made. That is not fraud. Each platform answers "did my ad play a part?", and both did. The [attribution models guide](https://sporetag.com/guides/attribution-models-explained) works through the same path under each rule.

## Different windows and dates

| Tool | Default window | Date a sale lands on |
|---|---|---|
| Meta Ads Manager | 7-day click, 1-day view, 1-day engage-through | Changed in 2025: website conversions moved to the conversion date ([Supermetrics](https://docs.supermetrics.com/docs/facebook-ads-reach-and-attribution-changes-june-10-2025)) |
| Google Ads | 30 days for Search and Display, 1 to 90 allowed ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/3123169)) | The ad click's date, unless you use the "by conv. time" columns ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/9549009)) |
| GA4 | 90 days for most key events, 30 for first visits ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10597962)) | The event's date |
| Shopify | Last non-direct click | The order's date |
| Klaviyo | 5 days after an email open or click, last touch ([Klaviyo](https://help.klaviyo.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005248128)) | The send date. See [Klaviyo attribution](https://sporetag.com/guides/klaviyo-attribution) |

The click-date rule matters most for short reporting periods. If someone clicks on the 30th and buys on the 2nd, Google Ads puts the sale in last month and your store puts it in this month. Over a quarter it evens out. Over a week it can swing a report.

Check the time zone setting in every tool too. An ad account set to Pacific time and a store set to Eastern time draw "yesterday" three hours apart.

## Different blind spots

- **Ad blockers and privacy browsers** stop many third-party tags from loading. Tags served from big ad and analytics domains are the most commonly blocked.
- **Consent banners.** Where a visitor declines, a well-built site does not set analytics cookies or fire ad pixels for them. If your banner blocks GA4 until consent, GA4 never sees those visits, while your store still records the order.
- **Safari limits.** Safari caps cookies set by script at 7 days ([WebKit](https://webkit.org/blog/8613/intelligent-tracking-prevention-2-1/)). A buyer who clicks an ad and comes back on day 9 can look like a new visitor. Safari also strips known click ids from links opened from Mail, Messages and Private Browsing ([Apple](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/06/apple-announces-powerful-new-privacy-and-security-features/)).
- **Checkout pages.** Shopify's checkout does not run your theme code, and script tags on Shopify's order status page stopped running for all stores in August 2026 ([Shopify](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/online-store/script-tag-deprecation/order-status)). A tag that only lives in the theme cannot see the purchase.
- **Bots.** Some tools filter more bots than others. A tool that counts a scraper as a visitor will show more visits and a lower conversion rate.

## Gaps that are bugs, not rules

Some differences are mistakes you can fix:

- **The tag is missing from some pages.** A landing page built in a separate tool often has no analytics tag at all.
- **The tag is on the page twice.** Two copies double pageviews and conversions, and push the bounce rate toward zero. The free [tag checker](https://sporetag.com/tools/tag-checker) lists every analytics and ad tag a page loads.
- **Payment pages show up as referrals.** If buyers leave for PayPal or a payment processor and come back, GA4 can credit the sale to that referral. Add those domains to GA4's list of unwanted referrals.
- **UTM tags on your own links.** A tagged link from your home page to your shop overwrites the real source of the visit. Use UTM tags only on links that point to your site from somewhere else.
- **The purchase event fires on page reload.** A thank-you page that sends "purchase" every time it loads counts the same order again each time the buyer comes back to it.

## Which number to trust for which question

| Question | Trust this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| How much did we sell? | Your store or payment processor | It counts paid orders, once, with refunds |
| Which channels bring buyers? | One analytics tool, with one consistent rule | Same rule across every channel, so the comparison is fair |
| Is this campaign improving? | The ad platform's own number, as a trend | It is the number the platform optimizes on |
| Should we move budget between platforms? | Your store's revenue against each platform's spend | The platforms' own claims overlap |

The mistake is mixing them: dividing Meta's claimed revenue by Meta's spend, then adding Google's claimed revenue on top, and calling the total "return on ad spend". Use the store's revenue for any number you add up. See [ROAS, blended ROAS and MER](https://sporetag.com/guides/roas-mer-blended-roas).

## How to make the numbers agree more closely

1. Set the same time zone and currency in every tool.
2. Tag every link you control with [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters), with one naming scheme. Mediums GA4 does not know end up in [Unassigned](https://sporetag.com/guides/ga4-unassigned-traffic).
3. Put your analytics tag on every page, once, including landing pages built in other tools.
4. Send paid orders from your server or your store's own data, not only from a thank-you page script. The [server-side tracking guide](https://sporetag.com/guides/server-side-vs-client-side-tracking) explains how.
5. For ad platforms, send conversions back through their server APIs with an event id, so the browser and server copies count once ([Meta](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/deduplicate-pixel-and-server-events)).
6. Compare the same date range on the same date basis. In Google Ads, add the "by conv. time" columns when you compare with your store.

## Common questions

### What is a normal gap between GA4 and Shopify?

There is no single normal figure, because it depends on how many of your visitors block tags, decline consent or use Safari. Measure your own gap over a full month, then watch it. A steady gap is fine to live with. A sudden change usually means a tag broke.

### Why does Meta report more purchases than my store?

Meta counts purchases from people who clicked or saw an ad inside its window, including some it matches across devices, and other platforms count the same purchases too. Your store counts each order once. Meta also reports by its own dates and can include modeled conversions.

### Should I trust the ad platform or my analytics?

Use the store for how much you sold, one analytics tool for comparing channels, and each ad platform for trends inside that platform. Do not add the platforms' claimed sales together.

### Do server-side tracking tools make the numbers match?

They close part of the gap by seeing sales a browser tag missed, and by sending them back with ids that prevent double counts. They do not remove different credit rules, windows or dates, so the tools will still disagree.

## Sources

- Google Analytics: [Get started with attribution](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10596866), [Select attribution settings](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10597962). Checked October 2026.
- Google Ads: [About conversion windows](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/3123169), [Conversions by time](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/9549009). Checked October 2026.
- Shopify: [Marketing insights](https://www.shopify.com/blog/marketing-insights), [Order status script tags](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/online-store/script-tag-deprecation/order-status). Checked October 2026.
- Meta: [Deduplicate pixel and server events](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/deduplicate-pixel-and-server-events). Attribution settings as described by [Jon Loomer](https://www.jonloomer.com/meta-ads-attribution-2026/) and [Supermetrics](https://docs.supermetrics.com/docs/facebook-ads-reach-and-attribution-changes-june-10-2025).
- Klaviyo: [Understanding message conversion tracking](https://help.klaviyo.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005248128). Checked October 2026.
- WebKit: [Intelligent Tracking Prevention 2.1](https://webkit.org/blog/8613/intelligent-tracking-prevention-2-1/). Apple: [Link Tracking Protection](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/06/apple-announces-powerful-new-privacy-and-security-features/).

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag reads orders straight from Shopify or Stripe, then shows each ad platform's own number beside its own count, so you can see the gap instead of guessing at it. More: https://sporetag.com/how-it-works

---

# Meta ads vs Shopify: why purchases don't match

> Meta Ads Manager shows more (or fewer) purchases than Shopify. The six causes, how to measure your own gap, and which number to use for budget calls.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-ads-vs-shopify-sales
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Ads Manager shows more purchases this week than Shopify credits to Facebook and Instagram. Another week it flips, and Meta shows fewer. Both reports are working as designed. They answer different questions with different data.

This guide lists the six causes, in the order they usually matter, then shows how to measure your own gap and which number to use when you move budget.

## Meta and Shopify answer different questions

**Meta asks:** did a person who clicked or saw one of our ads buy within the attribution window? It credits the ad if so, even if that buyer also came through Google, email and a direct visit before buying.

**Shopify asks:** which marketing channel brought the visit that led to the order? By default it uses "last non-direct click" ([Shopify](https://www.shopify.com/blog/marketing-insights)), so only one channel gets each order, and a buyer who last came from a Google search counts for Google, not Meta.

Neither is wrong. They are measuring different things.

## Six reasons the numbers differ

### 1. View-through and engage-through purchases

Meta's default setting for website conversion campaigns counts purchases within 7 days of a link click, within 1 day of a view, and, since 2026, within 1 day of a non-link interaction such as a like or a comment ([Jon Loomer, March 2026](https://www.jonloomer.com/meta-ads-attribution-2026/)). Shopify cannot see an ad view at all. Every view-through purchase in Meta is a purchase Shopify credits elsewhere or to direct.

In Ads Manager, use **Compare attribution settings** to split the column by click, view and engage-through. That one step often explains most of the gap.

### 2. Both platforms claim the same sale

A buyer who clicked a Meta ad on Monday and a Google ad on Thursday counts in both ad platforms. Shopify gives the order to one channel. Add every platform's purchases together and the sum will be higher than your order count. The same overlap inflates leads and signups: see [Meta Ads cost per lead](https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-ads-cost-per-lead).

### 3. Cross-device matching

Meta can match a purchase on a laptop to an ad click on a phone when the buyer is logged in to Facebook or Instagram on both. Shopify sees the laptop session only and credits whatever brought it, often direct or brand search. This pushes Meta's count above Shopify's.

### 4. Lost click ids and lost pixels

The other direction: Meta counts fewer purchases than really came from its ads.

- The Meta pixel is blocked by an ad blocker or declined in a consent banner, and no server event was sent.
- The buyer opened the ad link in Safari Private Browsing, where Safari strips known click ids such as `fbclid` ([Apple](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/06/apple-announces-powerful-new-privacy-and-security-features/)).
- The purchase was more than 7 days after the click, outside the window.

The [Conversions API](https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-conversions-api-explained) recovers many of these by sending each paid order from a server, with the buyer's hashed email and phone so Meta can match it.

### 5. Dates and time zones

Meta and Shopify can put the same purchase on different days. Check that the ad account and the store use the same time zone, and compare at least a full week, since a click on Sunday night and a purchase on Monday morning land in different days in different tools. Meta's reporting date rules for website conversions also changed in 2025 ([Supermetrics](https://docs.supermetrics.com/docs/facebook-ads-reach-and-attribution-changes-june-10-2025)), so compare like with like when you look at older data.

### 6. Duplicate or missing events

- A purchase event that fires on every load of the thank-you page counts reloads as new purchases.
- A browser event and a server event without a shared `event_id` both count ([Meta](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/deduplicate-pixel-and-server-events)).
- Since August 2026, script tags on Shopify's order status page no longer run for any store ([Shopify](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/online-store/script-tag-deprecation/order-status)). A purchase tag still installed there sends nothing. Shopify points tracking to web pixels and the Customer events settings instead.

In Events Manager, the **Event deduplication** and **Event match quality** views show whether browser and server events are being merged and matched.

## Measure your own gap

1. Pick a full 28-day period that ended at least 7 days ago, so late purchases have come in.
2. In Ads Manager, read purchases with **7-day click** only, no view or engage-through.
3. In Shopify, export orders for the same dates with their first and last visit sources.
4. Count the orders where any visit came from Meta, with `fbclid` on the landing page or `utm_source=facebook` or `instagram`.
5. Compare: Meta 7-day click against Shopify orders with a Meta touch.

These two numbers should be much closer than the raw totals. Whatever gap is left is your measurement loss plus cross-device matches. Write it down and recheck monthly. A steady gap can be planned around. A sudden jump means something broke.

## Which number to use for budget

- **For how much you sold**, always Shopify.
- **For comparing Meta with other channels**, use one independent view with one rule for every channel: Shopify's own reports, an analytics tool, or an attribution tool that reads Shopify orders.
- **For whether a Meta campaign is getting better**, use Meta's numbers as a trend. Meta optimizes delivery on its own count, so its relative changes are meaningful even when its total is higher than Shopify's.
- **For total efficiency**, divide Shopify revenue by total ad spend: the [marketing efficiency ratio](https://sporetag.com/glossary/mer). It cannot double count.

## Common questions

### Why does Meta show more purchases than Shopify?

Usually view-through and engage-through purchases, the same order claimed by other platforms too, and purchases Meta matched across devices. Switch Ads Manager to 7-day click only to see how much of the gap is view-through.

### Why does Meta show fewer purchases than Shopify credits to Facebook?

The pixel was blocked or declined, click ids were stripped, or the purchase came after Meta's window. Sending purchases through the Conversions API with hashed customer details recovers part of it.

### Which attribution setting should I use in Ads Manager?

For comparing with Shopify, read 7-day click. For optimizing, Meta's own default is reasonable. Changing the setting on an ad set changes what Meta optimizes for, not just how it reports, so test it on one ad set first.

### Does Shopify's Facebook channel app fix this?

It installs the pixel and sends server events for you, which closes part of the loss. It cannot make the two tools use the same attribution rule, so the totals will still differ.

## Sources

- Shopify: [Marketing insights and attribution models](https://www.shopify.com/blog/marketing-insights), [Order status script tags](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/online-store/script-tag-deprecation/order-status). Checked October 2026.
- Meta: [Deduplicate pixel and server events](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/deduplicate-pixel-and-server-events). Checked October 2026.
- Meta attribution settings as of 2026: [Jon Loomer](https://www.jonloomer.com/meta-ads-attribution-2026/). Reporting date change: [Supermetrics](https://docs.supermetrics.com/docs/facebook-ads-reach-and-attribution-changes-june-10-2025).
- Apple: [Link Tracking Protection](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/06/apple-announces-powerful-new-privacy-and-security-features/).

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag reads each Shopify order, matches it to the ad set that brought the visit, and shows Meta's own purchase count beside it, so you see both numbers in one table. More: https://sporetag.com/platforms/meta

---

# GA4 not tracking conversions: a checklist that finds the cause

> Key events missing in GA4? Work through ten checks in order, from the event never firing to consent, filters, processing delays and Google Ads imports.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/ga4-not-tracking-conversions
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

When GA4 shows zero conversions, or far fewer than you expect, the cause is almost always in one of three places: the event never reaches GA4, it arrives but is not marked as a [key event](https://sporetag.com/glossary/key-event), or it is counted but you are looking in the wrong report or too soon. Work through the checks below in order. Each one rules out a layer.

In 2024 Google renamed GA4 "conversions" to "key events". The word "conversion" now means an action used to measure ads, such as one imported into Google Ads ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/13965727)). If a guide tells you to find **Conversions** in the GA4 admin, look for **Key events**.

## 1. Does the event fire at all?

Open **Admin**, **DebugView**, and turn on debug mode for your own browser: install Google's Tag Assistant, or use **Preview** in Google Tag Manager. Then do the action yourself: send the form, finish a test purchase.

- **The event appears in DebugView.** Good. Move to check 3.
- **Nothing appears.** The tag or trigger is the problem. Go to check 2.

**Realtime** works too, but DebugView shows each event with its parameters, which you will need for later checks.

## 2. Why the event does not fire

- **The trigger never matches.** A Tag Manager trigger on "Page path equals /thank-you" misses `/thank-you/` and `/thank-you?order=1042`. Use "contains" or a regular expression, and check what the URL really is after a form sends.
- **The form does not load a new page.** Many form tools show a success message in place. A pageview trigger never fires. Use the form tool's own callback, a form submission trigger, or the tool's built-in GA4 integration.
- **The form is in an iframe.** Embedded booking and form widgets (Calendly, Typeform, HubSpot and others) run on another domain. Your page's tag cannot see inside the frame. Use the vendor's GA4 integration or its message events.
- **The checkout runs on another domain.** Shopify's checkout does not run theme code, and Shopify's order status page stopped running script tags in August 2026 ([Shopify](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/online-store/script-tag-deprecation/order-status)). Use Shopify's Google channel app or a web pixel under **Settings**, **Customer events**.
- **The tag is blocked until consent.** If your banner holds the GA4 tag until the visitor accepts, declined visits never send anything. Test with consent accepted.
- **The tag is not published.** Changes in Tag Manager do nothing until you click **Submit** and publish the container. The free [tag checker](https://sporetag.com/tools/tag-checker) shows which analytics and ad tags your live home page actually loads, with their ids.

## 3. Is the event name exactly right?

GA4 event names are case sensitive: `generate_lead` and `Generate_Lead` are two different events ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/13316687)). A key event marked as `purchase` will never count `Purchase`. Compare the name in DebugView, letter by letter, with the name in **Admin**, **Events**.

## 4. Is it marked as a key event?

In **Admin**, **Data display**, **Events**, find the event and turn on **Mark as key event**. If the event has not arrived yet, create the key event by name under **Key events**, **New key event**.

Marking an event only counts it from that moment on. GA4 does not go back and count past events as key events. If you marked it today, expect zero for every day before today.

## 5. Have you waited long enough?

Standard GA4 properties typically take 12 hours to process a day's data, and Google says daily data is ready in reports around mid-afternoon the next day in the property's time zone ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/11198161)). Attribution credit for key events can still change for up to 12 days after the event. Realtime and DebugView are the only places to see today's events today.

## 6. Are you reading the right report?

- **Traffic acquisition** splits key events by the session's source. **User acquisition** splits them by the source that first brought the user. The same key event shows under different channels in each.
- A comparison or segment left on from an earlier visit can hide everything. Clear filters in the report's top bar.
- In Explore, a date range that ends today shows partial data for today.

## 7. Is data being filtered out?

Check **Admin**, **Data collection and modification**, **Data filters**. An internal traffic filter set to **Active** drops every event from matching IP addresses, including your own test purchases. A developer traffic filter drops events sent in debug mode. That is why test events can appear in DebugView and still never reach reports.

## 8. Is data thresholding hiding small numbers?

When Google signals or user-provided data is on, GA4 can withhold rows with small counts from reports to protect identity. A key event with a handful of hits can show as missing. Look for a warning icon in the report header. Switching the reporting identity to device-based, under **Admin**, **Reporting identity**, can bring the rows back, because thresholds are tied to Google signals and user-provided data.

## 9. Is consent mode reducing the count?

With consent mode, visitors who decline analytics cookies send cookieless pings or nothing. GA4 can model the missing behavior, but only for properties that collect at least 1,000 events a day with analytics storage denied for at least 7 days, and have at least 1,000 daily users who granted consent on at least 7 of the previous 28 days ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/11161109)). A smaller site gets no modeling, so declined visits are simply not counted.

## 10. Missing in Google Ads, not GA4?

- The GA4 property and the Google Ads account must be linked, and the key event imported in Google Ads under **Goals**, **Conversions**, **Summary**, **New conversion action**, **Import**, **Google Analytics 4 properties**.
- Imported GA4 conversions can take up to a day or more to appear, and Google Ads puts them on the date of the ad click, not the date of the conversion ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/9549009)).
- Auto-tagging must be on in Google Ads, so the `gclid` reaches your site. A redirect that drops query strings breaks it. Check that a test click lands with `gclid=` still in the address bar.

## A five-minute test you can repeat

1. Open your site in a private window with consent accepted, from a link with `?utm_source=test&utm_medium=test&utm_campaign=ga4_check`.
2. Complete the action.
3. Confirm the event in DebugView or Realtime within a minute, with source `test`.
4. The next afternoon, confirm the key event in **Traffic acquisition** under source `test`.

If step 3 passes and step 4 fails, the problem is a filter, thresholding or the key event setting. If step 3 fails, it is the tag.

## Common questions

### Why does GA4 show the event but zero key events?

The event is not marked as a key event, the name differs in case, or it was marked after the events you are looking at. Marking only counts new events.

### How long does GA4 take to show key events?

Realtime and DebugView show them within seconds. Standard reports typically have the full previous day by the next afternoon, and attribution credit can still change for up to 12 days.

### Why are my GA4 conversions lower than Shopify orders?

Some buyers block the tag or decline consent, Shopify's checkout pages do not run theme scripts, and GA4 credits sales by its own rules. See [why analytics numbers never match](https://sporetag.com/guides/why-analytics-numbers-dont-match).

### Why does Google Ads show different conversions than GA4?

Google Ads puts conversions on the click date and counts only paths with a Google Ads click, while GA4 reports by event date across every channel with its own attribution model.

## Sources

- Google Analytics Help: [Conversions vs key events](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/13965727), [Event naming rules](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/13316687), [Data freshness](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/11198161), [Consent mode behavioral modeling](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/11161109). Checked October 2026.
- Google Ads Help: [Conversions by time](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/9549009). Checked October 2026.
- Shopify: [Order status script tags](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/online-store/script-tag-deprecation/order-status). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

In Sporetag a goal is a one-tap template (someone buys, fills in a form, books or calls) that counts from the moment you save it, and the Goals tab shows each goal's latest hit. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/custom-events-and-goals

---

# Direct traffic: what (direct) / (none) really means

> Direct traffic is every visit that arrived with no referrer and no tag. Where it really comes from, why it grows, and five ways to shrink it.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/direct-traffic-explained
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

"Direct" sounds like people typing your address. Some of it is. Most of it is not. In analytics, direct traffic is a leftover: every visit where the tool found no [referrer](https://sporetag.com/glossary/referrer), no UTM tag and no other clue about where the visitor came from.

In GA4 that leftover is source `(direct)` and medium `(none)` ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9756891)). In Sporetag and most privacy-friendly tools it is "Direct / None". The label is the same idea: we do not know.

## Where direct traffic really comes from

- **Typed addresses and bookmarks.** The real direct visits. Usually returning customers and people who heard your name somewhere you cannot track, such as a podcast or a conversation.
- **Apps.** A link tapped in an email app, a chat app, a desktop app or a PDF often opens the browser with no referrer at all. An email newsletter without UTM tags mostly shows up as direct.
- **In-app browsers.** Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and other apps open links in their own browser. Depending on the app and version, the visit may arrive with no referrer.
- **HTTPS to HTTP.** Browsers send no referrer from a secure page to an insecure one under the default referrer policy ([MDN](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Reference/Headers/Referrer-Policy)). If your site still loads over plain HTTP anywhere, links from secure sites lose their source.
- **A strict referrer policy on the linking site.** A site can choose `no-referrer` for every outgoing link. Some webmail and privacy-focused sites do.
- **Lost tags.** A redirect that drops the query string removes your UTM tags and click ids on the way. So do some link shorteners and some "clean URL" settings.
- **Bots** that request pages with no referrer, when a tool does not filter them.

## What the referrer actually carries

Under the default policy, `strict-origin-when-cross-origin`, a link from one site to another sends only the origin, such as `https://news.example.com/`, not the full page address ([MDN](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Reference/Headers/Referrer-Policy)). So even when the referrer arrives, you know the site, not the article or the post. That is why a link you control should carry [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters): they name the exact campaign and placement, and they survive where the referrer does not.

## Why direct grows over time

- More traffic arrives through apps, where referrers are least reliable.
- Browsers trim more. Safari strips known click ids from links opened from Mail, Messages and Private Browsing ([Apple](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/06/apple-announces-powerful-new-privacy-and-security-features/)).
- Brand grows. More people know your name and type it.

A rise in direct is not bad by itself. A sudden jump on one day usually is a tracking change: a redirect, a site migration, a new consent setup, or a campaign sent without tags.

## How attribution tools treat direct

Most models refuse to give direct the credit when they know of anything else. GA4's models exclude direct visits from receiving credit unless every visit on the path was direct ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10596866)). Shopify's default model is "last non-direct click" for the same reason ([Shopify](https://www.shopify.com/blog/marketing-insights)). A buyer who clicked an ad last week and typed your address today counts for the ad, if the tool still remembers the ad click.

That memory is the weak point. In a cookieless tool, the next day's visit is a new visitor, so it shows as direct. In a tool with a first-party id, Safari's 7-day cap on cookies set by script can end that memory early ([WebKit](https://webkit.org/blog/8613/intelligent-tracking-prevention-2-1/)).

## Five ways to shrink direct traffic

1. **Tag every link you control.** Email, [SMS](https://sporetag.com/guides/track-sms-link-clicks), social bios, QR codes, partner links, podcast show notes. Any link without UTM tags that leaves an app becomes direct.
2. **Use short links for anything people type or scan.** A [short link](https://sporetag.com/glossary/short-link) counts the click itself, then forwards with the tags, so a podcast mention or a printed code has a source even if the visit loses its referrer.
3. **Fix redirects.** Test your main landing pages with `?utm_source=test` and confirm the tag is still there after every redirect, including `http` to `https` and `www` to the bare domain.
4. **Serve every page over HTTPS** and keep a referrer policy no stricter than the default.
5. **Read the in-app browser.** Some tools, Sporetag among them, name the source from the in-app browser or the Android app that opened the link when no referrer arrives. Check whether yours does before you assume direct means typed.

## What not to do

- **Do not tag your own internal links.** A UTM tag on a link from your blog to your pricing page replaces the real source of that visit with your own tag.
- **Do not treat direct as "brand".** It is a mix of brand, untagged campaigns and lost sources. Compare it with branded search to see how much is brand.
- **Do not chase zero.** Some visits will always arrive without a clue. The goal is a direct share that is stable and explained.

## Common questions

### What is direct / none in GA4?

It is GA4's label for a session with no referrer, no campaign tags and no auto-tagging click id. Source is `(direct)` and medium is `(none)`.

### Is direct traffic good or bad?

Neither. It includes loyal customers typing your address, which is good, and campaigns that lost their tags, which is a tracking problem. Read the landing pages: direct visits landing deep on a campaign page are usually lost tags.

### Why did direct traffic suddenly go up?

Look for a change on that day: a site migration, a new redirect, a consent banner, an email sent without tags, or a spike of bots. A gradual rise is normal. A step change is almost always technical.

### Does email traffic show as direct?

Often, yes. Desktop and mobile email apps frequently send no referrer. Tag every email link with `utm_source` and `utm_medium=email`.

## Sources

- Google Analytics Help: [Default channel group](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9756891), [Get started with attribution](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10596866). Checked October 2026.
- MDN: [Referrer-Policy](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Reference/Headers/Referrer-Policy). Checked October 2026.
- Shopify: [Marketing insights](https://www.shopify.com/blog/marketing-insights). Apple: [Link Tracking Protection](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/06/apple-announces-powerful-new-privacy-and-security-features/). WebKit: [ITP 2.1](https://webkit.org/blog/8613/intelligent-tracking-prevention-2-1/).

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag recovers part of what other tools call direct by reading the app a visit came from: Android app referrers, in-app browsers such as Instagram and TikTok, and the platform behind an ad click id. More: https://sporetag.com/how-it-works

---

# GA4 "(not set)": every cause and how to fix it

> Why GA4 shows (not set) for landing page, source, medium and campaign, how to tell which cause you have, and the fix for each one.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/ga4-not-set
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

"(not set)" is not a source, a page or a campaign. It is the placeholder GA4 writes when it received no value for a dimension ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/13504892)). So the question is never "what is (not set)?" but "why did this value never arrive?" The answer depends on which dimension you are looking at.

This guide goes dimension by dimension, with a test for each cause. It sits next to [why analytics numbers never match](https://sporetag.com/guides/why-analytics-numbers-dont-match): (not set) is one of the ways GA4 parts ways with your other tools.

## First, find out which (not set) you have

Open the report where you saw it and note the dimension. The causes barely overlap:

| Where you see (not set) | What is missing | Most common cause |
|---|---|---|
| Landing page | A `page_view` in the session | The session started on an event, not a pageview |
| Session source / medium | The `session_start` event | Tag order, or consent mode set up wrong |
| Session campaign | Campaign information | A tag missing `utm_campaign`, or untagged traffic |
| Google Ads reports (campaign, keyword) | A link from the click to the account | Ads not linked, or auto-tagging off |
| A custom dimension | The parameter on that event | Registered less than 24 hours ago, or never sent |

Two lookalikes are different problems. **(other)** is GA4 folding rare values into one row when a table passes its row limit ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/13331684)). **(data not available)** is a related placeholder that you usually cannot reduce ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/13504892)).

## Landing page: (not set)

GA4 shows (not set) as the [landing page](https://sporetag.com/glossary/landing-page) when a session has no `page_view` event ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/13504892)). The landing page is read from the first pageview, so a session without one has nothing to show.

How a session ends up with no pageview:

- **A tab left open past the timeout.** A GA4 [session](https://sporetag.com/glossary/session) ends after 30 minutes without activity by default ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9191807)). When the visitor comes back to the open tab and scrolls or clicks, that event starts a new session. No page loaded, so no `page_view`.
- **Events fired before the pageview.** A Tag Manager event tag that fires before the Google tag sends its config sends an event with no session context. Google's advice is to initialize the Google tag before any event ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/14847402)).
- **Pageviews turned off.** Some single-page app setups disable the automatic `page_view` and send their own, and one route never sends it.
- **Server events.** Events sent with the Measurement Protocol create activity on the server, where no page was viewed.

**Fix:** in Tag Manager, fire the Google tag on **Initialization - All Pages** and every event tag after it ([Google](https://support.google.com/tagmanager/answer/7679319)). Then check single-page app routes in DebugView: each route change should send one `page_view`. A small share of (not set) from returning tabs is normal and cannot be removed.

## Session source / medium: (not set)

Session source and medium read (not set) when the session has no `session_start` event ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/13504892)). Those sessions also fall into **Unassigned** in the default channel group, because no channel rule matches them. The causes Google names:

1. **The Google tag fires too late.** In Tag Manager, the Google tag should use the **Initialization - All Pages** trigger, not a later one.
2. **Consent mode set up with the wrong command.** Using `default` to record the visitor's answer, instead of `update`, means the event that carries `session_start` is lost.
3. **Denied events after a yes.** Sending more events with denied consent after the visitor agreed makes GA4 treat them as a separate session with no `session_start`.

Google also notes a quirk of Google Search: sessions that carry the `srsltid` parameter but no google.com referrer can show (not set). That happens when people share a modified link, and those sessions are not counted as organic ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/13504892)).

**Fix:** move the Google tag to the Initialization trigger, then review your consent banner's integration with [consent mode](https://sporetag.com/glossary/consent-mode). The banner should call `gtag('consent', 'default', ...)` once, before the Google tag loads, and `gtag('consent', 'update', ...)` when the visitor answers.

## Session campaign: (not set)

Campaign is (not set) for every visit that carried no campaign. Organic, referral and direct visits have no campaign by nature, so a large (not set) row here is expected.

It becomes a problem when paid traffic lands in it:

- **Tags missing a value.** A link with `utm_source` and `utm_medium` but no `utm_campaign` arrives with a source and no campaign. Google lists incomplete or incorrect UTM tags as a cause ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/13504892)).
- **Tags stripped by a redirect.** A redirect that drops the query string removes the [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters) and the click id, and the visit loses its campaign and often its source too.

**Fix:** use all three required tags on every link you control, written the same way every time. Test landing pages with `?utm_source=test&utm_medium=test&utm_campaign=test` and confirm all three survive every redirect.

## Google Ads reports: (not set)

In GA4's Google Ads reports, (not set) means GA4 could not tie the session to a click in a linked account. Google lists the causes ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/13504892)):

- Google Ads and GA4 are not linked.
- Auto-tagging is off, so clicks arrive without a [gclid](https://sporetag.com/glossary/gclid).
- Another Google Ads account advertises your site and is not linked to this property. Its clicks carry a gclid that GA4 cannot map.
- Manual UTM tags that are incomplete or wrong.

**Fix:** link every Google Ads account that sends traffic, turn on auto-tagging in each, and check that the `gclid` reaches your landing page. If a site or plugin strips unknown query parameters, the gclid goes with them.

## Custom dimensions: (not set)

Two causes cover nearly every case ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/13504892)):

- **It is new.** For the first 24 hours after you register a custom parameter, its value can show as (not set).
- **The event does not carry it.** A custom dimension is per event. A report that mixes events, such as `page_view` with `session_start`, shows (not set) for the events that never had the parameter. Content groups do the same with automatically collected events, which do not accept `content_group`.

**Fix:** wait a day after registering. Then filter the report to the event that sends the parameter, and confirm the parameter in DebugView.

## A worked example

Example numbers, made up for illustration. A store sees 1,240 sessions in a week with landing page (not set), out of 18,600. Its steps:

1. **Break down by event name.** Most (not set) sessions start with `user_engagement` or `scroll`, not `page_view`. That points to sessions restarted in an open tab.
2. **Break down by device.** The share is far higher on desktop, where tabs stay open all day. That fits.
3. **Check Tag Manager.** The Google tag fires on **All Pages**, after two event tags on **Initialization**. Those event tags fire before the config.
4. **Fix and compare.** After moving the Google tag to **Initialization - All Pages**, the share falls the next week. The rest is returning tabs, which is expected.

## How to keep (not set) small

- Fire the Google tag first, on the Initialization trigger.
- Send consent defaults before the tag, and updates with `update`.
- Tag every link you control with `utm_source`, `utm_medium` and `utm_campaign`.
- Link every Google Ads account and keep auto-tagging on.
- After any site change, open a landing page with test tags and read DebugView.

Most of the same habits also shrink [direct traffic](https://sporetag.com/guides/direct-traffic-explained), since a lost tag shows up in one or the other.

## Common questions

### What does (not set) mean in GA4?

It is a placeholder for "no value received". GA4 shows it when a dimension had no data for that row: no pageview for the landing page, no `session_start` for the source, no campaign tag for the campaign.

### Is (not set) the same as direct traffic?

No. Direct is a source: GA4 received the session and found no referrer, tag or click id. (not set) means a value never arrived at all, often because of how the tag was set up.

### Why is my landing page (not set) in GA4?

The session had no `page_view` event. The usual cause is a visitor returning to an open tab after the 30-minute timeout, so a scroll or a click started the new session. Event tags firing before the Google tag cause it too.

### Why does Unassigned go up with (not set)?

A session with source and medium (not set) matches no channel rule, so it lands in Unassigned. Fix the source and Unassigned shrinks with it.

### Can I remove (not set) from old reports?

No. GA4 processes data as it arrives. Fixes apply from the day you make them.

## Sources

- Google Analytics Help: [What the value (not set) means in your reports](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/13504892), [Tagging best practices to avoid unassigned, (not set), and direct traffic issues](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/14847402), [About Analytics sessions](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9191807), [About the (other) row](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/13331684). Checked October 2026.
- Tag Manager Help: [Page view triggers](https://support.google.com/tagmanager/answer/7679319). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

In Sporetag a visit takes its source and landing page from its first pageview, a visitor who clicks on within 1.5 seconds keeps the page they landed on, and a visit with no source shows as Direct / None, never as a blank. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-health

---

# Bot traffic in analytics: how to spot it and filter it

> How GA4 and other tools filter bots, the patterns that give bots away in your reports, and what you can do about the bots that get through.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/bot-traffic-in-analytics
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

A share of every site's traffic is software: search crawlers, uptime monitors, link previews, price scrapers, AI agents and click fraud. Analytics tools try to keep it out, each with its own rules, so the same site shows different numbers in each tool. That is one of the reasons [analytics numbers never match](https://sporetag.com/guides/why-analytics-numbers-dont-match).

This guide explains how filtering works, how to find the [bot traffic](https://sporetag.com/glossary/bot-traffic) that got through, and what you can do about it.

## Kinds of bots, by how easy they are to catch

| Kind | Examples | How it identifies itself |
|---|---|---|
| Declared crawlers | Googlebot, Bingbot, AI crawlers | Names itself in the user agent |
| Link previews | Chat apps and social sites fetching a card | Usually names itself |
| Monitors and audits | Uptime checks (see [uptime monitoring for client sites](https://sporetag.com/guides/uptime-monitoring-for-agencies)), Lighthouse, SEO crawlers | Usually names itself |
| Headless browsers | Scrapers, test scripts | Often hides, but may report automation |
| Disguised bots | Click fraud, spam, some scrapers | Pretends to be a normal browser |

The first three are easy. Many of them never run JavaScript, so a script-based tool never sees them at all. The last two are the problem.

## How tools filter bots

**GA4** excludes known bots and spiders automatically, using Google's own research and the IAB/ABC International Spiders and Bots List. You cannot turn it off, and you cannot see how much it removed ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9888366), [IAB](https://www.iab.com/guidelines/iab-abc-international-spiders-bots-list/)). GA4 has no setting for your own bot rules beyond internal and developer traffic filters.

**CDNs** such as Cloudflare keep a list of verified bots: bots that say who they are in a way that can be checked, such as a published IP list or a cryptographic signature ([Cloudflare](https://developers.cloudflare.com/bots/concepts/bot/verified-bots/)). Some plans also give each request a bot score from 1 to 99, where 1 means almost certainly automated ([Cloudflare](https://developers.cloudflare.com/bots/concepts/bot-score/)).

**Script timing** catches more. A tool that waits until the page has been visible for a moment before counting misses bots that load a page and leave, and tabs that open in the background and close unseen.

No method catches everything. A bot that runs a real browser from a home network, waits, and scrolls looks like a person to every tool.

## The signs of bots in your reports

Look for traffic that no group of real people would make:

- **A spike from one city or one network** with no campaign behind it.
- **One page, zero seconds.** Hundreds of visits to one page, with a bounce rate near 100% and no time on the page.
- **A flat line through the night.** People sleep; schedulers do not.
- **Odd screen sizes or old browsers** in large numbers, such as one exact resolution, or a browser version years out of date.
- **Visits from cloud networks** such as AWS, Google Cloud or DigitalOcean. Real people do browse through VPNs hosted there, so this is a clue, not proof.
- **Referrers you never heard of,** especially ones promoting SEO services. That is referral spam.
- **Form spam or fake signups** in the same hours as a traffic spike.

### Ghost spam is mostly gone

In older Universal Analytics properties, spammers sent fake hits straight to Google with your tracking id, without visiting your site. GA4's Measurement Protocol requires an API secret that only your property has ([Google](https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/protocol/ga4/reference)), which ended most of that. Spam that shows up today usually came through your real pages.

## A worked example

Example numbers, made up for illustration. A shop's visits jump from about 900 a day to 2,600 on a Tuesday. Steps to find the cause:

1. **Break down by page.** 1,650 of the extra visits land on `/products/brass-lamp`. No campaign links there.
2. **Break down by country and city.** All of them come from one city where the shop has never sold.
3. **Look at engagement.** Bounce rate 99%, and no time on the page.
4. **Check the hour.** The visits arrive at an even rate from 01:00 to 05:00 local time.

That is a scraper checking a product page, probably a price monitor. The fix is at the server or CDN, not in analytics: block or challenge that traffic. For reports, compare the week with that city excluded, and note the spike in the client report so nobody reads it as demand.

## What you can do

1. **Block at the edge.** Your CDN or host sees every request, not just the ones that run your script. Bot rules there stop scrapers from costing you bandwidth too.
2. **Exclude in reports, not in raw data.** Keep the raw numbers and build a comparison or segment that leaves out the bad city, network or referrer. You can undo a segment; you cannot undo deleted data.
3. **Protect forms.** A challenge such as Cloudflare Turnstile or reCAPTCHA stops fake signups that would otherwise count as conversions.
4. **Watch your ad clicks.** Google filters invalid clicks, including automated traffic, and does not charge for them ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/42995)). If ad clicks spike without visits or sales, ask the platform for a review.
5. **Judge by outcomes.** Bots rarely buy. A source with visits and no sales, ever, deserves a closer look.

## How Sporetag filters bots

Sporetag's rules are in its code and its help article on [bot filtering](https://sporetag.com/docs/bot-filtering):

- **Never recorded:** a user agent that names a crawler, a link preview, a monitor, a headless browser or an HTTP library; an empty user agent or a bare `Mozilla/5.0`; and verified bots.
- **Never sent:** the script does not run in browsers that report `navigator.webdriver`, which most automation tools set.
- **Counted only when seen:** a pageview goes out after the tab has been visible for 1.5 seconds, or half a second if the visitor leaves sooner.
- **Marked and left out of the numbers:** a user agent that names no browser and no operating system, and a low bot score when the network provides one.
- **Marked and still counted:** visits from cloud and hosting networks, because people on VPNs browse from them too.

Short links follow the same user agent rules. A browser prefetching a link, or a `HEAD` request checking it, is not counted as a click.

## Common questions

### How do I know if my website traffic is bots?

Look for patterns people do not make: a spike on one page from one city, near 100% bounce with no time on the page, an even rate through the night, or many visits from cloud networks. Bots rarely buy, so a source with traffic and no sales is a clue.

### Does GA4 filter bot traffic?

Yes, known bots and spiders are excluded automatically, using Google's research and the IAB/ABC list. You cannot turn it off or see how much was removed, and it does not catch bots that pass as normal browsers.

### Why does one tool show more visitors than another?

Each tool filters bots with its own rules, and script-based tools miss bots that do not run JavaScript. A tool that counts server requests sees far more bots than one that counts pageviews from a script.

### Can I remove bot traffic from past reports?

Most tools do not delete it, but you can exclude it in a segment or comparison. Filter by the city, network, page or referrer that gives the bots away.

### Is referral spam harmful?

It does not harm your site, but it pollutes reports and invites you to visit the spammer's site. Do not visit it. Exclude it in your reports.

## Sources

- Google Analytics Help: [Known bot-traffic exclusion](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9888366). Google for Developers: [Measurement Protocol reference](https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/protocol/ga4/reference). Checked October 2026.
- IAB: [IAB/ABC International Spiders and Bots List](https://www.iab.com/guidelines/iab-abc-international-spiders-bots-list/). Checked October 2026.
- Cloudflare: [Verified bots](https://developers.cloudflare.com/bots/concepts/bot/verified-bots/), [Bot scores](https://developers.cloudflare.com/bots/concepts/bot-score/). Checked October 2026.
- Google Ads Help: [Invalid clicks](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/42995). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag drops known bots, automated browsers and link prefetches before they are counted, marks visits from cloud networks without dropping them, and counts a pageview only after the tab has been visible. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/bot-filtering

---

# Cross-domain tracking: checkouts, booking tools and iframes

> Why a visitor who moves to a checkout, a booking tool or an embedded form loses their source, and how to keep the credit with the ad that brought them.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/cross-domain-tracking
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

A visitor clicks your ad, lands on your site, then pays on `checkout.stripe.com`, books on `calendly.com`, or fills in a form that lives inside an iframe from another company. At that moment the journey crosses a domain line. Browsers keep cookies and storage per site, so on the other side the visitor is a stranger, and on the way back your analytics may think they arrived from the checkout.

This guide covers the three cases that break attribution most often, and the fix for each. It is one of the causes behind [analytics numbers that never match](https://sporetag.com/guides/why-analytics-numbers-dont-match).

## What breaks, exactly

Two separate things go wrong:

1. **Identity.** A first-party cookie set on `yourshop.com` is not readable on `book.example.net`. A tool running on both sides sees two visitors.
2. **Source.** When the buyer returns from the payment page, the [referrer](https://sporetag.com/glossary/referrer) is the payment page. Without a rule, the return trip starts a new visit "from paypal.com", and the ad that brought the buyer loses the sale.

Subdomains are different from separate domains. A cookie set for `yourshop.com` can be shared by `www.yourshop.com` and `shop.yourshop.com`. Two different domains, such as `yourshop.com` and `yourshop-store.com`, can never share one.

## Case 1: hosted checkouts and payment pages

Stripe Checkout, PayPal, Klarna and similar services take the buyer to their own domain and send them back to your thank-you page.

**Fix the source.** Tell your analytics the payment domain is part of the journey, not a referral. GA4 calls this the unwanted referrals list: matching domains get `ignore_referrer=true` on their events, so the session keeps its original source. Google names third-party payment processors as the main use ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10327750)).

**Fix the sale.** The thank-you page can fail: buyers close the tab before it loads, and some payment methods confirm later. Count the sale from the server too, with a shared order id so it is counted once.

With Stripe specifically:

- Put `{CHECKOUT_SESSION_ID}` in your success URL. Stripe replaces it with the real session id after payment, so your thank-you page knows which order it is ([Stripe](https://docs.stripe.com/payments/checkout/custom-success-page)). Use that id as the event id in the browser and on the server.
- Stripe recommends fulfilling from the `checkout.session.completed` webhook, not the redirect alone, because a buyer can pay and lose connection before the page loads ([Stripe](https://docs.stripe.com/payments/checkout/custom-success-page)).
- Payment Links can redirect to your own page too, and UTM tags on the payment link are added to the redirect address ([Stripe](https://docs.stripe.com/payment-links/post-payment)).

## Case 2: two domains you own

A brand site on one domain and a shop or app on another is common. Here you want one visitor across both.

GA4 does this with cross-domain measurement: you list the domains in the data stream, and GA4 adds a `_gl` parameter to links between them, which carries the visitor's id across ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10071811)). It only works when people move by clicking a link. Someone who types the second address starts fresh. A redirect that drops the query string drops `_gl` with it.

The simplest fix is structural: put the second property on a subdomain of the first, such as `shop.yourbrand.com`, and the problem goes away for any tool that sets its cookie on the parent domain.

## Case 3: iframes and embedded tools

Booking widgets, form builders and some checkouts are embedded in your page as an iframe from another domain. Code inside that iframe runs in a third-party context:

- Safari blocks third-party cookies by default, and has since 2020 ([WebKit](https://webkit.org/blog/10218/full-third-party-cookie-blocking-and-more/)).
- Firefox gives third-party cookies a separate jar per site by default, with Total Cookie Protection ([MDN](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Privacy/Guides/Third-party_cookies)).
- Chrome does not block them by default, so a setup that works in Chrome can fail in Safari and Firefox ([MDN](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Privacy/Guides/Third-party_cookies)).

So do not track inside the iframe. Track on your own page, where your analytics already knows the visitor. Many embedded tools tell the parent page what happened through `postMessage`. Calendly's embed, for example, posts events such as `calendly.event_scheduled` to the parent window ([Calendly](https://developer.calendly.com/api-docs/overview/embedding/notifying-the-parent-window)). Listen for that event, check its origin, and count the conversion on your page.

If the tool sends no events, count what happens after: a redirect to your own thank-you page, or a webhook from the tool to your server.

## A worked example

Example numbers, made up for illustration. A course creator sells through Stripe Checkout and finds that `checkout.stripe.com` is her third biggest source of sales, with 31 of 140 sales in a month.

1. **The cause.** Buyers return from Stripe to `/thanks`, and the referrer is Stripe. Those visits start fresh.
2. **Fix the source.** She adds `checkout.stripe.com` to the payment hosts her analytics treats as her own site.
3. **Fix the sale.** Her success URL becomes `/thanks?session_id={CHECKOUT_SESSION_ID}`, and the thank-you page sends the purchase with the session id as its event id. Her server sends the same id from the webhook.
4. **The result.** Stripe drops out of the sources. The 31 sales move back to the ads and emails that brought those buyers, and none is counted twice.

## Common mistakes

1. **Adding your own domain to the referral list as a fix for everything.** It hides the symptom; find the page that loses the tag.
2. **Tracking inside an iframe** and trusting the numbers from Chrome only.
3. **Relying on the thank-you page alone** for sales.
4. **Different event ids** in the browser and on the server, so the same order counts twice.
5. **A redirect that drops parameters** between your domains.

## How Sporetag handles it

- **Payment pages.** Sporetag knows common payment hosts such as PayPal, Stripe, Shopify checkout, Klarna and Square. Its tracking health check spots a payment page or your own domain starting visits, and **Count them as my site** fixes it in one tap. The visit carries on and the credit stays with the source that brought the buyer.
- **Subdomains.** A site counts visits from its domain and every subdomain. In [90-day tracking](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes), the first-party id is set on the parent domain, so `shop.` and `www.` share it.
- **Stripe Checkout.** Copy the `_st_id` cookie into the Checkout Session's `metadata.st_id`, and the [Stripe connector](https://sporetag.com/docs/stripe-connector) ties each sale to the visits before it. The connector uses the session id as the event id, so a browser event with the same id counts once.
- **Embedded Calendly.** With the "Someone books or calls" goal on, a booking made inside an embedded Calendly widget counts. See [how to track Calendly bookings](https://sporetag.com/track/calendly).
- **Two separate domains.** Sporetag has no link decorator between different domains today. Each domain is its own site, and a person moving between them is two visitors.

## Common questions

### What is cross-domain tracking?

Keeping one visitor and one source as someone moves between two domains, such as your site and a checkout or booking tool. Without it, the second domain sees a new visitor, and the return trip can look like a referral.

### Why is PayPal or Stripe showing as a referral source?

Buyers come back from the payment page to your thank-you page, so the referrer is the payment page. List those domains as part of your site in your analytics, so the visit keeps its original source.

### Do I need cross-domain tracking for subdomains?

Usually not. A tool that sets its cookie on the parent domain shares it across subdomains. You need it for different domains.

### Can I track conversions inside an iframe?

Not reliably. Safari and Firefox block or partition the cookies an iframe from another domain needs. Count the conversion on your own page, from an event the embedded tool posts, or from a redirect or webhook.

### Does cross-domain tracking work if people type the address?

No. Methods like GA4's `_gl` parameter travel in the link. A typed address or a bookmark starts fresh.

## Sources

- Google Analytics Help: [Identify unwanted referrals](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10327750), [Set up cross-domain measurement](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10071811). Checked October 2026.
- Stripe Documentation: [Customize redirect behavior](https://docs.stripe.com/payments/checkout/custom-success-page), [After a payment link payment](https://docs.stripe.com/payment-links/post-payment). Checked October 2026.
- WebKit: [Full third-party cookie blocking and more](https://webkit.org/blog/10218/full-third-party-cookie-blocking-and-more/) (March 2020). MDN: [Third-party cookies](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Privacy/Guides/Third-party_cookies). Checked October 2026.
- Calendly Developer: [Embed parent window events](https://developer.calendly.com/api-docs/overview/embedding/notifying-the-parent-window). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag treats PayPal, Stripe and other payment pages as part of your site in one tap, counts bookings made inside an embedded Calendly widget, and ties Stripe Checkout sales to the visit through the visitor id in the session's metadata. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-health

---

# Leaving GA4 without losing your history

> What you can take out of Google Analytics 4, what you cannot, the Data API limits, and why imported days never match a new tool's own numbers.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/import-ga4-history
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

You can take GA4's aggregated history with you: daily users, sessions, pages, sources, countries, devices and key events, through report downloads or the Google Analytics Data API. What you cannot take is event-level detail older than 2 or 14 months, or revenue attribution and visitor journeys, which only exist in the tool that measured them.

This guide covers the three ways out, the API's quotas, why imported days never line up exactly with a new tool's own, and five rules for an honest import.

## Export before you need to

Google has already shown what happens to old data. Universal Analytics stopped processing hits on July 1, 2023, and from the week of July 1, 2024, its historical data and API were gone ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/11583528)). Anyone who had not exported lost it.

GA4 is not being retired. But a property can be deleted, an account can lose its last admin, and a client can leave an agency with the login. Export the history while you have access.

## What GA4 keeps, and for how long

GA4 keeps two kinds of data with different lives ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/7667196)):

- **Aggregated reports** (the standard reports, with their primary and secondary dimensions) are not cut by the retention setting.
- **Event-level data,** used by explorations and funnel reports, is kept for 2 or 14 months on standard properties, and longer only on GA4 360.

So the daily totals and top lists most people want are still there years later. A funnel from two years ago usually is not.

## The three ways out

| Way | What you get | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Download a report | A CSV or Sheet of the table on screen | One-off totals; slow for years of daily rows |
| The Data API | Any report, by day, by the dimension you ask for | Daily history with sources, pages, countries and devices |
| BigQuery export | Raw event rows in your own BigQuery project | Analysts who want event-level data and SQL |

For moving to another tool, the Data API is the practical route: it reads the same aggregated data as the standard reports, day by day.

## The Data API's limits

A standard property gets a quota of tokens: 200,000 a day and 40,000 an hour, with 10 requests at once, and 120 requests an hour that may be thresholded ([Google](https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/reporting/data/v1/quotas)). A report over a month of data with a breakdown can cost tens to hundreds of tokens. Two years of history with several breakdowns fits comfortably in a day, if the importer stops before the quota runs out and resumes later instead of failing.

## What will not line up, and why

Imported days and new days measure different things under the same names. Expect a visible step on the day you switch, and know where it comes from:

- **Users are not visitors.** A GA4 user is a browser cookie or app instance. A cookieless tool counts visitors another way, often per day. See [sessions, users and pageviews](https://sporetag.com/guides/sessions-users-pageviews).
- **Sessions follow GA4's rules.** A GA4 session ends after 30 minutes of inactivity by default (the [session timeout](https://sporetag.com/glossary/session-timeout)), and a new tool may cut visits differently.
- **Bounce rate was redefined.** In GA4 a bounce is a session that was not engaged: under 10 seconds, one page and no key event. Other tools use other rules. See [bounce rate in GA4](https://sporetag.com/guides/bounce-rate-ga4).
- **Time is engagement time.** GA4 measures how long the page was in front, which is not how Universal Analytics or many other tools measured it. See [session duration and time on page](https://sporetag.com/guides/session-duration-time-on-page).
- **Consent and blockers.** GA4 with a consent banner misses people who decline, and ad blockers stop many GA4 tags. A cookieless tool that runs without consent often shows more visits from day one. Neither is wrong; they saw different people.
- **Small numbers can be hidden.** GA4 may apply [data thresholds](https://sporetag.com/glossary/data-thresholds), leaving out rows with few users when signals like demographics are on ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9383630)), and may [sample](https://sporetag.com/glossary/sampling) large reports.
- **Time zones.** GA4 days follow the property's time zone. If the new tool uses another, days near midnight shift.

## Rules for an honest import

1. **Never count a day twice.** Import only the days before the new tool started. From the switch onward, only the new tool's own numbers should count.
2. **Mark the seam.** The chart should show where imported days end, so nobody reads the step as a change in the business.
3. **Keep goals by name.** GA4 key events can map to goals with the same event name, so last year's "purchase" lines up with this year's.
4. **Do not import what was never measured.** Revenue attribution and visitor journeys need the new tool's own data; a daily total cannot recreate them.
5. **Give the access back.** An import needs read access once. Revoke it when it ends.

## Where Sporetag fits

From Sporetag's import code and help: the GA4 import is built and waits on Google's review of its read-only login (when shipped). When on, it reads totals, pages, landing pages, sources, UTM source, medium and campaign, countries, devices and key events, by day, newest first, and stops and resumes around the property's hourly and daily quota. Only days before Sporetag's first tracked day come in; the chart marks the switch, and a new import replaces the old one. The Google login is revoked when the import ends. Plausible and Fathom exports import from their CSV files today.

## Common questions

### Can I export all my historical data from GA4?

You can export aggregated history, such as daily users, sessions, pages and sources, through report downloads or the Data API. Event-level data for explorations is kept only for 2 or 14 months on standard properties.

### Does GA4's data retention setting delete my reports?

No. It affects explorations and funnel reports. Standard aggregated reports are not cut by it.

### Why are my numbers different after switching from GA4?

The tools count users, sessions and bounces with different rules, GA4 misses people who decline consent or block it, and GA4 may hold back small numbers. Expect a step on the switch day.

### Is Universal Analytics data still available?

No. Google removed access to Universal Analytics data and its API starting the week of July 1, 2024.

## Sources

- Google Analytics Help: [Google Analytics 4 has replaced Universal Analytics](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/11583528), [Data retention](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/7667196), [About data thresholds](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9383630), [BigQuery Export](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9358801). Checked October 2026.
- Google for Developers: [Data API limits and quotas](https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/reporting/data/v1/quotas). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag imports daily history from Plausible and Fathom files today, and from GA4 with a read-only Google login that ends when the import does (when shipped). More: https://sporetag.com/docs/import-history

---

# Unassigned traffic in GA4: causes and fixes

> GA4 labels a session Unassigned when its source and medium match no channel rule. The rules, the tag values that fall through, and how to fix a spike.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/ga4-unassigned-traffic
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

GA4 puts a session in the Unassigned channel when its source, medium and campaign match none of the rules in the default channel group; Google defines Unassigned as "the value Analytics uses when there are no other channel rules that match the event data" ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9756891)). Most Unassigned traffic comes from UTM values GA4 does not recognize, such as `utm_medium=newsletter` or `utm_medium=qr`, and the fix is to change the tags or add a custom channel group.

The rest comes from events that reach GA4 without a session's source attached. This guide shows how to tell which you have, and how to fix each.

## How GA4 assigns a channel

GA4 reads each session's source, medium and campaign and walks down its channel rules. The first match wins. The rules that catch most manual tags ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9756891)):

| Channel | Matches when |
|---|---|
| Direct | Source is `(direct)` and medium is `(not set)` or `(none)` |
| Email | Source or medium matches `email`, `e-mail`, `e_mail` or `e mail` |
| Organic Social | Source is on Google's social list, or medium is `social`, `social-network`, `social-media`, `sm`, `social network` or `social media` |
| Paid Social | Source is on the social list and the medium is paid: it contains `cp` (as in `cpc`), starts with `paid`, or is `ppc` or `retargeting` |
| Paid Search | Source is on the search list and the medium is paid |
| Paid Other | The medium is paid and the source is on no list |
| Display | Medium is `display`, `banner`, `expandable`, `interstitial` or `cpm` |
| Referral | Medium is `referral`, `app` or `link` |
| SMS | Source or medium is exactly `sms` |
| Affiliates | Medium is `affiliate` |
| Audio | Medium is exactly `audio` |
| Mobile Push Notifications | Medium ends with `push`, or contains `mobile` or `notification`, or source is `firebase` |
| Organic Video | Source is on the video list, or medium contains `video` |
| Cross-network | Campaign name contains `cross-network` |

Anything that matches none of these is Unassigned. The source lists (search, social, video, shopping) are in a spreadsheet linked from the same Google page.

## Tag values that fall through

| Tags on the link | GA4 channel | Why |
|---|---|---|
| `utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter` | Unassigned | Neither value contains "email" |
| `utm_source=klaviyo&utm_medium=email` | Email | Medium matches |
| `utm_source=qr&utm_medium=qr` | Unassigned | No rule for `qr` |
| `utm_source=print&utm_medium=flyer` | Unassigned | No rule for print |
| `utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast` | Unassigned | Only `audio` matches |
| `utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio` | Audio | Medium matches |
| `utm_source=partner&utm_medium=cpc` | Paid Other | Paid medium, source on no list |
| `utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=paid-social` | Paid Social | Social source and a medium starting with "paid" |

The lesson: `utm_medium` decides the channel. Pick mediums from Google's list unless you have a reason not to. See [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters) for a full scheme.

## Find what is Unassigned

1. Open **Reports**, **Acquisition**, **Traffic acquisition**.
2. Change the primary dimension to **Session source / medium**.
3. Filter **Session default channel group** to exactly `Unassigned`.
4. Sort by sessions.

Each row names its cause:

- **A real source with an odd medium** (`mailchimp / newsletter`, `qr / qr`): a tagging fix.
- **`(not set) / (not set)`** or a blank source: the session had no source when the event arrived. See the next section and [GA4 (not set)](https://sporetag.com/guides/ga4-not-set).
- **A source you send from your server**, or your payment or booking domain: events sent without a session. See below.

## Events that arrive without a session

GA4 ties an event to a session's source through the session's id. Two common setups break that:

- **Measurement Protocol (server) events.** Events sent from your server join the browser's session only when they carry its `client_id` and `session_id`. A new `session_id` creates a new session ([Google](https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/protocol/ga4/sending-events)), and that session has no source. Google also says events meant to join a browser session should arrive within 48 hours, or attribution may not work as expected.
- **Events that fire before the Google tag.** In Tag Manager, an event tag that fires before the Google tag sends data GA4 cannot place in a session. Fire the Google tag on **Initialization - All Pages**. The [(not set) guide](https://sporetag.com/guides/ga4-not-set) covers the steps.

## Fix it

**Fix the tags, going forward.** Change mediums to values GA4 knows: `email` not `newsletter`, `audio` for podcasts, `sms` for texts. Write the scheme down and use a link builder with presets, so nobody types tags by hand.

**Add a custom channel group, for what you cannot retag.** Printed QR codes and old emails keep their tags forever. A custom channel group can add a "QR and print" channel that matches `qr` and `print`. A standard property can have 2 custom groups, they apply to past data, and traffic goes to the first channel whose rule it matches, so put specific channels above broad ones ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/13051316)).

**Fix server events.** Pass the browser's `client_id` and `session_id` to your server when the visitor checks out or signs up, and send them back with the event.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag has no channel rules: reports show the source and UTM values each visit carried, by name, so nothing falls into a bucket like Unassigned. Its link builder presets keep links on one lowercase scheme that GA4 also reads well (`email`, `sms`, `social`, `paid-social`, `cpc`), with two exceptions to know if you also run GA4: the QR code and print presets use the mediums `qr` and `print`, which GA4 puts in Unassigned. Add a custom channel group for them, as above.

## Common questions

### What does Unassigned mean in GA4?

The session's source, medium and campaign matched none of GA4's channel rules. It is not lost or broken traffic; GA4 just could not name its channel.

### Why did my Unassigned traffic suddenly spike?

Usually a new campaign or email went out with mediums GA4 does not recognize, or a new server-side or Tag Manager setup started sending events without a session. Break Unassigned down by session source / medium for the day of the spike.

### Is Unassigned the same as Direct?

No. Direct is traffic with no source at all. Unassigned has a source or medium, just not one any channel rule matches.

### Can I move old Unassigned traffic into the right channel?

Yes, with a custom channel group. It applies to past data, so a rule that matches `qr` re-labels old QR code sessions too.

## Sources

- Google Analytics Help: [Default channel group](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9756891), [Custom channel groups](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/13051316). Checked October 2026.
- Google for Developers: [Send Measurement Protocol events](https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/protocol/ga4/sending-events). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag reports the source and UTM values a visit carried, by name, with no channel rules to fall through, and its link builder presets keep every link on one lowercase scheme. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/utm-presets

---

# UTM parameters: the complete guide, with a naming scheme that holds up

> What each UTM parameter does, the naming rules GA4 actually applies, a scheme for source, medium and campaign, and the mistakes that break your reports.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

UTM parameters are tags you add to the end of a link so your analytics knows where a visit came from. They are the most reliable source signal you control: a referrer can be dropped by an app or a browser, but tags written into the link arrive with the visit.

This guide covers what each parameter does, a naming scheme that keeps reports clean, and the mistakes that quietly ruin them.

## The parameters

| Parameter | Answers | Example |
|---|---|---|
| `utm_source` | Who sent the visit | `instagram`, `google`, `newsletter` |
| `utm_medium` | What kind of channel | `social`, `cpc`, `email`, `sms`, `qr` |
| `utm_campaign` | Which push or offer | `spring-sale`, `webinar-oct` |
| `utm_content` | Which link, creative or placement | `bio`, `story`, `video-a` |
| `utm_term` | Which keyword or audience | `running-shoes`, `lookalike-1` |
| `utm_id` | A campaign id, for joining cost data | `cmp-1042` |

Google says to always use `utm_source`, `utm_medium` and `utm_campaign`, and GA4 also reads `utm_id`, `utm_source_platform`, `utm_creative_format` and `utm_marketing_tactic` ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10917952)). Google notes the last two are not currently reported in GA4. Any parameter you leave out shows as `(not set)`.

The names come from Urchin, the analytics company Google bought in 2005 that became Google Analytics. Every major analytics tool reads them now, including Sporetag, Plausible, Matomo and Shopify.

## Source and medium do different jobs

The most common mistake is putting the same idea in both.

- **Source** is the specific site, app or list: `facebook`, `instagram`, `google`, `bing`, `newsletter`, `partner-name`.
- **Medium** is the kind of channel: `social`, `paid-social`, `cpc`, `email`, `sms`, `qr`, `print`, `referral`.

`utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=facebook` tells you nothing the source did not. `utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid-social` tells you it was a paid Facebook ad, not a post.

## The medium decides the channel in GA4

GA4 sorts each visit into a channel, such as Paid Social or Email, by rules on source and medium ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9756891)). Your medium values have to match those rules, or visits fall into "Unassigned":

- **Email** matches a source or medium of `email`, `e-mail`, `e_mail` or `e mail`.
- **Organic Social** matches a known social source, or a medium of `social`, `social-network`, `social-media`, `sm`, `social network` or `social media`.
- **Paid Social** needs a known social source and a medium matching `^(.*cp.*|ppc|retargeting|paid.*)$`: `cpc`, `ppc`, `paid-social` and `paid_social` all work.
- **Referral** matches a medium of `referral`, `app` or `link`.

So `utm_medium=newsletter` does not land in Email, and `utm_medium=ig` does not land in Social. Pick the values the rules expect. Channel rules are not case sensitive, but parameter values are, which is the next point.

## Case matters

GA4 treats `utm_source=Google` and `utm_source=google` as two different sources ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10917952)). One teammate typing `Facebook` and another typing `facebook` splits the same channel into two rows. Pick one rule and enforce it. The simplest:

- lowercase everything,
- hyphens between words, no spaces,
- no dates in `utm_source` or `utm_medium`, only in `utm_campaign` if you need them.

## A naming scheme you can copy

| Where the link goes | utm_source | utm_medium | utm_content |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instagram bio | `instagram` | `social` | `bio` |
| Instagram story | `instagram` | `social` | `story` |
| TikTok bio | `tiktok` | `social` | `bio` |
| Meta ads | `facebook` | `paid-social` | the ad name |
| Google Ads | `google` | `cpc` | the ad |
| Email newsletter | `newsletter` | `email` | the link or button |
| SMS | `sms` | `sms` | the message |
| QR code on print | `qr` | `qr` | where it was printed |

`utm_campaign` carries the push itself: `spring-sale`, `black-friday-2026`, `webinar-oct`. Keep a shared list of campaign names, so the same campaign has one spelling everywhere.

These are the presets in Sporetag's [UTM builder](https://sporetag.com/tools/utm-builder) and link form, so links made there follow the scheme automatically.

## Let ad platforms fill in the names

Typing ad names into tags by hand drifts out of date the moment someone renames an ad. Ad platforms can fill them in for you with dynamic values in the URL parameters field:

- **Meta:** `utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{ad.name}}&utm_term={{adset.name}}`
- **Google Ads:** auto-tagging adds `gclid` on its own, and ValueTrack values such as `{campaignid}` and `{keyword}` work in a tracking template.
- **TikTok:** `__CAMPAIGN_NAME__`, `__AID_NAME__` and `__CID_NAME__`.

Check each platform's current help page before relying on these: the names change from time to time. The [click ids guide](https://sporetag.com/guides/click-ids-explained) covers `gclid`, `fbclid` and the others.

## Six mistakes that break reports

1. **Tagging internal links.** A UTM tag on a link from your own home page to your shop replaces the real source of that visit. In GA4, later key events are credited to your own tag instead of the ad or post that brought the visitor. In Sporetag, a tagged link always starts a visit with its tag. Never tag links between your own pages.
2. **Mixed case.** `Email` and `email` become two rows that never add up.
3. **Medium values GA4 does not recognize.** `newsletter`, `ig`, `fb-ads` and `paid` fall outside the channel rules or land in the wrong channel.
4. **Redirects that drop the query string.** Test each landing page: open it with `?utm_source=test` and check the tag is still in the address bar after every redirect.
5. **Personal data in tags.** Never put an email address or a name in a UTM value. It ends up in analytics reports and in the history of everyone who shares the link.
6. **Long, ugly links in public places.** People trim them, and a trimmed link loses its tags. Use a short link for bios, print, SMS and anything spoken aloud.

## Short links and UTM tags work together

A [short link](https://sporetag.com/glossary/short-link) such as `go.yourbrand.com/spring` keeps the tags out of sight. It counts the click itself, then forwards to the full tagged address. That gives you two records: the click, even if the visit is never counted, and the tagged visit on your site. It is the most reliable way to track a bio link, a QR code or a text message. See [how to track an Instagram link in bio](https://sporetag.com/guides/track-instagram-link-in-bio) and [how to track SMS link clicks](https://sporetag.com/guides/track-sms-link-clicks).

## Common questions

### Are UTM parameters bad for SEO?

No, as long as you only use them on links from other places to your site. Your pages should carry a canonical tag pointing to the address without the tags, so search engines index one version.

### Are UTM parameters case sensitive?

Yes. In GA4, `Google` and `google` are separate values. GA4's channel rules ignore case, but your source, medium and campaign reports do not.

### Do I need UTM tags on Google Ads links?

Not for GA4 if auto-tagging is on, since GA4 reads the `gclid`. Many teams add them anyway, so other tools that cannot read Google's click data still see the campaign.

### What is the difference between utm_content and utm_term?

`utm_term` was made for the paid keyword. `utm_content` tells apart links or creatives in the same campaign. Many teams use `utm_term` for the ad set or audience on social ads, which is fine if everyone does it the same way.

### Can UTM parameters track conversions?

They tell analytics where a visit came from. The conversion is counted by your analytics or store, and credited to that source by its attribution rule.

## Sources

- Google Analytics Help: [URL builders: collect campaign data with custom URLs](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10917952), [Default channel group](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9756891). Checked October 2026.
- Ad platform dynamic values were checked against each platform's help pages in October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag's free UTM builder and its short links use platform presets (Instagram bio, SMS, email, QR, Meta and Google ads), so every link follows one lowercase scheme without anyone remembering it. More: https://sporetag.com/tools/utm-builder

---

# How to track your Instagram link in bio, through to the sale

> Instagram's own insights stop at link taps. How to see which bio link, story or post brought visits, signups and sales, with tags and a short link.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/track-instagram-link-in-bio
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Instagram tells a professional account how many people tapped the link in its bio. It does not tell you what they did next: whether they bought, which product page they landed on, or whether last Tuesday's reel sent more buyers than the story you posted on Friday.

To get from "taps" to "sales", the visit has to arrive at your site with its source attached. This guide shows how, from the simplest version to the one that holds up across stories, posts and several links.

## Why bio traffic gets lost

When someone taps a link on Instagram, the link opens in Instagram's own in-app browser. Depending on the app version and the phone, the visit may arrive with a referrer such as `l.instagram.com`, or with none at all. A visit with no referrer and no tags is counted as [direct traffic](https://sporetag.com/guides/direct-traffic-explained). For accounts that rely on Instagram, this is often the single biggest leak in their reports.

There is a second gap. Many buyers tap the bio link, look around, leave, and come back later by typing your name or searching for it. Unless your analytics remembers the first visit, the sale goes to search or direct.

## Step 1: tag the link

Put [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters) on the link in your bio. A good set:

```text
https://yourshop.com/?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_content=bio
```

- `utm_source=instagram` names the app.
- `utm_medium=social` puts it in GA4's Organic Social channel ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9756891)).
- `utm_content=bio` tells it apart from story and post links.

Add `utm_campaign` when the link points to a specific push, such as `utm_campaign=spring-drop`. Change it when the push changes.

## Step 2: use a short link instead of the long one

A tagged link works, but it has three problems in a bio: it looks messy, it is easy to break when you edit it on a phone, and Instagram's link taps cannot be compared with visits, because they are counted in two different tools.

A [short link](https://sporetag.com/glossary/short-link) on your own domain, such as `go.yourbrand.com/ig`, fixes all three:

- It counts each tap itself, before the visit, so you see taps and visits side by side.
- It forwards to the full tagged address, so the visit still carries its source.
- You can change where it points without editing your bio.

Make one short link per place: one for the bio, one for stories, one per campaign. The tags tell them apart in reports. Using a link page such as Linktree instead? Tag each of its buttons; see [how to track Linktree clicks](https://sporetag.com/track/linktree).

## Step 3: give stories and posts their own links

Story link stickers and links in reel captions or comments are separate traffic. Give each its own short link, with `utm_content=story` or the post's name, so you can compare them. If you use a link-in-bio page with many buttons, give each button its own tagged link too, or every visit will look like it came from the link-in-bio tool.

## Step 4: count the result, not just the visit

A visit is not a sale. Decide what counts, then set it up as a goal or [key event](https://sporetag.com/glossary/key-event):

- **A store:** the purchase. Read it from your store, not only from a browser tag on the thank-you page, because checkout pages often do not run your tags.
- **A service business:** the booking, the form or the call tap.
- **A creator:** the signup, the sponsor click or the product sale.

Then read your report by `utm_content`: bio against story against post, by sales, not by taps.

## Step 5: keep the source for buyers who come back

A visitor who taps on Monday and buys on Thursday after searching your name needs something to connect the two visits. You have three options:

- **Accept last click.** Simple, and the bio gets credit only for same-visit sales.
- **Use a tool with a first-party id**, kept on your own domain, so the Monday source is remembered. Safari caps cookies set by script at 7 days ([WebKit](https://webkit.org/blog/8613/intelligent-tracking-prevention-2-1/)), so this works best for buyers who return within a week. In the EU and UK it usually needs consent.
- **Ask for an email early.** A signup or discount form ties later purchases to the person, whatever device they buy on.

## What Instagram's own numbers can and cannot tell you

| Question | Instagram insights | Your analytics with tagged links |
|---|---|---|
| How many people tapped the bio link? | Yes | Yes, with a short link |
| Which page did they land on? | No | Yes |
| Did they buy or sign up? | No | Yes |
| Which post or story drove the sale? | No | Yes, with one link per post or story |
| Who saw the post but did not tap? | Yes, as reach | No |

Use both. Instagram for reach and engagement, your analytics for what happened after the tap.

## Common questions

### Can I see who clicked my Instagram link?

No tool shows you the people, and you should be wary of any that claims to. You can see how many tapped, when, from which country and device, and what they did on your site.

### Why do my link taps not match website visits?

Taps happen in Instagram. Visits are counted by your analytics once the page loads and the tag runs. People close the page before it loads, ad blockers stop tags, and some taps are repeats. A short link counts taps on its own, so you can see where the drop happens.

### Do link-in-bio tools track sales?

Most count clicks on their buttons. Few can see what happens on your site after the click. Tag each button's link so your own analytics can.

### Will UTM tags hurt how my link looks?

Only if you paste the long link. A short link on your own domain hides the tags and stays readable.

## Sources

- Google Analytics Help: [Default channel group](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9756891). Checked October 2026.
- Instagram Help Center: [Add a website to your Instagram profile](https://help.instagram.com/362497417173378). Checked October 2026.
- WebKit: [Intelligent Tracking Prevention 2.1](https://webkit.org/blog/8613/intelligent-tracking-prevention-2-1/).

## Where Sporetag fits

A Sporetag short link with the Instagram bio preset counts every tap, tags the visit, and when it points to a site you track, ties later signups and sales that day back to the link. More: https://sporetag.com/platforms/instagram

---

# gclid, fbclid and other click ids, explained

> What gclid, gbraid, wbraid, fbclid, ttclid and msclkid are, what each one is for, how long they last, and why keeping them matters for ad tracking.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/click-ids-explained
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

When someone clicks an ad, the ad platform adds a long random value to the link: `gclid=` for Google, `fbclid=` for Meta, `ttclid=` for TikTok. These are click ids. They let the platform match a later sale back to the exact click, which is how the platform learns which ads work.

UTM tags tell your analytics where a visit came from. Click ids tell the ad platform which of its clicks turned into a sale. You usually want both.

## The click ids, by platform

| Parameter | Platform | Added by |
|---|---|---|
| `gclid` | Google Ads | Auto-tagging, on by default in most accounts |
| `gbraid` | Google Ads | iOS traffic where `gclid` cannot be used, for app conversions |
| `wbraid` | Google Ads | iOS traffic where `gclid` cannot be used, for web conversions |
| `fbclid` | Meta (Facebook, Instagram) | Outbound links from Meta's apps and sites |
| `ttclid` | TikTok | TikTok ads, when click id tracking is on ([TikTok attribution](https://sporetag.com/guides/tiktok-ads-attribution)) |
| `msclkid` | Microsoft Advertising | Auto-tagging |
| `li_fat_id` | LinkedIn | LinkedIn ads |
| `ScCid` | Snapchat | Snapchat ads |
| `epik` | Pinterest | Pinterest ads |
| `twclid` | X | X ads |
| `rdt_cid` | Reddit | Reddit ads |

Google introduced `gbraid` and `wbraid` for iOS 14 and later, where Apple's rules limit the use of `gclid` without consent. They are aggregate identifiers, so they cannot tie a conversion to one person ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/10417364)).

## What a click id is for

A click id does nothing on its own. It is a key. The ad platform keeps a record of the click under that key: the campaign, ad set, ad, time and placement. Later, when you report a conversion with the same key, the platform can say exactly which ad earned it.

There are three ways the key comes back to the platform:

1. **The platform's own tag** on your site reads it from the address and stores it in a first-party cookie, then sends it with the conversion. Meta's pixel stores it as `_fbc`; Google's tag stores the `gclid` in its own cookies.
2. **Your server** keeps it with the order and sends it through the platform's server API: the Meta Conversions API, or Google Ads offline conversion upload.
3. **A file upload** of conversions with their click ids, for sales that happen offline, such as a phone order.

For Meta, the server form is called `fbc`, built as `fb.1.<time in milliseconds>.<fbclid>` when no cookie exists, with the `fbclid` copied exactly, since it is case sensitive ([Meta](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/parameters/fbp-and-fbc)).

## Why click ids go missing

- **Redirects that drop the query string.** A `www` to bare domain redirect, or a CMS that cleans URLs, can remove everything after the `?`. Test each landing page with a fake `?gclid=test` and see if it survives.
- **Safari's Link Tracking Protection** removes known click ids from links opened from Mail, Messages and Safari Private Browsing ([Apple](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/06/apple-announces-powerful-new-privacy-and-security-features/)). UTM tags are not removed. See [iOS and Safari tracking changes](https://sporetag.com/guides/ios-safari-tracking-changes) for what each Apple feature removes, and where.
- **Consent.** In the EU and UK, storing a click id in a cookie for later use usually needs consent. Without it, the id can only be used during that visit.
- **Short cookie lifetimes.** Safari caps cookies set by script at 7 days ([WebKit](https://webkit.org/blog/8613/intelligent-tracking-prevention-2-1/)). A click id stored that way is gone if the buyer returns later.
- **Forms and checkouts on other domains.** The click id lives on your site's domain. A booking widget or checkout on another domain cannot read it unless you pass it along.

## Click ids and UTM tags together

| | UTM tags | Click ids |
|---|---|---|
| Who reads them | Your analytics | The ad platform |
| Who writes them | You | The platform, automatically |
| Human readable | Yes | No |
| Stripped by Safari protections | No | Yes, in some contexts |
| Ties a sale to one ad click | No | Yes |

Use both. UTM tags give every tool a readable source. Click ids let the ad platform learn from your sales.

## Practical rules

1. Keep auto-tagging on in Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising.
2. Never strip unknown query parameters on your landing pages.
3. Save the click id with the lead or the order, in a hidden form field or an order attribute, so you can send it back later.
4. Send conversions server-side with the click id and, where allowed, hashed email and phone. See the [Conversions API guide](https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-conversions-api-explained).
5. Do not put click ids in your own reports as a dimension. They are unique per click, so every row would have a count of one.

## Common questions

### What is fbclid?

A click id Meta adds to links people click on Facebook and Instagram. Meta's pixel reads it and stores it as the `_fbc` cookie, so a later purchase can be matched to the click.

### What is gclid?

Google Ads' click id, added by auto-tagging. GA4 reads it to show Google Ads campaigns, and Google Ads uses it to match conversions to clicks.

### Can I remove fbclid from my URLs?

You can, but you lose Meta's ability to match sales to clicks. If your concern is clean URLs in shared links or duplicate pages in search, use a canonical tag instead of removing the parameter.

### Is a click id personal data?

It identifies a click, not a person by name, but under GDPR an identifier that can be linked to a person is generally treated as personal data. Treat it with the same care as a cookie id.

## Sources

- Google Ads Help: [Updates to iOS 14 campaign measurement](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/10417364). Checked October 2026.
- Meta for Developers: [fbp and fbc parameters](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/parameters/fbp-and-fbc). Checked October 2026.
- Apple: [Link Tracking Protection](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/06/apple-announces-powerful-new-privacy-and-security-features/). WebKit: [ITP 2.1](https://webkit.org/blog/8613/intelligent-tracking-prevention-2-1/).

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag reads eleven ad click ids on landing, names the platform even when the visit has no referrer, and with 90-day tracking keeps the latest ones for 90 days on your own domain, so a later sale can go back to Meta with its click. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes

---

# How to track QR codes on print, packaging and signs

> A QR code sends no referrer, so scans show up as direct traffic. How to track scans, visits and sales per placement, and print codes that keep working.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/qr-code-tracking
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

A QR code is just a link printed as a picture. When a phone camera scans it, the phone opens the address inside. Nothing else comes along: no referrer, no app name, no hint that the visit started on a flyer. Without help, every scan lands in your analytics as [direct traffic](https://sporetag.com/guides/direct-traffic-explained).

Tracking a QR code means putting the source into the link itself, and ideally counting the scan before the page loads.

## Static and dynamic codes

- **A static code** holds your full address. It works forever, but what it points to can never change, and nothing counts scans unless your website does.
- **A dynamic code** holds a short link. The short link counts the scan, then forwards to the real page. You can change where it points after printing.

For anything printed in volume, use a dynamic code on a domain you own. A code printed on 10,000 boxes is a long-term promise. If it points to a free QR service's domain and that service changes its terms or shuts down, every box points nowhere.

## Step 1: one link per placement

The value of QR tracking is comparison: the shop window against the flyer, the table card against the receipt. That only works if each placement has its own link.

Use [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters) with a fixed scheme:

```text
https://yourshop.com/menu?utm_source=qr&utm_medium=qr&utm_campaign=autumn-menu&utm_content=table-card
```

- `utm_source` and `utm_medium` say it was a scan.
- `utm_campaign` names the push.
- `utm_content` names the placement: `table-card`, `window`, `flyer-oct`, `package-insert`.

GA4 has no default channel for `qr`, so these visits land in "Unassigned" unless you add a custom channel group ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9756891)). Some teams use `utm_medium=print` or `offline` instead. Pick one and use it everywhere.

## Step 2: put a short link in the code

A long tagged address makes a dense code with many small squares, which is harder to scan from a distance or on a curved surface. A short link makes a simpler code and gives you a scan count of its own.

Two numbers then tell you a lot:

- **Scans**, counted by the short link.
- **Visits** with the QR tags, counted by your analytics.

A big gap between them means the page is slow to load on mobile data, or the visitors leave before it does.

## Step 3: count what the scan led to

Decide what a scan is for: an order, a menu view, a signup, a review, a warranty registration. Set it up as a goal, then read results by `utm_content` to compare placements by outcome, not just by scans.

For a physical store, the outcome is often offline: a person scans, then buys at the till. A discount code shown only on the QR landing page is a simple, honest way to connect the two. Count how many times the code is used at the till.

## Printing codes that scan

- **Leave a quiet zone.** The QR standard asks for a blank margin four modules (squares) wide around the code. Do not crop it or place text against it.
- **Keep contrast high.** Dark code on a light background. Inverted and low-contrast codes fail on many phones.
- **Size for distance.** A code read from across a room needs to be much larger than one on a business card. Test it at the real distance, on more than one phone.
- **Pick an error correction level.** QR codes can still scan with part of the code damaged or covered: about 7, 15, 25 or 30 percent at levels L, M, Q and H ([Denso Wave](https://www.qrcode.com/en/about/error_correction.html)). Use a higher level for packaging that gets scuffed or a logo placed in the middle.
- **Download a vector file** (SVG or PDF) for print. A small PNG blown up for a poster blurs the edges.
- **Test the printed proof**, not just the screen version, before the full run.

## Common questions

### Can you track how many times a QR code was scanned?

Yes, if the code points to a short link or a redirect that counts requests. A static code pointing straight to your page is only counted as a visit, and only when your analytics tag loads.

### Why do QR code visits show as direct?

A camera app opens the link with no referrer. Add UTM tags to the link inside the code, so the visit carries its source.

### Do dynamic QR codes expire?

The code itself never expires. The short link it points to stops working if the service behind it ends or your plan lapses. Use a short domain you own, so you can move it if you change tools.

### Can I change where a printed QR code points?

Only with a dynamic code. Change the short link's destination, and every printed code follows.

## Sources

- Google Analytics Help: [Default channel group](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9756891). Checked October 2026.
- Denso Wave, inventor of the QR code: [Error correction feature](https://www.qrcode.com/en/about/error_correction.html). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

Every Sporetag short link has a QR code you can download as SVG, with a QR preset that tags the visit, so each flyer, table card or package can be its own row. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/qr-codes

---

# How to track email clicks and the sales they bring

> Tag email links so every click and sale has a source, set it up in Klaviyo and Mailchimp, and spot the bot clicks that security scanners add.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/track-email-clicks
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Your email tool counts clicks. Your store counts sales. Neither knows about the other. To see which email sold something, the click has to carry its source to your site, and your analytics has to keep it until the sale.

This guide covers tagging, the settings in Klaviyo and Mailchimp, reading the sales, and the clicks that no person made.

## Why email traffic goes missing

Most email is read in apps: Apple Mail, Gmail, Outlook. A link tapped in an app often opens the browser with no [referrer](https://sporetag.com/glossary/referrer), so an untagged email click usually shows up as [direct traffic](https://sporetag.com/guides/direct-traffic-explained). Webmail in a browser may send a referrer such as `mail.google.com`, which then counts as a referral, not as your campaign.

The fix is the same in every case: tag the link. [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters) ride in the address, so they survive where the referrer does not.

## Tag every link the same way

Use one pattern for all email, and keep it lowercase:

```
https://yourshop.com/fall?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=fall-sale-2026
```

- **`utm_medium=email`** is what puts the visit in GA4's Email channel. GA4 matches source or medium against `email`, `e-mail`, `e_mail` or `e mail` ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9756891)). "Newsletter" as a medium lands in Unassigned.
- **`utm_source`** names the list or the tool, such as `newsletter`, `klaviyo` or `welcome-flow`. Pick one and keep it.
- **`utm_campaign`** names the send. Use a date or an id, so two sends of the same email stay apart.
- **`utm_content`** is optional. Use it to tell links in one email apart, such as `hero-button` and `footer-link`.

Automated flows deserve their own campaign names. A welcome series that sells every day hides inside "newsletter" otherwise.

## Klaviyo

Klaviyo adds UTM tags for you once tracking is on. In a campaign, open the **Tracking** section and turn on **Include tracking parameters**. Klaviyo only tags links that start with `http://` or `https://` ([Klaviyo](https://help.klaviyo.com/hc/en-us/articles/360053921252)). Account defaults live in Klaviyo's UTM settings; set them once, so every campaign and flow uses the same names.

Check one sent email before trusting it: open a link and read the address bar. Klaviyo's own revenue figures use opens and a 5-day window, so they run higher than your analytics; see [Klaviyo attribution windows vs your analytics](https://sporetag.com/guides/klaviyo-attribution).

## Mailchimp

In the email builder's **Settings & Tracking** section, tick **Google Analytics link tracking**. Mailchimp then adds UTM tags to the links, with a campaign title built from the email's name and the date ([Mailchimp](https://mailchimp.com/help/integrate-google-analytics-with-mailchimp/)). Automation flows have the same setting under **Edit Settings**, and you can change the tags per email with **Modify UTM Parameters**. Mailchimp notes one exception: the classic single welcome email does not accept the setting.

Despite the name, the tags work with any analytics tool that reads UTM parameters, not only Google Analytics.

## Plain newsletters and one-off sends

Newsletters hosted on [Substack](https://sporetag.com/track/substack) or [beehiiv](https://sporetag.com/track/beehiiv) limit what runs on their pages; their platform pages cover what each allows.

Without a built-in setting, tag each link by hand, or use a [short link](https://sporetag.com/glossary/short-link) per link. A short link is easier for links people might copy or forward, and for plain text emails where a long address looks broken.

## Clicks no person made

Some email clicks are machines. Mail providers and security tools open links before the reader does, to check for phishing. Klaviyo calls these bot clicks: clicks "performed by a machine, often to verify the safety of a link or display a link preview", by inbox providers, some security software and mobile carriers ([Klaviyo](https://help.klaviyo.com/hc/en-us/articles/22981852783899)). Klaviyo flags them and can leave them out of reports.

Signs of scanner clicks in any tool:

- Every link in an email clicked, seconds after delivery.
- Clicks from business domains, where security gateways are common.
- A click with no visit after it.

Opens are weaker still. Apple's Mail Privacy Protection downloads remote content in the background whether or not the email is opened ([Apple](https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/mail-privacy-protection/)), so the tracking pixel loads for many Apple Mail users who never read the email. Treat open rates as a rough signal, and judge emails by visits and sales.

## From click to sale

A tag gets the visit right. The sale needs two more things.

1. **A purchase goal.** Your analytics must record the order, with its value, on your site or from your store.
2. **Memory of the click.** Many email buyers click, leave, and buy later from a bookmark or a search. A tool that remembers the visitor across days can credit the email. A tool that starts fresh each day credits the later visit.

Then read sales by campaign, not by clicks. An email with fewer clicks and more orders is the better email.

### A worked example

Example numbers, made up for illustration. Two emails go to the same list in one week:

| Campaign | Email tool clicks | Visits | Orders | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `fall-sale-2026` | 1,900 | 1,310 | 41 | $3,690 |
| `care-tips-oct` | 1,150 | 980 | 12 | $780 |

Clicks are higher than visits in both rows. Some of the gap is scanner clicks and some is people who closed the page before it loaded. The useful number is revenue per send, and the sale email wins by far. The tips email still drives visits, so it may earn its place for other reasons.

## Common mistakes

1. **No tags on automated flows.** Flows often sell more than campaigns, and they are the ones left untagged.
2. **Mixed case.** `Email` and `email` are two rows in most tools. Lowercase everywhere.
3. **Medium set to the tool name.** `utm_medium=klaviyo` is not an email channel to GA4, and lands in [Unassigned](https://sporetag.com/guides/ga4-unassigned-traffic). Put the tool in the source.
4. **Judging by opens.** Mail Privacy Protection inflates them.
5. **Counting scanner clicks as interest.** Use visits or sales as the measure.

## Common questions

### How do I track which email someone bought from?

Tag every link with `utm_medium=email` and a campaign name per send, record purchases as a goal with their value, and read revenue by campaign. To credit buyers who come back days later, your analytics needs to remember the first visit.

### Why does email traffic show as direct?

Mail apps often open links with no referrer. Without UTM tags, the visit has no clue left, so it counts as direct.

### Why are my email clicks higher than my website visits?

Security scanners and inbox providers click links to check them, and some people leave before the page loads. Compare visits and sales instead of clicks.

### Are email open rates still accurate?

Less than they were. Apple's Mail Privacy Protection loads email content in the background, which registers opens that never happened.

### Should I use a link shortener in email?

You do not need one when your email tool adds tags. A short link helps in plain text emails and for links people forward. Use one on your own domain, so the link shows your brand and not someone else's.

## Sources

- Google Analytics Help: [Default channel group](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9756891). Checked October 2026.
- Klaviyo Help Center: [How to add UTM tracking to campaigns and flows](https://help.klaviyo.com/hc/en-us/articles/360053921252), [Understanding bot clicks](https://help.klaviyo.com/hc/en-us/articles/22981852783899). Checked October 2026.
- Mailchimp: [Integrate Google Analytics with Mailchimp](https://mailchimp.com/help/integrate-google-analytics-with-mailchimp/). Checked October 2026.
- Apple: [Mail Privacy Protection and privacy](https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/mail-privacy-protection/). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag's Email chip tags a link with utm_medium=email in one tap, its Mailchimp template fills in each campaign, and on paid plans the Klaviyo and Mailchimp connectors put each send, open and click on the customer's timeline. More: https://sporetag.com/platforms/email

---

# How to track SMS link clicks and the sales they bring

> Tag text message links so clicks and sales have a source, keep links short and on your own domain, and tell real taps from link preview clicks.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/track-sms-link-clicks
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

A text message link is the shortest path from a phone to your site, and one of the hardest to measure. Messages apps send no referrer, so an untagged text click lands as [direct traffic](https://sporetag.com/guides/direct-traffic-explained). Long tagged links look like spam in a text. And phones open links on their own to draw a preview.

This guide covers tagging, short links, the clicks no person made, and how to read sales by message.

## Tag every link

Use the same tags on every text, in lowercase:

```
https://yourshop.com/restock?utm_source=sms&utm_medium=sms&utm_campaign=restock-oct-24
```

GA4 puts a visit in its SMS channel when the source or the medium is exactly `sms` ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9756891)). `text`, `SMS-blast` or the tool's name will not match. Put the tool's name in `utm_content` if you want it.

Use a new `utm_campaign` for each send, with a date. "flash-sale" sent three times is three campaigns you can no longer tell apart.

## Keep the link short and on your own domain

A single SMS segment holds 160 GSM-7 characters, or 70 when the message contains characters outside that set, such as most emoji ([Twilio](https://www.twilio.com/docs/glossary/what-sms-character-limit)). A tagged address can use half of that. Longer messages are split and billed as several segments.

A [short link](https://sporetag.com/glossary/short-link) fixes the length, and it keeps the tags out of sight:

```
go.yourshop.com/restock
```

Which domain matters. The US wireless industry's messaging guidelines ask senders who use a URL shortener to use one with a web address and IP addresses dedicated to that sender, and links that clearly identify the website owner ([CTIA](https://api.ctia.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/230523-CTIA-Messaging-Principles-and-Best-Practices-FINAL.pdf), section 5.3.2). A public shortener shared by thousands of senders is the opposite of that. A short link on your own domain also looks like you, which matters in a channel full of scams.

Many texting tools shorten links themselves. Klaviyo, for example, needs its **Automatically shorten links** setting on to add UTM tags to text messages ([Klaviyo](https://help.klaviyo.com/hc/en-us/articles/360053921252)). Twilio's link shortening uses a domain you own ([Twilio](https://www.twilio.com/docs/messaging/features/link-shortening)). If your tool already shortens on your domain and adds tags, you do not need a second shortener. If you add one anyway, the text runs through two redirects.

## Taps no person made

Phones and carriers open links in texts:

- **Link previews.** To show a preview card, the messaging app fetches the link. Klaviyo calls link previews the biggest driver of bot clicks in SMS, and notes they inflate click rates ([Klaviyo](https://help.klaviyo.com/hc/en-us/articles/22981852783899)).
- **Carrier and provider checks.** Some carriers and providers open links to check message content for compliance ([Klaviyo](https://help.klaviyo.com/hc/en-us/articles/22981852783899)).

So an SMS click rate is always a bit high. Judge a text by visits and sales, not by clicks. A click with no visit after it is often a preview.

## From tap to sale

Many SMS buyers tap, look, and buy later from the same phone or another device. To credit the text:

1. **Record purchases as a goal**, with the order value.
2. **Keep the visitor across days.** A tool that forgets the visitor overnight credits tomorrow's purchase to whatever brought them back.
3. **Compare by campaign.** Revenue per message sent is the number that matters.

### A worked example

Example numbers, made up for illustration. A shop sends two texts to 4,000 subscribers:

| Campaign | Clicks | Visits | Orders | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `restock-oct-24` | 520 | 431 | 38 | $2,470 |
| `review-ask-oct-26` | 300 | 212 | 3 | $150 |

About one in six clicks has no visit after it, which fits previews and people who closed the page before it loaded. The restock text earned about $0.62 per message sent ($2,470 / 4,000). That is the number to compare with email and ads.

## Common mistakes

1. **Untagged links.** Texts open from apps with no referrer, so they become direct.
2. **The wrong medium.** Only `sms`, exactly, puts the visit in GA4's SMS channel.
3. **A public shortener.** Shared domains carry other senders' reputation.
4. **Reusing one campaign name.** Every send needs its own.
5. **Judging by clicks.** Previews inflate them.

## Common questions

### How do I track clicks on links in text messages?

Use a short link per message, tagged with `utm_source=sms`, `utm_medium=sms` and a campaign name. The short link counts the tap, and the tags tell your analytics where the visit came from.

### Why do SMS links show as direct traffic?

Messages apps open links with no referrer. Without UTM tags, nothing in the visit says it came from a text.

### Why is my SMS click rate so high?

Phones fetch links to draw previews, and some carriers check links. Those fetches count as clicks in many tools. Compare visits and sales.

### Do carriers block shortened links?

The US industry guidelines ask senders who shorten links to use a shortener dedicated to them, not a shared public one. A short link on your own domain is the simple way to follow that. Your texting provider can tell you its own filtering rules.

### Can I see which text message made a sale?

Yes, if each send has its own tagged link and your analytics records purchases. Read revenue by campaign.

## Sources

- Google Analytics Help: [Default channel group](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9756891). Checked October 2026.
- CTIA: [Messaging Principles and Best Practices](https://api.ctia.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/230523-CTIA-Messaging-Principles-and-Best-Practices-FINAL.pdf) (May 2023), section 5.3.2. Checked October 2026.
- Twilio: [How long can a message be?](https://www.twilio.com/docs/glossary/what-sms-character-limit), [Link Shortening](https://www.twilio.com/docs/messaging/features/link-shortening). Checked October 2026.
- Klaviyo Help Center: [Understanding bot clicks](https://help.klaviyo.com/hc/en-us/articles/22981852783899), [How to add UTM tracking to campaigns and flows](https://help.klaviyo.com/hc/en-us/articles/360053921252). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag's SMS chip tags a short link with utm_source=sms and utm_medium=sms in one tap, and each link shows its clicks, the visits after them and the conversions those visits made. More: https://sporetag.com/platforms/sms

---

# Call tracking for local businesses: which ad made the phone ring

> How call tracking numbers work, static numbers versus dynamic number insertion, how many you need, recording laws, and calls as conversions.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/call-tracking-for-local-businesses
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

[Call tracking](https://sporetag.com/glossary/call-tracking) gives each ad, listing, flyer or website visitor its own phone number that forwards to your real line, so every call is credited to the source that produced it. For a plumber, a dentist or a roofer, where the phone is the checkout, it is the only way to see which marketing brings jobs rather than clicks.

Without it, web analytics sees a visit that ended and the ad platform sees a click that "did not convert". This guide covers how the numbers work, static versus dynamic numbers, how many you need, which calls to count, recording law and cost.

## How a tracking number works

A tracking number is a phone number you rent from a phone carrier or a service built on one. It does nothing on its own except forward: when someone calls it, the call rings through to your real business line, and the service writes down that it happened, when, for how long, and from which number.

The trick is in where the number is shown. If one number appears only on a flyer, every call to it came from someone who saw the flyer.

The caller hears ringing as usual. Your phone shows the caller's own number, so you can call back. Many services can also play a short "whisper" to whoever answers ("Call from Google Ads"), which the caller never hears.

## Static numbers: one number for one place

A static number is a number that always belongs to one source:

- a printed flyer, mailer or truck wrap;
- the call button on a Google Business Profile;
- a radio or TV spot;
- a directory listing or a call ad.

Static numbers are simple and reliable. They need no code, and every call is credited by where the number was printed. Their limit is that they only tell you the place, not the campaign, keyword or ad, and only for places you can give a number of their own.

## Dynamic number insertion: one number per visitor

Your website gets visitors from Google Ads, Meta, organic search, email and more. A single number on the site cannot tell them apart. [Dynamic number insertion](https://sporetag.com/glossary/dni) (DNI) can.

1. A script on the site finds your phone number in the page, in `tel:` links and in the text.
2. It swaps it for a number from a pool, and remembers which visit that number was given to.
3. When that number rings, the service looks up the visit it was assigned to and credits the call with that visit's source, campaign, [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters) and ad [click id](https://sporetag.com/glossary/click-id).

This is the only way to tie a call to the ad that brought the caller, because the caller never clicks anything you can see after the number is shown.

Google Ads has its own version for its own traffic: a Google forwarding number replaces your website number for people who clicked an ad, and calls that last at least a length you set count as conversions ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6095883)). It only covers Google Ads clicks, and only in the countries where Google offers forwarding numbers ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6100664)). A general DNI service covers every source.

## How many numbers you need

A pool number is held by one visitor at a time, for a while after their last page view. If the pool runs out while visitors are still on the site, a number has to be reused, and a call on it could belong to either visitor.

The size that fits depends on how many people are on the site **at the same moment**, not on monthly traffic:

| Visitors on the site at once, at your busiest | Pool size |
|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | 4 numbers |
| 4 to 7 | 6 to 8 numbers |
| More than that | A pool sized to the peak, or DNI for paid traffic only |

These are rules of thumb. A good service tells you when it ran out and had to reuse a number, which is the real signal to add more.

For most local businesses, a small pool for the website plus a static number for each print or offline channel covers everything.

## Keep your listings consistent

Local search ranking leans on your business name, address and phone number being consistent across the web. Two practical rules follow:

- **Swap the number for visitors, not in your page's source.** DNI changes the number in the visitor's browser after the page loads. Search engines and directories still read your real number in the HTML.
- **Be careful on Google Business Profile.** Google asks for a number that connects to your location and is under your direct control, and allows additional numbers ([Google](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177)). If you put a tracking number on the profile, keep your main number in an additional phone field.

## Which calls count as conversions

Not every call is a lead. Wrong numbers, existing customers and sales calls ring too. Three settings decide what counts:

1. **Answered.** A missed call is a problem to fix, not a lead to report.
2. **A minimum length.** A call that lasts 60 seconds or more is a common line between a quick question and a real enquiry. Google Ads also lets you set this length for its call conversions ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6095882)).
3. **First-time callers.** A business with many repeat customers often reports first calls apart from all calls.

Once a call counts, send it to the ad platforms like any other lead, so their bidding learns which clicks make the phone ring. The [lead-gen conversion tracking guide](https://sporetag.com/guides/google-ads-conversion-tracking-lead-gen) covers calls in Google Ads, and [offline conversions explained](https://sporetag.com/guides/offline-conversions-explained) covers uploading results that happen later, such as a job booked on the call.

## Recording and the law

Recording is useful for training and for settling "what did we quote?". It also carries legal duties.

In the US, most states let one party to a call record it. A group of states, including California, Florida, Pennsylvania and Washington, require every party to consent ([Digital Media Law Project](https://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/recording-phone-calls-and-conversations)). Since a business rarely knows where a caller is, the safe practice is a short notice to the caller ("This call may be recorded") before the call connects, and a notice to whoever answers. Outside the US, local law differs again. This is not legal advice.

Turn recording off unless you will listen to the calls. A recording is personal data you then have to keep safe and delete on time.

## What it costs

The phone network's own costs are small and public. As a market reference, Twilio, a phone platform developers build on, lists a US local number at $1.15 a month and receiving a call at $0.0085 a minute, plus the cost of forwarding it to your line ([Twilio](https://www.twilio.com/en-us/voice/pricing/us), checked October 2026). Call tracking services charge their own price for the number, the minutes and the reports, often per number or per minute, so compare the total.

## Which setup fits your business

| Your situation | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Few ads, mostly print, signs and a Business Profile | One static number per place | No code; every call is credited by where the number was seen |
| Google Ads only, in a country Google covers | Google's own call conversions | Free with Google Ads, credits calls to the click and keyword |
| Ads on several platforms, or SEO and email too | DNI on the website plus static numbers offline | The only way to credit calls to Meta, organic search or email |
| Calls are booked jobs worth a lot | DNI plus sending phone leads to the ad platforms | Bidding learns which clicks make the phone ring |
| You will never listen to calls | Recording off | Less personal data to protect, no consent notice to manage |

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag's call tracking is built and waits on Sporetag switching calls on (when shipped). How it works when it is on, from its code:

- Numbers for the website are a pool of 4 to 10; numbers for one place are static. Each visitor keeps their number for 30 minutes after their last page or tap, and the Calls tab says when the pool ran short.
- The swap ships in the tag a site already has. It keeps the number's formatting, swaps only on pages that show your number, and sets no cookies.
- An answered call is a **Phone call** goal; a call of 60 seconds or more is a **Phone lead**, which can go to your ad accounts. With 90-day tracking, the call joins the caller's profile.
- Recording is off by default. When on, both sides hear a notice.
- One price per number and one per minute, recording included, billed with your plan each month. They are on the [pricing page](https://sporetag.com/pricing#usage).

## Common questions

### What is call tracking?

Using phone numbers that forward to your real line, each shown in one place or to one visitor, so every call can be credited to the ad, page or flyer that produced it.

### What is the difference between static and dynamic call tracking?

A static number always belongs to one source, such as a flyer or a call ad. Dynamic number insertion shows each website visitor a number from a pool, so a call can be tied to that visitor's source, campaign and ad.

### Does call tracking hurt local SEO?

Not when the number is swapped in the visitor's browser, because search engines still read your real number in the page. On your Google Business Profile, keep your main number in an additional phone field if you use a tracking number.

### How long should a call be to count as a lead?

Sixty seconds is a common starting point. Listen to a sample of short and long calls for a week, then set the line where real enquiries begin.

### Is it legal to record business calls?

In most US states one party's consent is enough, but a group of states, including California and Florida, need everyone's consent. Play a notice before the call connects. Check the law where you and your callers are.

## Sources

- Google Ads Help: [About phone call conversion tracking](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6100664), [Set up tracking calls to a phone number on a website](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6095883), [Measure calls from ads](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6095882). Checked October 2026.
- Google Business Profile Help: [Guidelines for representing your business on Google](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177). Checked October 2026.
- Digital Media Law Project: [Recording phone calls and conversations](https://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/recording-phone-calls-and-conversations). Checked October 2026.
- Twilio: [Programmable Voice pricing, United States](https://www.twilio.com/en-us/voice/pricing/us). Checked October 2026.
- Pool sizes are our own rule of thumb from building call tracking, not a published standard.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag's call tracking gives a site its own numbers, swaps them in with the tag it already has, and counts answered calls as goals tied to the visit (when shipped). More: https://sporetag.com/docs/call-tracking

---

# Attribution models explained, with one buyer's path worked through

> First touch, last click, linear, position-based and data-driven attribution, worked through on one buyer path. What each model is good for, and its limits.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/attribution-models-explained
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

An attribution model is a rule for splitting the credit for a sale between the touches that came before it. Every report that says "this campaign drove $X" is using one, whether it says so or not. Change the model and the same sales move between channels.

The clearest way to understand the models is to run one path through all of them.

## One path, five answers

A buyer clicks a Meta ad on day 1 and browses. On day 5 they search your brand on Google and click the result. On day 9 they click a link in your email. On day 10 they type your address and buy, for $120.

The same $120 goes to Meta, to email, to direct, or gets split, depending only on the rule. None of these answers is "true". Each is a different question:

- **First touch** asks: what introduced the buyer?
- **Last click** asks: what happened right before the sale?
- **Last non-direct click** asks: what was the last marketing touch we know of?
- **Linear** asks: what was involved at all?
- **Position-based** asks: what opened and closed the deal, with some credit for the middle?

## The rule-based models

### First touch

All credit to the first known touch. Good for judging which channels bring new people in, such as prospecting ads, podcasts, partnerships and SEO. It ignores everything that convinced the buyer later, and it depends on how far back your data reaches. A tool that forgets visitors after 7 days will call a returning buyer's day-8 visit their "first touch". For subscriptions, first touch is often the fairer default; see [MRR and SaaS attribution](https://sporetag.com/guides/saas-mrr-attribution).

### Last click

All credit to the final touch. Simple and easy to check, which is why most tools started there. It overrates channels that sit at the end of the path, like branded search, email to existing customers and retargeting, and underrates whatever created the demand.

### Last non-direct click

Last click, but a direct visit never takes the credit if any marketing touch came before. Shopify uses it as its default ([Shopify](https://www.shopify.com/blog/marketing-insights)). It fixes the worst flaw of last click, since "typed the address" is rarely the reason someone bought.

### Linear

Equal credit to every touch. Fair to every channel involved, but it treats an ad glimpsed once the same as the email that brought the buyer back with a discount.

### Position-based

Usually 40 percent to the first touch, 40 percent to the last, and 20 percent split across the middle. A reasonable compromise when you care about both finding and closing. The 40/20/40 split is a convention, not a measurement.

### Time decay

More credit to touches closer to the sale, often halving for every 7 days further back. Suits short, considered purchases. It penalizes the touch that started a long sales cycle.

## Data-driven attribution

Data-driven models learn the split from your own data: they compare paths that converted with paths that did not, and give more credit to touches that seem to raise the chance of a sale. Google Ads and GA4 use data-driven attribution, and Google retired first click, linear, time decay and position-based models from both in 2023 ([Google Ads](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/13427716), [GA4](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10597962)). GA4 now offers data-driven, "paid and organic last click" and "Google paid channels last click" ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10596866)).

Two limits to keep in mind:

- **It can only weigh what it sees.** GA4's model sees the touches GA4 recorded. It cannot see an ad view on Meta, a podcast mention or a conversation.
- **It is not transparent.** You cannot check its weights by hand, which makes it hard to explain to a client or a finance team.

## Every model shares three blind spots

1. **Missing touches.** Ad views, word of mouth, offline ads, and touches on another device that the tool could not link. A model can only split credit between touches that were recorded.
2. **The window.** A touch older than the lookback window gets nothing. GA4 looks back 90 days by default for most key events ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10597962)); Meta's default is 7 days after a click.
3. **Correlation is not cause.** A model says which touches came before sales. It cannot say whether the sale would have happened anyway. A buyer who searched your brand name was probably going to buy.

## Platform attribution is a different thing

Each ad platform runs its own attribution, inside its own walls, and it is generous to itself: Meta counts a purchase if the buyer clicked or saw a Meta ad inside Meta's window, even if Google, email and a friend were involved too. Google Ads does the same for Google clicks, and TikTok adds view-through credit of its own (see [TikTok ads attribution](https://sporetag.com/guides/tiktok-ads-attribution)). That is why the platforms' conversions add up to more than your sales. See [why analytics numbers never match](https://sporetag.com/guides/why-analytics-numbers-dont-match).

## Measuring what actually caused sales

To answer "would these sales have happened without the ads?", you need an experiment or a model of spend over time, not a path model:

- **Lift tests.** Hold back ads from a random group and compare. Meta and Google both offer conversion lift studies for eligible accounts.
- **Geo tests.** Pause or raise spend in some regions and compare with matched regions.
- **Marketing mix models.** Statistical models of sales against spend over time. Google's Meridian and Meta's Robyn are open source ([Meridian](https://developers.google.com/meridian), [Robyn](https://facebookexperimental.github.io/Robyn/)). They need a lot of history and care to run well.

For most small businesses, a simpler habit works: watch total revenue against total spend (the [marketing efficiency ratio](https://sporetag.com/glossary/mer)) when you change a budget, and use path attribution to decide where inside that budget to shift money.

## Which model should you use?

| If you want to know | Look at |
|---|---|
| Which channels bring new buyers | First touch |
| What closes sales | Last non-direct click |
| A balanced view for budget splits | Position-based or data-driven |
| Whether ads cause sales at all | A lift or geo test |

The most useful view is two models side by side. When a channel is strong in first touch and weak in last click, it introduces buyers who convert later through something else. Cutting it because last click undervalues it is the classic attribution mistake.

## Common questions

### What is the best attribution model?

There is no single best one. Use first touch to judge what brings people in, last non-direct click to judge what closes, and compare the two before cutting any channel.

### What attribution model does GA4 use?

GA4 offers data-driven attribution and two last-click models: paid and organic last click, and Google paid channels last click. All of them leave direct visits out of the credit unless the whole path was direct.

### Why did Google remove first click and linear attribution?

Google said few advertisers used them and moved those conversion actions to data-driven attribution in 2023. Last click remains available.

### What is multi-touch attribution?

Any model that splits credit across more than one touch: linear, position-based, time decay and data-driven are all multi-touch.

## Sources

- Google Ads Help: [First click, linear, time decay and position-based attribution models are going away](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/13427716). Checked October 2026.
- Google Analytics Help: [Get started with attribution](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10596866), [Select attribution settings](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10597962). Checked October 2026.
- Shopify: [Marketing insights](https://www.shopify.com/blog/marketing-insights). Checked October 2026.
- [Google Meridian](https://developers.google.com/meridian) and [Meta Robyn](https://facebookexperimental.github.io/Robyn/).

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag's attribution report shows conversions and revenue by source, campaign, ad and short link under both first touch and last touch, side by side, so you can see who opens the door and who closes the sale. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/attribution-report

---

# Server-side vs client-side tracking: what each one sees

> Client-side tags run in the browser and miss what they cannot load. Server events come from your server. What each sees, costs, and when to use both.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/server-side-vs-client-side-tracking
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Client-side tracking means a script in the visitor's browser sends the data: a pixel, a GA4 tag, an analytics script. Server-side tracking means your own server, or a server you control, sends it. The difference sounds technical. In practice it decides which sales your reports and your ad platforms ever hear about.

## What client-side tracking sees, and misses

A browser tag sees everything that happens in the browser while it runs: pages, clicks, scroll, time on page, form starts. That is a lot, and no server can see most of it.

It misses whatever it cannot run on:

- **Blocked tags.** Ad blockers and privacy browsers block many requests to well-known ad and analytics domains.
- **Declined consent.** A visitor who says no should not be tracked by ad pixels, and a correct setup sends nothing.
- **Pages without the tag.** Checkout pages on another domain, payment pages, a thank-you page that never loads because the buyer closed the tab after paying.
- **Events that do not happen in a browser.** A refund, a renewal, a phone order, a deal marked won in a CRM, a subscription that converts from a free trial three weeks later.

And it is easy to fake or duplicate: a reloaded thank-you page fires "purchase" again.

## What server-side tracking sees

Server-side events come from the system that knows the truth: your store, your payment processor, your CRM. When an order is paid, the server sends one event. It is not blocked by ad blockers, it does not depend on a page loading, and it can include things a browser never knows, like profit, refunds and subscription renewals.

What it cannot see on its own is the browsing behind the sale: which ad was clicked, which pages were read. That is why server events carry ids from the browser: the click id, the analytics visitor id, or a hashed email that the platform can match.

## The two kinds of "server-side"

The term covers two different setups, and vendors use it for both.

**1. A server-side tag manager or proxy.** The browser still runs a tag, but it sends data to a server on your own domain, such as `data.yourshop.com`, which forwards it to Google, Meta and others. Google Tag Manager's server containers work this way. It helps with blocking (requests go to your domain), lets you remove fields before they leave, and can set cookies from your server. But the data still starts in the browser, so a tag that never ran still sends nothing.

**2. Server-to-server events.** Your backend sends events directly to a platform's API when something happens: Meta's Conversions API, Google Ads offline conversion uploads, TikTok's Events API, GA4's Measurement Protocol. These see orders the browser never reported. Google is clear that the GA4 Measurement Protocol is meant to supplement tagging, not replace it ([Google](https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/protocol/ga4)).

For accurate sales, the second kind is what matters. The first kind mostly improves how much browsing data gets through.

## Why ad platforms want server events

Ad platforms optimize delivery on the conversions you report. If a large share of purchases never reaches them, they learn from a biased sample: the buyers who use browsers without blockers and accept every banner. Sending every paid order from your server, with the click id and hashed customer details where you are allowed to, gives the platform a fuller and less biased picture.

The catch is double counting. If the pixel and the server both report the same purchase, the platform must know they are one. Meta merges a browser event and a server event that share the same event name and `event_id` within 48 hours ([Meta](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/deduplicate-pixel-and-server-events)). See the [Conversions API guide](https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-conversions-api-explained).

## Server-side does not mean "no consent needed"

Moving a request to a server does not change what the law asks. If an event uses data that needs consent, such as a cookie id or a click id stored on the device, it needs consent whether the browser or the server sends it on. A server setup makes it easier to respect consent precisely: you can drop fields, hash emails and skip platforms for visitors who declined. It does not make the question go away. See [cookieless analytics and GDPR](https://sporetag.com/guides/cookieless-analytics-gdpr).

## What it costs

| | Client-side only | Plus a server-side proxy | Plus server-to-server events |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | Paste tags | A server, a subdomain, tag changes | Code or a connector on your store, CRM or payment system |
| Running cost | None | Hosting the server | Little, often none with a native connector |
| Fixes blocked browsing data | No | Partly | No |
| Fixes missing sales | No | No | Yes |
| Needs a developer | Rarely | Usually | Sometimes, unless a connector exists |

For most small stores and service businesses the right order is: get the browser tag right, then add server events for the sales and leads that matter, through a native integration if one exists. A full server-side tag manager comes last, if ever.

## Common questions

### Is server-side tracking more accurate?

For sales and leads, yes, because it reports from the system that records them. For browsing behavior, no: a server cannot see clicks and scrolls unless a browser tag sends them.

### Does server-side tracking get around ad blockers?

Server-to-server events are not affected by ad blockers, because the browser is not involved. A server-side proxy on your own domain is blocked less often than third-party tags, but it can still be blocked, and it should still respect consent.

### Do I need server-side tracking for Meta ads?

You do not need it, but Meta's pixel alone misses purchases from blocked or declined browsers. The Conversions API, with deduplication, recovers part of them. Many store platforms offer it as a built-in integration.

### What is the difference between server-side tagging and the Conversions API?

Server-side tagging forwards browser data through your server. The Conversions API is one destination that accepts server events, from a server-side tag manager or straight from your backend.

## Sources

- Google: [Measurement Protocol (GA4)](https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/protocol/ga4). Checked October 2026.
- Meta: [Deduplicate pixel and server events](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/deduplicate-pixel-and-server-events). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag runs both: a small browser script for visits, plus an Events API, a script proxy on your own domain, and Stripe and Shopify connectors that read paid orders straight from the source. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api

---

# Meta Conversions API explained: setup, matching and deduplication

> What the Meta Conversions API sends, which fields Meta needs, how deduplication with the pixel works, and the mistakes that double count or lose purchases.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-conversions-api-explained
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

The Meta Conversions API (often shortened to CAPI) lets your server tell Meta that a conversion happened: a purchase, a lead, a signup. The Meta pixel reports the same things from the browser. Running both, correctly joined, gives Meta a fuller count than the pixel alone, because a server is not stopped by ad blockers, closed tabs or checkout pages that never load the pixel.

This guide covers what an event contains, how Meta matches it to a person, and how to avoid the two classic mistakes: counting every purchase twice, or sending events Meta cannot use.

## What a server event contains

Each event is a small JSON object sent to Meta's Graph API. The required fields are `event_name`, `event_time`, `user_data` and `action_source`, and `event_source_url` is required for website events ([Meta](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/parameters/server-event)).

```json
{
  "event_name": "Purchase",
  "event_time": 1761200000,
  "event_id": "order-1042",
  "action_source": "website",
  "event_source_url": "https://yourshop.com/checkout/thank-you",
  "user_data": {
    "em": ["<sha256 of the lowercased email>"],
    "ph": ["<sha256 of the phone with country code>"],
    "client_ip_address": "203.0.113.7",
    "client_user_agent": "Mozilla/5.0 ...",
    "fbc": "fb.1.1761190000000.IwAR...",
    "fbp": "fb.1.1761100000000.123456789"
  },
  "custom_data": { "currency": "USD", "value": 120.0 }
}
```

A few rules that trip people up:

- **`event_time` is in seconds, GMT,** and can be at most 7 days in the past. One older event makes Meta reject the whole request ([Meta](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/parameters/server-event)).
- **`action_source`** says where the conversion happened: `website`, `app`, `phone_call`, `physical_store`, `system_generated` and others. Use `website` for a web checkout.
- **`event_id`** is what lets Meta merge this event with the pixel's copy. More on that below.

## How Meta matches an event to a person

Meta can only use an event it can tie to an account. The `user_data` fields are the keys ([Meta](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/parameters/customer-information-parameters)):

| Field | What it is | Hash it? |
|---|---|---|
| `em` | Email, trimmed and lowercased | Yes, SHA-256 |
| `ph` | Phone, digits only, with country code | Yes, SHA-256 |
| `fn`, `ln`, `ct`, `st`, `zp`, `country` | Name and address parts | Yes, SHA-256 |
| `external_id` | Your own customer id | Recommended |
| `client_ip_address` | The buyer's IP address | Never |
| `client_user_agent` | The buyer's browser string | Never |
| `fbc` | The click id, as `fb.1.<ms>.<fbclid>` | Never |
| `fbp` | The pixel's browser id, from the `_fbp` cookie | Never |

`fbc` is the strongest key for ad clicks: it names the exact click. If the `_fbc` cookie is missing, you can build it from the `fbclid` in the landing page address, as long as you kept it ([Meta](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/parameters/fbp-and-fbc)). That is why the landing page's click id should be saved with the order.

Events Manager rates each event type with an **Event Match Quality** score from 0 to 10. It shows which keys your events carry and which are missing, so it is the first place to look when matching seems low.

## Deduplication: one purchase, counted once

If the pixel sends "Purchase" from the browser and your server sends "Purchase" for the same order, Meta needs to know they are one purchase. It merges them when:

- the browser's `eventID` equals the server's `event_id`, and
- the browser's event name equals the server's `event_name`,
- and both arrive within 48 hours of the first one ([Meta](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/deduplicate-pixel-and-server-events)).

The order id is the natural event id: the browser knows it on the thank-you page, the server knows it when the order is paid. Use the same string in both, such as `order-1042`, not `1042` in one place and `#1042` in the other.

Meta also documents a second method, matching on `fbp` or `external_id`, but it only works for a browser event followed by a server event and does not remove duplicates within one source. Use event ids.

## Mistakes that cost you purchases or double them

1. **No event id, or different ids.** Every purchase counts twice. Ads Manager looks great until someone compares it with the store.
2. **Different event names.** `Purchase` from the pixel and `purchase` or `Order` from the server are different events, so nothing is merged.
3. **Unhashed email or phone.** Meta asks for SHA-256 after normalizing. A plain email is a privacy problem and may not match.
4. **Hashed IP address or user agent.** These must be sent as they are. A hashed IP matches nothing.
5. **Events older than 7 days** in a batch. The whole request fails, including the good events in it.
6. **Server events with no browser keys at all.** An event with only a hashed email can match when that email is on the buyer's Meta account. Adding `fbc`, `fbp`, IP address and user agent gives Meta more ways to match it.
7. **Ignoring consent.** Where the law requires consent for ad tracking, a server event for a buyer who declined is still ad tracking. Respect the same choice server-side.

## Testing before you trust it

1. In Events Manager, open your dataset, then **Test events**, and copy the test code.
2. Send one server event with `test_event_code` set to that code.
3. Confirm it appears as received from the server, and that the browser and server events show as deduplicated.
4. Remove the test code before going live. Test events do not count as real conversions.

## Common questions

### Do I still need the Meta pixel if I use the Conversions API?

Meta recommends running both. The pixel sees browsing, such as ViewContent and AddToCart, and sets the `_fbp` and `_fbc` cookies that improve matching. The server catches purchases the pixel missed.

### Is the Conversions API GDPR compliant?

The API is a transport. Whether a given event is lawful depends on your consent and legal basis. Many EU and UK sites need consent before sending ad conversion events with personal data, in either direction.

### Why does Events Manager say my events are not deduplicated?

The event name or event id differs between browser and server, or one of them is missing. Compare a single order's events side by side in Test events.

### What is a good Event Match Quality score?

Meta does not publish a single target. Higher is better. Sending hashed email and phone, `fbc`, `fbp`, IP address and user agent for every event is the practical maximum for most sites.

## Sources

- Meta for Developers: [Server event parameters](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/parameters/server-event), [Customer information parameters](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/parameters/customer-information-parameters), [fbp and fbc](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/parameters/fbp-and-fbc), [Deduplicate pixel and server events](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/deduplicate-pixel-and-server-events). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag sends goals you mark "send to Meta" from both the browser and your server with a shared event id, builds fbc from the fbclid, hashes email and phone, and keeps a delivery log with Meta's reply for every event. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/meta-conversions-api

---

# ROAS, blended ROAS and MER: which one to run the business on

> Formulas for ROAS, blended ROAS, MER and break-even ROAS, a worked example, and why adding up each platform's ROAS overstates what your ads earn.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/roas-mer-blended-roas
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Return on ad spend is the most quoted number in paid marketing and one of the most misread. The formula is simple. The trouble is the revenue on top of it: whose count, under which rule, and whether it already belongs to another channel.

## The formulas

| Metric | Formula | Revenue comes from |
|---|---|---|
| [ROAS](https://sporetag.com/glossary/roas) | Revenue credited to the ads ÷ spend on those ads | The ad platform or your attribution tool |
| Blended ROAS | All revenue ÷ all ad spend | Your store or payment system |
| [MER](https://sporetag.com/glossary/mer) | All revenue ÷ all marketing spend | Your store or payment system |
| Break-even ROAS | 1 ÷ gross margin | Your own costs |
| [CPA](https://sporetag.com/glossary/cpa) | Spend ÷ conversions | Any, as long as it is stated |

ROAS is usually written as a ratio (3.2) or a percentage (320 percent). Both mean $3.20 of revenue for each $1 of spend.

People use blended ROAS and MER loosely. Some count only ad spend in MER, some include agency fees, tools and influencer payments. Write down which costs you include, and keep it the same month to month.

## A worked example

Example numbers, made up for illustration. A store spends $4,000 on Meta and $2,000 on Google in a month. The store records $21,000 in revenue.

- Meta reports $14,000 in purchase value: ROAS 3.5.
- Google reports $9,000 in conversion value: ROAS 4.5.
- Added together, the platforms claim $23,000, more than the store's whole $21,000, before counting a single email, organic or direct sale.

That is not an error in either platform. Each one credits every sale where its ad played a part inside its window, and many buyers touched both. See [why analytics numbers never match](https://sporetag.com/guides/why-analytics-numbers-dont-match).

Blended ROAS from the store's own number: $21,000 ÷ $6,000 = 3.5. It cannot double count, because each sale is counted once.

## Break-even ROAS: the number that tells you if it pays

A ROAS of 3 sounds good. Whether it is depends on your margin.

Break-even ROAS = 1 ÷ gross margin. With a 40 percent gross margin, break-even ROAS is 1 ÷ 0.40 = 2.5. Below 2.5 the ads lose money on the first order; above it they make some. With a 70 percent margin, break-even is about 1.43.

Two adjustments make it more honest:

- **Use contribution margin** if shipping, payment fees and returns are large. They come out of every order.
- **Count repeat purchases** if customers come back. An ad that brings a buyer worth three orders over a year can run below first-order break-even and still pay. Use your real repeat rate, not a hoped-for one.

For a margin table, fixed costs and the MER that leaves a set profit, see [break-even ROAS and target MER](https://sporetag.com/guides/break-even-roas-and-target-mer).

## Which number to use for which decision

| Decision | Use |
|---|---|
| Is our advertising profitable overall? | Blended ROAS or MER against break-even |
| Should we raise or cut total budget? | MER over time, as spend changes |
| Which campaign inside Meta should get more? | Meta's ROAS, campaign against campaign |
| Should money move from Meta to Google? | Revenue from one independent source, per platform, with the same rule for both |
| Is this one ad set worth keeping? | Platform ROAS as a trend, checked against break-even |

Platform ROAS is fine for comparing things inside that platform, because the bias is the same for every campaign there. It is the wrong number for comparing platforms or adding them up.

## When ROAS misleads

- **Brand search and retargeting look brilliant.** They sit at the end of the path and collect credit for sales other channels started. Pause them for a week in one region and watch what happens to total revenue before trusting a ROAS of 12.
- **Prospecting looks weak.** It starts paths that end elsewhere. Read it in first-touch attribution too.
- **Short reporting windows.** Google Ads reports conversions on the click date, so a sale on day 20 lands back in the earlier week and recent days look weak until the late sales arrive ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/9549009)).
- **Revenue without refunds.** Use revenue after refunds and cancellations, or the platforms and the store will disagree for a reason that has nothing to do with attribution.
- **Currencies.** A ROAS that divides euros of revenue by dollars of spend is meaningless. Convert one side, or only compare numbers in the same currency.

## Common questions

### What is a good ROAS?

The one above your break-even ROAS, after returns and fees. A good ROAS for a 75 percent margin product would lose money on a 25 percent margin product.

### Is MER the same as blended ROAS?

Often they are used to mean the same thing: total revenue divided by total spend. Some teams count only ad spend in blended ROAS and all marketing costs in MER. State which one you use.

### Why is my blended ROAS lower than Meta's ROAS?

Meta's ROAS counts sales it shares with other channels, and includes view-through and engage-through purchases. Blended ROAS divides each sale once by all of your spend.

### What is POAS?

Profit on ad spend: gross profit credited to ads divided by spend. It is ROAS with margin already applied, so 1.0 is break-even.

## Sources

- Google Ads Help: [Conversions by time](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/9549009). Checked October 2026.
- The formulas are standard definitions. The example numbers are made up for illustration.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag puts ad spend from Meta (and any platform by CSV) beside revenue from your store, so ROAS per campaign and your overall ratio come from one revenue number, with each platform's own claim shown next to it. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/meta-ads-spend

---

# Google Ads conversion tracking for lead generation sites

> Track forms, calls and the leads that become customers in Google Ads, with the right counting, values and windows so bidding learns from real sales.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/google-ads-conversion-tracking-lead-gen
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

A shop can tell Google Ads "this click made $120". A lead generation site can only say "this click filled in a form". Most of those forms never become customers, and Google's bidding learns from whatever you send it. Send every form fill, and it finds more form fills. Send the leads that became customers, and it finds more customers.

This guide covers the three kinds of lead conversions, how to set each one up, and the settings that decide what bidding learns.

## The three kinds of lead conversions

| Kind | What it counts | How it reaches Google Ads |
|---|---|---|
| Website leads | Form sends, booking widgets, quote requests | The Google tag on your site |
| Calls | Calls from ads, and calls from your website after an ad click | Google forwarding numbers, or a tag event |
| Offline outcomes | Qualified leads, booked jobs, signed contracts, revenue | An upload from your CRM or a file |

Most lead businesses need all three. Website leads and calls tell Google quickly that a click did something. Offline outcomes tell it which of those things mattered.

## Website leads: forms and bookings

Count the lead when it is confirmed, not when the button is pressed. Two reliable ways:

- **A thank-you page.** The form sends people to `/thanks`, and a visit to it is the conversion. It works in every tool, as long as nobody can reach the page without sending the form.
- **A success event.** Single-page forms and booking widgets often stay on the same page. Fire the conversion from the form's success message, not from the click on **Submit**, which also fires when the form has an error.

**Count one per click.** Google Ads can count every conversion after an ad click, or only one. Google's own guidance is that a lead generator usually wants one unique lead per click, while a shop wants every sale ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/3438531)). Set lead actions to **One**, so a visitor who sends the form twice is still one lead.

## Calls

Google lists several kinds of call conversions ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6100664)). The two that matter most:

- **Calls from ads.** Calls placed from call assets or call-only ads. Google uses a forwarding number and counts calls over a minimum length you set.
- **Calls to a phone number on your website.** Your site shows a Google forwarding number to visitors who came from an ad, and calls to it are tied to the click ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6095883)).

Set the minimum call length to what a real enquiry takes. A wrong number lasts seconds; a booking call lasts minutes. The length you pick decides which calls bidding learns from.

Taps on a `tel:` link count the intent to call, not the call. They are useful as a secondary signal, especially on mobile, but a tap is not a conversation.

Google's forwarding numbers only cover Google Ads clicks. To credit calls from every source, including Meta, organic search and print, see [call tracking for local businesses](https://sporetag.com/guides/call-tracking-for-local-businesses).

## Offline outcomes: teach bidding what a customer is

This is the part most lead sites skip, and the part that changes results most. The idea: keep the ad click's identifier with the lead, and tell Google later when that lead became something worth money.

### With the click id (GCLID)

With auto-tagging on, every Google Ads click lands with a `gclid` in the address. Google's setup ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7012522)):

1. A script on every page saves the `gclid` when someone lands, in a first-party cookie or local storage, with consent where the law asks for it.
2. Each form has a hidden field that sends the saved `gclid` with the lead.
3. Your CRM stores it on the contact.
4. When the lead qualifies or buys, you upload the `gclid`, the conversion name, the time and the value.

The `gclid` is case sensitive, so store it exactly. On some iPhone traffic Google sends `gbraid` or `wbraid` instead; see [click ids explained](https://sporetag.com/guides/click-ids-explained). Store whichever one arrives.

### With hashed contact details (enhanced conversions for leads)

[Enhanced conversions](https://sporetag.com/glossary/enhanced-conversions) for leads sends a hashed email or phone from the form when the lead is made, then uploads the same hashed details when the lead converts. Google matches the two, and to signed-in Google users who interacted with the ad ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/15713840)). It does not need a hidden `gclid` field, and Google recommends that advertisers using the click id import upgrade to it ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7012522)).

Note for developers: Google is moving offline conversion and enhanced conversions for leads uploads to the Data Manager API. From June 15, 2026, those uploads are blocked in the Google Ads API, except for developer tokens that already sent requests between January and June 2026 ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/15713840)). Check which interface your CRM or tool uses.

The full mechanics of both methods are in [offline and enhanced conversions explained](https://sporetag.com/guides/offline-conversions-explained).

## Settings that decide what bidding learns

**Primary and secondary actions.** Google Ads bids on primary conversion actions and only reports secondary ones ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/11461796)). If you track the form fill and the closed deal, make one of them primary. Two primary actions for the same person means one customer is counted twice.

**Values.** Give each action a value, even an estimate. Example values, made up for illustration: if one in five qualified leads buys a $2,000 job, a qualified lead is worth about $400 to you. A form fill that qualifies one time in four is worth about $100.

**Conversion window.** The [conversion window](https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversion-window) for clicks is 30 days by default and can be set up to 90 days ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/3123169)). If your sales cycle runs six weeks, a 30-day window drops most of your closed deals.

Google Ads then decides which click gets the credit with its own model; [attribution models explained](https://sporetag.com/guides/attribution-models-explained) covers how those models differ.

## A worked example

Example numbers, made up for illustration. A roofing company runs Search ads. In one month:

| Step | Count | Value used for bidding |
|---|---|---|
| Form fills and calls over 90 seconds | 140 | $50 each |
| Qualified after a site visit | 38 | $500 each |
| Signed contracts | 9 | the contract value |

Bidding on form fills treats a spam form and a $14,000 roof the same. Uploading qualified leads and contracts, with the form fill as secondary, tells Google which keywords bring roofs. The change shows in the cost per contract, not in the cost per lead, which may go up. The same holds on Meta: see [Meta Ads cost per lead](https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-ads-cost-per-lead) for working out what a lead is worth, and the [lead generation dashboard](https://sporetag.com/guides/lead-generation-dashboard) for keeping both numbers in view.

## Common mistakes

1. **Counting the Submit click.** It fires on errors and on spam.
2. **Counting every lead.** One person, two form sends, two conversions. Use **One**.
3. **Losing the click id.** A form that does not save it, or a redirect that strips it, makes offline upload impossible later.
4. **Two primary actions for one customer.** Bidding learns from each customer twice.
5. **A window shorter than the sales cycle.** Late deals never reach the report.

## Common questions

### How do I track leads from Google Ads?

Track the confirmed form send or booking as a conversion with the Google tag, set it to count one per click, track calls with Google forwarding numbers, and upload qualified leads and sales from your CRM with the click id or enhanced conversions for leads.

### Should I count every lead or one per click?

One per click, for leads. Google's own guidance is to count every sale but only one unique lead per ad click.

### What is a good minimum call length?

The length of the shortest call that could be a real enquiry for your business. Look at your call details report and set it above the length of wrong numbers and hang-ups.

### Do I need a CRM for offline conversion tracking?

You need somewhere that keeps the click id or the email with each lead, and the later outcome. A CRM is easiest. A spreadsheet works for small volumes.

### What if my sales cycle is longer than 90 days?

Clicks older than the conversion window cannot be credited. Upload an earlier stage that happens within the window, such as a qualified lead, as the primary action.

## Sources

- Google Ads Help: [About conversion counting options](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/3438531), [About phone call conversion tracking](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6100664), [Tracking calls to a phone number on a website](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6095883), [Set up offline conversions using GCLID](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7012522), [About enhanced conversions for leads](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/15713840), [About primary and secondary conversion actions](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/11461796), [About conversion windows](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/3123169). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag counts form sends and taps on your phone number, email and booking links as goals without code, keeps Google click ids for 90 days in 90-day tracking, and its upload to Google Ads is waiting on Google's approval (when shipped). More: https://sporetag.com/docs/send-results-to-ad-accounts

---

# Offline conversions and enhanced conversions explained

> How Google Ads and Meta accept sales and leads that happen off your website, how hashed email matching works, and the rules that make uploads fail.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/offline-conversions-explained
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

An offline conversion is a result that happens away from the web page where the ad click landed: a signed contract in a CRM, a phone order, a sale in a store, a subscription that renews. The ad platform never sees it unless you tell it. Uploading these results is how a business teaches ad bidding what a customer looks like, instead of what a form fill looks like.

This guide explains the two ways platforms match an offline result to an ad, how Google and Meta take them today, and what makes an upload fail.

## Two ways to match a result to an ad

**By click id.** The ad click carries an identifier, such as Google's `gclid` or Meta's `fbclid`. You save it when the visitor lands, keep it with the lead or order, and send it back with the result. The platform knows exactly which click it was. See [click ids explained](https://sporetag.com/guides/click-ids-explained).

**By hashed contact details.** You send the customer's email or phone, normalized and hashed with SHA-256. The platform hashes the details of its own signed-in users the same way and looks for a match. No click id needed, but only people signed in to that platform can match.

Most setups send both when they have them. The click id is precise; the hashed email catches people whose click id was lost, such as a lead who clicked on a phone and bought on a laptop.

Either way, the platform credits the result with its own model and window, which is why its count can differ from yours. See [attribution models explained](https://sporetag.com/guides/attribution-models-explained).

## Normalize before you hash

A hash of `Ann@Example.com ` and a hash of `ann@example.com` share nothing. Every platform asks for normalized values before hashing:

| Value | Normalize to | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Email | Trimmed, lowercase | Google also asks to drop dots before the `@` for gmail.com and googlemail.com ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/9888656)) |
| Phone | Country code and digits | Google wants E.164 with a plus (`+14155550123`); Meta wants digits only, with the country code ([Meta](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/parameters/customer-information-parameters)) |

Never hash a value twice, and never hash a click id.

## Google Ads

Google has three related tools.

**Offline conversion import with the click id.** You store the `gclid` with each lead and upload it later with the conversion name, time and value. It needs auto-tagging, a hidden form field or similar to keep the `gclid`, and the exact value, since it is case sensitive ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7012522)).

**Enhanced conversions for web.** When a visitor converts on your site, the Google tag also sends hashed first-party data such as the email they typed. Google matches it to Google accounts that were signed in when they engaged with your ads ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/9888656)). This improves online conversions; nothing is uploaded later.

**Enhanced conversions for leads.** The site sends hashed lead details when the form is sent. When the lead converts, you upload the same hashed details, plus the `gclid` if you have it. Google calls it an upgraded version of offline conversion import ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/15713840)).

Two dates and limits to know:

- **The conversion window.** An upload is credited only if the click falls inside the action's window, 30 days by default and up to 90 ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/3123169)).
- **The Data Manager API.** From June 15, 2026, Google blocks offline conversion and enhanced conversions for leads uploads in the Google Ads API, except for developer tokens that already sent requests between January and June 2026. New integrations use the Data Manager API ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/15713840)).

## Meta

Meta takes offline results through the same [Conversions API](https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversions-api) as website events. Its older, separate Offline Conversions API is now a legacy interface ([Meta](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/offline-events)).

- **In-store and offline sales** go with `action_source` set to `physical_store`. Meta asks for those within 62 days of the sale ([Meta](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/offline-events)).
- **Other server events,** such as a phone order sent as it happens, follow the general rule: `event_time` no more than 7 days in the past, or Meta rejects the whole request ([Meta](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/parameters/server-event)).
- **CRM lead stages** for leads from Meta's own lead forms go through the Conversions API for CRM. It is built for Instant Forms and works best with the Meta lead id stored in your CRM ([Meta](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/conversion-leads-integration)). Leads from your website do not use it.

The matching keys are the same as for website events: hashed email and phone, `fbc` built from the `fbclid`, and your own customer id. The [Meta Conversions API guide](https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-conversions-api-explained) covers them field by field.

## A worked example

Example numbers, made up for illustration. A kitchen fitter gets 60 leads a month from Google Ads and signs 8 jobs.

1. Each form saves the `gclid` and the email with the lead in the CRM.
2. When a job is signed, the CRM's export holds 8 rows: `gclid`, hashed email, conversion name `Signed job`, the signing time, and the job value.
3. 6 rows carry a `gclid`; 2 leads came back from a bookmark weeks later and only have the email.
4. Google matches all 6 click ids. Of the 2 email-only rows, it matches the ones whose owners were signed in to Google when they clicked, and only if the clicks fall inside the window.

Without the upload, Google sees 60 equal form fills. With it, Google sees which 8 searches turned into signed jobs.

## Why uploads fail

1. **The click is older than the window.** Set the window to fit your sales cycle before uploading.
2. **The click id was changed.** Lowercased, trimmed or cut off by a database column.
3. **Wrong time zone or format.** Google wants the conversion time with its time zone; a missing zone shifts the time.
4. **Hashed without normalizing.** One capital letter breaks a match.
5. **Customer data terms not accepted.** Google needs these accepted in the account before hashed data can be used.
6. **Consent.** Where the law requires consent for ad measurement, uploading a person who declined is still ad measurement.

## What Sporetag sends today

What works today, on paid plans: leads and sales go from Sporetag's server to the Meta Conversions API, and to TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat and Reddit, with click ids and hashed email and phone normalized the way each platform asks. In [90-day tracking](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes), click ids are kept for 90 days, so a sale days after the click still names it.

What is built and not yet live: the Google Ads upload (when shipped). It sends offline click conversions, enhanced conversions for leads, and deals won in HubSpot or GoHighLevel as a secondary "Sporetag closed deal" action. It waits on Google's approval of Sporetag's API access. Microsoft Ads and LinkedIn uploads are in the same state (when shipped). Won CRM deals are never sent to Meta, because they are not website purchases. For reading lead source next to deal value in the CRM itself, see [CRM lead to sale reporting](https://sporetag.com/guides/crm-lead-to-sale-reporting).

## Common questions

### What is an offline conversion?

A result that happens away from the page where the ad click landed, such as a signed contract, a phone order or a store sale, sent back to the ad platform later so it can credit the ad.

### What is the difference between enhanced conversions and offline conversion import?

Enhanced conversions for web add hashed customer details to conversions that happen on your site. Offline conversion import sends results that happen later, matched by click id. Enhanced conversions for leads combines them: hashed details when the lead is made, and again when it converts.

### Is uploading hashed emails allowed under GDPR?

Hashing does not make the data anonymous. You need a lawful basis, usually consent in the EU and UK for ad measurement, and your privacy notice must name the sharing.

### How long do I have to upload an offline conversion?

For Google, the click must fall inside the conversion action's window, up to 90 days. For Meta, offline store sales should be sent within 62 days, and other server events within 7 days of the event.

## Sources

- Google Ads Help: [About enhanced conversions](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/9888656), [About enhanced conversions for leads](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/15713840), [Set up offline conversions using GCLID](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7012522), [About conversion windows](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/3123169). Checked October 2026.
- Meta for Developers: [Sending offline events using the Conversions API](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/offline-events), [Server event parameters](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/parameters/server-event), [Customer information parameters](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/parameters/customer-information-parameters), [Conversions API for CRM integration](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/conversion-leads-integration). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag sends leads and sales to TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat and Reddit from its server with hashed contact details on paid plans, and its Google Ads upload of offline clicks, enhanced conversions for leads and closed CRM deals is waiting on Google's approval (when shipped). More: https://sporetag.com/docs/send-results-to-ad-accounts

---

# TikTok ads attribution: pixel, Events API and why numbers differ

> How TikTok credits conversions, why TikTok Ads Manager reports more sales than GA4 or your store, and how the pixel and Events API work together.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/tiktok-ads-attribution
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

TikTok Ads Manager often reports more purchases than your store can find, and GA4 often reports fewer than either. All three can be counting honestly. They answer different questions: TikTok asks "did this person see or tap our ad before buying?", while GA4 asks "what was the last source before this visit?".

This guide explains how TikTok credits a conversion, why the numbers split, and how to send TikTok the sales it misses. The same logic applies to Meta; see [Meta ads vs Shopify sales](https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-ads-vs-shopify-sales).

## How TikTok credits a conversion

TikTok credits a conversion to an ad when the person interacted with the ad inside its [attribution window](https://sporetag.com/glossary/attribution-window). There are three kinds of interaction:

- **Click-through:** they tapped the ad.
- **Engaged view-through:** they watched at least 6 seconds of the ad, or all of a shorter one, and did not tap ([TikTok](https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/about-engaged-view-through-attribution?lang=en)).
- **View-through:** they saw the ad and did not tap ([TikTok](https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/attribution-manager?lang=en)).

For web campaigns, the default ad group setting is a 7-day click and 1-day view window. Click windows can be 1, 7, 14 or 28 days, and view windows off, 1 or 7 days. The setting is fixed once the ad group is published ([TikTok](https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/attribution-settings-at-the-ad-group-level)).

## Why TikTok's numbers differ from GA4 and your store

**1. View credit.** A person who watched an ad yesterday and bought today through Google search is a TikTok conversion in TikTok, and a Google conversion in GA4. Both are reported; neither tool is wrong. See [view-through conversions](https://sporetag.com/glossary/view-through-conversion).

**2. Different windows and models.** GA4 credits the visit's source by its own model and ignores views on TikTok. TikTok counts its own touches within 7 days of a click. A purchase on day 6 can be TikTok's in TikTok and "direct" in GA4.

**3. The in-app browser.** TikTok opens links in its own browser. A buyer who taps in TikTok, leaves, and later buys in Safari is a different browser to your analytics. TikTok can still credit the ad if it matches the buyer another way, such as a hashed email sent with the purchase. Your site sees a new visitor.

**4. Lost click ids and tags.** If a redirect drops the `ttclid` and your UTM tags, the visit arrives as [direct traffic](https://sporetag.com/guides/direct-traffic-explained), and only TikTok remembers the ad.

**5. Missed conversions on TikTok's side.** The pixel misses buyers with blockers, closed tabs and checkout pages it does not run on. This pushes TikTok's numbers down, the other way.

## The pixel and the Events API

The **TikTok pixel** runs in the browser. It sees page views, adds to cart and purchases on pages where it loads.

The **Events API** sends events from your server. TikTok recommends running it alongside the pixel, to catch conversions the pixel misses through connection problems and browser differences ([TikTok](https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/events-api?lang=en)). This is the same idea as [server-side tracking](https://sporetag.com/guides/server-side-vs-client-side-tracking) in general.

### Deduplication: one purchase, counted once

When both send the same purchase, TikTok needs the same `event_id` from both, with the same event name. Events with the identical event and `event_id` that arrive after 5 minutes and within 48 hours of the first one are merged ([TikTok](https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/event-deduplication?lang=en)).

Use the order id, written the same way in both places. `1042` from the browser and `#1042` from the server are two purchases to TikTok.

### Match keys

A server event needs something TikTok can tie to a person: the `ttclid` from the landing page, a hashed email or phone, your own customer id, and the buyer's IP address and browser. The `ttclid` is the strongest, because it names the click. Save it from the landing page address with the visit, and send it with the order.

## Tag TikTok ads with UTM parameters

TikTok fills in macros in your URL parameters. Its own list includes `__CAMPAIGN_NAME__`, `__AID_NAME__` for the ad group and `__CID_NAME__` for the creative ([TikTok](https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/track-offsite-web-events-with-utm-parameters)). A template that puts them in your [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters):

```
utm_source=tiktok&utm_medium=paid-social&utm_campaign=__CAMPAIGN_NAME__&utm_content=__CID_NAME__&utm_term=__AID_NAME__
```

With that, every TikTok visit arrives with its campaign, ad group and creative in your own analytics, independent of TikTok's reporting.

## A worked example

Example numbers, made up for illustration. A shop compares one week:

| Tool | Purchases credited to TikTok |
|---|---|
| TikTok Ads Manager (7-day click, 1-day view) | 64 |
| The shop's analytics, last touch | 29 |
| The shop's analytics, first touch | 41 |

Of TikTok's 64, TikTok's view-through column shows 17: a view and no click. Those can never appear in click-based analytics. The rest of the gap is buyers who tapped in TikTok and came back days later through another source. The fair reading: TikTok started more journeys than last touch shows, and fewer than TikTok claims. A holdout test is the only way to know how many sales TikTok caused; see [incrementality](https://sporetag.com/glossary/incrementality).

## Common questions

### What is TikTok's default attribution window?

For web campaigns, 7 days after a click and 1 day after a view, set per ad group. It cannot be changed once the ad group is published.

### Why does TikTok show more conversions than GA4?

TikTok counts conversions after a view or a 6-second watch, and within 7 days of a tap. GA4 credits the last source of the visit and never sees TikTok views.

### Do I need the TikTok Events API if I have the pixel?

TikTok recommends both. The Events API catches conversions the pixel misses. Send the same `event_id` from both so each purchase counts once.

### What is ttclid?

The click id TikTok adds to the landing page address when someone taps an ad. Sending it back with a conversion tells TikTok exactly which click it was.

### Why are my TikTok conversions counted twice?

The pixel and the Events API sent the same purchase with different event ids or event names. Use the same order id as `event_id` in both.

## Sources

- TikTok Ads Manager Help: [Attribution settings at the ad group level](https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/attribution-settings-at-the-ad-group-level), [About engaged view-through attribution](https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/about-engaged-view-through-attribution?lang=en), [Attribution Manager](https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/attribution-manager?lang=en), [About event deduplication](https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/event-deduplication?lang=en), [About Events API](https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/events-api?lang=en), [About UTM parameters](https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/track-offsite-web-events-with-utm-parameters). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag reads the ttclid on landing, tags TikTok ads with one URL parameters template, and on paid plans sends leads and sales to the TikTok Events API with the click id and hashed contact details. More: https://sporetag.com/platforms/tiktok

---

# Lead-to-sale reporting: connect marketing sources to CRM revenue

> How to carry each lead's source into HubSpot or GoHighLevel, report won revenue by campaign, and avoid the mistakes that leave deals with no source.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/crm-lead-to-sale-reporting
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Analytics knows where a lead came from. The CRM knows whether that lead became a customer, and for how much. Lead-to-sale reporting joins the two, so a campaign is judged by the revenue it closed, not by the forms it filled.

The join is simple in principle: the source has to be written on the contact when the lead arrives, and stay there until the deal closes. Most broken reports fail at one of those two moments.

## Step 1: write the source on the lead

There are two ways, and the best setups use both.

**Hidden form fields.** Add hidden fields for `utm_source`, `utm_medium`, `utm_campaign`, the ad click id (`gclid`, `fbclid`) and the landing page. A small script fills them from the landing page address, saved when the visitor arrived, so the values survive a visit to three other pages before the form.

**The CRM's own tracking.** Both big small-business CRMs record a source on their own:

- **HubSpot** sets **Original Traffic Source**, the first known web source of the contact, from a fixed list: Organic search, Paid search, Email marketing, Organic social, Referrals, AI Referrals, Other campaigns, Direct traffic, Paid social and Offline sources. Its two drill-down properties hold the detail, such as the `utm_campaign` for paid search ([HubSpot](https://knowledge.hubspot.com/properties/understand-traffic-source-properties)).
- **GoHighLevel** keeps a **First attribution** and a **Latest attribution** on every contact. The first one never changes; the latest one follows the most recent interaction ([HighLevel](https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/48001219997-understanding-attribution-source)).

HubSpot notes that an ad blocker can block its tracking cookies and affect these values ([HubSpot](https://knowledge.hubspot.com/properties/understand-traffic-source-properties)). That is why hidden fields filled by your own site's code are worth adding even when the CRM tracks sources itself.

## Step 2: define the stages, with dates

A report by source is only as good as the stages behind it. Agree on a short list, and record the date each one is reached:

| Stage | Meaning | Who sets it |
|---|---|---|
| Lead | A form, call or booking with contact details | Automatic |
| Qualified | Fits your customer and wants to talk | Sales, by a rule everyone uses |
| Opportunity | A quote or proposal is out | Sales |
| Won | Signed or paid, with the amount | Sales or billing |
| Lost | With a reason | Sales |

The dates matter because sales take time. A lead from March that closes in May belongs to March's campaign.

## Step 3: report by when the lead came in

Two ways to cut the same data, both needed:

- **By lead month (cohort).** "Of the leads Google sent in March, how many closed, and for how much?" This is how you judge a campaign. It keeps growing for months as deals close.
- **By close month.** "What did we win in May, and where did it come from?" This is how you report revenue.

Read cost per won deal next to cost per lead. A cheap lead source that never closes is expensive.

### A worked example

Example numbers, made up for illustration. A web design studio, leads from January to March, read in June:

| Source | Leads | Qualified | Won | Revenue | Spend | Cost per won deal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Ads | 96 | 31 | 7 | $42,000 | $6,300 | $900 |
| Meta ads | 140 | 18 | 3 | $13,500 | $4,200 | $1,400 |
| Referrals | 22 | 15 | 8 | $61,000 | $0 | $0 |
| Organic search | 51 | 12 | 4 | $19,000 | $0 | $0 |

Meta ads sent the most leads and the least revenue. On cost per lead, Meta looks best ($30 against Google's $66); on cost per won deal it is the worst. Referrals, invisible in an ads report, closed the most business.

## Step 4: send results back to the ad platforms

Once won deals carry their source and click id, the ad platforms can learn from them:

- **Google Ads** imports offline conversions from HubSpot directly through its Data manager ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/10324795)), or from any CRM by upload. See [Google Ads conversion tracking for lead generation](https://sporetag.com/guides/google-ads-conversion-tracking-lead-gen).
- **Meta** takes CRM lead stages for its own lead forms through the Conversions API for CRM. Website leads go through the regular Conversions API. See [offline conversions explained](https://sporetag.com/guides/offline-conversions-explained).

## Mistakes that leave deals with no source

1. **Contacts created by hand.** A salesperson types in a lead from a call, and it has no source. Add a required "How did you hear about us?" field for manual entries.
2. **The source overwritten.** An import or a later form fill replaces the first source. Keep a first-touch field that is written only when empty.
3. **Duplicates.** The same person under two emails splits their history. Merge on email and phone.
4. **Deals without a contact.** A deal must be tied to the contact that carries the source, or the source never reaches the revenue.
5. **Judging too early.** A campaign launched in May cannot be judged in June if deals take 60 days.

Deciding which touch gets credit when a deal had several is a separate question; see [attribution models explained](https://sporetag.com/guides/attribution-models-explained).

## Common questions

### How do I track which marketing source a sale came from in my CRM?

Write the source on the contact when the lead arrives, with hidden form fields and the CRM's own source tracking, tie every deal to that contact, and report won revenue by the contact's source.

### What is HubSpot's Original Traffic Source?

HubSpot's property for the first known web source of a contact, from a fixed list such as Paid search or Organic social, with drill-down properties for the campaign or site.

### Should I report by lead date or close date?

Both. Lead date (cohort) judges campaigns. Close date reports revenue for the period.

### Why do so many CRM deals show as direct or offline?

Contacts added by hand, imports, ad blockers stopping the CRM's tracking, and first sources overwritten by later activity. Hidden form fields and a first-touch field written once fix most of it.

## Sources

- HubSpot Knowledge Base: [Understand Original and Latest traffic source properties](https://knowledge.hubspot.com/properties/understand-traffic-source-properties). Checked October 2026.
- HighLevel Support Portal: [Understanding attribution source](https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/48001219997-understanding-attribution-source). Checked October 2026.
- Google Ads Help: [HubSpot](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/10324795). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag's HubSpot and GoHighLevel connectors bring won deals in as sales and send each person's first and last source out to the CRM (when shipped); until then a webhook to Zapier or Make sends the same profile fields. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/crm-connectors

---

# MRR and SaaS attribution: which channels bring revenue that stays

> How MRR is calculated, what moves it, how churn is measured, and how to tie subscription revenue to the campaigns that brought each customer.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/saas-mrr-attribution
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

SaaS attribution ties subscription revenue in your billing system to the campaign or source that first brought each customer, so you can compare channels by the [MRR](https://sporetag.com/glossary/mrr) that stays rather than by signups. The join is an id passed from the visit into the checkout; once the first payment carries it, every renewal, upgrade and cancellation belongs to that source too.

This guide defines MRR and [churn](https://sporetag.com/glossary/churn) precisely, then shows how to make the join and how to judge channels by revenue that lasts.

## MRR, precisely

Monthly recurring revenue is the monthly value of every subscription that is paying now. Stripe's definition is the sum of the monthly-normalized value of all `active` and `past_due` subscriptions, excluding taxes, free plans and metered (usage-based) prices ([Stripe](https://docs.stripe.com/billing/subscriptions/analytics)).

"Monthly-normalized" means every billing interval is turned into a month:

| Plan | Price | Adds to MRR |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $49 a month | $49 |
| Yearly | $480 a year | $40 |
| Quarterly | $135 every 3 months | $45 |
| Monthly, 3 seats | $20 a seat | $60 |

The choices that cause most arguments:

- **Trials** add nothing until they turn into a paid plan.
- **Discounts.** A coupon that applies every month lowers MRR while it runs. Whether a one-time coupon should lower it is a choice; Stripe lets you set it either way ([Stripe](https://docs.stripe.com/billing/subscriptions/analytics)).
- **Past due** subscriptions still count until they are canceled or marked unpaid, because most failed payments are recovered.
- **Usage-based prices** have no known monthly amount ahead of time, so most MRR reports leave them out and say so.

MRR is not revenue. A customer who pays $480 for a year adds $480 to this month's cash and $40 to MRR. Report both, labeled.

## What moves MRR

Every change in MRR is one of four moves, and a good report shows each:

| Move | Example |
|---|---|
| New | A trial converts at $49 a month: +$49 |
| Expansion | A customer goes from 3 seats to 5: +$40 |
| Contraction | A customer moves from $99 to $49: −$50 |
| Churn | A $49 subscription is canceled: −$49 |

Stripe also counts reactivation, a canceled customer paying again, as its own move ([Stripe](https://docs.stripe.com/billing/subscriptions/analytics)). Net new MRR is the sum. A business can add plenty of new MRR and still shrink, which is why the moves matter more than the total.

## Churn, two ways

**Customer churn** is the share of paying customers who stopped in a period. Stripe divides customers who churned in the last 30 days by the active customers 30 days ago plus the new ones since ([Stripe](https://docs.stripe.com/billing/subscriptions/analytics)).

**Revenue churn** is the MRR lost to cancellations and downgrades. When expansion from the customers who stay outweighs it, revenue retention goes above 100 percent: the customers you already have grow on their own.

Say which one you mean. Losing 5 small customers and 1 large one gives a low customer churn and a high revenue churn.

## Tying revenue to sources

Analytics knows that a visitor came from a podcast link. Stripe knows that `cus_123` pays $49 a month. Neither knows the other. The join needs an identifier that passes from the visit to the payment:

1. **The visitor id on the payment.** Stripe Payment Links take a `client_reference_id` in the URL and return it on the completed checkout ([Stripe](https://docs.stripe.com/payment-links/url-parameters)). A Checkout Session you create in code can carry the same field or your own `metadata`. Put your analytics' visitor id there.
2. **UTM parameters on the payment link.** Payment Links accept the five UTM parameters, and pass them on to a redirect after payment ([Stripe](https://docs.stripe.com/payment-links/url-parameters)). Useful, but it only records the last link, not where the customer first came from.
3. **The email.** If the person gave their email on your site before paying, the payment's email can be matched to that visit.

Once the first payment is tied to a person, every renewal, upgrade and cancellation after it belongs to the same source, because Stripe keeps them on the same customer.

## Which touch gets the credit

A SaaS customer often reads a blog post from search, comes back from a newsletter, starts a trial from a retargeting ad and pays after a sales call. The [attribution model](https://sporetag.com/guides/attribution-models-explained) decides who gets the MRR:

- **First touch** answers "which channels find future customers?". It suits content and search.
- **Last touch** answers "what pushed them over the line?". It suits retargeting and email.

For subscription revenue, first touch is often the more honest default: the payment that matters most is month six, and no ad caused that. Look at both before you cut a channel.

## Judge channels by revenue that stays

Signups per channel is the wrong scoreboard. Compare channels by revenue per customer over a fixed span, such as the first 90 days or the first year, and only for customers who have had that long:

| First source | Customers | Paid per customer, first 180 days | Still paying at 180 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organic search | 48 | $310 | 71% |
| Paid social | 95 | $142 | 38% |
| Partner referrals | 22 | $405 | 82% |

Example numbers, made up for illustration.

Paid social brought the most customers and the least money that stayed. Hold the per-customer column against the cost per customer from each channel, and the budget conversation changes. The [cohorts guide](https://sporetag.com/guides/cohort-retention-analysis) covers the reading rules, and the [SaaS metrics dashboard](https://sporetag.com/guides/saas-metrics-dashboard) puts signups and lifetime value by source side by side.

## Where Sporetag fits

From Sporetag's revenue code and help, on paid plans with the Stripe connector: MRR counts yearly, weekly and quarterly plans by their monthly worth, counts quantity, counts trials from their first paid day, keeps past due subscriptions, lowers MRR for recurring coupons but not one-time ones, and leaves out usage-based prices while saying how many there are. It shows new, upgrades, downgrades and canceled, each tied to the customer's source, plus lifetime value by first source and campaign. Payments tie to visits through the Payment Link visitor id, `client_reference_id` or `metadata.st_id`, a Stripe customer seen before, or an email given on the site. Money in other currencies is never converted.

## Common questions

### How do you calculate MRR?

Add the monthly value of every paying subscription: monthly plans at their price, yearly plans divided by 12, quarterly plans divided by 3, times the quantity. Leave out trials, free plans, taxes and usage-based prices.

### What is the difference between MRR and revenue?

Revenue is money received in the period, including yearly plans paid up front and one-off charges. MRR is the monthly value of active subscriptions, a measure of the run rate.

### What is a good churn rate for SaaS?

It depends on price and customer size; small business products churn faster than enterprise ones. Track your own monthly churn by acquisition source, and compare sources with each other.

### How do I see which marketing channel brought a Stripe customer?

Pass your analytics' visitor id into the checkout as `client_reference_id` or metadata, or match the payment's email to a visit, so the first payment, and every renewal after it, carries that visit's source.

## Sources

- Stripe Docs: [Billing analytics, metric definitions](https://docs.stripe.com/billing/subscriptions/analytics), [Track a payment link](https://docs.stripe.com/payment-links/url-parameters). Checked October 2026.
- Stripe Support: [Understanding MRR and ARR](https://support.stripe.com/questions/understanding-monthly-recurring-revenue-%28mrr%29-and-annual-recurring-revenue-%28arr%29). Checked October 2026.
- Figures marked as examples are made up for illustration.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag's Revenue page reads your Stripe account on paid plans and shows new revenue, MRR and what moved it, and lifetime value by first source and campaign, each with one plain sentence. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/revenue-and-mrr

---

# Klaviyo attribution windows vs your analytics

> Klaviyo credits a sale to an email opened or clicked in the last 5 days. Why it runs above GA4 and Shopify, what to change, and which number to report.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/klaviyo-attribution
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Klaviyo, by default, credits an order to the last email a person opened or clicked in the 5 days before it, and to the last text they clicked in 5 days or received in 12 hours ([Klaviyo](https://help.klaviyo.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005248128)). GA4 and Shopify only credit email when the buying visit came from an email click. That is why Klaviyo's attributed revenue is almost always higher than what your analytics shows for email.

Neither is wrong. They answer different questions. This guide shows exactly where they differ, what to change, and which number to put in front of a client or a boss.

## Klaviyo's defaults

For new accounts, Klaviyo uses a last touch model with these lookback windows ([Klaviyo](https://help.klaviyo.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005248128)):

| Touch | Window |
|---|---|
| Email opened | 5 days |
| Email clicked | 5 days |
| Text clicked | 5 days |
| Text delivered | 12 hours |
| Push opened | 24 hours |

Rules that matter:

- **An open counts.** A person who opened Tuesday's email, ignored it, and bought on Friday from a Google ad is a Klaviyo conversion for Tuesday's email.
- **Apple Mail Privacy Protection opens count** unless you exclude them ([Klaviyo](https://help.klaviyo.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005248128)). Apple Mail can load messages on its own, so many "opens" were never seen by a person. See [how to track email clicks](https://sporetag.com/guides/track-email-clicks).
- **Conversions are counted on the send day**, not the order day.
- **Each channel keeps its own window** when a message goes out by email and text.
- **You can change the settings** up to 3 times in 30 days. Changes rewrite past data too, and take up to 36 hours.

## How your analytics counts email

Web analytics never sees an open. It only sees a visit, and it learns the visit came from email from the link's [UTM tags](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters). So:

- **GA4** credits email when a visit from a tagged email link leads to a key event, under its attribution model and a lookback of up to 90 days ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10597962)). See [attribution models explained](https://sporetag.com/guides/attribution-models-explained).
- **Shopify** credits the order's channel from the visits it recorded.
- **Neither** credits an email that was opened but not clicked.

## A worked example

Example numbers, made up for illustration. One week for a store sending three campaigns:

| Source of the number | Email revenue | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Klaviyo, default settings | $18,400 | Orders within 5 days of any open or click, MPP opens included |
| Klaviyo, clicks only, MPP excluded | $9,100 | Orders within 5 days of a click |
| GA4, tagged email visits | $6,300 | Orders whose credited visit came from an email link |
| Store orders total | $52,000 | Every order, once |

Meta and Google will also claim some of the same orders. Add every tool's attributed revenue together and it will exceed $52,000.

## Change the settings to match the question

| Question | Setting |
|---|---|
| Did this email make people buy? | Clicks only, 1 to 3 days, MPP opens excluded |
| Which campaign or flow is best? | Any setting, kept the same, comparing within Klaviyo |
| What did email add to the business overall? | No window answers it; run a holdout (see below) |

The click-based setting is closest to what GA4 shows, and the easiest to defend. Opens are a weak signal now that Apple's mail app loads mail by itself.

## Which number to report

- **Inside Klaviyo,** compare campaigns and flows with one fixed setting. Relative numbers are reliable even when absolute ones are generous.
- **To a client or a boss,** report email revenue from clicks, and total revenue from the store, once. Label Klaviyo's figure as Klaviyo's. The [client reporting guide](https://sporetag.com/guides/client-reporting-for-agencies) has wording for this.
- **To decide budget,** use a holdout: leave a random 10 percent of the list out of a campaign or flow for a few weeks and compare what each group spends. That measures what email caused, not what it touched. See [incrementality](https://sporetag.com/glossary/incrementality).

## Tag every Klaviyo link

Klaviyo can add UTM parameters to the links in campaigns and flows automatically, from **Settings**, **UTM tracking** ([Klaviyo](https://help.klaviyo.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005247808)). Turn it on, and keep the values lowercase and steady: `utm_source=klaviyo`, `utm_medium=email` for email and `sms` for texts, the campaign name in `utm_campaign`. With `utm_medium=email`, GA4 files the visits under its Email channel; other values can end up in [Unassigned](https://sporetag.com/guides/ga4-unassigned-traffic).

## Where Sporetag fits

From Sporetag's Klaviyo connector code and help, on paid plans: sends, opens, clicks and unsubscribes join each customer's profile, next to their visits and orders, so you can see whether a buyer clicked an email or only opened one. Sends and opens alone never create a customer, because mail apps open mail on their own. Sporetag writes each person's first and last source, lifetime value, orders and best send hour back to their Klaviyo profile.

## Common questions

### What is Klaviyo's default attribution window?

For new accounts, last touch with 5 days for email opens and clicks, 5 days for text clicks, 12 hours for text deliveries and 24 hours for push opens.

### Why is Klaviyo revenue higher than GA4?

Klaviyo credits orders to emails that were opened, not only clicked, within 5 days, and Apple Mail Privacy Protection opens count unless excluded. GA4 only credits a visit that came from a tagged email link.

### Should I exclude Apple Mail Privacy Protection opens in Klaviyo?

Yes for attribution. Apple Mail can load messages without the person reading them, so those opens say little about whether the email made someone buy.

### Does changing Klaviyo's attribution settings change past data?

Yes. Klaviyo recalculates past and future attribution with the new settings, which can take up to 36 hours, and you can change them up to 3 times in 30 days.

## Sources

- Klaviyo Help Center: [Understanding message conversion tracking](https://help.klaviyo.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005248128), [Understanding UTM tracking in Klaviyo](https://help.klaviyo.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005247808). Checked October 2026.
- Google Analytics Help: [Select attribution settings](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10597962). Checked October 2026.
- Figures marked as examples are made up for illustration.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag's Klaviyo connector puts each customer's email sends, opens and clicks on their profile next to their visits and orders, and writes their first and last source back to Klaviyo, on paid plans. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/klaviyo-connector

---

# Break-even ROAS and target MER: the formulas, with a margin table

> Break-even ROAS is 1 ÷ margin; target MER adds fixed costs and profit. Formulas, a lookup table by margin and worked examples you can copy.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/break-even-roas-and-target-mer
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Break-even ROAS is 1 divided by your gross margin: at a 40 percent margin, ads must bring $2.50 in sales for every $1 spent before they stop losing money. Target MER (marketing efficiency ratio) is the same idea for the whole business: total revenue ÷ total marketing spend, set high enough to cover your fixed costs and leave the profit you want.

The calculators that rank for this phrase stop at the first formula. This page gives both formulas, a table you can read your number from, and the three adjustments that change the answer: variable costs, fixed costs and repeat purchases.

## The two formulas

| Number | Formula | Answers |
|---|---|---|
| Break-even [ROAS](https://sporetag.com/glossary/roas) | 1 ÷ contribution margin | Does this order pay for its own ads? |
| Target [MER](https://sporetag.com/glossary/mer) | 1 ÷ (contribution margin − fixed cost share − profit share) | Does the business make the profit we planned? |

Margins are decimals: 40 percent is 0.40. **Contribution margin** is what is left of each sale after every cost that grows with it: the product, shipping, packaging, payment fees and an allowance for returns. Use it instead of gross margin when those costs are large. The shortcut on most calculators uses gross margin alone, which sets the bar too low.

Both numbers are read against revenue from your store or payment system, counted once. A platform's own ROAS counts sales other channels share, so it overstates against these targets. See [ROAS, blended ROAS and MER](https://sporetag.com/guides/roas-mer-blended-roas).

## The table

Find your contribution margin on the left. The first column is the break-even point with no fixed costs. The next two are the MER you need for 10 or 20 percent of revenue left as profit, before fixed costs.

| Contribution margin | Break-even ROAS | MER for 10% profit | MER for 20% profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30% | 3.33 | 5.00 | 10.00 |
| 40% | 2.50 | 3.33 | 5.00 |
| 50% | 2.00 | 2.50 | 3.33 |
| 60% | 1.67 | 2.00 | 2.50 |
| 70% | 1.43 | 1.67 | 2.00 |

Read across a row and the cost of ambition is plain: at a 40 percent margin, going from 10 to 20 percent profit means getting 50 percent more revenue out of every marketing dollar. At a 30 percent margin, a 20 percent profit target needs an MER of 10: $10 of sales for every marketing dollar. Thin margins are a pricing problem before they are an ads problem.

Some tools show the same ratio the other way round, as marketing spend as a share of revenue. An MER of 4 is 25 percent; an MER of 2.5 is 40 percent. Check which way a benchmark is written before comparing.

## Worked example: from margin to a spend ceiling

Example numbers, made up for illustration. A store sells a $80 product.

| Per order | Amount |
|---|---|
| Price | $80.00 |
| Product cost | −$24.00 |
| Shipping and packaging | −$9.00 |
| Payment fees (about 3%) | −$2.40 |
| Returns allowance (5% of price) | −$4.00 |
| Contribution | $40.60 |

Contribution margin = $40.60 ÷ $80 = 50.75 percent. The gross margin shortcut would say 70 percent (price minus product cost only), and a break-even ROAS of 1.43. The honest figure is 1 ÷ 0.5075 = 1.97. An ad set running at a ROAS of 1.7 looks profitable under the shortcut and loses money on every order.

Now the whole business. The store expects $120,000 in revenue next month and has $25,000 of fixed costs (rent, salaries, software).

- Contribution: $120,000 × 0.5075 = $60,900.
- Most it can spend on marketing and break even: $60,900 − $25,000 = $35,900, an MER of $120,000 ÷ $35,900 = 3.34.
- To keep $12,000 (10 percent) as profit: spend at most $23,900, an MER of 5.02.

The general form: **marketing budget = revenue × contribution margin − fixed costs − target profit.** It is the number to agree before the month starts, not after.

## Repeat purchases change break-even

Break-even ROAS on the first order is strict. If customers buy again, an ad that brings a new customer can run below it and still pay over a year.

Example: at a 40 percent contribution margin, first-order break-even is 2.50. If a new customer's first 12 months bring 1.8 times their first order, the first-order ROAS that breaks even over the year is 1 ÷ (0.40 × 1.8) = 1.39. (Example numbers.)

Three rules keep this honest:

1. **Use your measured repeat rate** for customers acquired through ads, from your own orders, not a hoped-for one. Repeat buyers from email and word of mouth often reorder more than buyers from cold ads.
2. **Apply it to new customers only.** Ads that mostly reach existing customers earn no new lifetime value. Read new and returning revenue separately.
3. **Pay for the wait.** Money spent today comes back over months. A business short of cash can be profitable on paper and still unable to fund next month's ads.

See [cohort retention analysis](https://sporetag.com/guides/cohort-retention-analysis) for measuring the repeat rate by month of first purchase, and [lifetime value](https://sporetag.com/glossary/ltv) for the definition.

## Which number to hold each decision to

| Decision | Hold it to |
|---|---|
| Keep or cut one ad set | Its platform ROAS, as a trend, against break-even ROAS |
| Raise or lower total budget next month | MER against target MER |
| Price change or new supplier | Contribution margin, then re-read the table |
| Spend into a seasonal peak | Target MER for the month, with the peak's lower fixed cost share |
| Judge a prospecting campaign | Break-even over 12 months, if your repeat rate is measured |

Platform ROAS is useful for comparing ad sets inside one platform, where the overcounting is roughly the same for each. It is the wrong number to hold the business to. See [attribution models explained](https://sporetag.com/guides/attribution-models-explained) for why each platform's credit adds up to more than your sales.

## What the calculators leave out

- **Variable costs beyond the product.** Shipping, fees and returns can take 10 to 20 points of margin off an order. Break-even moves with them.
- **Fixed costs.** A ROAS above break-even pays for the order, not the rent. Only target MER includes them.
- **Discounts.** A 20 percent discount on a 50 percent margin product leaves 37.5 percent: (0.8 − 0.5) ÷ 0.8. Break-even jumps from 2.0 to 2.67 for discounted orders.
- **Currency.** Revenue and spend in different currencies give a meaningless ratio. Convert one side at a dated rate.
- **Refunds.** Use revenue after refunds and cancellations, or every ratio here reads high.

## Common questions

### How do I calculate break-even ROAS?

Divide 1 by your contribution margin as a decimal. A product with a 40 percent margin after product, shipping, fees and returns has a break-even ROAS of 1 ÷ 0.40 = 2.5.

### What is a good MER?

The one above your target MER, worked out from your margin, fixed costs and profit goal. A published benchmark from another business with different margins tells you little. At a 60 percent contribution margin, an MER of 2.5 leaves 20 percent profit before fixed costs; at 30 percent it loses money.

### What is the marketing efficiency ratio formula?

MER = total revenue ÷ total marketing spend, for the same period. Write down whether spend includes only ads or also agency fees, creators and tools, and keep it the same each month.

### Is break-even ROAS the same as target ROAS in Google Ads?

No. Target ROAS is a bid strategy setting: the average conversion value you ask Google to aim for per dollar spent, measured with Google's own conversion values ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6268637)). Set it from your break-even figure plus margin for profit, and remember Google's values follow Google's attribution, not your store's.

### Should break-even ROAS use gross margin or contribution margin?

Contribution margin, when shipping, fees and returns are a real share of the price. Gross margin alone sets the bar too low and makes losing ads look profitable.

## Sources

- Shopify: [Marketing efficiency ratio](https://www.shopify.com/blog/marketing-efficiency-ratio). Checked October 2026.
- Google Ads Help: [About Target ROAS bidding](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6268637). Checked October 2026.
- The formulas are standard definitions; the table is computed from them. Example numbers are made up for illustration.

## Where Sporetag fits

Type your cost of goods in Sporetag's Profit settings, and the dashboard shows blended ROAS beside the break-even ROAS it works out from them, for every period you pick. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/profit-and-currency

---

# Meta Ads cost per lead and signups: what Meta counts, and what to pay

> How Meta counts leads and signups, why Ads Manager's cost per lead differs from your CRM, and how to work out the most a lead is worth to you.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-ads-cost-per-lead
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Meta's cost per lead is your spend divided by the leads Meta counts, shown in Ads Manager as **Cost per result** when an ad set is optimized for leads. Whether it is good depends on one number Meta cannot see: what a lead is worth to you, which is your close rate times the profit on a sale.

This guide shows which events Meta calls a lead or a signup, why its count rarely matches your CRM, and how to set the most you should pay, with a worked example.

## What Meta counts as a lead or a signup

Meta reports many actions, and several sound alike. The ones people mean by "leads" and "signups":

| What you see | Meta's event or action type | Meta's definition | Where the person is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leads (website) | `Lead`, reported as `offsite_conversion.fb_pixel_lead` | "When a sign up is completed" | On your site |
| Registrations (website) | `CompleteRegistration`, reported as `offsite_conversion.fb_pixel_complete_registration` | "When a registration form is completed" | On your site |
| On-Facebook leads | `onsite_conversion.lead_grouped` | "All On-Facebook Leads" | Never left Facebook or Instagram |
| Contacts, bookings, applications | `Contact`, `Schedule`, `SubmitApplication` | Contact by phone, chat or email; a booked appointment; a submitted application | On your site |

Definitions are Meta's own, from its [pixel reference](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/meta-pixel/reference) and [action types](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/reference/ads-action-stats/). Two points matter:

- **Meta's names overlap.** Meta defines `Lead` as a completed sign up, and lists "a person clicks on pricing" as an example. It is whatever your site sends under that name. Decide what each event means for you, write it down, and send the same event for the same thing every time.
- **The same signups arrive under several names.** Meta reports a registration as `complete_registration`, `offsite_conversion.fb_pixel_complete_registration` and on some accounts `omni_complete_registration`. Adding those columns together counts each signup two or three times. Pick one.

## Results and cost per result

Ads Manager's **Results** column counts whatever each ad set is optimized for: leads for a lead ad set, purchases for a sales ad set. **Cost per result** divides that ad set's spend by its results.

That makes cost per result reliable for one ad set and misleading across a campaign with mixed goals. A campaign with one ad set optimized for leads and one for landing page views has two kinds of result. Their sum is not a lead count, and spend divided by it is not a cost per lead. Read cost per lead from ad sets that count leads, or from a **Leads** column you add yourself.

## Why Meta's count differs from your CRM

Ads Manager will almost always show more leads than your CRM has from Meta. Each cause has a check:

| Cause | What happens | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| View-through credit | A lead within 1 day of someone seeing an ad, with no click, counts | Compare attribution settings: click only against click and view |
| Other channels in the path | Someone clicked your ad, then came back from Google and filled the form. Meta and Google both count it | Count leads once, in your CRM or site, by the visit's source |
| Duplicates | Browser pixel and Conversions API both send the lead without a shared `event_id` | Check Events Manager for deduplication; see the [Conversions API guide](https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-conversions-api-explained) |
| Instant Forms | On-Facebook leads never visit your site, so your analytics never sees them | Read them from Meta or your CRM, never from web analytics |
| Junk and repeats | Fake details, test entries and people who send the form twice | Count unique emails or phone numbers in the CRM |
| Modeled conversions | Meta estimates some it cannot observe, for example after iOS opt-outs | No direct check; expect a gap that never closes |

The [attribution window](https://sporetag.com/glossary/attribution-window) explains most of the rest. [Why Meta Ads and Shopify never match](https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-ads-vs-shopify-sales) walks through the same gaps for purchases.

## The most a lead is worth: worked example

Example numbers, made up for illustration. A home services company sells jobs worth $2,000 on average, with a 50 percent margin after materials and labor. Of the leads that come from ads, 10 percent become paying jobs.

Value of one lead = $2,000 × 0.50 × 0.10 = **$100**. Paying $100 per lead breaks even on the first job. Paying $60 leaves $40 per lead as profit.

Now two campaigns, compared the way Ads Manager shows them and the way the business sees them:

| Campaign | Spend | Leads (Meta) | Cost per lead | Qualified | Cost per qualified lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instant Form, broad | $3,000 | 150 | $20 | 18 (12%) | $167 |
| Website form, quote request | $3,000 | 60 | $50 | 33 (55%) | $91 |

On Ads Manager's number, the first campaign is two and a half times better. On qualified leads it is almost twice as expensive, and above the $100 ceiling. This pattern is common: easier forms bring cheaper leads that qualify less often. Judge by the lead your sales team would call, not by the cheapest form fill.

## Signups work the same way

For a free trial, newsletter or account signup, the value of one signup is the share that later pay times what a paying customer is worth. If 4 percent of trial signups become customers worth $600 in gross profit over a year, a signup is worth $24. (Example numbers.) Read cost per signup the same way as cost per lead: from ad sets optimized for signups, against that ceiling.

For subscriptions, judge channels by the revenue that stays, not the signups. See [SaaS attribution and MRR](https://sporetag.com/guides/saas-mrr-attribution).

## Published averages

Agencies and tool vendors publish average Meta cost per lead figures by industry. They differ widely from one report to the next, because each uses different accounts, lead definitions and periods, and some mix Instant Forms with website forms. Use them to sense-check a quote, never as a target. Your ceiling is the worked example above, with your own numbers.

## Set it up so the numbers hold

1. **One event per meaning.** `Lead` for a form that asks to be contacted, `CompleteRegistration` for an account or newsletter, `Schedule` for a booking. Optimize each ad set for the one that matters.
2. **Send it from the browser and the server** with the same `event_id`, so Meta counts it once ([Meta](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/deduplicate-pixel-and-server-events)).
3. **Tag every ad's link** with [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters), so your analytics and CRM know the campaign and ad behind each lead.
4. **Count qualified leads in one place**, your CRM or site, and compare them with Meta's count per campaign each week.
5. **Send the outcome back.** Tell Meta which leads became customers with [offline conversions](https://sporetag.com/guides/offline-conversions-explained), so it can find more like them.

## Common questions

### What is a good cost per lead on Meta Ads?

One below what a lead is worth to you: your close rate times the profit on a sale. At a 10 percent close rate and $1,000 profit per sale, a lead is worth $100.

### Why is my cost per lead in Ads Manager lower than in my CRM?

Meta counts leads after views as well as clicks, leads other channels also touched, and some it models. Your CRM counts each person once. Compare the two per campaign with a click-only attribution setting.

### What is the difference between Lead and CompleteRegistration?

Meta defines `Lead` as a completed sign up and `CompleteRegistration` as a completed registration form. In practice, use `Lead` for people asking to be contacted and `CompleteRegistration` for accounts, trials and newsletters, and keep to it.

### Do Instant Form leads show in Google Analytics?

No. People who fill in an Instant Form never visit your site. Read those leads from Meta or your CRM.

### Should I optimize for the cheapest leads?

Only if they qualify at the same rate. Compare cost per qualified lead, or send qualified leads back to Meta and optimize for them.

## Sources

- Meta for Developers: [Meta Pixel standard events reference](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/meta-pixel/reference), [Ads action stats (action types)](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/reference/ads-action-stats/), [Deduplicate pixel and server events](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/deduplicate-pixel-and-server-events). Checked October 2026.
- Example numbers are made up for illustration.

## Where Sporetag fits

Connect Meta Ads and Sporetag's Ad spend card shows Meta's leads and signups and their cost per campaign, labeled (Meta), beside the leads your site tracked, labeled (tracked). The two are never added together. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/meta-ads-spend

---

# Cookieless analytics and GDPR: what needs consent, and what usually does not

> Do you need a cookie banner for analytics? How ePrivacy, the GDPR, the CNIL exemption and the UK change of 2026 apply to cookieless and cookie tracking.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/cookieless-analytics-gdpr
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

"Cookieless" analytics is often sold as "no banner needed, GDPR compliant". That is partly true and easy to overstate. Two different laws apply, they ask different questions, and the answer depends on what your analytics actually does with the visitor's device and data.

This is a plain explanation of how the rules work, not legal advice. Check the rules where you and your visitors are, and ask a lawyer for anything that matters to your business.

## Two laws, two questions

**The ePrivacy rule** (Article 5(3) of the ePrivacy Directive, and each EU country's law that implements it) asks: are you storing information on the visitor's device, or reading information from it? If yes, you need consent, unless it is strictly necessary for a service the visitor asked for. This covers cookies, `localStorage`, and similar techniques. It applies whether or not the information is personal data.

**The GDPR** asks: are you processing personal data? If yes, you need a lawful basis (consent is one, legitimate interest is another), you must tell people in your privacy notice, keep the data no longer than needed, and protect it. IP addresses and device identifiers are generally treated as personal data.

A banner is about the first question. A privacy notice and a lawful basis are about the second. Cookieless analytics can remove the need for the first, never the second.

## What "cookieless" can and cannot mean

Cookieless tools count visitors without storing anything on the device. A common method: hash the IP address and browser string together with the site and a salt that changes every day, so the same person is recognized within a day and not after.

- **Nothing is stored on the device**, so the ePrivacy consent rule is usually not triggered by storage.
- **The IP address is still processed**, in memory, to make the hash. That is processing of personal data under the GDPR, which needs a lawful basis and a line in your privacy notice.
- **No cross-day memory.** The same person tomorrow is a new visitor. That is the privacy benefit and the measurement cost: multi-day [attribution](https://sporetag.com/glossary/attribution) is not possible this way.

The EDPB's guidelines on the scope of Article 5(3), adopted in final form in October 2024, look at techniques beyond cookies, including URL and pixel tracking and tracking based on IP addresses only ([EDPB](https://www.edpb.europa.eu/documents/guideline/guidelines-22023-on-technical-scope-of-art-53-of-eprivacy-directive_en)). Their message is that the rule is about access to the device, not the word "cookie". A cookieless tool that fingerprints the device in the browser can still fall under it.

## When analytics cookies are exempt

Some regulators allow audience measurement cookies without consent, under strict conditions.

- **France (CNIL).** Audience measurement trackers can be exempt from consent if they are used only to measure the site's own audience, give anonymous statistics, are not combined with other data or shared for other purposes, and meet limits such as a 13-month tracker lifetime. Visitors must be told and able to object ([CNIL](https://www.cnil.fr/en/sheet-ndeg16-use-analytics-your-websites-and-applications)).
- **United Kingdom.** The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 added an exception to the UK's cookie rule for storage used only to collect statistics about how a service is used, to improve it, with clear information and a simple way to opt out. Law firms report it took effect on 5 February 2026 ([Clifford Chance](https://www.cliffordchance.com/insights/resources/blogs/talking-tech/en/articles/2025/09/uk-ico-s-updated-guidance-for-new-exceptions-to-cookie-consents-.html), [Bratby Law](https://bratby.law/data-use-and-access-act-2025-commencement/)). Advertising is outside it.
- **The rest of the EU.** Practice varies by country. The European Commission's Digital Omnibus proposal of November 2025 would allow first-party audience measurement without consent across the EU, but it had not been adopted as of October 2026 ([Taylor Wessing](https://www.taylorwessing.com/de/global-data-hub/2026/the-digital-omnibus-proposal/gdh---the-digital-omnibus---cookies)).

None of these exemptions cover advertising: retargeting, sending conversions to ad platforms, or tracking people across sites.

## What usually needs consent in the EU and UK

| What the tool does | Banner (ePrivacy) | GDPR basis and notice |
|---|---|---|
| Cookieless daily hash, no storage on the device | Usually no | Yes |
| First-party analytics cookie meeting a national exemption | Depends on the country | Yes |
| First-party id kept for weeks to tie sales to ad clicks | Usually yes | Yes |
| Ad pixels (Meta, Google Ads, TikTok) | Yes | Yes |
| Sending conversions with personal data to ad platforms from your server | Not a storage question, but usually consent as the GDPR basis | Yes |

## What about Google Analytics?

GA4 sets first-party cookies, so in the EU it generally needs consent under the ePrivacy rule. Between 2022 and 2023 several EU regulators, including Austria's and France's, found specific uses of Google Analytics unlawful because of data transfers to the US. The EU-US Data Privacy Framework, adopted by the European Commission in July 2023, changed the transfer question for certified US companies ([European Commission](https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection/eu-us-data-transfers_en)). The cookie consent question did not change. What a small business should collect at all is covered in [first-party data for small businesses](https://sporetag.com/guides/first-party-data).

Google's consent mode lets GA4 send cookieless pings when consent is denied and model the gaps, but modeling only switches on for properties above set volumes ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/11161109)).

## Outside Europe

- **United States.** No federal cookie consent rule. State privacy laws such as California's give people the right to opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal data, which can include ad pixels. A "Do not sell or share" link and honoring Global Privacy Control signals are the usual answer.
- **Elsewhere.** Brazil, Canada, Australia and others have their own rules. Check where your visitors are, not only where you are.

## A practical setup

1. Run privacy-friendly analytics without storage for everyone. It counts every visit and usually needs no banner, only a privacy notice.
2. Load ad pixels and long-lived ids only after consent, where the law asks for it.
3. Send sales to ad platforms from your server only for buyers whose consent covers it.
4. Say all of this plainly in your privacy notice: what you measure, with which tools, and for how long.

This gives you full visit counts from everyone, and attribution for the people who said yes, without guessing at the law.

## Common questions

### Do I need a cookie banner for analytics?

In the EU, for analytics that stores cookies or similar data on the device, usually yes, unless a national exemption applies. For analytics that stores nothing on the device, usually no, though you still need a privacy notice and a lawful basis under the GDPR.

### Is cookieless analytics GDPR compliant?

No tool is compliant on its own. Compliance depends on how you use it. A cookieless tool makes the ePrivacy part simpler, but you still process personal data such as IP addresses, which the GDPR covers.

### Is localStorage a cookie under the law?

The ePrivacy rule covers any storage on or access to the device, so `localStorage`, `sessionStorage` and similar storage are treated the same way as cookies.

### Can I use legitimate interest instead of consent?

Under the GDPR, legitimate interest can be a basis for some analytics. It does not replace the ePrivacy consent requirement for storing data on the device where no exemption applies.

## Sources

- EDPB: [Guidelines 2/2023 on Technical Scope of Art. 5(3) of the ePrivacy Directive](https://www.edpb.europa.eu/documents/guideline/guidelines-22023-on-technical-scope-of-art-53-of-eprivacy-directive_en), version 2.0 adopted 7 October 2024.
- CNIL: [Sheet 16, use analytics on your websites and applications](https://www.cnil.fr/en/sheet-ndeg16-use-analytics-your-websites-and-applications). Checked October 2026.
- UK: [Clifford Chance on the ICO's updated guidance](https://www.cliffordchance.com/insights/resources/blogs/talking-tech/en/articles/2025/09/uk-ico-s-updated-guidance-for-new-exceptions-to-cookie-consents-.html), [Bratby Law on commencement](https://bratby.law/data-use-and-access-act-2025-commencement/).
- European Commission: [EU-US data transfers](https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection/eu-us-data-transfers_en). Digital Omnibus status: [Taylor Wessing](https://www.taylorwessing.com/de/global-data-hub/2026/the-digital-omnibus-proposal/gdh---the-digital-omnibus---cookies).
- Google Analytics Help: [Consent mode behavioral modeling](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/11161109).

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag's default Private mode sets no cookies and stores nothing on the device, and never stores IP addresses. 90-day tracking is opt in per site, with a Wait for consent switch and a simple built-in banner. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes

---

# iOS and Safari tracking changes, version by version

> What Apple's Link Tracking Protection, ITP, App Tracking Transparency and Safari 26 remove, where each applies, and what still works for ad tracking.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/ios-safari-tracking-changes
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Link Tracking Protection removes known click-tracking parameters, such as ad click ids, from links opened in Mail, Messages and Safari Private Browsing; UTM campaign tags are not its target and pass through. Separately, Safari limits how long scripts can keep cookies, and since Safari 26 it stops known fingerprinting scripts from reading the page's query parameters and referrer. Apple has not removed UTM tags from ordinary browsing.

Much of what is written about "iOS killing tracking" mixes these features up. This guide separates them, with Apple's and WebKit's own words, and lists what still works.

## The changes, in order

| Version | Change | Applies to | Effect on marketing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safari 13.1, iOS 13.4 (2020) | Third-party cookies blocked; script-written storage deleted after 7 days without interaction | All Safari browsing | Returning visitors look new after a week away |
| Safari 14 (2020) | Cookies set through third-party CNAME cloaking capped at 7 days | Safari, first on macOS Big Sur | "First-party" tracking via a CNAME to a vendor gets the same limit |
| iOS 14.5 (2021) | App Tracking Transparency: apps need permission to track; without it the advertising id is all zeros | Apps, not websites | Less in-app attribution for Meta, TikTok and others |
| iOS 17, Safari 17 (2023) | Link Tracking Protection: known tracking parameters removed from links | Mail, Messages and Safari Private Browsing | Lost click ids on those links |
| Safari 26, iOS 26 (2025) | Known fingerprinting scripts cannot reliably read device details, query parameters or `document.referrer` | Known fingerprinting scripts | Fingerprinting vendors lose click ids and referrers |

Sources for each row are in the sections below.

## Intelligent Tracking Prevention: the storage limits

Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) is Safari's set of rules for cookies and storage. Today WebKit documents these ([WebKit](https://webkit.org/tracking-prevention/)):

- **Third-party cookies are blocked.** Full blocking arrived in Safari 13.1 ([WebKit](https://webkit.org/blog/10218/full-third-party-cookie-blocking-and-more/)).
- **Script-written storage lasts 7 days without interaction.** Cookies created in JavaScript, and localStorage and the rest, are deleted after 7 days of Safari use with no visit to the site.
- **24 hours after a decorated link.** When ITP detects link decoration used for tracking, cookies created in JavaScript on the landing page are capped at 24 hours.
- **Cloaked server cookies get 7 days.** Cookies set by a server reached through a third-party CNAME or third-party IP address are capped at 7 days ([WebKit](https://webkit.org/blog/11338/cname-cloaking-and-bounce-tracking-defense/)).
- **Referrers are cut to the origin.** All third-party referrers are downgraded to their origin, so a referring page's path and query never arrive.

What it means: a visitor who clicks an ad today and returns from a bookmark in 10 days may look like a new, direct visitor. Attribution windows longer than a week undercount Safari users. See [ITP](https://sporetag.com/glossary/itp).

## App Tracking Transparency: apps, not websites

From iOS 14.5, an app needs the user's permission through App Tracking Transparency to track them across other companies' apps and websites, or to read the advertising identifier; without it the identifier is all zeros ([Apple](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/user-privacy-and-data-use/)).

This hit ad platforms' own apps, not your website analytics. It is why Meta and TikTok rely more on modeled conversions and on server events such as the [Conversions API](https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-conversions-api-explained).

## Link Tracking Protection

Announced with iOS 17, Link Tracking Protection removes tracking information from links shared in Messages and Mail, and from links in Safari Private Browsing ([Apple](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/06/apple-announces-powerful-new-privacy-and-security-features/)).

How it works, from WebKit ([WebKit](https://webkit.org/blog/15697/private-browsing-2-0/)):

- Safari removes "a subset of query parameters that have been identified as being used for pervasive cross-site tracking" before the page loads, so they never reach the server.
- Parameters used only for campaign attribution pass through. WebKit's own example is a `campaign` parameter, which it allows because it is "only used for campaign attribution, as opposed to click or user-level tracking".
- Third-party scripts on a page reached cross-site see the URL without its query and fragment.
- The same protections can be turned on for all browsing, in **Advanced Tracking and Fingerprinting Protection**, set to **All Browsing**.

Apple does not publish the list of parameters it removes. Able CDP's tests report ad click ids such as `gclid` removed and UTM tags kept, which fits WebKit's description: a click id identifies one click, and so one person; a UTM tag describes a campaign ([Able CDP](https://www.ablecdp.com/blog/does-safari-strip-click-ids-gclid-fbclid)).

The source of most iOS 26 alarm: a Safari 26 beta listed filtering tracking parameters in regular browsing, and a Technology Preview removed `gclid` in normal tabs. The item is not in the final Safari 26.0 release notes, and the same tests found the released Safari 26 passing every parameter in normal browsing ([Able CDP](https://www.ablecdp.com/blog/does-safari-strip-click-ids-gclid-fbclid)). It could ship in a later version; watch the release notes.

So in practice:

| Link opened in | Click ids (`gclid`, `fbclid`) | UTM tags |
|---|---|---|
| Safari, normal browsing (default settings) | Kept | Kept |
| Safari Private Browsing | Often removed | Kept |
| A link tapped in Mail or Messages | Often removed | Kept |
| Safari with Advanced Tracking and Fingerprinting Protection on for all browsing | Often removed | Kept |

## Safari 26: fingerprinting scripts

Safari 26 added protection against fingerprinting by known tracking scripts ([Apple](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/safari-release-notes/safari-26-release-notes)). WebKit says it stops known fingerprinting scripts from reliably reading device details such as screen size, and from "reading state that could be used for navigational tracking", namely "query parameters and `document.referrer`" ([WebKit](https://webkit.org/blog/17333/webkit-features-in-safari-26-0/)).

This targets scripts on WebKit's list of known fingerprinters. It does not remove parameters from the URL for your own analytics, and it does not touch UTM tags in ordinary browsing.

## What still works

| What you need | What to rely on |
|---|---|
| Which campaign brought a visit | [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters) on every link you control; they survive every feature above |
| Clicks from links in texts and emails | A [short link](https://sporetag.com/glossary/short-link) that counts the click on its own server, then forwards with your UTM tags |
| Sales sent back to ad platforms | Server events with hashed email and phone, which do not depend on the click id surviving. See [server-side vs client-side tracking](https://sporetag.com/guides/server-side-vs-client-side-tracking) |
| Returning visitors over weeks | A first-party id set by your own server, or accept a 7-day horizon on Safari and say so |
| Analytics that needs no consent and no storage | A cookieless tool, which the storage limits do not affect. See [cookieless analytics and GDPR](https://sporetag.com/guides/cookieless-analytics-gdpr) |

Do not try to beat these rules with fingerprinting or by hiding click ids under other parameter names. Safari already blocks known fingerprinting scripts, and in the EU and UK such workarounds need consent anyway.

## Where Sporetag fits

From Sporetag's tracking code and help: Private mode stores nothing on the device, so Safari's storage caps do not change its counts. 90-day tracking keeps a first-party id in a cookie and localStorage on your domain, and its help says Safari may clear it after 7 days without a visit. Short links on go.sporetag.com or your own domain count each click on the server before forwarding, so a link tapped in Messages counts whatever Safari removes afterwards. UTM presets in the link builder keep campaign data in the parameters Apple leaves alone.

## Common questions

### Does iOS 26 strip UTM parameters?

No. Link Tracking Protection targets parameters that identify a click or a person, such as ad click ids. WebKit says parameters used only for campaign attribution pass through. Safari 26's fingerprinting protection hides query parameters only from known fingerprinting scripts.

### Does Link Tracking Protection remove gclid and fbclid?

In Mail, Messages and Safari Private Browsing, and in normal browsing when the user turns on Advanced Tracking and Fingerprinting Protection for all browsing, known tracking parameters are removed. Apple does not publish the list; marketers' tests report ad click ids among them.

### Is Link Tracking Protection on in normal Safari browsing?

Not by default. It applies to Private Browsing, Mail and Messages, and to all browsing only when the user sets Advanced Tracking and Fingerprinting Protection to All Browsing.

### How do I keep attribution on iPhone users?

Tag every link with UTM parameters, use short links for links in texts and emails, and send conversions to ad platforms from your server with hashed contact details, so a missing click id does not lose the sale.

## Sources

- Apple Newsroom: [Apple announces powerful new privacy and security features](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/06/apple-announces-powerful-new-privacy-and-security-features/) (June 2023). Checked October 2026.
- Apple Developer: [User privacy and data use](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/user-privacy-and-data-use/), [Safari 26.0 release notes](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/safari-release-notes/safari-26-release-notes). Checked October 2026.
- Able CDP: [Does Safari strip click ids?](https://www.ablecdp.com/blog/does-safari-strip-click-ids-gclid-fbclid) (August 2026). Checked October 2026.
- WebKit: [Tracking Prevention in WebKit](https://webkit.org/tracking-prevention/), [Full third-party cookie blocking and more](https://webkit.org/blog/10218/full-third-party-cookie-blocking-and-more/), [CNAME cloaking and bounce tracking defense](https://webkit.org/blog/11338/cname-cloaking-and-bounce-tracking-defense/), [WebKit features in Safari 17.0](https://webkit.org/blog/14445/webkit-features-in-safari-17-0/), [Private Browsing 2.0](https://webkit.org/blog/15697/private-browsing-2-0/), [WebKit features in Safari 26.0](https://webkit.org/blog/17333/webkit-features-in-safari-26-0/). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag's default Private mode stores nothing on the device, so Safari's storage limits do not touch it, and its short links count the click on the server before the browser opens the page. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes

---

# First-party data for small businesses: what to collect and why

> The first-party data worth collecting, from orders and emails to how did you hear, what each is for, what to leave out, and the consent rules that apply.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/first-party-data
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

First-party data is what customers and visitors give you directly, on channels you own: orders, email addresses from your forms, what they clicked in your emails, and answers to questions you ask. For a small business, five kinds are worth collecting: orders with their source, a contact for each lead, consent, email and text engagement, and the answer to "how did you hear about us?". Each of them makes ads, email and reporting better; collecting more than that adds risk without adding value.

This guide covers what to collect, what each piece is for, what to leave out, and the rules that apply.

## Why it matters more now

The data that used to fill the gaps is going away. Safari blocks third-party cookies and limits script-set cookies to 7 days without a visit; Apple removes click ids from links in Mail, Messages and Private Browsing; iPhone apps need permission to track. See [iOS and Safari tracking changes](https://sporetag.com/guides/ios-safari-tracking-changes).

What still works is what your customers give you. A sale matched to an ad by a hashed email does not depend on a cookie or a click id. See [offline conversions explained](https://sporetag.com/guides/offline-conversions-explained).

## What to collect

| Data | Where it comes from | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Orders: amount, date, products | Your store or payment system | Revenue by source, repeat rate, [lifetime value](https://sporetag.com/glossary/ltv) |
| First and last source of each customer | Your analytics, tied to the order | Which channels bring customers worth keeping |
| Email or phone of each lead and customer | Forms, checkout, bookings | Follow-up, and matching sales to ads with hashed values |
| Consent: what they agreed to, and when | Your forms and consent banner | Proving you may email, text or use the data for ads |
| Email and text clicks | Your email or SMS tool | Who is engaged, and which messages bring sales |
| "How did you hear about us?" | One optional question after a form or order | Word of mouth, podcasts, radio: sources no link records |
| Lead outcome: booked, won, lost | Your CRM or a spreadsheet | Teaching ad platforms which leads become customers. See [CRM lead to sale reporting](https://sporetag.com/guides/crm-lead-to-sale-reporting) |

Asking customers directly, such as the "how did you hear" question or a preference in a signup form, is sometimes called zero-party data. It is the only way to learn about the sources that never leave a trace in analytics.

## What to leave out

Data protection law says personal data must be "adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary" for its purpose, and the UK regulator is blunt: "You must not collect personal data on the off-chance that it might be useful in the future" ([ICO](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/data-protection-principles/a-guide-to-the-data-protection-principles/data-minimisation/); the EU text is [GDPR Article 5](https://gdpr-info.eu/art-5-gdpr/)). In practice:

- **Date of birth, gender, full address** unless you ship to it or the product needs it. Every field on a form costs signups.
- **Full IP addresses and device fingerprints.** Analytics does not need them.
- **Personal data in URLs and analytics.** Emails in page addresses or UTM tags end up in reports and in other companies' logs. Google asks you never to send it to Google Analytics ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6366371)).
- **Old data with no use.** Set a retention period, such as deleting leads that never bought after two years, and follow it.

## Using it for ads

Two common uses, with their own rules:

- **Sending conversions back.** Hashed email and phone on a lead or sale let Google and Meta match it to an ad click. See the [Meta Conversions API guide](https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-conversions-api-explained).
- **Customer lists.** Uploading customers to target them or exclude them, such as Google's Customer Match, which reaches customers across Search, YouTube, Gmail and Display ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6379332)). Google sets its own policy on who may use it and which data may be uploaded ([Google](https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/6299717)).

Hashing does not make the data anonymous. Where the law asks for consent to use data for advertising, as it usually does in the EU and UK, a customer who declined must not be uploaded. Say in your privacy notice which ad platforms receive data.

## A worked example

Example numbers, made up for illustration. A garden center with an online shop and a store:

1. Checkout and the newsletter form collect email, with a separate box for marketing consent.
2. The analytics tool ties each order to the visit's source. The order email ties later orders to the same customer.
3. A one-question card after checkout asks how they heard about the shop. In spring, 22 percent answer "a friend" or "the local paper", sources the analytics showed as Direct.
4. Each month, orders from customers who consented go back to Meta and Google with hashed emails.

Result: the owner learns the local paper brings repeat buyers worth twice the Instagram ones, and moves budget. None of it needed a third-party cookie.

## Where Sporetag fits

From Sporetag's code and help: in 90-day tracking, a visitor who gives an email in a form, at checkout or through the identify call becomes one profile with every visit, click, email, text and order, and their first and last source. Emails and phone numbers are hashed with SHA-256 for matching, and anonymous profiles are deleted 90 days after the last visit. The "How did you hear about us" card asks once per person and shows answers next to the tracked source, on paid plans. Private mode, the default, stores nothing on the device.

## Common questions

### What is first-party data?

Data your business collects directly from its own customers and visitors, through its own website, store, forms, emails and conversations, as opposed to data bought from or collected by another company.

### What is the difference between first-party and zero-party data?

Zero-party data is what customers tell you on purpose, such as preferences or how they heard about you. First-party data also includes what you observe, such as orders and email clicks.

### Do I need consent to collect first-party data?

You need a lawful basis for each use. Fulfilling an order needs no marketing consent, but emailing offers, storing data on the device for analytics in the EU and UK, and uploading customers to ad platforms usually do.

### How much first-party data does a small business need?

Enough to answer three questions: where customers come from, which ones come back, and which leads buy. Orders, a contact per customer, their source and their consent cover all three.

## Sources

- ICO: [Principle (c): Data minimisation](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/data-protection-principles/a-guide-to-the-data-protection-principles/data-minimisation/). Checked October 2026.
- GDPR: [Article 5, principles relating to processing of personal data](https://gdpr-info.eu/art-5-gdpr/). Checked October 2026.
- Google: [About Customer Match](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6379332), [Customer Match policy](https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/6299717), [Best practices to avoid sending PII](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6366371). Checked October 2026.
- Figures marked as examples are made up for illustration.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag keeps first-party data on your own domain: orders and emails from your store and forms join one profile per customer with their first source, and a one-question "How did you hear about us" card catches what links cannot. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/customer-profiles

---

# Bounce rate in GA4: what it means now, and when to worry

> GA4 defines bounce rate as the share of sessions that were not engaged. The rule, the formula, how it differs from the old one, and when it matters.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/bounce-rate-ga4
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Bounce rate used to mean "people who saw one page and left". In GA4 it means something else: the share of sessions that were not engaged. Same name, different rule, and the numbers are not comparable with the old ones.

## The GA4 definition

GA4 calls a session engaged if any one of these is true ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/12195621)):

- it lasted longer than 10 seconds,
- it had a [key event](https://sporetag.com/glossary/key-event),
- it had 2 or more page or screen views.

Then:

- **[Engagement rate](https://sporetag.com/glossary/engagement-rate)** = engaged sessions ÷ sessions.
- **[Bounce rate](https://sporetag.com/glossary/bounce-rate)** = sessions that were not engaged ÷ sessions, which is 100 percent minus engagement rate.

So a visitor who lands on a blog post, reads for two minutes and leaves is not a bounce in GA4. In Universal Analytics they were, because they saw one page.

The 10 second threshold is the default. You can change it per web data stream, under **Configure tag settings**, **Adjust session timeout**, **Adjust timer for engaged sessions** ([Google](https://support.google.com/tagmanager/answer/12131703)). Change it and every bounce rate after that date is on a new scale, so note the date.

## How it differs from Universal Analytics

Universal Analytics counted a bounce as a session with a single interaction, usually one pageview. Reading time did not matter. A long, useful article with no second click had a bounce rate near 100 percent.

| | Universal Analytics | GA4 |
|---|---|---|
| A bounce is | A single-interaction session | A session that is not engaged |
| Two minutes on one page | Bounce | Not a bounce |
| Five seconds on one page | Bounce | Bounce |
| One page, then a form sent | Bounce, unless the form sent an interaction event | Not a bounce, if the form is a key event |

Universal Analytics stopped processing data for standard properties on July 1, 2023, so any comparison across that date compares two different metrics.

## How other tools count it

There is no standard. Each tool picks its own rule:

- Many privacy-focused tools count a bounce as a visit with a single pageview, like Universal Analytics did.
- Sporetag counts a bounce as a visit with one pageview and less than 10 seconds of time on the page, so a one-page visit that was read is not a bounce.

A bounce rate only means something next to its definition. Never compare one tool's bounce rate with another's.

## When a high bounce rate is a problem

A high bounce rate is not bad in itself. Look at it per page and per source, not for the whole site.

**Usually fine:**

- A contact page where people copy the phone number and call.
- A blog post that answers the question in the first screen.
- A page people land on from a search for your opening hours.

**Worth fixing:**

- A paid landing page with a high bounce rate from one ad but not others: the ad promises something the page does not show.
- A product page that bounces most on phones: likely slow, or the key information sits below the fold. A [funnel by device](https://sporetag.com/guides/funnel-analysis) shows whether the loss carries on to the cart.
- A sudden jump on one day: often a tracking change, or a switch between tools that count engagement differently (see [session duration and time on page](https://sporetag.com/guides/session-duration-time-on-page) and [leaving GA4 without losing your history](https://sporetag.com/guides/import-ga4-history)), such as a broken tag on the second page, a consent banner change, or a new source of bot traffic.

## Why bounce rate suddenly changes

- **A second copy of the tag.** Two tags send two pageviews per page, so almost no session looks like a bounce. A bounce rate falling to near zero overnight is the classic sign.
- **The tag missing on inner pages.** Visitors who go deeper look like they left.
- **A consent banner.** If the banner holds the tag until consent, visitors who leave before answering are not counted at all, and the remaining sessions skew toward engaged ones.
- **Bot traffic.** Bots often load one page and leave in under a second. A wave of them raises bounce rate.
- **A change to the engaged session timer.**

## Ways to lower bounce rate that actually help

1. **Match the page to the source.** A visitor from an ad about a discount should see the discount at once.
2. **Load fast on mobile data.** A page that is blank for several seconds loses people before your tag even counts them.
3. **Put the answer, price or next step in the first screen.**
4. **Give one clear next step,** not ten.

Do not lower it with tricks such as firing fake events on scroll. The number improves and nothing else does.

## Common questions

### What is a good bounce rate in GA4?

It depends on the page and the source. A landing page from a paid ad and a blog post from search will never look alike. Compare a page with itself over time, and one source with another for the same page.

### Why is my GA4 bounce rate so much lower than in Universal Analytics?

GA4 does not count a session as a bounce if it lasted more than 10 seconds, had a key event, or had two or more pages. Many sessions that bounced in Universal Analytics are engaged in GA4.

### Where do I find bounce rate in GA4?

It is not in every default report. Add it to a report with **Customize report**, **Metrics**, **Add metric**, **Bounce rate**, or use it in Explore.

### Is bounce rate the same as exit rate?

No. Exit rate is the share of pageviews of a page that were the last in their session, whatever happened before. Bounce rate is about whole sessions.

## Sources

- Google Analytics Help: [Engagement rate and bounce rate](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/12195621). Checked October 2026.
- Tag Manager Help: [Configure your Google tag settings](https://support.google.com/tagmanager/answer/12131703). Checked October 2026.
- Sporetag's definition is in its own code: a visit with one pageview and under 10 seconds of time on the page.

## Where Sporetag fits

In Sporetag, a bounce is a visit with one pageview and under 10 seconds of time on page, close to GA4's rule, and you can read it per page, source and campaign. More: https://sporetag.com/demo

---

# Visitors, sessions and pageviews: how each tool counts them

> What a user, a session, a visit and a pageview are in GA4, Shopify and privacy-first tools, why the counts differ, and which one to report.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/sessions-users-pageviews
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Three numbers sit at the top of nearly every analytics dashboard: people, visits and pages. They sound like counts of plain facts. They are estimates built on rules, and every tool's rules differ a little.

## The three units

- **A [pageview](https://sporetag.com/glossary/pageview)** is one page loaded and counted. The most concrete of the three, though a single-page app has to tell the tool each time its page changes.
- **A [session](https://sporetag.com/glossary/session) or visit** is a group of pageviews and events from one browser, ended by a rule: usually a period of inactivity.
- **A [user or visitor](https://sporetag.com/glossary/unique-visitor)** is the browser, device or person the tool believes it has seen. It is always an estimate.

## How GA4 counts

- **Users.** GA4 counts a user by a device id kept in a first-party cookie (or a user id you send). It has three user metrics: **Total users** (anyone who triggered an event), **New users** (first visit) and **Active users** (users with an engaged session, or certain first-visit and engagement events). Most standard reports show Active users, labeled simply "Users" ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/12253918)).
- **Sessions.** A session starts with the first page view and ends after 30 minutes of inactivity by default. You can change the timeout per web data stream ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9191807)).
- **Estimates.** GA4 counts sessions and active users by estimating distinct ids with an algorithm called HyperLogLog++, which Google says is usually within 1 percent of the exact count, sometimes more when metrics are combined ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/13331292)). The BigQuery export does not use it, so its counts can differ slightly from the reports.

Because users come from a cookie, one person on a phone and a laptop is two users, and someone who clears cookies or declines consent is a new user each time, or not counted at all.

## How cookieless tools count

Tools that store nothing on the device cannot recognize a returning browser by cookie. Most build a daily visitor id from a hash of the IP address, the browser string, the site and a salt that changes every day.

- **Unique visitors** are unique per day, or per period built from days. The same person on Monday and Tuesday counts as one visitor each day, and how a tool combines days into a weekly or monthly total varies.
- **Visits.** In Sporetag, a visit is one visitor's day on a site: all pageviews from the same daily visitor hash. Other tools use a 30-minute rule like GA4.
- **Shared networks.** Two people on the same office network with the same browser version can hash to the same visitor. A phone that changes networks mid-visit can look like two.

## How Shopify counts

Shopify reports sessions on its storefront with its own rules and its own cookies, and counts only what happens on the Shopify storefront. Its sessions will not match GA4's or any other tool's for the same store, even when all three are working correctly.

## Why the same day gives different counts

| Reason | Effect |
|---|---|
| Different session rules (30 minutes, a day, midnight cut) | Different session and visit counts |
| Consent banner blocks one tool and not another | The blocked tool counts fewer people |
| Ad blockers block one tool's domain | That tool counts fewer |
| Different bot filtering | The looser tool counts more visits and a lower conversion rate |
| Estimation (HyperLogLog++ in GA4) | Small differences, often under 1 percent |
| Time zones | Visits near midnight land on different days |
| Single-page apps | A tool that does not follow page changes undercounts pageviews |

## Which number should you report?

- **For reach**, use visitors or users, and say which tool and definition. Do not add up daily unique visitors across days and call it monthly uniques.
- **For activity and conversion rates**, use sessions or visits. Conversion rate per visit is more stable than per user, because user counts depend so much on cookies.
- **For content**, use pageviews by page.
- **For whether people come back**, use a cohort table rather than a returning visitor share. See [cohorts and retention](https://sporetag.com/guides/cohort-retention-analysis).

Pick one tool as the source of record for each, and keep it. A trend from one tool is worth more than a precise-looking number stitched from three. When you do switch tools, mark the day on the chart; [leaving GA4 without losing your history](https://sporetag.com/guides/import-ga4-history) covers what an import can and cannot carry over.

The same care applies when an AI assistant reads your numbers for you: it may say "users" for what your tool calls visitors. See [MCP and AI assistants for analytics](https://sporetag.com/guides/mcp-ai-assistants-analytics).

## Common questions

### What is the difference between users and sessions?

A user is the browser or person counted once in a period. A session is one visit by that user. One user with three visits in a week is one user and three sessions.

### Why do GA4 and Shopify show different session counts?

They use different cookies and session rules, ad blockers and consent choices affect them differently, and each filters bots its own way. Compare trends, not totals.

### What counts as a unique visitor?

A browser or person the tool has not counted yet in the period. Cookie-based tools recognize them by a cookie id; cookieless tools by a daily hash. Neither recognizes the same person across devices without a login.

### Does GA4 still have the "pageviews" metric?

GA4 calls it "Views". It counts page views on websites and screen views in apps.

## Sources

- Google Analytics Help: [Understand user metrics](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/12253918), [About Analytics sessions](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9191807). Checked October 2026.
- Google Analytics Help: [About data sampling](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/13331292). Google for Developers: [Unique count approximation in Google Analytics](https://developers.google.com/analytics/blog/2022/hll).

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag shows visitors, visits, pageviews, views per visit and visit duration from one script, with the definitions in its docs, and CSV export of every number. More: https://sporetag.com/demo

---

# Average session duration and time on page: how each tool measures it

> Why GA4, Universal Analytics and privacy tools report different session durations and time on page, the method each uses, and which to trust.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/session-duration-time-on-page
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

"Average session duration" sounds like a stopwatch. It is not. No analytics tool sees a visitor leave; each one infers time from the signals it gets, and the methods differ enough that the same visit can last 0 seconds in one tool and four minutes in another.

This guide explains the three methods in use, what each tool reports, and how to read the numbers.

## Three ways to measure time

**1. Timestamps between hits.** The old method. Time on a page is the time of the next hit minus the time of this one. The last page of a visit has no next hit, so its time is unknown, and a one-page visit lasts zero seconds.

**2. Visible time, sent on leave.** The browser measures how long the page was in the foreground, and sends it when the visitor switches tabs, hides the app, or leaves. Background time does not count. The last page counts.

**3. Heartbeats.** The script sends a ping every few seconds while the page is open. The last page gets the time up to the last ping. More requests, and depending on the setup, background time may count.

## What each tool reports

| Tool | Session duration | Time on page |
|---|---|---|
| Universal Analytics (retired) | First hit to last hit; last page counted only if it sent an engagement hit | Timestamp difference; last page 0 |
| GA4 | Average session duration: average length of sessions | Average engagement time: time in the foreground |
| Plausible | Sum of session lengths over sessions, with one-page visits as 0 | Engagement events on navigation and tab switch; inactive tabs not counted |
| Matomo | Timestamps by default | Last page counted only with the heartbeat timer on |

Sources for each row: Universal Analytics ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1006253)), GA4 ([Google](https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/reporting/data/v1/api-schema), [Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/11109416)), Plausible ([Plausible](https://plausible.io/docs/metrics-definitions)), Matomo ([Matomo](https://matomo.org/faq/how-to/faq_21824/)).

### Universal Analytics, for old reports

Google's definition: session duration is the time from the first hit on the first page to the first hit on the last page, or to the last engagement hit on the last page if there was one ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1006253)). In Google's own example, three pages loaded at 10:00, 10:05 and 10:10 make a 10-minute session, however long the visitor read the third page.

That is why old reports show so many 0:00 visits: every one-page visit without an event lasted zero seconds.

### GA4

GA4 has two different time metrics, and they are often confused:

- **Average session duration** is the average length of sessions in seconds ([Google](https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/reporting/data/v1/api-schema)). It is about the session, not about attention: Google does not say it leaves out time the page sat in a background tab.
- **User engagement** is the time your page was in focus or your app in the foreground ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/11109416)). GA4 sends it when the visitor leaves the page, hides the tab or closes the app. **Average engagement time** builds on it.

If you want "how long did people actually look at my site", use engagement time, not session duration.

## Why the numbers differ between tools

- **The last page.** Timestamp methods give it zero; visible-time methods count it. Blogs, where most visits are one page, see the biggest gap.
- **Background tabs.** Engagement time and other visible-time methods leave them out. Timestamp and simple heartbeat methods may not.
- **What a visit is.** GA4's [session](https://sporetag.com/glossary/session) ends after 30 minutes of inactivity. Other tools use a day, or reset at midnight. A longer visit definition makes longer visits.
- **Lost final pings.** A phone that kills the browser before it sends the last ping loses that page's time. Every visible-time method undercounts a little.
- **Bots.** One-second bot visits pull averages down where they are not filtered. See [bot traffic in analytics](https://sporetag.com/guides/bot-traffic-in-analytics).

## A worked example

Example numbers, made up for illustration. One visitor opens a recipe at 12:00 and reads it for 4 minutes. At 12:04 they open a second recipe, read it for 3 minutes, then switch tabs. The page stays open in the background until 12:40, when they come back and close it.

| Method | Duration |
|---|---|
| Timestamps between hits | 4 minutes: the last page's time is unknown |
| A heartbeat that keeps pinging in the background | About 40 minutes |
| Visible time | 7 minutes: 4 plus 3, the background time not counted |

All three are "right" by their own rules. Only the third answers "how long did they read".

## How to read it

- **Compare a tool with itself.** Week to week on one tool is meaningful; one tool against another is not.
- **Look at the distribution.** An average hides a crowd of 5-second visits and a few 20-minute ones. A median, or a share of visits over 30 seconds, is steadier.
- **Read it per page.** A long time on a pricing page can mean confusion as easily as interest. Pair it with what happened next.
- **Use [engagement rate](https://sporetag.com/glossary/engagement-rate)** for "did they stay", and time for "how much".

## How Sporetag measures time

Sporetag's script measures visible time. It adds up how long each page was in the foreground and sends it when the visitor hides the tab, switches apps or leaves the page, so the last page counts and background time does not. Visit duration is the total of those times over the visit, and a [bounce](https://sporetag.com/glossary/bounce-rate) is a visit with one pageview and under 10 seconds of time on the page. A visit in Sporetag is one visitor's day on a site, so its visits are longer, and fewer, than GA4 sessions.

## Common questions

### How is average session duration calculated in GA4?

Google defines it as the average length of users' sessions, in seconds. A session ends after 30 minutes of inactivity by default. For time people actually spent looking at your pages, use average engagement time instead.

### What is the difference between session duration and engagement time?

Session duration is the length of the session. Engagement time counts only the time the page was in focus or the app in the foreground, so it is the better measure of attention.

### Why is my average time on page 0 seconds?

Your tool uses timestamps between hits, so the last page of every visit has no end time. One-page visits then last zero seconds. Tools that measure visible time do not have this problem.

### What is a good average session duration?

There is no general benchmark worth trusting, because every tool measures it differently. Compare your own pages and periods in one tool.

### Does time on page count if the tab is in the background?

In GA4's engagement time, Plausible and Sporetag, no. In tools that use timestamps or simple heartbeats, it can.

## Sources

- Google Analytics Help: [Session duration, average (Universal Analytics)](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1006253), [User engagement](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/11109416), [About Analytics sessions](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9191807). Google for Developers: [API dimensions and metrics](https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/reporting/data/v1/api-schema). Checked October 2026.
- Plausible: [Metrics definitions](https://plausible.io/docs/metrics-definitions). Checked October 2026.
- Matomo: [How do I add a JavaScript heartbeat timer](https://matomo.org/faq/how-to/faq_21824/). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag's visit duration adds up the time each page was visible in a visit, sent when the visitor hides or leaves the page, so the last page counts and background tabs do not. More: https://sporetag.com/demo

---

# How to set up goals and conversions without a developer

> Four ways to count sales, leads, bookings and signups without writing code, how to do each in GA4, and the checks that keep a goal honest.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/goals-without-a-developer
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

A goal, or [conversion](https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversion), is the action that makes a visit worth something: a sale, a form, a booking, a signup. Without goals, analytics can tell you how many people came and where from, but not which of them did anything. With them, every report gains a [conversion rate](https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversion-rate) and a source that earned it.

Most goals need no code. This guide covers the four no-code methods, how to set each one up in GA4, and the mistakes that make a goal count the wrong thing.

## Pick the action first

Write down the one or two actions that mean money for your business, in the words you would use with a client:

| Business | Main goal | Second goal |
|---|---|---|
| Online shop | Someone buys | Someone adds to cart |
| Service business | Someone sends the quote form | Someone taps to call |
| Coach or consultant | Someone books a call | Someone joins the email list |
| Software | Someone signs up | Someone starts a paid plan |

Two goals are plenty to start. Ten goals nobody reads hide the two that matter.

## Four ways to count a goal without code

### 1. A thank-you page

If the action ends on its own page, such as `/thanks` or `/order-confirmed`, a visit to that page is the goal. It is the most reliable no-code method, and every analytics tool supports it.

Two checks:

- **Nobody can reach the page another way.** If it is linked from the menu or indexed by search engines, it counts visitors who did nothing.
- **The address is stable.** Some form tools add `?id=123` or a trailing slash. Match the start of the path, not the exact address.

### 2. Taps on links and buttons that leave the page

Taps on a `tel:` phone link, a `mailto:` link, a booking link such as Calendly, or a link to another site can all be counted without code, because the browser can see where the link goes. For bookings, see [how to track Calendly bookings as conversions](https://sporetag.com/track/calendly). A tap is not a call; to count the calls themselves and the ad behind each one, see [call tracking for local businesses](https://sporetag.com/guides/call-tracking-for-local-businesses). They measure intent: a tap on the phone number is not a call, but it is a strong signal.

### 3. Form sends

Many tools can see a form being sent. Count the form that matters, not every form on the site: a newsletter box and a quote form are different goals. Test it: a form that shows an error should not count, and a form that sends without reloading the page may not be seen by some tools.

### 4. Sales from your store or payment tool

For sales, the most accurate goal does not come from the page at all. Connecting the store or payment processor counts every paid order with its value, including buyers who closed the tab before the thank-you page loaded.

## In GA4

GA4 can do the first three without code, in two steps.

**Turn on enhanced measurement.** In **Admin**, **Data streams**, your stream, switch on **Enhanced measurement**. It sends events for outbound clicks, form interactions, file downloads and scrolls, among others, without code ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9216061)). Check in DebugView that the form events fire for your forms.

**Create an event for the thank-you page.** In **Admin**, **Events**, click **Create event**, name it (for example `quote_sent`), pick **Create without code**, choose `page_view`, and enter the thank-you page address ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/12844695)). Do not modify `page_view` itself: Google warns that modifications overwrite existing events.

**Mark it as a key event.** GA4 calls goals [key events](https://sporetag.com/glossary/key-event). Mark the event in the **Key events** list. You can mark an event ahead of time, before GA4 has received it, and a standard property allows up to 30 key events ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/13128484)).

If nothing shows up, work through [GA4 not tracking conversions](https://sporetag.com/guides/ga4-not-tracking-conversions).

## A worked example

Example numbers, made up for illustration. A cleaning company's site has a quote form that redirects to `/quote-thanks`, and a phone number in the header.

1. **Goal 1: quote sent.** A visit to `/quote-thanks`. In the first week: 38.
2. **Goal 2: tap to call.** Taps on the `tel:` link. In the first week: 61.
3. **Check.** The owner compares 38 with the 41 quote emails received. Three people reached the form's error page and sent again, so 38 is right. The 61 taps compare with 27 calls on the phone bill that week: taps overstate calls, as expected, so taps stay a second goal.
4. **Read.** Google Ads brought 22 of the 38 quotes. That is the number for the client report.

## Mistakes that make goals lie

1. **Counting the button, not the result.** A click on **Submit** counts errors and spam.
2. **A thank-you page anyone can reach.** It counts visitors who did nothing.
3. **One goal for every form.** The newsletter box drowns out the quote form.
4. **Goals that double.** A thank-you page goal and a form goal for the same form count each lead twice in an "all goals" total.
5. **Never checking against reality.** Compare goal counts with orders, emails or bookings for one week after setting up.

## Common questions

### How do I set up conversion tracking without a developer?

Count a visit to the page people see after they act, or a tap on a phone, email or booking link, or connect your store for sales. In GA4, create an event from the thank-you page's `page_view` without code, then mark it as a key event.

### What is the easiest goal to set up?

A thank-you page visit. It needs no code in any tool, as long as the page cannot be reached without completing the action.

### Can I count phone calls as a goal?

You can count taps on your phone number without code. That counts intent to call, not calls. Counting real calls needs a call tracking number.

### Why is my goal counting more than my real orders?

The thank-you page is reachable another way, the goal counts a click rather than the result, or two goals count the same action.

### Will a new goal show past conversions?

It depends on the tool. A tool that stores every pageview can count a new thank-you page goal over past visits; Sporetag does. A goal built on an event that was never sent has nothing in the past to count.

## Sources

- Google Analytics Help: [Enhanced measurement events](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9216061), [Create or modify key events](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/12844695), [Mark events as key events](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/13128484). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

In Sporetag the common goals are one tap each (someone buys, fills in a form, books or calls, signs up, reaches a thank-you page), outbound clicks, downloads and form submits become goals from Goals, Events, and a new goal counts past visits too. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/custom-events-and-goals

---

# Funnel analysis: find the step where people leave

> How a conversion funnel is counted, open versus closed funnels, time windows, which drop-offs are normal, and how to read one without fooling yourself.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/funnel-analysis
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Funnel analysis counts how many people reach each step toward a result, such as product, cart, checkout and purchase, so you can see the step where most of them leave. A [conversion rate](https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversion-rate) says "sales are low"; a funnel says "half the people who start checkout never finish", which tells you what to fix.

This guide covers how funnels are counted, the four settings that change the answer, which drop-offs are normal, and a checklist for reading one honestly.

## What a funnel is

A funnel is an ordered list of steps toward one result, and a count of how many people reached each step:

| Step | People | Of starters | Went on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visited the site | 4,000 | 100% | 30% |
| Viewed a product | 1,200 | 30% | 25% |
| Opened the cart | 300 | 7.5% | 60% |
| Started checkout | 180 | 4.5% | 50% |
| Bought | 90 | 2.25% | |

Example numbers, made up for illustration.

The two percentage columns answer different questions. **Of starters** is the overall conversion to that point. **Went on** is the step's own pass rate, and it is the one that points at a problem: here, half the people who start checkout do not finish.

## The settings that change the answer

Two funnels over the same data can disagree by a factor of two. These settings are why.

### Who is counted: people, visits or events

Most funnels count people (or browsers), once each. A person who opens the cart three times is one person at that step. Counting visits instead makes every step look worse for products people research over several days, because the visit that buys is often not the visit that browsed.

### Closed or open

In a **closed** funnel, people must start at step 1. In an **open** funnel, people can enter at any step, so someone who lands straight on the cart from an email counts from there. GA4 offers both ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9327974)). Closed funnels are easier to read; open funnels show entry points you forgot existed.

### In order, and how strictly

Steps must happen in order. Most tools also let you choose whether a step must come **directly** after the one before or **at any point** after it, with other pages in between. Directly-followed funnels are almost always too strict for websites, where people wander.

### The time window

How long someone has to get from step 1 to the last step: one visit, a day, a week, 30 days. A short window undercounts considered purchases. A long window with a short date range overcounts nothing, but makes this week's funnel look worse than last month's, because this week's starters have not had the time to finish yet.

Pick the window that matches how long your customers take, and compare periods that have each had the full window.

### Settings for common questions

| Question | Count | Funnel | Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where does checkout lose people? | People | Closed, from cart | One visit |
| Do product pages lead to sales? | People | Closed, from product | 7 days |
| How do email visitors move through the site? | People | Open, so they can land mid-funnel | 7 days |
| Does a considered purchase (furniture, B2B) finish? | People | Closed | 30 days, across visits |
| Is the signup form too long? | Visits | Closed, from form view | One visit |

## Which drop-offs are normal

Every step loses people. The question is which losses are unusual for your business.

- **Product to cart** is usually the biggest drop on a store, because most visitors are browsing.
- **Cart to purchase** is the best-documented one. Baymard Institute averages 50 studies to a cart abandonment rate of about 70 percent ([Baymard](https://baymard.com/lists/cart-abandonment-rate), checked October 2026). In its survey of US shoppers, the most common reason after "just browsing" was extra costs such as shipping, tax and fees.
- **Form view to form sent** on a lead site drops with every field you add.

The most useful comparison is your own funnel against itself: last period, by source, by device. A checkout that loses 50 percent on desktop and 80 percent on phones has a phone problem, whatever the industry average says.

## How to read a funnel without fooling yourself

1. **Read the step's pass rate, not the bar height.** The last bar is always small. A step is a problem when its own pass rate is low or falling.
2. **Split it by source.** A falling funnel is often a change in who arrives, not a broken page. Paid social visitors finish less often than people who searched for your brand, and a new campaign changes the mix.
3. **Split it by device.** Phone checkouts break in ways desktop testing never shows.
4. **Look at time between steps as a median.** A few people who come back after three weeks drag an average far from the typical case. GA4's elapsed time is an average ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9327974)); a median says what a typical person does.
5. **Check the step definitions when a number jumps.** A renamed page, a new checkout domain or a form that stopped sending its event looks exactly like people leaving. If a step suddenly drops to zero, suspect the tracking first. See [cross-domain tracking](https://sporetag.com/guides/cross-domain-tracking) for checkouts on another domain.
6. **Watch sample size.** Fifteen people at a step is too few to judge a change of a few points.

## What to do with the leaky step

Look at the people, not only the percentage. Watch where those who left came from and what they did last: a coupon field that sends them searching for codes, a shipping cost they first see at checkout, a form that asks for a phone number they do not want to give.

Then change one thing, and read the same funnel, with the same window, for a period long enough to reach a few hundred starters.

A funnel works best as one card among a few on a board you read every week: see the [ecommerce dashboard template](https://sporetag.com/guides/ecommerce-dashboard-template) for a store and the [lead generation dashboard](https://sporetag.com/guides/lead-generation-dashboard) for a form.

## Where Sporetag fits

From Sporetag's funnels code and help: a site gets a suggested funnel built from its [goals](https://sporetag.com/guides/goals-without-a-developer) and the pages people really visit. Steps are pages (with `*` for any part), events or goals, 2 to 8 per funnel, up to 10 funnels a site, on paid plans. Each gap shows how many left and the median time the next step took. **Split by** compares sources, campaigns or devices. Steps count within one visit, or within 1, 7 or 30 days across visits with 90-day tracking, and then the number who left opens their profiles.

## Common questions

### What is a conversion funnel?

An ordered list of steps toward one result, such as product view, cart, checkout and purchase, with the number of people who reached each step. It shows where people leave, which a single conversion rate cannot.

### What is the difference between an open and a closed funnel?

In a closed funnel, people must start at the first step. In an open funnel, they can enter at any step, so someone who lands on the cart from an email counts from the cart.

### What is a good funnel conversion rate?

It depends on what you sell, the price and the traffic. Compare each step with its own past and across sources and devices rather than with an industry average.

### Why does my funnel show fewer people than my goal count?

The funnel counts only people who did the earlier steps first, in order and within the window. Goals count everyone who reached the result, however they got there.

## Sources

- Google Analytics Help: [Funnel exploration](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9327974). Checked October 2026.
- Baymard Institute: [Cart abandonment rate statistics](https://baymard.com/lists/cart-abandonment-rate). Checked October 2026.
- The reading checklist is our own recommendation from building funnel reports. Figures marked as examples are made up for illustration.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag suggests a first funnel from your goals and real pages, shows the median time between steps, splits it by source, campaign or device, and with 90-day tracking opens the profiles of people who left. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/funnels

---

# Cohorts and retention: do the people you win come back?

> How a cohort table is built, how to read it by row, column and diagonal, three ways to count retention, and how to compare sources by customer.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/cohort-retention-analysis
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Cohort analysis groups people by when or how they started, such as the week of their first visit, and follows each group forward to see how many come back. It answers "of the people who came in March, how many are still coming?", which a total can hide: visits can rise while each month's newcomers leave faster than the last.

This guide covers how a cohort table is built, how to read it by row, column and diagonal, the three ways to count retention, the traps, and how to judge sources by the customers they bring.

## What a cohort is

A cohort is a group of people who share a starting event in the same period: everyone whose first visit was in the week of May 4, everyone who first bought in June, everyone who signed up from a podcast. You then follow each group forward and count how many do something again.

| First visit | People | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4 | 820 | 14% | 9% | 8% | 7% |
| May 11 | 760 | 15% | 10% | 8% | |
| May 18 | 910 | 11% | 7% | | |
| May 25 | 880 | 12% | | | |

Example numbers, made up for illustration. Empty cells are weeks that have not happened yet for that row.

## How to read it

**Across a row** is the life of one group. The drop from week 0 to week 1 is always the steepest. What matters is whether the curve flattens. A row that settles at 7 percent and stays there has found people who keep coming. A row that keeps sliding toward zero has not.

**Down a column** compares groups at the same age. If week 1 falls from 15 to 11 percent, something changed for people who arrived in mid-May: a new campaign, a site change, a different season.

**Along a diagonal** is one calendar week across all groups. If every group dips on the same diagonal, the cause is that week (a holiday, an outage), not the people.

## Three ways to count retention

The same people give three different tables depending on what a cell counts. GA4 names them ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9670133)):

| Method | A cell counts people who | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Came back in that period | Habits: do people return week after week? |
| Rolling | Came back in that period and every one before it | Strict engagement, such as a daily app |
| Cumulative | Came back in any period up to that one | "Did they ever return?" |

Most websites want standard retention. A store with yearly purchases wants cumulative, or the table is all empty cells.

Pick the period to match how often people should come back. A news site reads daily or weekly. A furniture store reads monthly or quarterly. A weekly table for a business people visit twice a year shows a wall of low numbers that mean nothing.

## Traps

- **Deleting people inflates retention.** If records of people who never came back are deleted after 90 days, later readings of old cohorts only count the people who stayed. A cohort's starting size must be kept as it was.
- **Young cohorts are not low, they are early.** A cell for a week that has not ended is incomplete. Compare only periods every row has finished.
- **Cookies define people.** A returning visitor on a new phone, or one whose browser cleared its cookies, looks new. Safari caps some cookies set by scripts at 7 days ([WebKit](https://webkit.org/blog/10218/full-third-party-cookie-blocking-and-more/)), so retention measured by browser undercounts real returns. Treat it as a floor.
- **Small rows swing.** A cohort of 30 people moves 3 points when one person comes back. Read small sources monthly, not weekly.

## Cohorts by source: the real use

The most valuable cut is by first source. Two campaigns can bring the same number of visitors at the same cost, and one of them brings people who come back and buy again.

For buyers, follow money instead of visits. Group customers by where they first came from and compare what each group spends over the same span of time:

| First source | Customers | Per customer, first 90 days | Bought again |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google search | 140 | $118 | 31% |
| Instagram ads | 210 | $74 | 12% |
| Email signup | 60 | $165 | 44% |

Example numbers, made up for illustration.

Compare a fixed window, such as the first 90 days, and only count customers who have had all 90. A customer who arrived last week has not had the time to buy again, and including them makes the newest source look worst. This per-source spend is the practical form of [lifetime value](https://sporetag.com/glossary/ltv), and it is the number to hold against cost per customer when you decide where the next dollar goes.

## Where Sporetag fits

From Sporetag's cohorts code and help: return visits are grouped by the week (Monday start, in the site's time zone) or month of the first visit, and by first source, on paid plans with 90-day tracking. Anonymous profiles are deleted 90 days after their last visit, but their first visit stays in the cohort, so return rates never rise from deletions. The lifetime value table shows customers, revenue per customer, the share who bought again, and revenue per customer in their first 30, 90 and 365 days, counting only customers first seen at least that long ago.

## Common questions

### What is cohort analysis?

Grouping people by when or how they started, such as their first visit week or first source, then following each group to see how many come back or buy again.

### What is the difference between retention and a returning visitor rate?

A returning visitor rate mixes everyone together in one period. Retention follows a fixed group over time, so you can see whether newer groups stay better or worse than older ones.

### How do I read a cohort table?

Across a row for one group's life, down a column to compare groups at the same age, and along a diagonal to spot one calendar period affecting everyone.

### What is the difference between funnel analysis and cohort analysis?

A funnel follows people through the steps of one result, such as cart to purchase, and shows where they leave. A cohort follows a group over weeks or months and shows whether they come back. Use a funnel to fix a conversion path and cohorts to judge retention.

### Why does my cohort table have empty cells?

Those periods have not happened yet for that group. The newest row always has the fewest filled cells.

## Sources

- Google Analytics Help: [Cohort exploration](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9670133). Checked October 2026.
- WebKit blog: [Full third-party cookie blocking and more](https://webkit.org/blog/10218/full-third-party-cookie-blocking-and-more/). Checked October 2026.
- Figures marked as examples are made up for illustration.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag's cohorts group visitors by their first week or month and by first source, and its lifetime value table shows what customers from each source spend in their first 30, 90 and 365 days. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/cohorts

---

# Ask your analytics in plain words: MCP and AI assistants

> What the Model Context Protocol is, how an AI assistant reads your analytics through it, what it answers well, and the safety rules for keys.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/mcp-ai-assistants-analytics
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

To ask Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor about your analytics, connect the assistant to an MCP server: a service, run by your analytics tool or on your computer, that hands the assistant your numbers through a small set of tools such as "get stats for these dates". You then ask "how did last week compare with the week before?" and the assistant answers from the real data.

This guide covers what the Model Context Protocol is, remote versus local servers, the questions assistants answer well and the five ways they go wrong with numbers, and the safety rules for keys and data.

## What MCP is

The Model Context Protocol is an open standard for connecting AI applications to other systems ([MCP](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/getting-started/intro)). A tool such as an analytics product runs an MCP server. An assistant such as Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor is the client.

The server publishes a list of **tools**, each a named action with a description and the inputs it takes, such as `get_stats` with a site and a date range. When you ask a question, the model picks a tool, fills in the inputs, and the client calls the server. The server answers with data, and the model writes the reply from it ([MCP](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2025-11-25/server/tools)).

The model never sees your database. It sees only what each tool returns.

## Remote or local

- **A remote server** is a web address the product runs. You paste the address into your assistant, with a key. Nothing to install. In Claude, for example, it is added as a custom connector ([Claude](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11175166-get-started-with-custom-connectors-using-remote-mcp)).
- **A local server** runs on your computer and calls the product's API with your credentials. Google's experimental Google Analytics MCP server is one: it runs locally with Google Cloud credentials and reads GA4 reports ([GitHub](https://github.com/googleanalytics/google-analytics-mcp)).

Remote servers suit most people. Local servers suit developers who want to change what the server does.

## What it does well

- **Comparisons over a period:** "Visitors and conversions last week versus the week before."
- **Top lists:** "Top five sources by sales this month."
- **Crossing two reports:** "Which campaigns had spend but no conversions?"
- **Drafting words from numbers:** "Write three lines for my client about October." You still check the numbers.
- **Follow-ups:** "And on phones only?", without rebuilding the report.

## Where it goes wrong

An assistant is a fluent writer reading a table. Know its weak spots:

1. **Date ranges.** "Last week" can mean the last 7 days or Monday to Sunday. "This month" in which time zone? Good servers document how they read dates, and good questions name them: "Monday October 13 to Sunday October 19."
2. **Arithmetic.** Models can add and divide wrongly, especially over long tables. Ask the server for the totals and rates rather than letting the model compute them from rows.
3. **Definitions.** A "user" in one tool is a "visitor" in another. The model may use a word loosely; the number still means what the tool counts. See [sessions, users and pageviews](https://sporetag.com/guides/sessions-users-pageviews).
4. **Attribution.** "Which ad made the sale?" depends on the model of credit. Ask which one the answer used. See [attribution models explained](https://sporetag.com/guides/attribution-models-explained).
5. **Confident gaps.** If a tool has no data for a question, a model may answer anyway from general knowledge. Ask it to say which tool call each number came from.

## Safety rules

### Use a read-only key, scoped down

Connect with a key that can only read, and only the sites the assistant needs. A key for one client's site cannot leak another client's numbers. The MCP specification also asks applications to keep a human able to deny tool calls, and to confirm sensitive operations ([MCP](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2025-11-25/server/tools)); read-only tools take most of that risk away.

### Treat the address like a password

Some assistants accept only an address, so the key goes inside it. Anyone with that address can read what the key reads. Do not paste it into shared documents, and revoke the key when you stop using the connector.

### Visitor-supplied text is data, not instructions

Analytics is full of text written by strangers: referrer names, page paths, campaign names, search terms. Someone can put "ignore previous instructions" in a referrer and wait for an assistant to read it. That is prompt injection, the first risk on OWASP's list for AI applications ([OWASP](https://genai.owasp.org/llmrisk/llm01-prompt-injection/)). A careful server labels such values as untrusted data, and read-only tools mean that even a fooled model cannot change anything.

### Personal data stays out

Aggregate numbers are enough for almost every question. A server that never returns visitor emails, names or phone numbers is one you can connect without a new privacy review of the assistant.

## Where Sporetag fits

From Sporetag's MCP code and help: a remote server at `https://sporetag.com/mcp` on paid plans, over Streamable HTTP, taking a read key made in **Settings**, **API** for all sites or one. Seven tools, all marked read-only: sites, stats with the span before, breakdowns, goals, attribution, ad spend with ROAS, and short links. Dates are whole local days in the site's time zone. The server tells the model to treat source, page and campaign names as data, never sends visitor emails, names or phone numbers, and shares the read API's limit of 120 requests a minute per key.

## Common questions

### What is an MCP server?

A service that publishes tools an AI assistant can call, using the open Model Context Protocol. An analytics MCP server lets the assistant read your numbers to answer questions.

### Can I connect Google Analytics to Claude or ChatGPT?

Google publishes an experimental local MCP server for GA4 that you run with your own Google Cloud credentials. Other analytics tools offer remote servers you connect with an address and a key.

### Is it safe to give an AI assistant access to my analytics?

It is when the key is read-only and limited to the sites needed, the server returns no personal data, and you revoke the key when you are done. Treat any address that contains a key like a password.

### Can the assistant get numbers wrong?

Yes. It can misread a date range or compute a rate wrongly. Name exact dates, ask for totals from the tool rather than sums of rows, and check numbers before sending them to anyone.

## Sources

- Model Context Protocol: [What is MCP?](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/getting-started/intro), [Specification 2025-11-25, Tools](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2025-11-25/server/tools). Checked October 2026.
- OWASP Gen AI Security Project: [LLM01:2025 Prompt Injection](https://genai.owasp.org/llmrisk/llm01-prompt-injection/). Checked October 2026.
- Google Analytics on GitHub: [Google Analytics MCP Server (Experimental)](https://github.com/googleanalytics/google-analytics-mcp). Checked October 2026.
- Claude Help Center: [Get started with custom connectors using remote MCP](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11175166-get-started-with-custom-connectors-using-remote-mcp). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag's MCP server lets Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and other assistants read your stats, sources, goals, attribution, ad spend and short links with a read-only key, on paid plans. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/mcp

---

# Ecommerce dashboard template: the cards that matter, and who counts each

> An ecommerce dashboard template card by card: revenue, orders, conversion rate and MER first, which tool should count each number, and a worked month.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/ecommerce-dashboard-template
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

An ecommerce dashboard should open with four numbers: revenue, orders, conversion rate and blended ROAS (MER, all sales over all ad spend). Under them go revenue by source, the checkout funnel and ad spend by campaign, with every number labeled by the tool that counted it.

The templates that rank for this phrase are mostly design files and chart galleries: many charts, no word on where each number should come from. That is the part that decides whether the board can be trusted. This page lists each card, the question it answers, its source of truth and the trap in it.

## The template, card by card

| Card | The question it answers | Count it with | The trap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | Are we selling more? | The store or payment system | Ad platform revenue overlaps; never add it up |
| Orders | Is growth from more buyers or bigger baskets? | The store | Test and canceled orders |
| Conversion rate | Is the site turning visits into orders? | Orders ÷ visits, from one tool | Orders from one tool over visits from another |
| [Blended ROAS](https://sporetag.com/glossary/blended-roas) (MER) | Is advertising paying overall? | Store revenue ÷ all ad spend | Read it against your break-even, not a benchmark |
| Revenue and visitors over time | Did sales follow traffic? | Both, on separate axes | One axis makes the smaller line look flat |
| Revenue by source | Which channels bring buyers? | Analytics, joined to orders | Direct and unknown are a real share; show them |
| Checkout funnel | Where do buyers drop? | Analytics events | Steps that fire twice inflate the top |
| Ads by campaign | Which campaigns earn their spend? | Spend from the platform, sales tracked by you | Platform ROAS beside tracked ROAS, labeled |
| Entry pages | Which pages start the visits that buy? | Analytics | Sort by revenue, not by visits |
| Email and texts | Is the list pulling its weight? | Your email tool, plus tracked revenue | Apple Mail opens are inflated; [count clicks](https://sporetag.com/guides/track-email-clicks) |

Every card earns its place by answering a question someone acts on. Leave off what nobody acts on: impressions, reach, average time on page and raw pageviews belong in a deeper report.

## One source of truth per number

The fastest way to lose trust in a dashboard is two numbers that should match and do not. Pick one counter for each:

- **Revenue and orders come from the store.** Shopify, Stripe or your checkout counts every paid order once. Meta and Google each count the sales their ads touched, so the platforms together often claim more than the store sold. See [why analytics numbers never match](https://sporetag.com/guides/why-analytics-numbers-dont-match).
- **Visits come from analytics.** The store's own session count and your analytics will differ by bots, consent and ad blockers. Use one for conversion rate, and the same one every month.
- **Ad spend comes from the ad platform.** It is the one number the platform knows exactly.
- **Credit for sales is yours.** Revenue by source and ROAS per campaign should come from one attribution rule applied to every channel, not from each platform's own claim. Show the platform's claim beside it, labeled, so nobody has to switch tabs to compare.

## A worked month

Example numbers, made up for illustration. A store's October, compared with October last year:

| Card | October 2025 | October 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $84,000 | $94,500 | +12.5% |
| Orders | 1,400 | 1,450 | +3.6% |
| Average order value | $60.00 | $65.17 | +8.6% |
| Conversion rate | 2.8% | 2.6% | −0.2 points |
| Ad spend | $19,000 | $25,000 | +31.6% |
| Blended ROAS | 4.42 | 3.78 | −14.5% |

Read top to bottom, the board tells one story: revenue grew, almost all of it from bigger baskets, while spend grew much faster than orders. Visits rose and converted a little worse, which fits colder ad traffic. The next card to open is ads by campaign, to find where the extra $6,000 went and what it brought.

With a 45 percent contribution margin, break-even ROAS is 2.22, so the ads still pay. Whether 3.78 is enough depends on fixed costs and the profit goal: see [break-even ROAS and target MER](https://sporetag.com/guides/break-even-roas-and-target-mer).

## The checkout funnel card

A funnel from product page to purchase shows where buyers leave. Baymard's average of 50 studies puts documented cart abandonment at about 70 percent ([Baymard Institute](https://baymard.com/lists/cart-abandonment-rate)), so a big drop between cart and order is normal. What to watch is change: a step that loses 10 more points than last month usually means something broke, such as a payment method, a shipping rate or a discount code.

Count each step once per visit and in order. [Funnel analysis](https://sporetag.com/guides/funnel-analysis) covers open and closed funnels and the settings that change the answer.

## How the template changes with the store

| Stage | Add | Leave out for now |
|---|---|---|
| No ads yet | Revenue by source, entry pages, email | Blended ROAS, ads by campaign |
| One ad platform | Blended ROAS, ads by campaign | Cross-platform comparisons |
| Several ad platforms | Spend and tracked revenue per platform | Each platform's own ROAS as a headline |
| Repeat buyers matter | New and returning revenue, [cohort retention](https://sporetag.com/guides/cohort-retention-analysis) | First-order ROAS as the only test |
| Seasonal peaks | Comparison with the same period last year | Month-over-month headlines |

For seasonal stores, compare with last year, with weekdays lined up for daily charts: see [year over year comparison](https://sporetag.com/guides/year-over-year-comparison).

## Common questions

### What should an ecommerce dashboard include?

Revenue, orders, conversion rate and blended ROAS at the top; then revenue and visitors over time, revenue by source, the checkout funnel and ad spend by campaign. Each number should say which tool counted it.

### What is the most important ecommerce KPI?

For most stores that advertise, blended ROAS or MER held against break-even: it says whether marketing pays overall and cannot double count. Revenue alone hides how much it cost.

### Should my dashboard use Shopify's numbers or Google Analytics?

Shopify's for revenue and orders. Your analytics for visits, sources and the funnel. Do not mix the two in one ratio without saying so.

### How often should I look at an ecommerce dashboard?

Daily for a glance at revenue and anything broken, weekly for campaigns, monthly against last year for decisions about budget and prices.

## Sources

- Baymard Institute: [Cart abandonment rate statistics](https://baymard.com/lists/cart-abandonment-rate). Checked October 2026.
- Google for Developers: [Measure ecommerce (GA4)](https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/ga4/ecommerce). Checked October 2026.
- Example numbers are made up for illustration.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag's Store dashboard is built for you from what you connect: revenue, orders, conversion rate and blended ROAS on top, then revenue by source, the checkout funnel and ads by campaign. It stays current until you edit it. More: https://sporetag.com/product/dashboards

---

# Lead generation dashboard: what to show, and where each lead is counted

> A lead gen dashboard template: leads, lead rate, cost per lead and qualified leads by source, which tool counts each, and how to read a month.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/lead-generation-dashboard
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

A lead generation dashboard should open with leads, lead rate (leads per 100 visits), cost per lead and visitors, then show leads by source and by campaign, and each ad campaign's cost per lead. If your CRM marks which leads qualify, cost per qualified lead belongs at the top instead of cost per lead.

The dashboards that rank for this phrase are connector templates that chart whatever each tool exports. The hard part of lead gen reporting is counting: what a lead is, which tool counts it, and how it ties back to the ad. This page answers those first, then lists the cards.

## Decide what a lead is

Write it down before building anything. Every number on the board depends on it.

| Lead type | Count it when | Typical source of truth |
|---|---|---|
| Form | The thank-you page loads, or the form's submit succeeds | Your site's analytics, then the CRM |
| Booked call | The booking is confirmed, not when the calendar opens | The booking tool or its embed event |
| Phone call | The call connects and lasts long enough to be real | Call tracking |
| Instant Form (Meta) or lead form (Google) | The platform receives it | The ad platform, then the CRM |
| Qualified lead | Sales marks it as worth calling | The CRM |

Most businesses have two or three of these. Keep them as separate goals on the board, then add a total. A booked call and a newsletter signup are not the same lead and should not share one cost per lead.

GA4 has recommended events for the same stages: `generate_lead`, `qualify_lead`, `working_lead`, `close_convert_lead` and `close_unconvert_lead` ([Google](https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/ga4/reference/events)). Using those names, even in another tool, keeps the stages clear.

## The template, card by card

| Card | The question it answers | Count it with |
|---|---|---|
| Leads | Are we getting more? | Your lead goal, counted once per visit |
| Lead rate | Is the site turning visits into leads? | Leads ÷ visits, one tool |
| Cost per lead | What does a lead cost? | Spend ÷ tracked leads |
| Visitors | Is the top of the funnel moving? | Analytics |
| Leads and visitors over time | Did leads follow traffic? | Both, on one chart |
| Leads by source | Which channels bring leads? | Analytics, by first or last touch |
| Leads by campaign | Which campaigns bring leads? | `utm_campaign` on every link |
| Form funnel | Where do people give up? | Page, form start, form sent |
| Ads by campaign | Which campaigns pay? | Spend and results from the platform; tracked leads beside them |
| Qualified leads by source | Which channels bring leads that buy? | The CRM, joined to the first visit |

Two numbers on the ad card look alike and must stay apart: the leads the platform reports, such as **Leads (Meta)**, and the leads your site tracked from that campaign's visits. Meta's count includes view-through leads and leads other channels also touched. Your count includes each person once. Show both, labeled; never add them. [Meta Ads cost per lead](https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-ads-cost-per-lead) explains the gap.

## A worked month

Example numbers, made up for illustration. A local accounting firm, September against October:

| Card | September | October |
|---|---|---|
| Visitors | 6,000 | 7,500 |
| Leads (form and booked calls) | 120 | 126 |
| Lead rate | 2.0% | 1.7% |
| Ad spend | $3,600 | $4,800 |
| Cost per lead (tracked) | $30.00 | $38.10 |
| Leads (Meta) | 140 | 190 |
| Qualified (CRM) | 48 | 38 |
| Cost per qualified lead | $75.00 | $126.32 |

Meta's own count says October was the best month yet: 190 leads, up 36 percent. The site and the CRM say otherwise. Visits rose 25 percent and leads barely moved, and qualified leads fell by a fifth. The extra spend bought people who looked and left, or filled a form and never answered. Leads by campaign will show which campaign it was.

That is why cost per qualified lead leads the board once the CRM can supply it. [CRM lead-to-sale reporting](https://sporetag.com/guides/crm-lead-to-sale-reporting) shows how to join CRM stages back to the first visit.

## The form funnel card

A three-step funnel, landing page to form start to form sent, splits a low lead rate into two problems. Many reach the form and few send it: the form asks too much or breaks on phones. Few reach the form: the page or the traffic is wrong. Count the steps in order, once per visit. See [funnel analysis](https://sporetag.com/guides/funnel-analysis).

## Setting it up so the counts hold

1. **One goal per lead type**, counted from a thank-you page or a confirmed submit. [Goals without a developer](https://sporetag.com/guides/goals-without-a-developer) covers the no-code ways.
2. **UTM tags on every ad, email and post**, so leads by campaign has a campaign. See [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters).
3. **Booked calls from embeds**: count the booking tool's own confirmed event, not a click on "Book". See [Calendly tracking](https://sporetag.com/track/calendly).
4. **Leads back to the ad platforms**, so they optimize for leads that qualify: [lead-gen conversion tracking](https://sporetag.com/guides/google-ads-conversion-tracking-lead-gen) for Google, the [Conversions API](https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-conversions-api-explained) for Meta.

## Common questions

### What should a lead generation dashboard include?

Leads, lead rate, cost per lead and visitors at the top; leads by source and campaign; a form funnel; and each ad campaign's spend, its reported results and the leads you tracked from it. Add qualified leads from the CRM when you can.

### How do you calculate cost per lead?

Ad spend divided by the leads it brought, for the same period and campaigns. Name the lead (form, call, booking) and the counter (your site or the ad platform), because each gives a different answer.

### Why are leads in Meta higher than leads on my dashboard?

Meta counts leads after an ad view as well as a click, and leads other channels also touched. Your dashboard counts each lead once, by the visit it came from.

### Should a lead dashboard show conversion rate or lead rate?

The same number under a clearer name: leads per 100 visits. Call it lead rate on the board, so nobody reads it as a sales close rate.

## Sources

- Google for Developers: [Recommended events (GA4)](https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/ga4/reference/events). Checked October 2026.
- Google Analytics Help: [How to report on your lead generation form](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/12944921). Checked October 2026.
- Example numbers are made up for illustration.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag's Lead gen dashboard counts your lead goal and shows lead rate, cost per lead, leads by source and campaign, and each ad campaign's results as Meta reports them beside the leads your site tracked. More: https://sporetag.com/product/dashboards

---

# SaaS metrics dashboard: signups, MRR and the source of each customer

> A SaaS metrics dashboard template: signups, cost per signup, MRR and its moves, lifetime value by source, plus MRR vs ARR and churn vs retention.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/saas-metrics-dashboard
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

A SaaS metrics dashboard for a small team should open with signups, signup rate, cost per signup and MRR, then show what moved MRR (new, expansion, contraction, churn) and lifetime value by the source that brought each customer. Those two rows tell you whether growth is real and which channels bring customers who stay.

The pages that rank for this phrase list twenty or more metrics for a finance team: ARR, NRR, CAC payback, burn, the Rule of 40. Useful for a board meeting, too much for deciding where next month's marketing goes. This page is the smaller board, with the definitions that cause most arguments settled.

## The template, card by card

| Card | The question it answers | Count it with |
|---|---|---|
| Signups | Are more people trying it? | Your signup goal or event |
| Signup rate | Is the site turning visits into signups? | Signups ÷ visits, one tool |
| Cost per signup | What does a signup cost? | Ad spend ÷ tracked signups |
| [MRR](https://sporetag.com/glossary/mrr) | How big is the business now? | The billing system |
| What moved MRR | Is growth from new customers or from keeping them? | Billing: new, expansion, contraction, churn |
| Signups by source | Which channels bring trials? | Analytics |
| Lifetime value by source | Which channels bring customers who stay and pay? | Billing, joined to the first visit |
| Time to first payment | How long from first visit to paying? | Billing and analytics joined |
| Signup funnel | Where do people stop before signing up? | Visit, pricing page, signup |
| Ads by campaign | Which campaigns pay? | Platform spend; tracked signups beside the platform's count |

Signups by source and lifetime value by source side by side is the pair that changes budgets. A channel can lead on signups and trail on revenue, for example a free-tool launch that brings students rather than buyers.

## MRR vs ARR

| | MRR | ARR |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Monthly value of active subscriptions | MRR × 12, the yearly run rate |
| Use it for | Monthly moves, small and early businesses | Annual contracts, investor and board reporting |
| Yearly plans count as | A twelfth of the price each month | The full yearly price |

Both are run rates, not cash. A $1,200 yearly plan paid today adds $1,200 to this month's revenue, $100 to MRR and $1,200 to ARR. Stripe's MRR counts active and past-due subscriptions and leaves out taxes, free plans and metered prices ([Stripe](https://docs.stripe.com/billing/subscriptions/analytics)). Report the number you can explain line by line.

## Churn rate vs retention rate

| | Customer churn | Retention |
|---|---|---|
| Formula | Customers lost in the period ÷ customers at the start | 1 − churn, over the same period |
| 200 customers, 6 cancel in a month | 3% | 97% |

Retention is churn read the other way, as long as both use the same period and the same base. Three things break that:

- **Revenue vs customers.** Revenue churn weighs each loss by its MRR. Losing one big customer can mean low customer churn and high [revenue churn](https://sporetag.com/glossary/churn).
- **New customers in the base.** Stripe's customer churn divides by customers 30 days ago plus new ones since ([Stripe](https://docs.stripe.com/billing/subscriptions/analytics)). Other tools use the start count only. Same business, different number.
- **Net revenue retention** counts upgrades from customers who stay. It can go above 100 percent while customers leave.

Cohort charts show retention by month of signup, which a single rate hides: see [cohort retention analysis](https://sporetag.com/guides/cohort-retention-analysis).

## A worked month

Example numbers, made up for illustration. A SaaS on $49 and $99 monthly plans:

| Card | Value |
|---|---|
| Signups (trials) | 400 |
| Signup rate | 2.5% of 16,000 visits |
| Ad spend | $6,000 |
| Cost per signup (tracked) | $15.00 |
| New MRR | +$2,940 |
| Expansion | +$600 |
| Contraction | −$300 |
| Churn | −$2,100 |
| Net new MRR | +$1,140 |

New MRR looks healthy, yet churn takes back 71 percent of it. Lifetime value by source then shows where: in this example, customers from a comparison-site listing churn half as often as customers from paid social, at a similar cost per signup. That moves budget. The total MRR line never would have.

## Joining signups to revenue

Signups live in your analytics; payments live in Stripe. Lifetime value by source needs the two joined: pass a visitor or session id from the signup into the checkout, so the first payment carries it and every renewal follows. [MRR and SaaS attribution](https://sporetag.com/guides/saas-mrr-attribution) covers the join with Stripe's `client_reference_id`, and why first touch suits subscriptions.

## Common questions

### What metrics should a SaaS dashboard show?

For marketing decisions: signups, signup rate, cost per signup, MRR, what moved MRR, and lifetime value by source. Add ARR, net revenue retention and payback for board reporting.

### What is the difference between MRR and ARR?

MRR is the monthly value of active subscriptions; ARR is MRR times 12. A yearly plan adds a twelfth of its price to MRR each month and its full price to ARR.

### Is churn rate the same as 1 minus retention rate?

Yes, when both use the same period and the same starting customers. They differ when one counts revenue and the other customers, or when one includes new customers in the base.

### How do I see which channel brings the best SaaS customers?

Join each customer's first visit to their subscription, then compare lifetime value or MRR retained by first source, over the same months since signup.

## Sources

- Stripe Docs: [Billing analytics (MRR, churn and subscriber definitions)](https://docs.stripe.com/billing/subscriptions/analytics). Checked October 2026.
- Example numbers are made up for illustration.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag's SaaS dashboard is built from your signup goal and Stripe: signups, signup rate, cost per signup and MRR on top, then what moved MRR, lifetime value by source and time to first payment. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/revenue-and-mrr

---

# Marketing dashboards for agencies: one for you, one for each client

> An agency needs two dashboards: a portfolio view that ranks clients by what needs attention, and a client board with three numbers and a target.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/marketing-dashboard-for-agencies
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

An agency needs two dashboards, not one: a portfolio view for the team that lists every client with the ones needing attention first, and a client dashboard that opens on the three numbers the client pays for, against a target. Most agency dashboards are the second kind stretched to do both, and do neither well.

The pages that rank for this phrase are tool listings and vendor feature pages. This one is about what goes on each board, who should see it, and the access rules that save trouble when a client leaves.

## The two boards

| | Agency portfolio | Client dashboard |
|---|---|---|
| Who reads it | Account managers, every morning | The client, whenever they wonder |
| Opens on | Clients sorted worst first | Three numbers against a target |
| Answers | Which client needs us today? | Is the money working? |
| Detail | One line per client, one action | One click to the full dashboard |
| Words | Ours: CPA, ROAS, sync errors | Theirs: leads, booked calls, sales |

## The portfolio board

One row per client. The row says what is wrong in words, and the list is sorted so the worst is on top. What belongs on it:

| Signal | Why it is urgent |
|---|---|
| Site down or tracking stopped | Every number after this is wrong until it is fixed |
| Ads spending with no results | Money leaving with nothing to show; often a broken form or goal |
| Results down well outside the usual swing | Something changed; find it before the client does |
| A connection stopped syncing | Spend or sales will be missing from the next report |
| Certificate or domain about to expire | The site goes down on a date you can see coming |
| Cost per result up sharply | Budget is buying less; a fatigued ad or a broken audience |

"Well outside the usual swing" is the important part. A drop of 30 percent means nothing for a client with 20 leads a month and a lot for one with 2,000. Compare each client with its own normal weeks, and leave out clients too small for a change to mean anything.

Leave off the portfolio board anything that is fine. A list of 40 green rows trains the team to stop reading it. [Uptime monitoring for agencies](https://sporetag.com/guides/uptime-monitoring-for-agencies) covers the site, certificate and domain checks.

## The client board

Start from the client's business, not the channels:

| Client type | Three numbers | Target example |
|---|---|---|
| Online store | Revenue, blended ROAS, orders | Blended ROAS above 3.0 |
| Service and lead gen | Qualified leads, cost per lead, booked calls | 120 leads a month under $40 |
| Local business | Calls, form leads, direction requests | 60 calls a month |
| SaaS | Signups, cost per signup, new MRR | $3,000 new MRR a month |

(Example targets.) Under the three numbers, one line of pace says more than a chart: "On pace for 104 of 120 leads; needs 6 a day, getting 5." Then sources in plain words, then the campaigns. Most clients stop reading after the first screen, so the first screen has to be the answer.

Each business type has its own card list: see the [lead generation dashboard](https://sporetag.com/guides/lead-generation-dashboard), the [ecommerce dashboard](https://sporetag.com/guides/ecommerce-dashboard-template) and the [SaaS metrics dashboard](https://sporetag.com/guides/saas-metrics-dashboard).

## Dashboard or report?

Both, for different jobs. A dashboard is for looking things up at any time; a report is a short story with a recommendation, sent on a schedule. Clients who get only a dashboard often log in once and forget it. Clients who get only a PDF email you for every number. Send the report, and put the live link in it. [Client reporting for agencies](https://sporetag.com/guides/client-reporting-for-agencies) covers the report.

## Access rules that save trouble later

1. **The client owns the accounts.** Ad accounts, analytics and the store belong to the client's business, with the agency added as a partner or user. When the work ends, the client keeps their history and the agency removes itself.
2. **Read-only by default.** Reporting needs read access only. Meta's `ads_read` permission, for example, pulls ad reports; managing ads is a separate permission, `ads_management` ([Meta](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/permissions/)).
3. **Invites, not shared logins.** A shared password cannot be taken back from one person. An invite can.
4. **A private link is a password.** Anyone who has it can see the numbers. Use it for clients who forward reports, and replace it when someone leaves.
5. **White label only if you mean it.** Your logo on the client's board helps; pretending you built the software does not. Say which tools you use if asked.

## Common questions

### What should an agency client dashboard show?

The three numbers the client pays you for, each against a target with its pace, then sources in plain words and the campaigns behind them. Leave channel metrics such as CTR and CPM for your own board.

### How do agencies monitor many clients at once?

With a portfolio view that lists every client sorted by what needs attention: tracking stopped, spend with no results, results well below normal, broken connections. Fine clients drop to the bottom or out of the list.

### Should clients get a login or a shared link?

A login by email invite when the numbers are sensitive, because you can revoke one person. A private link when the client wants to forward it. Either should be read-only.

### Do clients want dashboards or reports?

Most want a short report on a fixed day, with a dashboard link for when they have a question. A dashboard on its own is easy to forget.

## Sources

- Meta for Developers: [Permissions reference (ads_read)](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/permissions/). Checked October 2026.
- The two-board structure is our recommendation from building agency tools. Example targets are made up for illustration.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag's Overview lists every client site with the ones that need you first, and each client gets a read-only dashboard by invite, in a simple view with three numbers. On Agency it carries only your brand. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/client-dashboards

---

# Year over year comparison in analytics: same dates or same weekdays

> YoY growth formula, when to compare 364 days back so weekdays line up, partial months, moving holidays, and what breaks a comparison with last year.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/year-over-year-comparison
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

A year over year comparison sets a period against the same period a year earlier: growth = (this year − last year) ÷ last year × 100. For daily or weekly numbers, compare with the days 364 days back, so a Saturday lines up with a Saturday; for whole months and quarters, compare the same calendar dates.

Most pages on this stop at the formula. The formula is the easy part. The comparison goes wrong on weekday mix, half-finished months, holidays that move, and tracking that changed in between. This guide covers each, with the checks to run.

## The formula

YoY change = (this period − same period last year) ÷ same period last year × 100.

| Last year | This year | YoY change |
|---|---|---|
| 1,200 orders | 1,380 orders | +15% |
| $48,000 | $45,600 | −5% |
| 0 signups | 40 signups | No percentage: nothing to divide by |
| 3.2% conversion rate | 3.6% conversion rate | +0.4 points, or +12.5% |

Two notes. A change from zero has no percentage; show the two counts instead. And a change in a rate can be written two ways: in points (3.2 to 3.6 is +0.4 points) or as a relative change (+12.5 percent). Say which, because "conversion rate up 12.5 percent" reads like a far bigger move than it is.

## Same dates or same weekdays

A year is 365 days, 52 weeks and one day. So the same date falls one weekday later each year, two after February 29. Saturday, October 24, 2026 compares with Friday, October 24, 2025 by date, and with Saturday, October 25, 2025 if you go back 364 days (52 weeks exactly).

It matters whenever days of the week behave differently, which they do for nearly every business: stores sell more at weekends, B2B sites get their leads on weekdays.

| You are comparing | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One day, or a run of days in a chart | 364 days back | Each day lines up with the same weekday |
| A week or a set of whole weeks | 364 days back | Same weekdays, same count of each |
| A calendar month, quarter or year | Same dates | That is what finance, tax and budgets use |
| A month for a weekday-heavy business | Both, and note the weekday mix | October 2026 has five Saturdays; October 2025 had four |
| Around a holiday tied to a weekday | 364 days back | Black Friday 2025 was November 28; 364 days later is Black Friday 2026, November 27 |

The holiday example works because US Thanksgiving is fixed in law as the fourth Thursday in November ([5 U.S.C. 6103](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/6103)), so Black Friday always falls on a Friday and the 364-day shift lands on it. By date, November 27, 2025 was Thanksgiving itself, a very different day for most stores.

Holidays tied to a date (Christmas, July 4) do the opposite: same dates line them up, 364 days back moves them a day. Holidays tied to neither, such as Easter, which can move by weeks, line up under neither rule. Mark them on the chart so nobody reads the jump as a trend.

Google Analytics 4 compares with **Previous year** by the same dates; Google notes that its **Previous year (match day of week)** option has been removed ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/13412290)). To line up weekdays in GA4, set a custom comparison range 364 days earlier.

## Partial periods: compare like with like

On October 23, "This month" is October 1 to 23. Comparing it with all of October last year makes this year look down by about a quarter, every time. Compare with October 1 to 23 last year instead.

The same holds for "This quarter" and "This year": compare the days elapsed with the same days last year, and leave the full-period comparison for when the period has ended.

## What breaks a comparison with last year

The numbers can be honest and the comparison still meaningless. Check these before you trust a YoY change:

- **Tracking changed.** A new analytics tag, a cookie banner, a move from Universal Analytics to GA4, a new bot filter or a site redesign that dropped the tag from some pages. Each can move counts by more than the business did. Put a note on the chart on the day it happened.
- **The data is not there.** GA4's data retention setting (2 or 14 months for most properties) limits explorations and funnel reports, though not its standard reports ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/7667196)). A tool you started this year has no last year at all.
- **The site changed.** New products, new prices, a new checkout or a new domain change what a visit means. Compare the outcome (orders, revenue, leads) rather than the steps.
- **The mix changed.** Traffic up 40 percent from one viral post is not the same business as last year growing 40 percent. Split the change by source before celebrating.
- **Currency.** Revenue in a reporting currency moves with exchange rates. Compare at last year's rates, or say how much of the change is currency.

## Year over year or previous period?

Both, for different questions:

| Question | Compare with |
|---|---|
| Are we growing, after seasonality? | Same period last year |
| Did last week's change work? | Previous period |
| Is this month normal for the time of year? | Same period last year, 364 days back for daily charts |
| Is something broken right now? | Previous period, at day level |
| Board or client report for a seasonal business | Same period last year, with the previous period beside it |

A seasonal store that only reads month over month will see a crash every January and a boom every November. Neither says anything about the business. See [how to read a dashboard for an online store](https://sporetag.com/guides/ecommerce-dashboard-template) for where each comparison sits on a board.

## Common questions

### How do you calculate year over year growth?

Subtract last year's figure from this year's, divide by last year's figure, and multiply by 100. From 1,200 to 1,380 orders is (1,380 − 1,200) ÷ 1,200 × 100 = 15 percent.

### Why compare 364 days back instead of 365?

364 days is exactly 52 weeks, so each day lines up with the same weekday a year earlier. 365 days back shifts every day by one weekday, which distorts daily charts for any business that is busier on some days.

### How do I compare year over year in Google Analytics 4?

Open the date picker, turn on **Compare**, and choose **Previous year**. It compares the same dates. For weekdays to line up, choose a custom comparison range that starts 364 days before your range.

### Should I compare this month to last month or to the same month last year?

To the same month last year for growth and seasonality. To last month for spotting a recent change. A report for a seasonal business should show both.

### Can I compare year over year with less than a year of data?

No. Compare with the previous period, and keep the data so next year's comparison exists. If your old tool still holds last year, export or import it before it is deleted.

## Sources

- Google Analytics Help: [Change and compare date ranges in reports](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/13412290), [Data retention](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/7667196). Checked October 2026.
- Legal Information Institute: [5 U.S. Code § 6103, Holidays](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/6103). Checked October 2026.
- Calendar dates computed for 2025 and 2026. Example numbers are made up for illustration.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag's period menu compares any period with the previous one or the same period last year, with a Match weekdays switch that goes back 364 days. Every card on the board follows it. More: https://sporetag.com/product/dashboards

---

# Client reporting for agencies: a template clients actually read

> What to put in a monthly client report, how often to send it, which numbers to lead with for stores and lead-gen clients, and how to explain gaps.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/client-reporting-for-agencies
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Most client reports are written for the agency: every chart the tools can export, sixty slides, a paragraph of "impressions were up". The client reads the first page, if that. Then, at renewal, they ask what they are paying for.

A report that keeps clients answers one question first, in the client's own words: did the money work? Everything else supports that answer.

## The four parts, in order

### 1. The answer

One or two sentences and the two or three numbers that matter to this client. For a store, revenue and return on ad spend. For a service business, booked calls or qualified leads and cost per lead. Compare with the target, then with last period, and with the same period last year for a seasonal business ([year over year comparison](https://sporetag.com/guides/year-over-year-comparison)).

Write it as a sentence a busy owner can repeat to their partner: "Ads brought in 41 booked calls at $38 each, under the $45 target." (Example numbers.)

### 2. What drove it

The top sources and campaigns by the result, not by clicks. Three to five rows. Name them in the client's words: "Spring sale ads on Instagram", not "ASC_Prospecting_v3_Broad".

### 3. What changed

The biggest moves since last period, up or down, with the reason if you know it. A new ad, a price change, a holiday, a tracking fix. Bad news belongs here too, early, with what you are doing about it.

### 4. What we do next

Two or three actions with owners and dates. This is the part that shows the client they are paying for thinking, not for a dashboard.

## Which numbers to lead with

| Client type | Lead with | Support with |
|---|---|---|
| Online store | Revenue from the store, blended ROAS or MER, orders | Revenue by channel, new versus returning buyers, average order value |
| Service and lead gen | Qualified leads or booked calls, cost per lead | Leads by source, lead to sale rate if the CRM shares it |
| Local business | Calls, direction requests, bookings | Top pages, search versus social |
| Creator or course | Sales or signups, revenue per visitor | Top posts and links by sales |

Avoid leading with impressions, reach, clicks or CTR. They are useful for you to manage campaigns. They do not tell the client whether to keep paying.

For local businesses the phone is often the main result, and a form count misses it. [Call tracking](https://sporetag.com/guides/call-tracking-for-local-businesses) shows which ads made the phone ring.

## How often to send it

- **Weekly**, short: for clients with meaningful ad spend, where a bad week costs real money. Three numbers and one line each.
- **Monthly**, the full four-part report, with the plan for next month.
- **Quarterly**, a review meeting: what worked, what to stop, and the budget for next quarter.

Send it on the same day and time every period. A report that arrives on Monday at 8 am becomes part of the client's week. A report that arrives "when it is ready" becomes a chore for both of you.

## Use one source of truth for revenue

The fastest way to lose a client's trust is a report where the ad platforms' revenue adds up to more than the client's bank account. It happens because each platform credits every sale its ad touched. See [why analytics numbers never match](https://sporetag.com/guides/why-analytics-numbers-dont-match).

- Report revenue from the store or payment system, once.
- Report each platform's own conversions as a trend for that platform, labeled as the platform's count.
- Use [blended ROAS or MER](https://sporetag.com/guides/roas-mer-blended-roas) as the headline efficiency number, since it cannot double count.

## Explaining numbers that disagree

Clients look at their own Shopify, GA4 and Ads Manager. They will see different numbers. Say it before they ask:

> "Meta reports 62 purchases; your store recorded 47 orders that had a Meta ad in the path. Meta also counts people who saw an ad without clicking and buyers who also came through Google. We use your store's number for revenue and Meta's for comparing ads inside Meta." (Example numbers.)

One short paragraph like that, in the first report, saves many emails later.

## Making it less work

- **Template per client type.** Store, lead gen, local. Change the words, not the structure.
- **Merge fields** for the client name, period and top campaign, so the first sentence writes itself and you edit it.
- **Scheduled sends** from your own name and email, so the report arrives even in a busy week.
- **A live link** next to the email, for clients who want to look again or check a number mid-month.
- **A PDF** for clients who forward it to a partner or an accountant.
- **White label** for agencies that do not want the tool's name in front of the client.
- **A drafted summary.** AI can write the first paragraph from the numbers, if every number is checked before it goes. See [AI summaries in client reports](https://sporetag.com/guides/ai-client-report-summaries).
- **Uptime in the same report.** One line on how long the site was up shows work the client never sees. See [uptime monitoring for client sites](https://sporetag.com/guides/uptime-monitoring-for-agencies).
- **Answers between reports.** An AI assistant connected to the analytics answers "how did last week go?" without a new report. See [MCP and AI assistants for analytics](https://sporetag.com/guides/mcp-ai-assistants-analytics).

## Mistakes that cost renewals

1. Reporting activity (posts made, ads launched) instead of results.
2. Changing the report's structure every month, so nothing can be compared.
3. Hiding a bad month. The client sees their bank account anyway.
4. Using the agency's jargon. "CPM" and "ASC" mean nothing to most owners.
5. No next steps. A report with no plan reads like a bill.

## Common questions

### What should a monthly client report include?

The result against the goal, the sources and campaigns that drove it, what changed since last month, and two or three next steps. Lead with the client's business numbers, not ad metrics.

### How long should a client report be?

As short as the client will read. For most small business clients that is one page or one email, with a link to a dashboard for detail.

### Should I use the ad platform's numbers or the client's store numbers?

The store's for revenue and orders. The platform's for comparing campaigns inside that platform. Label which is which.

### Is a live dashboard better than a report?

They do different jobs. A dashboard is for looking things up. A report is a short story with a recommendation, sent at a set time. Most clients want the report and like having the dashboard. See [marketing dashboards for agencies](https://sporetag.com/guides/marketing-dashboard-for-agencies) for what goes on the client's board and on yours.

## Sources

- The structure in this guide is our own recommendation from building reporting tools. Figures marked as examples are made up for illustration.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag's client reports are built from the same widgets as your dashboards, sent on a schedule from your name, with a live link and a PDF. On Agency they carry only your logo and brand. More: https://sporetag.com/product/reports

---

# Uptime monitoring for agency client sites

> What to monitor on every client site, how intervals and retries trade speed for false alarms, SSL and domain expiry, and reporting uptime.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/uptime-monitoring-for-agencies
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Uptime monitoring for an agency means a service loads every client's site on a schedule and tells you when one stops answering, before the client notices. Monitor three things per site: the home page answering, the SSL certificate's end date, and the domain's renewal date. Those three catch most of the outages small business sites have.

This guide covers what to check, how intervals and retries decide how fast and how noisy alerts are, the expiry dates that cause the most avoidable outages, and how to show uptime to clients.

## What to check on each site

| Check | Catches | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Home page answers | Host down, server errors, a broken deploy, a lapsed hosting bill | Every 1 to 15 minutes |
| SSL certificate end date | Renewal that silently failed | Daily |
| Domain end date | A renewal card that expired, a client who forgot | Daily |
| A key page (checkout, booking, contact form) | A site that is up but cannot take money or leads | Every 15 to 60 minutes, where it matters |

Start with the first three for every client. Add a key page for clients whose revenue depends on one.

## What counts as down

A monitor sends a request and judges the answer. The rules matter more than they look:

- **Server errors (500 and up) are down.** The server is reachable but failing.
- **No answer within a time limit is down.** Ten to 30 seconds is common. A site that takes 20 seconds to answer is down for its visitors anyway.
- **A home page that returns "not found" (404) is down.** It usually means a broken deploy or a moved site.
- **"Forbidden" or "too many requests" (403, 429) usually means up.** Bot shields such as firewalls answer monitors with these. The server is alive.

## Interval, retries and false alarms

Every alert setup trades speed against noise. Two settings decide it:

- **Interval:** how often the site is checked.
- **Confirmations:** how many failed checks in a row before you are told.

The worst-case time to know is roughly interval times confirmations:

| Interval | Confirmations | You know within | Noise |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 minute | 1 | 1 minute | High: every network blip wakes someone |
| 5 minutes | 2 | 10 minutes | Low |
| 15 minutes | 2 | 30 minutes | Very low |

Retrying a failed request a few seconds later, before calling the check failed, removes most remaining blips.

For brochure sites and small stores, 30 minutes to know is fine; the client rarely loses more in that time than a night's sleep is worth. Google's SRE book puts the principle plainly: every page should be actionable, and alerts that fire too often get skimmed or ignored ([Google SRE](https://sre.google/sre-book/monitoring-distributed-systems/)). A monitor that cries wolf is worse than none, because the real outage arrives in a muted channel.

## Uptime percentages, in minutes

Clients and contracts speak in percentages. Translate them, for a 30-day month (43,200 minutes):

| Uptime | Downtime allowed in a month |
|---|---|
| 99% | 7 hours 12 minutes |
| 99.5% | 3 hours 36 minutes |
| 99.9% | 43 minutes |
| 99.99% | 4 minutes |

A monitor that checks every 15 minutes cannot prove 99.99 percent; one missed check is already more than the month's allowance. Do not promise a figure your monitoring cannot measure.

## SSL certificates

A lapsed certificate takes a site down as surely as a dead server: browsers show a full-page warning and most visitors leave.

Certificates now renew automatically on most hosts, so the failure to watch for is renewal that stopped working. Lifetimes are getting shorter, which makes that more likely to bite. The CA/Browser Forum voted to cut the maximum public TLS certificate lifetime from 398 days to 47 days, in steps from March 2026 to March 2029 ([CA/Browser Forum](https://cabforum.org/2025/04/11/ballot-sc081v3-introduce-schedule-of-reducing-validity-and-data-reuse-periods/)), and Let's Encrypt is moving its default certificates to 64 days in 2027 and 45 days in 2028 ([Let's Encrypt](https://letsencrypt.org/2025/12/02/from-90-to-45)).

Auto-renewal usually runs about a month before the end date. A certificate within two weeks of its end is a strong sign renewal has failed. Public Certificate Transparency logs, searchable at [crt.sh](https://crt.sh/), show every certificate issued for a domain, so a monitor can read the end date without connecting to the site.

## Domains

An expired domain takes down the site and the email together. Registrars must send at least two reminders before expiry, about a month and about a week ahead ([ICANN](https://www.icann.org/en/resources/registrars/consensus-policies/errp)). Those go to whoever registered the domain, often a client's former employee or a developer long gone.

Watch the end date yourself. The registry publishes it in its RDAP record, the standard JSON replacement for WHOIS ([RFC 9083](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9083)); a few country registries do not publish it. Warn the client 30 days out, and get the domain onto a card that will not expire.

## Reporting uptime to clients

- **Put uptime in the monthly report,** as one line: "Your site was up 99.97 percent of October; one 25-minute outage on the 14th, caused by the host." (Example numbers.) It shows work clients otherwise never see. The [client reporting guide](https://sporetag.com/guides/client-reporting-for-agencies) covers where it goes.
- **Tell them about outages yourself,** before they hear it from a customer, with the cause and what changed.
- **Route alerts to where your team works,** a shared Slack or Teams channel, not one person's inbox.
- **Put down sites first on your own board.** A portfolio view that lists every client by what needs attention puts an outage above a dip in leads. See [marketing dashboards for agencies](https://sporetag.com/guides/marketing-dashboard-for-agencies).

## Where Sporetag fits

From Sporetag's uptime code and help, on paid plans: each site's home page is loaded every 15 minutes with a 15-second limit and retried twice before a check fails; a site is down after two failed checks in a row. 401, 403 and 429 count as up; 404, 410 and 500 and up count as down. SSL end dates come from Certificate Transparency logs and domain dates from RDAP, once a day, with warnings at 14 and 30 days. Alerts go by email, and to Slack or Teams if you choose, at most once a day per kind per site. The Overview lists every client site with the ones that need you first, and reports can carry an **Uptime** block.

## Common questions

### How often should I check client websites for uptime?

Every 5 to 15 minutes, with two failed checks in a row before an alert, suits most small business sites. Check more often only where a few minutes of downtime costs real money.

### What uptime should an agency promise clients?

Only what the host's own service level agreement covers and your monitoring can measure. Read the host's figure first; 99.9 percent allows about 43 minutes of downtime a month.

### Why monitor SSL expiry if certificates renew automatically?

Because automatic renewal fails silently: a changed DNS record, a moved host or a full disk stops it. A certificate close to its end date is the earliest sign.

### What happens if a client's domain expires?

The website and email stop working. The owner can usually still renew for a short time after expiry, but the name can be lost for good if it is deleted and not restored.

## Sources

- Google SRE book: [Monitoring distributed systems](https://sre.google/sre-book/monitoring-distributed-systems/). Checked October 2026.
- CA/Browser Forum: [Ballot SC081v3, reducing validity periods](https://cabforum.org/2025/04/11/ballot-sc081v3-introduce-schedule-of-reducing-validity-and-data-reuse-periods/). Checked October 2026.
- Let's Encrypt: [Decreasing certificate lifetimes to 45 days](https://letsencrypt.org/2025/12/02/from-90-to-45). Checked October 2026.
- ICANN: [Expired Registration Recovery Policy](https://www.icann.org/en/resources/registrars/consensus-policies/errp). Checked October 2026.
- IETF: [RFC 9083, JSON responses for RDAP](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9083). Checked October 2026.
- Figures marked as examples are made up for illustration.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag checks each client site's home page every 15 minutes on paid plans, watches SSL and domain dates, and puts sites that need you first on one Overview, with alerts by email, Slack or Teams. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/agency-overview

---

# AI summaries in client reports, without made-up numbers

> How to use AI to write the summary at the top of a client report: what it should say, why models invent numbers, and a checking method that catches it.

Source: https://sporetag.com/guides/ai-client-report-summaries
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

An AI summary in a client report is a few sentences, written by a language model from that period's numbers, that tell the client what happened and what comes next. It saves the account manager the slowest part of reporting, but only if every number in it is checked against the data before it is sent, because language models sometimes state figures that are not in their input.

This guide covers what the summary should say, why models get numbers wrong, a method that catches it, and how to keep a human in the loop without losing the time saved.

## What the summary should say

The summary replaces the first page of the [four-part client report](https://sporetag.com/guides/client-reporting-for-agencies). Four short parts, in this order:

| Part | Answers | Example |
|---|---|---|
| What happened | The result and how it moved | "Booked calls rose from 34 to 41; cost per call fell to $38." |
| Why | The source or campaign behind the move | "Most of the rise came from the new Google search campaign." |
| What we did | Changes made in the period | "Added call tracking and a booking goal." |
| What's next | The plan | "Move budget from display to search; test a shorter form." |

Example numbers, made up for illustration.

Two rules make it trustworthy. "What we did" must come from a log of real changes, never from the model's idea of what an agency usually does. "What's next" must come from your plan, not from generic advice.

## Why models invent numbers

A language model writes the most likely next words. Asked to summarize a month, it may write "conversions rose 18 percent" because that sentence is plausible, even when the data says 12. NIST calls this confabulation: confidently stated but erroneous or false content ([NIST](https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/ai/NIST.AI.600-1.pdf)). OWASP lists the same failure, under misinformation, among the main risks of AI applications, and recommends automatic validation of key outputs and human oversight ([OWASP](https://genai.owasp.org/llmrisk/llm092025-misinformation/)).

Common forms in reports:

- **A percentage computed wrongly** from two correct numbers.
- **A number from the wrong period,** last month's figure presented as this month's.
- **A rounded number that no longer matches** the table under it.
- **A cause that is not in the data:** "thanks to the holiday season" when nothing says so.
- **A change the agency did not make,** invented to fill "What we did".

One wrong number in front of a client costs more trust than the summary saves time.

## A checking method that works

Treat the model as a writer, never as the source of facts.

1. **Compute every number first, in code.** Totals, changes, percentages, the best campaign. The model receives finished facts, not raw rows to do arithmetic on.
2. **Write a plain version from rules.** A template summary filled in with the facts is always correct, if dull. It is the fallback.
3. **Ask the model to rewrite the plain version** in better words, with the same facts.
4. **Check every number in its answer** against the facts and the plain version. One number that is not there, and the whole answer is dropped for the plain version.
5. **Check claims of action.** If the answer says something was done and the change log is empty, drop it.
6. **Keep site text out of the instructions.** Campaign and page names come from visitors and ad platforms and can carry hostile text. Mark them as data, and reject an answer that contains a link or address that was not in the facts.

This catches made-up numbers. It cannot catch a correct number with a misleading explanation, which is why a person still reads the summary.

## Keep a human in the loop

Three modes fit most agencies:

| Mode | When it fits |
|---|---|
| Automatic | Stable clients, routine months, summaries already checked by rules |
| Check first: you get the draft and approve before it sends | New clients, big accounts, bad months |
| Off | Clients who want numbers only |

Whatever the mode, the account manager should be able to edit the words. The best summaries add one sentence only the person on the account knows: "The owner was away for two weeks, so calls went to voicemail." (Example.)

## What data goes to the model

A summary needs aggregate numbers and campaign names, nothing personal. Do not send customer names, emails or phone numbers to a model to write a report. Check where your reporting tool's AI provider processes data, and whether your client contracts say anything about it.

## Should you tell clients the summary is AI-written?

If an account manager reads and stands behind every summary, it is the agency's report. If summaries go out automatically, say so in the report or in the contract. Clients forgive a tool. They do not forgive finding out.

## Where Sporetag fits

From Sporetag's report summary code and help, on the Studio and Agency plans: every client report opens with What happened, Why, What we did and What's next, written from that period's numbers. What we did comes from changes logged in Sporetag; What's next from the site's Autopilot plan. With the Assistant on, a model rewrites a rule-written draft, using one AI action per report period, and every number in its answer must be in the data or the plain version goes instead. **Automatic** sends it, **Check first** emails you and holds the report until you approve, and you can edit the words in either mode. The Highlights block is separate and uses no AI.

## Common questions

### Can AI write my client reports?

It can write the summary at the top from numbers you give it. Compute the numbers in code, have the model write the words, and check every number in its answer before the report goes out.

### Why does AI get numbers wrong in reports?

Language models predict plausible words. They can compute a percentage wrongly, mix up periods or state a figure that sounds right but is not in the data. NIST calls this confabulation.

### How do I stop an AI summary from making up numbers?

Give the model finished numbers instead of raw data, compare every number in its answer with the facts, and fall back to a plain rule-written summary when one does not match.

### Should a person review AI-written client reports?

Yes for new clients, large accounts and bad months. For routine months with automatic number checks, a quick read before sending is enough.

## Sources

- NIST: [AI 600-1, Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework: Generative AI Profile](https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/ai/NIST.AI.600-1.pdf) (July 2024). Checked October 2026.
- OWASP Gen AI Security Project: [LLM09:2025 Misinformation](https://genai.owasp.org/llmrisk/llm092025-misinformation/). Checked October 2026.
- The checking method is how Sporetag's report summary works; figures marked as examples are made up for illustration.

## Where Sporetag fits

Every Sporetag client report opens with What happened, Why, What we did and What's next; with the Assistant on, AI writes it, every number is checked against your data, and Check first holds it for your OK. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/agency-overview

---

# How to track a Shopify store: visits, sources and every order

> What Shopify's own analytics shows, where browser tags stop at checkout, and how to see each order with the ad, post or link that brought it.

Source: https://sporetag.com/track/shopify
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Shopify already has good analytics: sessions, conversion rate, sales by channel and a choice of attribution models, with "last non-direct click" as the default ([Shopify](https://www.shopify.com/blog/marketing-insights)). For many stores it is the first report to read. It stops in three places: it only sees your Shopify storefront, it cannot show the ad-level detail your ad platforms optimize on, and it does not send anything back to those platforms by itself.

## Where browser tags stop on Shopify

Shopify's checkout is not part of your theme, so a script pasted into `theme.liquid` does not run there. Since August 2026, script tags on the order status page no longer run for any store either ([Shopify](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/online-store/script-tag-deprecation/order-status)). Shopify's answer for tracking in checkout is web pixels, added under **Settings**, **Customer events**, which run in a sandbox with the events Shopify chooses to share.

The practical consequence: a tag in your theme sees browsing and add to cart, but the purchase itself should come from Shopify's own order data, not from a script on the thank-you page.

## Install Sporetag on Shopify

1. In Sporetag, add your store's address and copy the tag from **Set up your site**.
2. In your Shopify admin, open **Online Store**, then click the **...** button next to your current theme and choose **Edit code**.
3. In the **layout** folder, open `theme.liquid`.
4. Paste the tag on the line just above `</head>`, then click **Save**.
5. Back in Sporetag, click **Check my site**, then open your store in a new tab. Your first visit shows up in a minute or two.

The step-by-step version with screenshots of the right buttons is in the [Shopify install guide](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-shopify). Use the address customers see, such as `yourshop.com`, not the `myshopify.com` one, unless that is what they see.

## Add the orders

The tag counts visits, sources and pages. Orders come from the [Shopify connector](https://sporetag.com/docs/shopify-connector), on paid plans:

- It reads paid orders, refunds and new customers from the last 90 days, then stays current with webhooks and a check every 15 minutes.
- It reads the first and last visit Shopify kept before each order, with their landing pages and UTM tags, and click ids such as `fbclid` and `gclid`.
- With 90-day tracking, a short snippet saves the visitor's first-party id on the cart, so an order can be tied to visits from earlier days.
- Orders count once, even if your site also sends them, because they share the order id.

Today the connector uses a custom app you make in your store's admin, with read-only access. A one-click "Connect with Shopify" login is (when shipped).

## Send orders back to Meta

Mark a goal on `Purchase` as "send to Meta" and new paid orders go to the Meta Conversions API once, with hashed email and phone and the event id `shopify-` plus the order id. If you also send purchases from Shopify's own Meta channel, read the [Conversions API guide](https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-conversions-api-explained) first: two senders with different event ids count each order twice.

## What you can read after setup

- Revenue and orders from Shopify itself, by source, campaign, ad set and short link.
- First touch and last touch side by side in the attribution report.
- Ad spend from Meta, or any platform by CSV, beside that revenue.
- Each customer's visits, orders and refunds on one profile.

## Common questions

### Does Shopify have analytics built in?

Yes. Every plan has sessions, sales and conversion reports, with deeper reports on higher plans. Add a separate tool when you need ad-level attribution, conversions sent back to ad platforms, or one view across a store and other sites.

### Why does my analytics tool not count Shopify checkouts?

The checkout does not run theme scripts. Read orders from Shopify's data instead, through a connector or an app, and the count will match your store.

### Can I track Shopify sales from Instagram?

Yes. Tag your bio and story links, or use a short link, so visits arrive with `utm_source=instagram`. Shopify keeps those tags on the order's visit, and the connector reads them. See [how to track an Instagram link in bio](https://sporetag.com/guides/track-instagram-link-in-bio).

### Do I need a developer?

No. The tag is one line pasted into your theme, and the connector is a form.

## Sources

- Shopify: [Marketing insights](https://www.shopify.com/blog/marketing-insights), [Order status script tags](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/online-store/script-tag-deprecation/order-status). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

On Shopify, Sporetag counts visits from your theme and reads paid orders, refunds and customers through the Shopify connector on paid plans, so revenue matches your store. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/install-shopify

---

# How to track a WordPress site without slowing it down

> WordPress has no analytics of its own. How to add a light tracking tag with a header plugin, avoid cache problems, and count forms and WooCommerce sales.

Source: https://sporetag.com/track/wordpress
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

WordPress itself counts nothing. Analytics comes from a plugin or a script you add: Jetpack Stats, a GA4 plugin, Site Kit, or a tag pasted into the header. Each adds weight, and some add a lot: a full analytics plugin can load its own settings screens, database tables and several scripts on every page.

The lightest setup is a single script tag in the page head, added through a small header plugin you probably need anyway.

## Install Sporetag on WordPress

1. In Sporetag, add your site's address and copy the tag from **Set up your site**.
2. In your WordPress admin, go to **Plugins**, then **Add New Plugin**, search for **WPCode**, and click **Install Now**, then **Activate**.
3. Go to **Code Snippets**, then **Header & Footer**.
4. Paste the tag into the **Header** box and save.
5. Clear your cache plugin and any CDN cache, then click **Check my site** in Sporetag.

Any plugin or theme setting that adds code to the head works the same way. The [WordPress install guide](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-wordpress) covers the details. On WordPress.com, adding plugins may need a paid plan.

## The cache problem

Most "the tag is not there" reports on WordPress are caching. A page cache, an optimization plugin or a CDN keeps serving the old HTML without the tag. Clear every layer after adding it.

Optimization plugins that combine or delay scripts can also change the tag. If visits do not appear, exclude `sporetag.com/s.js` from script combining and delaying, and check that the `data-site` attribute is still on the tag in the page source.

## Count what matters: forms and sales

**Contact forms.** Most WordPress leads come through a form plugin. In Sporetag, turn on **Add people from sign-ups and forms** on the Profiles tab (90-day tracking): when a form with an email or phone field is sent, it counts a "Form sent" event and adds the person to their profile. It never reads password, card or hidden fields. New sites have it on already. Forms sent by script count from a press of their submit button; press **Test it** to check yours.

**WooCommerce.** Sporetag has no WooCommerce connector. Two ways to count sales today:

- If WooCommerce takes payments through a Stripe account you own, the [Stripe connector](https://sporetag.com/docs/stripe-connector) reads those payments on paid plans.
- Otherwise, send each paid order from your server with the [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api), with the order id so it counts once.

A WooCommerce thank-you page script also works, but it misses buyers who block scripts or close the tab before it loads.

## Performance

A tracking script should never block the page from rendering. Sporetag's tag uses `defer`, so the browser loads it after the HTML is parsed. Avoid installing several analytics plugins at once: each adds its own scripts, and two tools tracking the same page gives you two sets of numbers that will never match.

## Common questions

### Does WordPress have built-in analytics?

No. WordPress.com sites have stats through Jetpack. Self-hosted WordPress needs a plugin or a script.

### Do I need a plugin to add analytics to WordPress?

You need some way to add code to the head of every page. A small header and footer plugin is the safest, because theme edits are lost when the theme updates.

### Why is my tracking code not working on WordPress?

Usually a cache serving old pages, or an optimization plugin that delays or rewrites scripts. Clear the cache and view the page source to confirm the tag is there.

### Does Sporetag need a cookie banner on WordPress?

Private mode, the default, sets no cookies and stores nothing on the device. Read [cookieless analytics and GDPR](https://sporetag.com/guides/cookieless-analytics-gdpr) for what that means where your visitors are.

## Sources

- WordPress plugin directory: [WPCode](https://wordpress.org/plugins/insert-headers-and-footers/). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

On WordPress, Sporetag is one line in your header, under 1.5 KB gzipped, with no cookies in Private mode, and its form capture can turn contact form sends into goals without code. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/install-wordpress

---

# How to track a Webflow site: visits, sources and form leads

> Add analytics to Webflow with one line in Site settings, see which ads and posts bring form leads, and the plan and publishing rules that trip people up.

Source: https://sporetag.com/track/webflow
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Webflow sites are often marketing sites for agencies' clients: a few landing pages, a form, and paid traffic pointing at them. The question is almost always the same: which ads and posts bring form leads, and what does each lead cost?

Webflow sells its own analytics, Webflow Analyze, as an add-on to site plans, priced by sessions ([Webflow](https://help.webflow.com/hc/en-us/articles/34200153798163-Intro-to-Webflow-Analyze)), and many teams add GA4 through Webflow's integrations panel. Either way, the number that matters is form sends by source, and that needs the visit's source attached to the lead.

## Install Sporetag on Webflow

1. In Sporetag, add your site's published address and copy the tag from **Set up your site**.
2. In Webflow, open your site's **Site settings**, then **Custom code**.
3. Paste the tag into the **Head code** box and click **Save**.
4. Publish the site. Custom code runs only on the published site, not in the Designer.
5. Click **Check my site** in Sporetag, then open the published site in a new tab.

Webflow may ask for a site plan before custom code is allowed. The [Webflow install guide](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-webflow) has the details.

## Staging and production

A Webflow site has a `webflow.io` staging address and your custom domain. Sporetag only accepts visits from the address you added and its subdomains, so add the custom domain your visitors use. Visits on the staging address are not counted, which keeps your own testing out of the numbers.

## Count form leads by source

Webflow's native forms send without leaving the page. To count them:

- **Without code:** turn on **Add people from sign-ups and forms** on Sporetag's Profiles tab (90-day tracking). A form with an email or phone field counts a "Form sent" event and creates the person's profile, with the source of their visit. Press **Test it** to confirm it sees your form.
- **With a goal:** the **Someone fills in a form** goal template counts those sends, so the dashboard shows leads and cost per lead by campaign once ad spend is connected.

Embedded booking or form widgets from other tools run inside an iframe on another domain. No script on your page can see inside them. Use the tool's own notifications or a webhook, and send the result with the [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api) on paid plans.

## Make the source survive

Agencies running ads to Webflow pages should tag every ad with [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters), and keep auto-tagging on in Google Ads. Test each landing page and each redirect you set up with `?utm_source=test`, and check the tag is still in the address bar when the page loads.

## Common questions

### Does Webflow have built-in analytics?

Webflow Analyze is a paid add-on to site plans. Without it, you add a tool through custom code or an integration.

### Why is my Webflow custom code not running?

The site has not been published since you added it, or you are looking at the Designer preview. Custom code also needs a plan that allows it.

### Can I track Webflow form submissions as conversions?

Yes. Use a form capture feature, a form submission trigger in your tag manager, or Webflow's form webhooks sent to your analytics.

### How do agencies report Webflow leads to clients?

Count form sends by source and campaign, divide ad spend by leads for cost per lead, and send it on a schedule. See [client reporting for agencies](https://sporetag.com/guides/client-reporting-for-agencies).

## Sources

- Webflow Help Center: [Intro to Webflow Analyze](https://help.webflow.com/hc/en-us/articles/34200153798163-Intro-to-Webflow-Analyze). Checked October 2026.
- The custom code steps were checked against Webflow's help pages in October 2026 for Sporetag's install guide.

## Where Sporetag fits

On Webflow, Sporetag is one line in the head code. Form capture counts form sends as leads, tied to the ad or link that brought the visitor, and its Test it button shows whether it sees your form. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/install-webflow

---

# How to track a Squarespace site beyond the built-in analytics

> What Squarespace Analytics shows, what it cannot tell you about ads and links, and how to add a tracking tag with Code Injection where allowed.

Source: https://sporetag.com/track/squarespace
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Squarespace has a capable built-in Analytics panel: traffic, sources, popular content, and for stores, sales and a purchase funnel. For a small site it may be enough. Where it stops is the question most owners eventually ask: which ad, post, email or flyer brought the people who booked or bought?

That answer needs every link you control to carry its source, and a tool that keeps the source with the lead or the sale.

## Install Sporetag on Squarespace

1. In Sporetag, add your site's address and copy the tag from **Set up your site**.
2. In Squarespace, open the **Code Injection** panel. On most sites it is under **Pages**, then **Website Tools**.
3. Paste the tag into the **Header** box.
4. Click **Save**.
5. Click **Check my site** in Sporetag, then open your site in a new tab.

Code Injection needs the Core, Plus or Advanced plan. The [Squarespace install guide](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-squarespace) has the details.

## Give every link a source

Squarespace sites often get most of their traffic from Instagram, email newsletters and print. Without tags, a large share of it lands in "direct". For each place you share your site:

- Tag the link with [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters), with one naming scheme.
- For bios, print and anything spoken aloud, use a short link, which counts the click before the visit and keeps the tags out of sight.
- For Squarespace Email Campaigns, check that links carry UTM tags before sending.

## Count bookings, forms and sales

- **Forms:** Squarespace form blocks send without leaving the page. Sporetag's form capture (90-day tracking) counts sends from forms with an email or phone field; press **Test it** to confirm it sees yours.
- **Bookings:** Acuity and other schedulers embedded as iframes run on another domain, so no script on your page can see the booking itself. Count the visit to the booking page as a goal, or send confirmed bookings with the [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api) on paid plans.
- **Store sales:** Squarespace Commerce checkout pages are not plain pages on your site. If payments go through a Stripe account you own, the [Stripe connector](https://sporetag.com/docs/stripe-connector) reads them on paid plans; otherwise use the Events API.

## Common questions

### Is Squarespace Analytics enough?

For traffic and top pages, often yes. For knowing which campaigns bring leads and sales, and for sending conversions to ad platforms, you need tagged links and a tool that ties the source to the result.

### Why can't I find Code Injection?

It is only on plans that allow custom code (Core, Plus or Advanced), and Squarespace has moved the menu over time. Squarespace's help center has the current path.

### Does adding a tracking tag slow down Squarespace?

A small deferred script has little effect. Several large tags and pixels together can. Remove ones you no longer use.

## Sources

- Squarespace's Code Injection steps were checked against Squarespace's help pages in October 2026 for Sporetag's install guide.

## Where Sporetag fits

On Squarespace, Sporetag goes in Code Injection in one paste, and on paid plans the Stripe connector reads store payments that go through a Stripe account you own. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/install-squarespace

---

# How to track a Wix site: sources, leads and the custom code rules

> What Wix Analytics covers, why custom code only runs on a published site with a connected domain, and how to see which campaigns bring leads.

Source: https://sporetag.com/track/wix
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Wix includes analytics in the site dashboard: traffic, sources, sales and behavior reports, with more on higher plans. It answers "how many people came". It is weaker on "which of my campaigns brought the people who bought or booked", especially when traffic arrives from links without tags.

## Install Sporetag on Wix

1. In Sporetag, add your site's address and copy the tag from **Set up your site**.
2. In your Wix site dashboard, open **Settings**, then under **Development & integrations**, click **Custom Code**.
3. Click **+ Add Custom Code**, paste the tag, and name it Sporetag.
4. Under **Add Code to Pages**, pick **All pages** and load the code on each new page.
5. Under **Place Code in**, pick **Head**, then click **Apply**.

The [Wix install guide](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-wix) has the details.

## The rule that catches everyone

Wix runs custom code only on a published site with a connected domain. On a free `wixsite.com` address the tag does not run at all, and the preview in the editor never runs it. If visits do not appear, check those two things first.

Add the domain your visitors use in Sporetag. Visits from other addresses are not counted.

## What to track on a Wix site

- **Leads:** Wix forms send without a page change. Sporetag's form capture (90-day tracking) counts sends from forms with an email or phone field; press **Test it** to confirm it sees yours. Or count the visit to a thank-you page as a goal.
- **Bookings and store sales:** Wix Bookings and Wix Stores checkouts are Wix's own flows. Count the confirmation page as a goal, or send confirmed bookings and orders with the [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api) on paid plans.
- **Sources:** tag every link you share with [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters), and use short links and QR codes for print. See [QR code tracking](https://sporetag.com/guides/qr-code-tracking).

## Common questions

### Does Wix have built-in analytics?

Yes. The site dashboard has traffic and sales reports. Depth depends on the plan.

### Why is my custom code not working on Wix?

The site is not published, it has no connected domain, or the code is set for some pages only. Wix also lets you choose whether the code loads once or on each new page; pick each new page.

### Can I use Google Tag Manager on Wix?

Wix has its own marketing integrations for Google tags, and custom code accepts a Tag Manager container. Avoid running the same tool twice through both, or you count every visit twice.

## Sources

- Wix's custom code steps were checked against Wix's help pages in October 2026 for Sporetag's install guide.

## Where Sporetag fits

On Wix, Sporetag goes in Custom Code in the head of all pages, counts from the first visit, and short links give every Instagram, email and print link its own row. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/install-wix

---

# How to track a Framer site: sources, signups and campaigns

> Framer's built-in analytics counts visits. How to add a tracking tag in Site Settings, see which campaigns bring signups, and avoid the preview trap.

Source: https://sporetag.com/track/framer
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Framer sites are often product launches, portfolios and startup marketing pages: heavy on design, light on pages, with a signup or waitlist as the goal. Framer has site analytics built in for visits and pages. What it does not answer is which launch post, newsletter or ad brought the signups.

## Install Sporetag on Framer

1. In Sporetag, add your site's address and copy the tag from **Set up your site**.
2. In Framer, open your project's **Site Settings**.
3. Find the **Custom Code** section.
4. Paste the tag into the box for the start of the head tag.
5. Publish your site, then click **Check my site** in Sporetag.

The [Framer install guide](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-framer) has the details.

## The preview trap

Custom code runs on the published site only, not in the Framer canvas or preview. Test on the live address. If you use a `framer.website` address before connecting your own domain, add the address you will publish on and check again after the switch.

## Page changes

Framer sites change pages without a full reload. A tag that counts only full page loads undercounts every visit after the first page. Sporetag follows page changes made through the browser's history, so each new page counts once. If you run another tool alongside it, check that it does too.

## Count the signup

- **Framer forms:** count the visit to the page or state shown after sending as a goal, or use Sporetag's form capture (90-day tracking) for forms with an email field; press **Test it** to confirm it sees yours.
- **Signups in your app:** if the signup happens in your product on another domain, send it from your server with the [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api) on paid plans, so the launch post or ad gets credit.
- **Launch traffic:** tag every link in your launch posts, newsletters and directories with [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters). Launch days bring traffic from many apps, and untagged app traffic lands in direct.

## Common questions

### Does Framer have analytics?

Yes, Framer has built-in site analytics for visits and pages. For campaign sources tied to signups or sales, add a tool through custom code.

### Why does my Framer custom code not run?

You are viewing the canvas or preview, or the site was not published after adding the code.

### Can I add Google Analytics to Framer?

Yes, through Framer's site settings or custom code. Use one method only, or every visit counts twice.

## Sources

- Framer's custom code steps were checked against Framer's help pages in October 2026 for Sporetag's install guide.

## Where Sporetag fits

On Framer, Sporetag goes in the head of your published site and follows page changes on its own, so every page a visitor opens is counted once. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/install-framer

---

# How to add analytics to a Next.js site, App Router and Pages Router

> Where to put an analytics script in a Next.js app, how client-side navigation affects pageviews, CSP rules, and sending conversions from route handlers.

Source: https://sporetag.com/track/nextjs
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

A Next.js site is a single-page app after the first load: links swap the page in the browser without a full reload. An analytics script must count those page changes, load without blocking rendering, and fit your Content Security Policy. Server-side conversions then come from your own route handlers.

If you deploy on Vercel, Vercel's Web Analytics is one option for page traffic. The steps below work on any host.

## Install Sporetag on Next.js

1. In Sporetag, add your site's address and copy the tag from **Set up your site**.
2. Open the root layout: `app/layout.tsx` with the App Router, or `pages/_document.tsx` with the Pages Router.
3. Add the tag inside `<head>`, as shown below.
4. Deploy the change.
5. Click **Check my site** in Sporetag, then open the deployed site.

With the App Router:

```tsx
// app/layout.tsx
export default function RootLayout({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
  return (
    <html lang="en">
      <head>
        <script defer data-site="yoursite.com" src="https://sporetag.com/s.js"></script>
      </head>
      <body>{children}</body>
    </html>
  );
}
```

`next/script` with `strategy="afterInteractive"` also works. Keep the `data-site` attribute on it, since the script reads it to know which site it is on.

## Client-side navigation

Next.js changes pages with the browser's History API. Sporetag's script listens for those changes and counts each new page once, so you do not need a router event handler. If you add a second analytics tool, check that it does the same, or you will count only the first page of every visit.

## Content Security Policy

If your app sends a CSP header, allow the script and the endpoint it sends to:

```text
script-src 'self' https://sporetag.com;
connect-src 'self' https://sporetag.com;
```

With a nonce-based policy, pass the nonce to the script tag the same way you do for your other scripts. A blocked script fails silently, so check the browser console after deploying.

## Conversions from the server

Signups, trials and payments usually happen in your API routes, not in a page. Send them from there with the [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api) on paid plans:

- one request per conversion, with the event name, the page URL and, for sales, the value, currency and order id,
- the visitor's first-party id from the `_st_id` cookie with 90-day tracking, so the conversion joins the visits that led to it,
- the order id, so a browser event and a server event for the same order count once.

Keep the site's secret key in a server environment variable, never in client code.

## First-party serving

Some ad blockers block known analytics domains. The [script proxy](https://sporetag.com/docs/script-proxy) serves the script and its endpoint from your own domain on paid plans. It is optional, and it should still respect your visitors' consent choices.

## Common questions

### Where do I put analytics in the Next.js App Router?

In the root `app/layout.tsx`, inside `<head>`, or with `next/script` in the layout. Putting it in a page component loads it only on that page.

### Why does my analytics only count the first page in Next.js?

The tool counts full page loads and does not follow client-side navigation. Use one that listens to History API changes, or send a pageview on each route change yourself.

### Should I use next/script or a plain script tag?

Either works for a small deferred script. A plain tag in the root layout is the simplest. `next/script` adds loading strategies if you need them.

## Sources

- Next.js documentation: [Script component](https://nextjs.org/docs/app/api-reference/components/script). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag's script follows Next.js client-side navigation on its own, needs no package, and its Events API takes signups and orders from your route handlers with an order id so nothing counts twice. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api

---

# How to track GoHighLevel funnels and websites, from ad to booked call

> Where the GoHighLevel tracking code goes, how to avoid double counting funnel steps, and how to see which ads bring leads, booked calls and won deals.

Source: https://sporetag.com/track/gohighlevel
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

GoHighLevel (HighLevel) runs the funnels, forms, calendars and pipelines for many agencies and their clients. It keeps its own attribution on each contact. The gap is the part before the form: which ad, ad set, post or email brought the visit, and how that compares across every funnel and client in one view.

## Install Sporetag on GoHighLevel

1. In Sporetag, add the domain the funnel or website runs on and copy the tag from **Set up your site**.
2. In HighLevel, go to **Sites**, open the funnel or website, and click its **Settings** tab.
3. Paste the tag into **Head tracking code**.
4. Click **Save**.
5. Open a published page of the funnel and click **Check my site** in Sporetag.

HighLevel's own help article covers the same steps, and the page-level alternative ([HighLevel](https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/48000980311-add-tracking-code-script-to-funnels-and-websites)).

## Do not install it twice

HighLevel lets you add code at the funnel or website level and again on a single page. Adding the same script at both levels counts every pageview twice. Use the funnel or website level only. Page-level code is also not copied when you duplicate a step, which is another reason to keep it at the top.

HighLevel notes that scripts it adds may be injected in the browser, so they may not show in **View page source**. Check with the browser's developer tools, or Sporetag's **Check my site**.

## The domain matters

Sporetag counts visits only from the domain you added and its subdomains. If a client's funnel runs on `offer.clientbrand.com`, add `clientbrand.com` or that exact subdomain. Funnel previews on HighLevel's own preview domains are not counted, which keeps your own testing out.

## From visit to lead to booked call

- **Forms and surveys:** Sporetag's form capture (90-day tracking) counts sends from forms with an email or phone field; press **Test it** to confirm it sees yours. Or count the thank-you step as a goal.
- **Calendars:** count the booking confirmation step as a goal, so booked calls show by campaign.
- **Won deals:** Sporetag's GoHighLevel connector, which reads contacts and opportunities and counts a won deal once as a sale, is (when shipped). Until then, send won deals with a HighLevel workflow webhook to Zapier or Make, then to Sporetag's [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api) on paid plans.

## Reporting across clients

Agencies with many sub-accounts usually want one comparable view: leads, booked calls and cost per lead per client, from the same rules. Add each client's funnel domain as its own site, label it with the client's name, and use the same goal templates on each, so every client's report reads the same way. See [client reporting for agencies](https://sporetag.com/guides/client-reporting-for-agencies).

## Common questions

### Where is the tracking code in GoHighLevel?

In the funnel or website **Settings**, under **Head tracking code** or **Body tracking code**. Single pages also have their own tracking code fields in the builder.

### Why are my GoHighLevel pageviews doubled?

The same script is installed at both the funnel and the page level. Remove one.

### Does GoHighLevel track UTM parameters?

HighLevel keeps attribution on each contact, including UTM tags from the visit that created it. Your analytics still needs the tags to compare sources across funnels and clients.

## Sources

- HighLevel Support Portal: [Add tracking code to funnels and websites](https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/48000980311-add-tracking-code-script-to-funnels-and-websites). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

On GoHighLevel, Sporetag goes in the funnel or website head tracking code. Its GoHighLevel connector, which brings contacts and won deals in as sales, is (when shipped); a signed webhook through Zapier or Make does the job today. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/crm-connectors

---

# How to track ClickFunnels: which ads bring opt-ins and sales

> Where tracking code goes in ClickFunnels 2.0, how to avoid double counting, and how to tie opt-ins and sales to the ad that brought them.

Source: https://sporetag.com/track/clickfunnels
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

ClickFunnels shows its own stats for each funnel, step by step. Paid traffic is usually what fills those funnels, so the question that decides budget is which ad, ad set and audience brought the opt-ins and the sales, and what each one cost.

## Install Sporetag on ClickFunnels

1. In Sporetag, add the domain your funnels run on and copy the tag from **Set up your site**.
2. In ClickFunnels, open the **Site & Blog** app, then **Site Settings**.
3. Paste the tag into the **Header Code** section.
4. Save.
5. Open a published funnel page and click **Check my site** in Sporetag.

ClickFunnels says site-level header code covers the whole site, including funnel pages, blogs and store pages ([ClickFunnels](https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/adding-javascript-and-tracking-code-for-advanced-features/)). Menu names differ between ClickFunnels versions, so check them against your dashboard.

## Site, funnel or page code: pick one

ClickFunnels has header code at three levels: the site, each funnel, and each page. Adding the same script at more than one level counts every page twice. Put Sporetag at the site level only.

If ClickFunnels already loads GA4 for you through its Measurement ID setting, and you also paste a GA4 tag yourself, you count every GA4 pageview twice too. ClickFunnels' Site Settings article says to turn its option off when GA4 is already installed ([ClickFunnels](https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/understanding-site-settings/)).

## Use your own domain

Sporetag counts visits only from the domain you added and its subdomains. Connect a custom domain to your funnels, such as `join.yourbrand.com`, and add that in Sporetag. It also keeps your funnels' analytics separate from anyone else's on a shared default domain.

## From opt-in to sale

- **Opt-ins:** count the step after the opt-in page as a goal, or use Sporetag's form capture (90-day tracking) for forms with an email or phone field; press **Test it** to confirm it sees yours.
- **Purchases:** count the order confirmation step as a goal for a quick start. For accurate revenue, read payments from the source: if checkout runs through a Stripe account you own, the [Stripe connector](https://sporetag.com/docs/stripe-connector) reads payments, refunds and subscriptions on paid plans.
- **Ad platforms:** mark the opt-in or purchase goal "send to Meta" to send it through the [Conversions API](https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-conversions-api-explained). If you also run Meta's pixel on the funnel, use the same event id for both, or each conversion counts twice.

## Tag every traffic source

Read each funnel step by step, by source and device; [funnel analysis](https://sporetag.com/guides/funnel-analysis) covers which drop-offs are normal and which are not. Funnels live and die by traffic sources, so tag every ad with [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters) and dynamic values, such as Meta's `{{campaign.name}}` and `{{adset.name}}`. Then compare cost per opt-in and cost per sale by ad set, not by clicks.

## Common questions

### Where do I add tracking code in ClickFunnels 2.0?

In the Site & Blog app's Site Settings, in the Header Code section. Funnels and pages also have their own header code fields.

### Why are my ClickFunnels pageviews doubled?

The same script is installed at more than one level, or ClickFunnels loads GA4 for you while you also added your own GA4 tag.

### How do I track ClickFunnels sales in Meta?

Use Meta's pixel on the funnel plus server events through the Conversions API, with the same event id for each purchase so Meta counts it once.

## Sources

- ClickFunnels Help Center: [Adding JavaScript and tracking code](https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/adding-javascript-and-tracking-code-for-advanced-features/), [Site settings](https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/understanding-site-settings/). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

On ClickFunnels, Sporetag goes in the site header code, counts each funnel step as a page, and can send opt-ins and purchases to Meta with a shared event id. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/install-html

---

# How to track a Kajabi site: sources for signups and course sales

> Add a tracking tag to Kajabi with Header Page Scripts, why it does not run on checkout pages, and how to see which posts, emails and ads sell your courses.

Source: https://sporetag.com/track/kajabi
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Creators on Kajabi usually sell through content: Instagram, YouTube, a podcast, an email list. Kajabi has its own analytics and native integrations for Google Analytics and the Meta pixel. What creators want to know is which post, email or mention brought the people who bought, and that depends on tagged links more than on any dashboard.

## Install Sporetag on Kajabi

1. In Sporetag, add the domain your Kajabi site uses and copy the tag from **Set up your site**.
2. In Kajabi, open **Settings**, then **Site details**.
3. Under **Page scripts**, paste the tag into **Header Page Scripts**.
4. Click **Save**.
5. Open your site in a new tab and click **Check my site** in Sporetag.

Kajabi places Header Page Scripts in the head of every page on your site, and suggests the same field for analytics tools it has no native integration for ([Kajabi](https://help.kajabi.com/en/articles/12695918-add-custom-code-to-pages)).

## Checkout pages are separate

Header Page Scripts do not run on Kajabi's checkout pages, which have their own **Checkout Tracking Code** setting under **Settings**, **Checkout** ([Kajabi](https://help.kajabi.com/en/articles/12695597-how-to-add-a-javascript-tracking-code-to-your-checkout-pages)). So a tag in the header sees landing pages, sales pages and blog posts, and stops at checkout. Count the sale another way:

- **Thank-you page:** count the visit to your offer's thank-you page as a goal. Quick, and good enough to compare sources.
- **Payments:** if your offers take payments through a Stripe account you own, the [Stripe connector](https://sporetag.com/docs/stripe-connector) reads payments, refunds and subscriptions on paid plans.
- **An automation tool:** send purchases from Kajabi through a tool such as Zapier, if your Kajabi plan supports it, to the [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api) on paid plans.

## Use your own domain

Sporetag counts visits only from the domain you added and its subdomains. If your site still runs on a `mykajabi.com` address, add that address, then add your custom domain when you connect it.

## Make content traffic count

Content traffic is where sources get lost: links in Instagram bios, YouTube descriptions and podcast notes often arrive with no referrer. For each place you share a link:

- use a [short link](https://sporetag.com/glossary/short-link) per placement, such as `go.yourbrand.com/yt-oct` for one video,
- tag it with [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters), so the visit carries the source,
- compare sales by placement, not by clicks.

A podcast mention can only be tracked with a short, speakable link. See [how to track an Instagram link in bio](https://sporetag.com/guides/track-instagram-link-in-bio) for the same method on Instagram, and [Teachable](https://sporetag.com/track/teachable) for the same setup on another course platform.

## Common questions

### Does Kajabi have analytics?

Yes. Kajabi has its own analytics and native integrations for Google Analytics, the Meta pixel and Segment. Other tools go in Header Page Scripts.

### Why is my tracking code not working on Kajabi checkout?

Header Page Scripts do not run on checkout pages. Kajabi has a separate Checkout Tracking Code setting for those.

### Can I see which Instagram post sold my course?

Yes, if each post or story uses its own tagged short link and you count sales by that tag.

## Sources

- Kajabi Help Center: [Add custom code to pages](https://help.kajabi.com/en/articles/12695918-add-custom-code-to-pages), [Add JavaScript tracking code to checkout pages](https://help.kajabi.com/en/articles/12695597-how-to-add-a-javascript-tracking-code-to-your-checkout-pages). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

On Kajabi, Sporetag goes in Header Page Scripts, and branded short links with platform presets show which Instagram post, email or podcast mention sold the course. More: https://sporetag.com/platforms/instagram

---

# How to track a Ghost site: readers, members and paid signups

> Add a tracking tag to Ghost with code injection, count free and paid member signups, and see which posts, newsletters and links bring members.

Source: https://sporetag.com/track/ghost
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Ghost publishers measure two things: readers and members. Ghost has both built in. Since Ghost 6.0, its native web analytics counts visitors, views, top content and top sources without cookies ([Ghost](https://ghost.org/help/native-analytics/)). It also records where each member came from when they sign up or upgrade ([Ghost](https://ghost.org/help/member-sources/)).

Unlike [Substack](https://sporetag.com/track/substack), which takes only a few tracking IDs, Ghost runs any script you paste. An outside tool earns its place when you need what Ghost does not do: one dashboard for a Ghost blog and a separate shop or course site, campaign-level sources for ads and partner links, or sales tied to the visits before them.

## Install Sporetag on Ghost

1. In Sporetag, add your Ghost site's domain and copy the tag from **Set up your site**.
2. In Ghost admin, open **Settings**, then **Advanced**, then **Code injection** ([Ghost](https://ghost.org/help/code-injection-styles/)).
3. Paste the tag into the **Site header** box.
4. Click **Save**.
5. Open your site in a new tab and click **Check my site** in Sporetag.

Code in **Site header** goes into the `<head>` of every page. On Ghost(Pro), if you do not see code injection, check what your plan includes.

## Count member signups

Ghost's signup form (Portal) does its work in a popup, so the page address does not change when someone joins. The clean way to count signups without code is a welcome page:

1. Create a members-only page, such as `/welcome`.
2. Set it as the welcome page on each membership tier. New members are sent there after they click the email confirmation link ([Ghost](https://ghost.org/help/welcome-pages/)).
3. In your analytics, make a visit to `/welcome` the signup goal. Use a different page per tier if you want free and paid signups apart.

The welcome page visit happens after the confirmation email, so it arrives from the email. A tool that remembers the visitor across visits ties it back to the post that made them sign up. A tool that only knows one visit credits the confirmation email.

## Count paid subscriptions

Ghost takes payments through a Stripe account you connect ([Ghost](https://ghost.org/help/stripe/)). Two ways to count them as sales:

- **A paid welcome page.** Quick, the same method as above, without the amount.
- **Stripe itself.** The payments are in your Stripe account, so a tool that reads Stripe sees each subscription, renewal and cancellation with its amount. Sporetag's [Stripe connector](https://sporetag.com/docs/stripe-connector) does this on paid plans. [MRR and SaaS attribution](https://sporetag.com/guides/saas-mrr-attribution) explains how to tie that recurring revenue to the posts and campaigns that brought each member.

## Tag the links that bring members

Ghost already lets you label sources: a link with `?ref=`, `?source=` or `?utm_source=` records that value as the member's source ([Ghost](https://ghost.org/help/member-sources/)). Use full [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters) on links you place elsewhere, such as podcast notes, partner newsletters and social bios, so every tool reads the same source and campaign.

For your own newsletter, tag links back to your site with `utm_medium=email` and a campaign per issue. See [how to track email clicks](https://sporetag.com/guides/track-email-clicks).

## Privacy

Ghost's native analytics uses no cookies or other persistent browser storage ([Ghost](https://ghost.org/help/native-analytics/)). If you add another tool, pick one that keeps that promise, or you will need a consent banner where the law asks for one. Sporetag's default Private mode stores nothing on the visitor's device; see [cookieless analytics and GDPR](https://sporetag.com/guides/cookieless-analytics-gdpr).

## Common questions

### Does Ghost have built-in analytics?

Yes. Since Ghost 6.0, Ghost has cookie-free web analytics with visitors, views, top content, top sources and locations, plus member sources for signups and paid conversions.

### Where do I add a tracking code in Ghost?

In **Settings**, **Advanced**, **Code injection**, in the **Site header** box. It applies to every page of the site.

### How do I track Ghost member signups as a conversion?

Set a welcome page on each membership tier, then count a visit to that page as your signup goal.

### Can I see which post brought a paid member?

Ghost's member sources show the source at signup and paid conversion. To tie the payment amount to the post, use a tool that reads your Stripe account and remembers the visitor across visits.

## Sources

- Ghost Help: [Adding styles with code injection](https://ghost.org/help/code-injection-styles/), [Native analytics](https://ghost.org/help/native-analytics/), [Member sources](https://ghost.org/help/member-sources/), [Welcome pages](https://ghost.org/help/welcome-pages/), [Connecting Stripe](https://ghost.org/help/stripe/). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

On Ghost, Sporetag goes in the Site header box, a welcome page visit can be the signup goal with no code, and on paid plans the Stripe connector reads the paid subscriptions Ghost takes through your Stripe account. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/install-html

---

# How to track a Carrd site: visits, sections and signups

> Add a tracking tag to Carrd with a hidden Embed element, why one-page sections count as one page, and how to count signups and link clicks.

Source: https://sporetag.com/track/carrd
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Carrd builds one-page sites: landing pages, link-in-bio pages, waitlists and portfolios. It has no analytics dashboard of its own, so the question is how to add one, and how to measure a site where most of the action is a click to somewhere else.

## Install Sporetag on Carrd

Custom code needs Carrd's **Pro Standard** plan or higher ([Carrd](https://carrd.com/docs/building/embedding-custom-code)).

1. In Sporetag, add your Carrd site's address and copy the tag from **Set up your site**.
2. In the Carrd builder, click **Add Element**, then **Embed**.
3. Set **Type** to **Code** and paste the tag into **Code**.
4. Set **Style** to **Hidden**, then pick **Head**.
5. Publish the site, open it in a new tab and click **Check my site** in Sporetag.

Carrd does not run embedded code inside the builder, so test on the published site ([Carrd](https://carrd.com/docs/building/embedding-custom-code)).

## Use your own domain

Carrd sites can publish to a `.carrd.co` address or a custom domain; custom domains also need Pro Standard or higher ([Carrd](https://carrd.com/docs/sites/using-a-custom-domain)). Add the address your visitors actually see. If you move from `yourname.carrd.co` to your own domain, add the new domain in your analytics, or the visits stop counting.

## Sections count as one page

A Carrd site can have several sections, and each one is reached by a `#` link, such as `yourname.carrd.co/#work` ([Carrd](https://carrd.com/docs/building/setting-up-a-section)). The page itself never changes.

Most analytics tools, Sporetag among them, count a pageview when the page path changes, not the part after `#`. So a visitor who moves from your intro to `#work` to `#contact` is one pageview. To know how far people get, look at clicks on the links in each section, or at scroll depth.

## Count what matters on a one-page site

On a Carrd site, the valuable action is usually a click out or a form:

- **Outbound links.** Clicks to your shop, booking page or socials. Count them as a goal; most tools see them without code.
- **Signup forms.** Count the form send itself. If your form sends people to a separate page afterwards, a visit to that page works too. A thank-you section reached with `#` does not change the path, so it cannot be a page goal.
- **Downloads.** A media kit or PDF linked from the page.

See [goals without a developer](https://sporetag.com/guides/goals-without-a-developer) for the checks that keep each goal honest.

## Track the links that bring visitors

Carrd sites often are the link in a bio. Each place you share it should carry its own source:

- a [short link](https://sporetag.com/glossary/short-link) per profile or post, such as `go.yourname.com/ig` and `go.yourname.com/tt`,
- tagged with [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters) for the source and placement.

Without tags, visits from Instagram and TikTok apps often arrive with no referrer and look like direct traffic. See [how to track an Instagram link in bio](https://sporetag.com/guides/track-instagram-link-in-bio).

## Common questions

### Does Carrd have analytics?

Carrd has no analytics dashboard of its own. Add a tracking tag with an Embed element, which needs Pro Standard or higher.

### How do I add Google Analytics or another tracking code to Carrd?

Add an Embed element, set Type to Code, paste the tag, and set Style to Hidden with the Head location. Publish, then test on the live site.

### Why does my Carrd site show only one page in analytics?

Carrd sections are reached with `#` links, which do not change the page path. Analytics tools count those as one page.

### Can I track clicks on my Carrd buttons?

Yes. Clicks on links to other sites can be counted as events without code in most tools, and made into goals. Buttons that only jump to another section are `#` links and stay on the page.

## Sources

- Carrd Documentation: [Embedding custom code](https://carrd.com/docs/building/embedding-custom-code), [Using a custom domain](https://carrd.com/docs/sites/using-a-custom-domain), [Creating a section](https://carrd.com/docs/building/setting-up-a-section). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

On Carrd, Sporetag goes in a hidden Embed element in the head, counts clicks on outbound links and downloads with no code, and short links show which bio or post sent each visit. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/install-html

---

# How to track a GoDaddy Website Builder site, and its limits

> Where tracking code can go in GoDaddy Websites + Marketing, why code in an HTML section runs in an iframe, and how to measure leads and campaigns anyway.

Source: https://sporetag.com/track/godaddy
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

GoDaddy Website Builder, sold as Websites + Marketing, is built for owners who want a site without touching code. That shows in how it handles tracking: a few tools are built in, and custom code is boxed in. Before you pick an analytics tool for a GoDaddy site, check where its code can run.

This page covers the GoDaddy builder. A WordPress site hosted at GoDaddy is a different product; see [how to track a WordPress site](https://sporetag.com/track/wordpress).

## Where tracking code can go

GoDaddy documents two places ([GoDaddy](https://www.godaddy.com/help/add-html-or-custom-code-to-my-site-27252)):

- **Built-in fields in Settings** for Google Analytics, the Facebook Pixel, a Facebook meta tag, a Pinterest meta tag and Google AdSense. No custom code needed, but only these tools.
- **An HTML section** you add to a page, with a **Custom Code** box for HTML, CSS and JavaScript.

The catch is in GoDaddy's own troubleshooting article: the HTML section's content is placed inside an iframe ([GoDaddy](https://www.godaddy.com/help/troubleshoot-html-or-custom-code-not-displaying-properly-28025)). A tracking script in an iframe sees the iframe, not your page. It cannot read the page address, the referrer or the campaign tags of the visit, so it reports the wrong thing or nothing useful.

Some third-party guides describe a site-wide head code field in the builder's settings. GoDaddy's help center does not document one, and the editor has changed over the years, so look for it in your own site's settings before you choose a tool.

## Install Sporetag on GoDaddy Website Builder

Sporetag needs to run in the page itself, so it works only if your editor has a site-wide head field.

1. In Sporetag, add your site's domain and copy the tag from **Set up your site**.
2. In the GoDaddy editor, open your site's settings and look for a field that adds code to the head of every page.
3. If you find it, paste the tag there and publish your site.
4. Open your site in a new tab and click **Check my site** in Sporetag.

If there is no head field, do not paste the tag into an HTML section: it would run in an iframe and count the wrong page. Pick **I have a developer** during setup, or [book a setup call](https://sporetag.com/setup-call), and we will look at your site with you.

## Measure leads without page code

Some measurement works on a GoDaddy site whatever the editor allows:

- **Tag your links.** [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters) on every ad, email and social link tell any analytics tool where the visit came from, including GoDaddy's built-in Google Analytics field.
- **Short links count the click.** A [short link](https://sporetag.com/glossary/short-link) records the click on its own server before the visitor reaches your site, so a flyer, a text or a bio link has a click count even when page tracking is limited.
- **Count leads where they land.** If your contact form emails you, count leads by source from the form's own data, or ask "How did you hear about us?" on the form. It is low tech and it works.

For goals that do run on the page, see [goals without a developer](https://sporetag.com/guides/goals-without-a-developer).

## Common questions

### How do I add Google Analytics to a GoDaddy website?

Use the built-in Google Analytics field in your site's Settings. GoDaddy supports it directly, with no custom code.

### Can I add a tracking script to GoDaddy Website Builder?

You can paste code into an HTML section, but GoDaddy places that content in an iframe, where a tracking script cannot see your page. A tracking script needs a site-wide head field, if your editor has one.

### Why is my tracking code not working on GoDaddy?

Most often because it is in an HTML section, inside an iframe. It may also need the site to be published, and GoDaddy says it cannot troubleshoot third-party code.

### Is GoDaddy's WordPress hosting the same as Website Builder?

No. WordPress hosting runs a normal WordPress site, where you can add any tag to the site's header.

## Sources

- GoDaddy Help: [Add HTML or custom code to my site](https://www.godaddy.com/help/add-html-or-custom-code-to-my-site-27252), [Troubleshoot: HTML or custom code not displaying properly](https://www.godaddy.com/help/troubleshoot-html-or-custom-code-not-displaying-properly-28025). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag needs a site-wide head field to track a GoDaddy site's pages; its short links count clicks and carry your tags on any site, and setup help is a reply away if your editor has no head field. More: https://sporetag.com/setup-call

---

# How to add tracking with Google Tag Manager, and when not to

> Add an analytics tag through Google Tag Manager with a Custom HTML tag, pick the right trigger, send events from triggers, and know the trade-offs.

Source: https://sporetag.com/track/google-tag-manager
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Google Tag Manager is a container for other tags. If it is already on your site, adding a new analytics tool through it means no change to the site's code. If it is not, adding it just to load one tag adds a layer you do not need.

This page covers adding a tag, the trigger that matters, sending events from Tag Manager, and the trade-offs.

## Install Sporetag with Google Tag Manager

1. In Sporetag, copy your tag from **Set up your site**.
2. In Tag Manager, open your container. Click **Tags**, then **New**, and name it Sporetag.
3. Click **Tag Configuration** and pick **Custom HTML**. Paste the tag into the **HTML** box.
4. Under **Triggering**, pick **Initialization - All Pages**. Click **Save**.
5. Click **Submit**, then **Publish**. Nothing runs until the container is published.

Custom HTML is the tag type for code a vendor gives you that Tag Manager has no template for ([Google](https://support.google.com/tagmanager/answer/6107167)). Leave **Support document.write** off; the tag does not need it.

## Why the Initialization trigger

Every web container has a built-in **Initialization - All Pages** trigger. It fires before the other page view triggers, except **Consent Initialization** ([Google](https://support.google.com/tagmanager/answer/7679319)). An analytics tag should load as early as possible, so it counts visitors who leave fast and is ready before other tags send events.

**Consent Initialization** is for consent tools and consent defaults, not for analytics tags ([Google](https://support.google.com/tagmanager/answer/7679319)). Google's own GA4 troubleshooting points to the same trigger order: a Google tag that fires late is a known cause of [(not set) sources in GA4](https://sporetag.com/guides/ga4-not-set).

## Checking it works

Tag Manager adds tags after the page starts loading, so a tool that reads your page's HTML, such as a "check my site" button, cannot see a tag inside Tag Manager. Check it instead:

- with Tag Manager's **Preview** mode, which shows each tag that fired on each page, and
- by opening your site and watching the analytics tool's real-time view.

## Send events from Tag Manager triggers

Tag Manager's triggers (clicks, form submissions, element visibility, custom events from your site's data layer) can send events to any tool. For Sporetag, make another **Custom HTML** tag with one line, and fire it on the trigger:

```html
<script>sporetag('Quote sent');</script>
```

Use triggers that fire after the page has loaded, such as clicks, form submissions and data layer events, so the Sporetag tag is ready. Then make **Quote sent** a goal in Sporetag. This is the Tag Manager way to count actions the page itself does not expose; for no-code goals without Tag Manager, see [goals without a developer](https://sporetag.com/guides/goals-without-a-developer).

## Consent

If your consent tool runs in Tag Manager, it can tell other tags what the visitor chose. Sporetag's default Private mode stores nothing on the device. In 90-day tracking with **Wait for consent** on, fire a Custom HTML tag with `sporetag('consent', true)` on your consent tool's "accepted" trigger, and `sporetag('consent', false)` when the visitor declines. The legal side is in [cookieless analytics and GDPR](https://sporetag.com/guides/cookieless-analytics-gdpr).

## Trade-offs to know

- **One more request before tags run.** Tag Manager itself must load first. Pasting a tag straight into the page is simpler when you only have one or two tags.
- **Blockers.** If a visitor's blocker stops Tag Manager, every tag inside it stops with it.
- **Publishing is a step people forget.** Changes in a workspace do nothing until published.
- **Access.** Anyone with publish rights can change every tag on the site. Keep the list of publishers short.

## Common questions

### Can I add any analytics tool through Google Tag Manager?

Yes, with a Custom HTML tag, as long as the tool's tag works when added after the page starts loading. Most do.

### Which trigger should an analytics tag use?

**Initialization - All Pages**, so it loads before other page view triggers. Keep **Consent Initialization** for your consent tool.

### Why does my tag not show up after I added it in Tag Manager?

The container was not published, the trigger does not fire on that page, or a blocker stopped Tag Manager. Use Preview mode to see which.

### Should I install Google Tag Manager just to add one tag?

Usually not. Paste the tag into your site's header instead. Tag Manager pays off when you manage several tags or need its triggers.

## Sources

- Tag Manager Help: [Custom tags](https://support.google.com/tagmanager/answer/6107167), [Page view triggers](https://support.google.com/tagmanager/answer/7679319). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

In Tag Manager, Sporetag is one Custom HTML tag on the Initialization - All Pages trigger, and any Tag Manager trigger can send a Sporetag event with one line. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/install-google-tag-manager

---

# How to track Stripe Checkout and Payment Links sales by source

> Tie Stripe Checkout and Payment Links sales to the ad, email or post that brought the buyer, count each sale once, and stop Stripe showing up as a source.

Source: https://sporetag.com/track/stripe-checkout
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Stripe Checkout and Payment Links send the buyer to a page on Stripe's domain, then back to you. Stripe records the payment perfectly. What it does not know is which ad, email or post brought the buyer, and your analytics, which does know, never sees the payment page. This page joins the two.

## What goes wrong by default

- **The sale has no source.** The payment happens on `checkout.stripe.com` or `buy.stripe.com`, where your analytics does not run.
- **Stripe becomes a source.** The buyer returns to your thank-you page from Stripe, so the visit can look like a referral from Stripe, and the ad loses the sale. See [cross-domain tracking](https://sporetag.com/guides/cross-domain-tracking).
- **The thank-you page misses sales.** Stripe itself warns that a buyer can pay and lose connection before the success page loads, and recommends a webhook for fulfillment ([Stripe](https://docs.stripe.com/payments/checkout/custom-success-page)).

## Install Sporetag for Stripe Checkout

1. Add the Sporetag tag to your site, on every page including the thank-you page.
2. In Sporetag, open your site's tracking health. If Stripe starts visits, tap **Count them as my site**, so a buyer's return trip keeps its source.
3. On a paid plan, connect Stripe with a read-only restricted key: open **Integrations**, then **Stripe**, and follow the steps in the [Stripe connector](https://sporetag.com/docs/stripe-connector) guide.
4. Add a goal on the **Purchase** event. Stripe sales reach it on the date they happened.
5. To tie each sale to the visits before it, have your server copy the `_st_id` cookie into the Checkout Session's `metadata.st_id`. This needs [90-day tracking](https://sporetag.com/docs/tracking-modes).

## Tie the sale to the visit

There are three ways, from least to most code.

**The success page.** Put `{CHECKOUT_SESSION_ID}` in your success URL. Stripe swaps in the real session id after payment ([Stripe](https://docs.stripe.com/payments/checkout/custom-success-page)):

```
https://yourshop.com/thanks?session_id={CHECKOUT_SESSION_ID}
```

The thank-you page sends a purchase event with that id as its `event_id`. The event joins the visit that is already running, so it carries the visit's source. It misses buyers who never reach the page.

**Metadata on the session.** When your server creates the Checkout Session, add the visitor's first-party analytics id to `metadata`. The payment then carries it, and a tool reading Stripe can tie the payment to the visits before it, even when the buyer never returned.

**The webhook.** Your server receives `checkout.session.completed` and sends the purchase from there, with the same `event_id`. Combined with the success page, each sale is counted once, and none is lost.

Some payment methods, such as bank debits, can take 2 to 14 days to confirm, so listen for the later webhooks too ([Stripe](https://docs.stripe.com/payment-links/url-parameters)).

## Payment Links, with no code

Payment Links have no server of yours in the middle, but two settings help:

- **Redirect after payment.** Under **After the payment**, choose to redirect to your own page instead of Stripe's confirmation. The redirect URL can include `{CHECKOUT_SESSION_ID}` ([Stripe](https://docs.stripe.com/payment-links/post-payment)).
- **UTM tags carry through.** UTM tags on the payment link's own address are added to your redirect URL when the payment completes ([Stripe](https://docs.stripe.com/payment-links/post-payment)). A payment link shared in a bio with `?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social` lands the buyer on your thank-you page with those tags.

Stripe also accepts `client_reference_id` on a payment link's address, up to 200 characters, and returns it in the `checkout.session.completed` webhook ([Stripe](https://docs.stripe.com/payment-links/url-parameters)). Use it if your own server matches orders. For subscriptions, the same id ties every renewal and cancellation to the first visit; see [MRR and SaaS attribution](https://sporetag.com/guides/saas-mrr-attribution).

## A worked example

Example numbers, made up for illustration. A course creator sells a $199 course with Stripe Checkout. In a month, Stripe records 52 payments.

| Method | Sales with a known source |
|---|---|
| Thank-you page event only | 44: eight buyers closed the tab or paid by a slower method |
| Thank-you page plus webhook, same `event_id` | 52, with 44 of them carrying the visit's source |
| Plus `metadata.st_id` on the session | 52, nearly all with their source, including the eight |

None of the three counts a sale twice, because every path uses the session id.

## Common questions

### How do I track Stripe Checkout conversions in analytics?

Send a purchase event from your success page with the Checkout Session id from `{CHECKOUT_SESSION_ID}`, send the same id from your `checkout.session.completed` webhook, and treat Stripe's checkout pages as part of your site so the return visit keeps its source.

### Why does checkout.stripe.com show up as a referral?

Buyers return from Stripe's page to yours, so the referrer is Stripe. Mark Stripe's domains as part of your site in your analytics.

### Can I track Stripe Payment Links without code?

Partly. Set the link to redirect to your own page, add UTM tags to the payment link's address, and they carry through to the redirect. Your thank-you page can then count the sale with its source.

### Does Sporetag work with Stripe?

Yes. The Stripe connector reads payments, refunds and subscriptions with a read-only restricted key, on paid plans. It refuses full secret keys.

## Sources

- Stripe Documentation: [Customize redirect behavior](https://docs.stripe.com/payments/checkout/custom-success-page), [After a payment link payment](https://docs.stripe.com/payment-links/post-payment), [Track a payment link](https://docs.stripe.com/payment-links/url-parameters). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag's Stripe connector reads payments, refunds and subscriptions with a read-only key on paid plans, ties each sale to the visits before it through metadata.st_id, and uses the Checkout Session id as the event id so a sale is counted once. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/stripe-connector

---

# How to track WooCommerce sales by source, without a heavy plugin

> Count WooCommerce orders with their source three ways: the order received page, your Stripe account, or a server webhook, and what each one misses.

Source: https://sporetag.com/track/woocommerce
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

WooCommerce runs on WordPress, so adding an analytics tag is a WordPress job; see [how to track a WordPress site](https://sporetag.com/track/wordpress). The harder question is sales: which ad, email or post brought each order, with its value, counted once. WooCommerce has its own reports for orders and revenue, but they do not know where buyers came from.

This page covers three ways to count orders with their source, and what each misses. Sporetag has no WooCommerce connector; everything below works with what Sporetag does today.

## Install Sporetag on WooCommerce

1. In Sporetag, add your store's domain and copy the tag from **Set up your site**.
2. In WordPress, add the tag to the header of every page with a header plugin such as WPCode, the same as any WordPress site.
3. Clear your cache plugin's cache, if you use one.
4. Open your store in a new tab and click **Check my site** in Sporetag.
5. Add a **Purchase** goal, then pick one of the order methods below.

## Method 1: the order received page

After a successful purchase, WooCommerce shows the **Order received** page, a checkout endpoint ([WooCommerce](https://woocommerce.com/document/configuring-woocommerce-settings/advanced/)). By default its address is your checkout page followed by `/order-received/` and the order number ([WooCommerce](https://developer.woocommerce.com/docs/best-practices/urls-and-routing/woocommerce-endpoints)).

- **No code:** count a visit to `/checkout/order-received/*` as a goal. It counts orders, without their value.
- **A few lines of code:** on that page, send a purchase event with the order total and the order number as its event id. A WooCommerce developer can add it in a theme or snippet.

What it misses: buyers who pay with a method that sends them elsewhere and never come back, buyers who close the tab, and anyone whose browser blocks the tag. It also counts a reload of the page twice, unless the event id is the order number.

## Method 2: your Stripe account

If your store takes cards with WooCommerce's Stripe extension, the payments are in your own Stripe account. A tool that reads Stripe sees each payment and refund with its amount, whether or not the buyer reached the order received page.

With Sporetag, the [Stripe connector](https://sporetag.com/docs/stripe-connector) does this on paid plans, with a read-only restricted key. It matches each payment to a customer by email and phone, so a sale ties to earlier visits when that customer was identified on your site. For a direct tie to the visit, the visitor's `_st_id` cookie must reach the payment's `metadata.st_id`; the Stripe extension has documented filters for adding metadata, which a developer can use ([WooCommerce](https://woocommerce.com/document/stripe/customization/)).

What it misses: orders paid by PayPal, bank transfer or any other gateway.

## Method 3: a webhook from WooCommerce

WooCommerce can send a webhook when an order is created or updated: **WooCommerce**, **Settings**, **Advanced**, **Webhooks**, then a topic, a delivery URL and a secret that signs each delivery ([WooCommerce](https://woocommerce.com/document/webhooks/)).

The webhook's body is WooCommerce's own order format, so it needs a small step in the middle that checks the signature and sends a purchase to your analytics in the shape it accepts. A Zapier or Make step, or a short script on your server, can turn a paid order into a call to Sporetag's [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api) on paid plans, with:

- the order number as `event_id`, so a retried webhook counts once,
- the total and currency,
- the buyer's email, which Sporetag hashes on arrival.

What it misses: nothing on the order side; every gateway is covered. To tie the order to the visit, pass the visitor's id or IP address and browser too.

## Which one to use

| Store | Use |
|---|---|
| Small store, no developer | The order received page, as a goal |
| Cards through Stripe | The Stripe connector, plus the order received page |
| Several gateways, or you want every order | A webhook to the Events API |

Use the same order id everywhere. With one id, a sale reported by the page and by the webhook is still one sale. [BigCommerce](https://sporetag.com/track/bigcommerce) works the same way, with an order confirmation page and an order webhook.

## Common questions

### Does Sporetag have a WooCommerce plugin or connector?

No. Sporetag counts WooCommerce orders from the order received page, from your Stripe account with the Stripe connector, or from a webhook sent to the Events API.

### How do I track WooCommerce conversions without a plugin?

Count a visit to the order received page as a goal. It needs no code but has no order value. For values, send a purchase event from that page or from a webhook.

### Why do my analytics show fewer orders than WooCommerce?

Some buyers never load the order received page, some block the tag, and some pay by a gateway that does not return them to your site. Server-side methods, such as Stripe or a webhook, close the gap.

### What is the WooCommerce order received page URL?

By default, your checkout page followed by `/order-received/` and the order number. The endpoint name can be changed in WooCommerce's advanced settings.

## Sources

- WooCommerce Documentation: [Advanced settings](https://woocommerce.com/document/configuring-woocommerce-settings/advanced/), [Webhooks](https://woocommerce.com/document/webhooks/), [Customizing the Stripe extension](https://woocommerce.com/document/stripe/customization/). Checked October 2026.
- WooCommerce Developer Docs: [WooCommerce endpoints](https://developer.woocommerce.com/docs/best-practices/urls-and-routing/woocommerce-endpoints). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag has no WooCommerce connector. It counts WooCommerce orders from the order received page, from your own Stripe account with the Stripe connector, or from a webhook sent to the Events API on paid plans. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api

---

# How to track Calendly bookings as conversions, by source

> Count Calendly bookings as conversions in analytics and Google Ads, with UTM pass-through, embed events or a thank-you redirect, and no email in URLs.

Source: https://sporetag.com/track/calendly
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

To track Calendly bookings as conversions, embed Calendly on your own page and count its `calendly.event_scheduled` message, or redirect people to a thank-you page on your site after they book and count that page. Either way, the booking is tied to the visit that came from your ad or post. A plain link to calendly.com loses the source, because the booking happens on Calendly's domain.

This page covers the three setups, which to pick, how to send bookings to Google Ads and Meta, and the privacy trap in Calendly's redirect.

## Why a plain Calendly link loses the source

When a visitor taps a link to `calendly.com/yourname`, they leave your site. Your analytics saw the visit and the tap, but never the booking. Calendly's own analytics sees the booking, but unless the link carried [UTM tags](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters), Calendly says Google Analytics will show its source as `(direct)` ([Calendly](https://calendly.com/help/calendly-google-analytics)).

## The three ways to count a booking

| Setup | How the booking is counted | Plans | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embed on your page | Calendly sends `calendly.event_scheduled` to your page | Any embed | Most sites: booking stays on your domain |
| Redirect to your thank-you page | A visit to `/booked` is the conversion | Calendly paid plans | Sites already counting thank-you pages; Google Ads tags |
| Calendly's GA4 integration | Calendly sends `invitee_meeting_scheduled` to GA4 | Calendly paid plans | GA4 users who link straight to Calendly |

### Embed: count Calendly's message

Calendly's inline and popup embeds tell the page they sit on what happened, with `window.postMessage`. The events are `calendly.profile_page_viewed`, `calendly.event_type_viewed`, `calendly.date_and_time_selected` and `calendly.event_scheduled` ([Calendly](https://calendly.com/help/advanced-calendly-embed-for-developers)). Listen for the last one and count a conversion. Check that the message comes from `https://calendly.com` before trusting it.

Use Calendly's embed code, not a bare `<iframe>`: Calendly says plain iframes do not support event tracking through postMessage ([Calendly](https://calendly.com/help/advanced-calendly-embed-for-developers)).

### Redirect: count a page on your site

In the event type's editor, under **Confirmation page**, **After booking**, choose **Redirect to an external site** and enter a page on your site, such as `/booked`. Calendly offers this on its Standard, Professional, Teams and Enterprise plans ([Calendly](https://calendly.com/help/how-to-redirect-invitees-to-another-site-after-booking)). Then count a visit to `/booked` as the goal.

The trap: **Pass event details to your redirected page** adds the invitee's name, email and answers to the page address ([Calendly](https://calendly.com/help/how-to-redirect-invitees-to-another-site-after-booking)). An analytics tag that records full addresses then stores personal data, which Google asks you never to send to Google Analytics ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6366371)). Leave it off unless your page needs those details, and if it does, make sure your analytics records the path without the query string.

### Calendly's GA4 integration

Under **Integrations and apps**, Calendly takes a GA4 Measurement ID, one per Calendly organization, and sends events such as `invitee_scheduling_page`, `invitee_select_time` and `invitee_meeting_scheduled` ([Calendly](https://calendly.com/help/calendly-google-analytics)). Mark `invitee_meeting_scheduled` as a key event. Calendly does not connect to Google Tag Manager directly.

## Install Sporetag with Calendly

1. Add the Sporetag tag to your site (see the [HTML install guide](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-html)) and turn on 90-day tracking in **Settings**.
2. On the **Goals** tab, add the **Someone books or calls** goal. It counts bookings made in an embedded Calendly widget, and taps on booking links, phone numbers and email addresses, as the `Book or call` event with its type.
3. Embed Calendly on a page of your site with Calendly's inline or popup embed code.
4. Book a test meeting from that page and check the goal on the Goals tab.
5. Optional: set a Calendly redirect to a page such as `/booked` and add the **Someone reaches a thank-you page** goal for it, if you prefer counting a page. That goal also works in Private mode.

## Pass UTM tags into Calendly

Calendly keeps UTM tags it receives, so its own reports and integrations see the campaign. Add them to the scheduling link, or for an embed, to the embed's `data-url` or the `utm` object of the advanced embed ([Calendly](https://calendly.com/help/how-to-track-embed-activity-in-google-analytics)). Calendly's help shows a snippet that copies the page's own `utm_source`, `utm_medium` and `utm_campaign` into the widget, so an ad's tags follow the visitor into the booking.

## Send bookings to Google Ads and Meta

A booking is a lead, so the ad platforms should learn from it:

- **Google Ads:** import the GA4 key event, or fire a Google Ads conversion tag on your thank-you page. The [lead-gen conversion tracking guide](https://sporetag.com/guides/google-ads-conversion-tracking-lead-gen) covers counting and values.
- **Meta:** send a `Schedule` or `Lead` event from the thank-you page or the embed listener, and the same event from your server with an event id so it counts once. See the [Meta Conversions API guide](https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-conversions-api-explained).
- **Not every booking is a customer.** If no-shows are common, send the booked call as a secondary conversion and the attended or closed one later as the primary, with [offline conversions](https://sporetag.com/guides/offline-conversions-explained).

## Where Sporetag fits

From Sporetag's tag and help: with 90-day tracking and the **Someone books or calls** goal, the tag listens for Calendly's `calendly.event_scheduled` message from `calendly.com` and counts a booking, and counts taps on links to Calendly, Cal.com and other booking sites. Forms in an embedded frame, such as Typeform, need their own callback: see [Typeform tracking](https://sporetag.com/track/typeform). Each is tied to the visit's source and campaign. A thank-you page goal works in every mode. Sporetag records a page's path without its query string, so details Calendly adds to a redirect address are not stored as pages.

## Common questions

### How do I track Calendly bookings in Google Analytics 4?

Either add your Measurement ID in Calendly's Google Analytics integration and mark `invitee_meeting_scheduled` as a key event, or embed Calendly on your site and send a GA4 event when the embed reports `calendly.event_scheduled`.

### Can I track Calendly conversions in Google Ads?

Yes. Redirect bookers to a thank-you page with your Google Ads conversion tag, or import the booking key event from GA4 into Google Ads.

### Why does Calendly show my bookings as direct traffic?

The scheduling link had no UTM tags, so Calendly could not tell where the visitor came from. Add tags to the link, or embed Calendly and pass the page's tags into the widget.

### Is it safe to pass event details on Calendly's redirect?

It puts the invitee's name and email in the page address. Leave it off unless the page needs them, and keep that address out of analytics and ad tags.

## Sources

- Calendly Help: [Calendly + Google Analytics](https://calendly.com/help/calendly-google-analytics), [How to track embed activity in Google Analytics](https://calendly.com/help/how-to-track-embed-activity-in-google-analytics), [Advanced Calendly embed for developers](https://calendly.com/help/advanced-calendly-embed-for-developers), [How to redirect invitees to another site after booking](https://calendly.com/help/how-to-redirect-invitees-to-another-site-after-booking). Checked October 2026.
- Calendly Developer: [Embed parent window events](https://developer.calendly.com/api-docs/overview/embedding/notifying-the-parent-window). Checked October 2026.
- Google Analytics Help: [Best practices to avoid sending personally identifiable information](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6366371). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

With Sporetag's Book or call goal on, a booking made in an embedded Calendly widget and a tap on a Calendly link both count, tied to the visit's source, with nothing to code. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/custom-events-and-goals

---

# How to track a Substack: what it allows, and what it does not

> Substack takes a GA4 Measurement ID and Meta and X pixel IDs, but no custom scripts. What each tracks, and how to measure the links that bring subscribers.

Source: https://sporetag.com/track/substack
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Substack does not let you add your own tracking script. It accepts three IDs, set under **Settings**: a Google Analytics Measurement ID, a Meta pixel ID and an X pixel ID, and sends them page views, free signups and paid subscriptions ([Substack](https://faq.substack.com/p/using-advertising-analytics-on-substack)). Any other analytics tool, including Sporetag, cannot run on a Substack page.

That leaves three ways to measure a Substack: its own stats, GA4 through the Measurement ID, and tracking the links that send people to it. This page covers each.

## What Substack sends to each tool

| Tool | What it receives | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics 4 | Page views, signups and paid subscriptions | GA4, about 24 hours after you add the ID |
| Meta pixel | Free signups, paid signups and page views from ads that send readers to your Substack | Meta Events Manager; you set up events there |
| X pixel | The same as Meta | X Ads |

Substack says the pixels fire when ads point to your Subscribe page or About page, and it has no dashboard of its own for pixel data ([Substack](https://faq.substack.com/p/using-advertising-analytics-on-substack)).

## Install GA4 on Substack

1. In Google Analytics, create a web data stream for your Substack address and copy its Measurement ID, which starts with `G-`.
2. In Substack, open **Settings** and find the analytics section.
3. Paste the Measurement ID and save.
4. Open your Substack in a private window and check **Realtime** in GA4. Substack says events should show in reports after 24 hours.

## Track the links that bring subscribers

Since you cannot change what runs on Substack, measure the clicks before people get there:

- **Tag every link to your Substack** with [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters): your bio, podcast notes, guest posts, other newsletters. GA4 on Substack reads them, so signups get a source.
- **Use a short link** in places where people cannot click, such as a podcast or a talk, or where tags get trimmed, such as a bio. A [short link](https://sporetag.com/glossary/short-link) counts the click on its own server before forwarding, so the count does not depend on any script on Substack.
- **Ask.** Substack's own subscriber details and a one-line "how did you find this?" in your welcome email catch word of mouth that no link records.

## Track clicks from your Substack to your site

The other direction is easier. Links in your posts and emails that go to your own shop, course or site arrive with Substack as the referrer when the browser sends one, and email clicks often arrive with none. Tag them with `utm_source=substack`, `utm_medium=email` for the email and `utm_medium=referral` for the web post, and your site's analytics will show which issue sold what. See [how to track email clicks](https://sporetag.com/guides/track-email-clicks).

## When to move off Substack for tracking

If you need sales tied to the posts that drove them, server events to ad platforms, or a tool that needs no consent banner, you need a platform that runs your own scripts. [Ghost](https://sporetag.com/track/ghost), for one, has a site header code box.

## Common questions

### Can I add a tracking code to Substack?

Only the IDs Substack supports: a Google Analytics Measurement ID, a Meta pixel ID and an X pixel ID. Substack does not accept custom JavaScript or HTML.

### Does Substack support Google Tag Manager?

Substack's help on advertising analytics covers Google Analytics, Meta and X pixels, and does not mention Google Tag Manager.

### How do I see where my Substack subscribers come from?

Add your GA4 Measurement ID, tag every link you share with UTM parameters, and use short links where tags would be lost. GA4 then shows signups by source and campaign.

### Can I use Sporetag on Substack?

Not on the Substack pages themselves, since Substack runs no custom scripts. Sporetag short links can count clicks sent to your Substack, and the tag works on your own site.

## Sources

- Substack: [Using advertising analytics on Substack](https://faq.substack.com/p/using-advertising-analytics-on-substack). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

Substack does not accept custom scripts, so the Sporetag tag cannot run on a Substack. Sporetag short links can count the clicks you send to it, and its tag can run on your own site. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/short-links

---

# How to track a beehiiv newsletter site: subscribers by source

> Add analytics to a beehiiv website through its Google Tag Manager field, count subscriptions from the confirmation page, and see which links bring readers.

Source: https://sporetag.com/track/beehiiv
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

beehiiv has no box for custom scripts on every page, but its website builder takes a Google Tag Manager container ID, and anything you publish in that container runs on your beehiiv site ([beehiiv](https://www.beehiiv.com/support/article/35675931703575-setting-up-tracking-pixels-for-your-website)). That is the way to add any analytics tool beehiiv does not list, Sporetag included. beehiiv also takes Meta, X, TikTok and GA4 IDs directly.

This page covers both routes, counting new subscribers, and tagging the links that bring them.

## What beehiiv accepts

Under the website builder's **Site settings**, **Tracking pixels**, beehiiv takes these IDs on all plans ([beehiiv](https://www.beehiiv.com/support/article/35675931703575-setting-up-tracking-pixels-for-your-website)):

| Field | Format | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics 4 | `G-` Measurement ID | Page views in GA4 |
| Google Tag Manager | `GTM-` Container ID | Any tag you publish in the container |
| Meta | Numeric pixel ID | Page views for Meta ads |
| X | Pixel ID | Page views for X ads |
| TikTok | Pixel code | Page views for TikTok ads |
| Google Search Console | Verification value | Search Console ownership |

The pixels apply to your beehiiv website, not to the emails. beehiiv says they track page views by default; a subscription needs a conversion set up on the confirmation page, in the ad platform or in Tag Manager.

If you turn on beehiiv's cookie banner, the pixels and the Tag Manager container wait until the visitor clicks **Accept**.

## Install Sporetag on beehiiv

1. In Sporetag, add your beehiiv site's domain and copy the tag from **Set up your site**.
2. In Google Tag Manager, create a container for the site if you have none, and copy its `GTM-` ID.
3. In beehiiv, open **Website**, **Builder**, the settings icon, **Site settings**, then **Tracking pixels**, and paste the container ID. It saves on its own.
4. In Tag Manager, add a **Custom HTML** tag with the Sporetag tag, triggered on **Initialization - All Pages**, then **Submit** and **Publish**. The [Tag Manager install guide](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-google-tag-manager) has the details.
5. If the beehiiv site has never been published, publish it once, since pixel settings stay in draft until then.
6. Open your site in a new tab and check for your visit in Sporetag.

If beehiiv's cookie banner is on, Sporetag loads only after a visitor accepts, like every tag in the container.

## Count new subscribers

The signup happens in a form, then often a confirmation step if double opt-in is on. Count the page people land on after subscribing as the goal, in any tool: the confirmation or welcome page address. beehiiv points out that double opt-in adds a page load before the subscription is complete ([beehiiv](https://www.beehiiv.com/support/article/35675931703575-setting-up-tracking-pixels-for-your-website)), so count the page after confirmation, not after the form.

## Tag the links that bring readers

beehiiv grows through links elsewhere: social bios, podcast notes, recommendations from other newsletters. Tag each with [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters), and use a [short link](https://sporetag.com/glossary/short-link) where tags would be trimmed or nobody can click, such as a podcast. Your newsletter's own links back to your site should carry `utm_medium=email`; see [how to track email clicks](https://sporetag.com/guides/track-email-clicks).

## Common questions

### Can I add custom code to beehiiv?

For a single page, beehiiv supports HTML blocks. For code on every page, add a Google Tag Manager container ID in the Tracking pixels settings and publish the code as a tag in that container.

### Does beehiiv support Google Analytics 4?

Yes. Paste your `G-` Measurement ID in the website builder's Tracking pixels settings. It tracks page views on your beehiiv website.

### How do I track beehiiv signups as conversions?

Count a visit to the page subscribers reach after signing up, or after confirming when double opt-in is on, as the conversion in your analytics or ad platform.

### Do beehiiv pixels track email opens?

No. The pixels run on the beehiiv website only, not inside the newsletter emails.

## Sources

- beehiiv Support: [Setting up tracking pixels for your website](https://www.beehiiv.com/support/article/35675931703575-setting-up-tracking-pixels-for-your-website). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

On beehiiv, Sporetag goes in through your Google Tag Manager container as a Custom HTML tag, and a visit to the page after signup can be the subscriber goal with no code. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/install-google-tag-manager

---

# How to track Linktree clicks and the sales after them

> What Linktree's analytics, GA4 and Meta pixel integrations track, what they miss, and how to tie a bio link click to the sale on your own site.

Source: https://sporetag.com/track/linktree
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

Linktree counts views and clicks on your page, and on its Pro and Premium plans sends page views to GA4 and page views and link clicks to a Meta pixel ([Linktree](https://linktr.ee/help/en/articles/5434201-google-analytics-integration), [Linktree](https://linktr.ee/help/en/articles/5434194-facebook-meta-pixel-integration)). What it cannot see is what happens after the click: the signup or sale on your own site. To connect the two, tag each Linktree button's link with UTM parameters, so your site's analytics knows the visit came from your bio.

Linktree runs no custom scripts, so other analytics tools cannot be installed on a Linktree page. This page covers what each integration gives you and how to measure past the click.

## What Linktree tracks, and where

| Integration | Plans | Sends |
|---|---|---|
| Linktree's own analytics | Built in; detail depends on plan | Views of your page and clicks per link |
| Google Analytics | Pro and Premium | Linktree page visits, shown in GA4 Realtime under Top Active Pages |
| Meta pixel | Pro and Premium | `PageView` on each visit and `linkClick` on each click, with optional Conversions API |

The `linkClick` event lets you build a Meta audience of people who clicked a link in your bio ([Linktree](https://linktr.ee/help/en/articles/5434186-creating-advanced-meta-pixel-audiences)).

## Install the GA4 integration on Linktree

1. In Google Analytics, open **Admin**, **Data Streams**, your web stream, and copy the Measurement ID.
2. In Linktree, open **Settings**, then **Analytics**.
3. Paste the ID into the **Google Analytics ID** field under Google.
4. Visit your Linktree, then check GA4's **Realtime** overview. Linktree says it can take at least 5 minutes.

## Measure past the click

Linktree's numbers end at the click. The sale happens on your site. Three things connect them:

1. **Tag every button's link** with [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters): `utm_source=instagram` (or wherever the Linktree lives), `utm_medium=social`, `utm_content=bio`, and a `utm_campaign` per offer. Your site's analytics then credits the visit, and the sale, to your bio.
2. **Without tags, bio traffic looks like direct.** Instagram and TikTok open links in their own in-app browsers, which often send no referrer, so an untagged visit lands in [direct traffic](https://sporetag.com/guides/direct-traffic-explained).
3. **Use one Linktree per channel** if you share it in several places, or add `?utm_source=` to the Linktree address you share in each, so you can tell Instagram from TikTok.

The [link in bio guide](https://sporetag.com/guides/track-instagram-link-in-bio) walks through a full setup, including counting sales from the bio.

## Do you need Linktree at all?

If your bio has one or two links that matter, a [short link](https://sporetag.com/glossary/short-link) on your own domain does the same job with one tap less: it counts the click on its server and forwards straight to your page with its tags. A link page earns its place when you have many destinations and want to change them often.

## Common questions

### Can I add Google Analytics to Linktree?

Yes, on Linktree's Pro and Premium plans. Paste your GA4 Measurement ID under Settings, Analytics. It sends visits to your Linktree page.

### Can I add a tracking script to Linktree?

No. Linktree supports its listed integrations, such as Google Analytics and the Meta pixel, but not custom scripts.

### How do I see which Linktree link led to a sale?

Add UTM parameters to each button's link, with a different `utm_content` or `utm_campaign` per button, and read sales by those values in your site's analytics or store.

### Does the Linktree Meta pixel track link clicks?

Yes. Linktree's Meta pixel sends a `linkClick` event on each click and a `PageView` on each visit.

## Sources

- Linktree Help: [Google Analytics integration](https://linktr.ee/help/en/articles/5434201-google-analytics-integration), [Facebook Meta Pixel integration](https://linktr.ee/help/en/articles/5434194-facebook-meta-pixel-integration), [Creating advanced Meta pixel audiences](https://linktr.ee/help/en/articles/5434186-creating-advanced-meta-pixel-audiences). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

Linktree does not run custom scripts, so Sporetag's tag cannot go on a Linktree page. A Sporetag short link in your bio, or on each Linktree button, counts every click and carries its tags to your site. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/short-links

---

# How to track Typeform submissions as conversions, by source

> Count Typeform submissions as conversions with the embed callback, pass UTM tags into hidden fields, and see which ad or post brought each response.

Source: https://sporetag.com/track/typeform
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

To track Typeform submissions as conversions, embed the typeform on your own page with Typeform's embed library and send a conversion from its `onSubmit` callback. The submission is then counted on your page, tied to the visit that came from your ad or post. A plain link to `form.typeform.com` loses the source, because the response happens on Typeform's domain.

This page compares three setups (callback, thank-you page redirect and webhook), shows how to carry UTM tags into the responses, and what to send to the ad platforms.

## Why a typeform loses the source

An embedded typeform is an iframe from Typeform's domain. Your page's analytics tag sees the page, not what happens inside the frame, so it never sees a question answered or the form sent. A shared link is worse: the visitor leaves your site, and unless the link carries [UTM tags](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters), nobody knows where they came from.

## The three ways to count a submission

| Setup | How the submission is counted | Needs | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embed and `onSubmit` | Typeform's callback runs on your page when the form is sent | Typeform's embed code on your page | Most sites |
| Redirect to your thank-you page | A visit to `/thanks` is the conversion | A Typeform plan with redirects | Counting only; the source is often lost |
| Webhook to your server | Typeform posts each response to your endpoint | A server, or an automation tool | Responses with a value, or a CRM in between |

### Embed: count Typeform's onSubmit callback

Typeform's embed library takes callbacks for what happens inside the form: `onReady`, `onStarted`, `onQuestionChanged`, `onSubmit` and others. `onSubmit` "fires when user submits the form" and passes the `formId` and the `responseId` ([Typeform](https://www.typeform.com/developers/embed/callbacks/), [embed library](https://github.com/Typeform/embed/blob/main/packages/embed/README.md)). Send your conversion from it.

Use Typeform's embed code, the `data-tf-widget` or `data-tf-popup` markup with `embed.js`, rather than a hand-made iframe, so the callbacks work. In plain HTML, a callback is the name of a function on the page, such as `data-tf-on-submit="sentTypeform"`.

### Redirect: count a page on your site

Typeform can send people to a web address when they finish. The embed's `redirectTarget` option decides where that page opens; the default, `_parent`, opens it in your page rather than inside the frame ([Typeform](https://www.typeform.com/developers/embed/configuration/)). Point the redirect at a page such as `/thanks` and count a visit to it.

The catch: the thank-you page is opened from Typeform's domain, so many analytics tools read it as a new visit referred by typeform.com, and the ad that brought the visitor loses the credit. Sporetag reads it the same way today, which is why the callback is the better setup.

Keep answers out of that address. If you add answers or hidden fields such as an email to the redirect URL, an analytics tag that records full addresses stores personal data. Google asks you never to send that to Google Analytics ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6366371)).

### Webhook: count it on your server

Typeform can post every response to a URL you choose ([Typeform](https://www.typeform.com/developers/webhooks/)). Your server, or an automation tool, then forwards the conversion with any details you want, such as a quote value. Use the `responseId` as the event id, so a retried webhook counts once.

## Install Sporetag with Typeform

1. Add the Sporetag tag to your site (see the [HTML install guide](https://sporetag.com/docs/install-html)), and open the page that embeds the typeform.
2. Use Typeform's embed code with an `onSubmit` callback that sends a `Typeform sent` event, as in the code below.
3. On the **Goals** tab, add a custom goal, **An action happens**, with the event name `Typeform sent`.
4. Send a test response from the page and check the goal on the Goals tab.
5. Leave Typeform's redirect off, or keep it for the visitor's sake and count the callback, not the page.

The embed, with the callback and the UTM tags forwarded:

```html
<div data-tf-widget="FORM_ID" data-tf-on-submit="sentTypeform"
     data-tf-transitive-search-params="utm_source,utm_medium,utm_campaign"></div>
<script src="//embed.typeform.com/next/embed.js"></script>
<script>
  function sentTypeform(e) { sporetag('Typeform sent', { form: e.formId }); }
</script>
```

Sporetag's **Someone fills in a form** goal reads forms on your own pages. It cannot see inside Typeform's frame, which is why the callback is needed.

## Pass UTM tags into the responses

Your analytics knows the campaign from the page address. Typeform does not, unless you pass it in. Two options from Typeform's embed library ([Typeform](https://www.typeform.com/developers/embed/configuration/)):

- **`transitiveSearchParams`**: forwards the parameters you name from your page's address to the form, such as `utm_source`, `utm_medium` and `utm_campaign`. Add hidden fields with the same names to the typeform to store them with each response.
- **`hidden`**: passes values you set yourself into hidden fields.

With the tags in each response, Typeform's results, exports and integrations show the campaign too, and a CRM that receives the responses keeps it.

## Send submissions to Google Ads and Meta

A submission is a lead, so the ad platforms should learn from it:

- **Google Ads:** fire a conversion from the same `onSubmit` callback or the thank-you page. The [lead-gen conversion tracking guide](https://sporetag.com/guides/google-ads-conversion-tracking-lead-gen) covers values and counting.
- **Meta:** send a `Lead` event from the callback, and the same event from your server with the `responseId` as event id, so it counts once. See the [Meta Conversions API guide](https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-conversions-api-explained).
- **Not every response is a lead.** A quiz or survey may bring many responses and few buyers. Count the ones that qualify, and send those as the main conversion.

## Common questions

### How do I track Typeform submissions in Google Analytics 4?

Embed the typeform with Typeform's embed code and send a GA4 event, such as `generate_lead`, from the `onSubmit` callback. Mark it as a key event.

### Why does Typeform show no source for my responses?

The form ran on Typeform's domain or in a frame, so it never saw the page's UTM tags. Forward them with `transitiveSearchParams` into hidden fields of the same names.

### Can I track a Typeform link shared in a bio or an email?

You can count the click with a tagged short link, and keep the tags with `utm_` hidden fields on the form's own link. Counting the submission itself needs a redirect to your site or a webhook.

### Does a Typeform submission count twice if someone reloads?

The `onSubmit` callback runs once per submission. A thank-you page counts again on reload, so use the callback, or a webhook with the `responseId` as event id, when exact counts matter.

## Sources

- Typeform for Developers: [Embed callbacks](https://www.typeform.com/developers/embed/callbacks/), [Embed configuration](https://www.typeform.com/developers/embed/configuration/), [Webhooks](https://www.typeform.com/developers/webhooks/). Checked October 2026.
- Typeform embed library: [README](https://github.com/Typeform/embed/blob/main/packages/embed/README.md). Checked October 2026.
- Google Analytics Help: [Best practices to avoid sending personally identifiable information](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6366371). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

Typeform runs in a frame Sporetag's form capture cannot read, so you count a submission from Typeform's onSubmit callback, then make it a goal. Each one is tied to the visit's source and campaign. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/custom-events-and-goals

---

# How to track a BigCommerce store: tag, orders and sources

> Add an analytics tag to BigCommerce with Script Manager, why to keep it off checkout under PCI DSS 4.0, and three ways to count orders with their source.

Source: https://sporetag.com/track/bigcommerce
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

To add analytics to a BigCommerce store, paste the tag into **Storefront › Script Manager** as a header script on **Storefront pages**, and count orders from the **Order Confirmation** page or from your server. BigCommerce's own reports count orders and revenue; what they cannot tell you is which ad, email or post brought each buyer.

This page covers the install, why the tag should stay off the checkout page, and three ways to count orders with their source. Sporetag has no BigCommerce connector; everything here works with what Sporetag does today.

## Script Manager in one minute

Script Manager lists every script on the store, from apps and from you. It works on stores with Stencil themes ([BigCommerce](https://support.bigcommerce.com/articles/en_US/Knowledge/Using-Script-Manager)). Each script has a **Placement** (header or footer) and a **Location**:

| Location | Runs on |
|---|---|
| Storefront pages | Every page except checkout and order confirmation |
| Checkout | The checkout page (Optimized One-Page Checkout only) |
| Order Confirmation | The order confirmation page |
| All pages | Storefront, checkout, order confirmation and cart |

Each script also takes a **Script category** (Essential, Analytics, Functional or Targeting/Advertising), which BigCommerce's cookie consent banner uses to let shoppers opt out of a category. Uncategorized scripts count as Essential, which shoppers cannot opt out of ([BigCommerce](https://support.bigcommerce.com/articles/en_US/Knowledge/Using-Script-Manager)). Label an analytics tag as Analytics.

## Keep the tag off checkout

BigCommerce asks for at least one integrity (SRI) hash for any script on a payment page, such as checkout, to meet PCI DSS requirements, and the hash stops matching whenever the script's provider updates it ([BigCommerce](https://support.bigcommerce.com/articles/en_US/Knowledge/Using-Script-Manager)). An analytics tag that is updated from time to time would then stop loading on checkout without warning.

So pick **Storefront pages** for the tag and add a second script for **Order Confirmation**. You lose the checkout steps in between, and keep every page view and the order itself.

## Install Sporetag on BigCommerce

1. In Sporetag, add your store's domain and copy the tag from **Set up your site**.
2. In BigCommerce, go to **Storefront › Script Manager** and click **Create a Script**.
3. Name it `Sporetag`, set **Placement** to header, **Location** to **Storefront pages**, **Script category** to **Analytics**, and for **Script type** choose to enter the script yourself rather than link to a URL.
4. Paste the tag and click **Save**.
5. Create a second script the same way with **Location** set to **Order Confirmation**.
6. Open your store in a new tab and click **Check my site** in Sporetag.

## Count orders with their source

Three methods, from no code to the most complete:

| Method | Counts | Value | Misses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order confirmation page | Each order whose buyer reaches the page | No | Buyers who close the tab or block the tag |
| Your Stripe account | Payments and refunds through a Stripe account you own | Yes | Orders paid with other methods |
| Order webhook to your server | Every order, from BigCommerce itself | Yes | Nothing, once built |

**Order confirmation page.** Make a test order, copy the path of the page you land on, and add a **Someone reaches a thank-you page** goal for it. It counts orders, not their value, and works in every tracking mode.

**Stripe.** If your store takes cards through a Stripe account you own, the [Stripe connector](https://sporetag.com/docs/stripe-connector) reads payments and refunds on paid plans. It matches payments to customers by email and phone, so a sale ties to earlier visits when that customer was identified on your site.

**Webhook.** BigCommerce sends a `store/order/created` webhook when an order is placed. Its payload carries only the order id, so your code reads the order from BigCommerce's API, then sends it on ([BigCommerce](https://docs.bigcommerce.com/developer/docs/integrations/webhooks/event-reference/events)). With Sporetag, send it to the [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api) with the order number as `event_id` and the buyer's email, which Sporetag hashes on arrival.

[Server-side vs client-side tracking](https://sporetag.com/guides/server-side-vs-client-side-tracking) explains why the server copy is the one to trust for revenue.

## Make ad traffic count

- Tag every ad, email and social link with [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters), so orders by source have a source.
- Report revenue from BigCommerce or Stripe once, and each ad platform's own sales as that platform's claim. The [ecommerce dashboard template](https://sporetag.com/guides/ecommerce-dashboard-template) shows which card should count what.

## Common questions

### Where do I add tracking code in BigCommerce?

In **Storefront › Script Manager**, with **Create a Script**. Pick the placement, the pages it runs on and its category. Script Manager works on Stencil themes.

### Can I add an analytics script to BigCommerce checkout?

Only with Optimized One-Page Checkout, and BigCommerce asks for an integrity hash on scripts that run on payment pages. For analytics, the order confirmation page is simpler and counts the order.

### Why does my BigCommerce tracking script not load for some shoppers?

With the cookie consent banner on, shoppers can opt out of a script's category, such as Analytics. Ad blockers stop some tags too. Count revenue from your server or payment system for a complete number.

### Does BigCommerce work with Google Analytics 4?

Yes. BigCommerce has a Google Analytics 4 connection under **Settings › Data solutions**, and Script Manager takes any other tag. Use one or the other for GA4, not both, or page views count twice.

## Sources

- BigCommerce Help Center: [Using Script Manager](https://support.bigcommerce.com/articles/en_US/Knowledge/Using-Script-Manager). Checked October 2026.
- BigCommerce Dev Center: [Webhook events](https://docs.bigcommerce.com/developer/docs/integrations/webhooks/event-reference/events), [Scripts API: create a script](https://docs.bigcommerce.com/developer/api-reference/rest/admin/content/marketing/scripts/create-script). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

Sporetag has no BigCommerce connector. It counts BigCommerce orders from the order confirmation page, from your own Stripe account with the Stripe connector, or from an order webhook sent to the Events API on paid plans. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api

---

# How to track a Teachable school: sources for course sales

> Add a tracking tag to Teachable with Head Code Snippets, why it stops at checkout.teachable.com, and how to see which posts, emails and ads sell courses.

Source: https://sporetag.com/track/teachable
By the Sporetag team. Updated October 23, 2026.

To track a Teachable school, paste your analytics tag into **Site › Code Snippets › Head Code Snippets**, available on the Builder plan and above, and count the course's thank-you page as the sale. The tag runs on your school's pages but not on Teachable's checkout, which lives on `checkout.teachable.com`, so the thank-you page after checkout is where a sale shows up.

Creators sell through content: Instagram, YouTube, a podcast, an email list. The question that matters is which post, email or mention brought the people who bought. This page covers the install, the checkout gap, and how to tie sales to the content that made them.

## What runs where

| Page | Your Head Code Snippets run? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sales pages, course pages, blog | Yes | All pages in your school |
| Checkout | No | Teachable's checkout is on `checkout.teachable.com` (earlier `sso.teachable.com`) |
| Thank-you page after purchase | Yes | A page of your school; each course has one |
| Student area | Yes | Logged In and Logged Out snippets can split code by sign-in |

Teachable says head code snippets "do not affect SSO-based login or checkout pages" and add code "inside the `<head>` tag on all pages in your school" ([Teachable](https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/11682515-code-snippets-and-custom-css)). Teachable's newer checkout runs on `checkout.teachable.com`, and Teachable now fires its own purchase event on the checkout page rather than the thank-you page ([Teachable](https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/12091692-checkout-analytics-updates-2025)). After checkout, students land on the course's thank-you page, unless you set another post-purchase page ([Teachable](https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/11682521-course-thank-you-page-page-editor-1-0)).

## Install Sporetag on Teachable

1. In Sporetag, add the domain your school uses and copy the tag from **Set up your site**.
2. In Teachable, select **Site**, then **Code Snippets**.
3. Paste the tag into **Head Code Snippets**, the section for all users and pages.
4. Click **Save**.
5. Open your school in a new tab and click **Check my site** in Sporetag.

Code Snippets are for school owners on the Builder plan and above ([Teachable](https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/11682515-code-snippets-and-custom-css)).

## Count the sale

The tag cannot run on checkout, so count the step after it:

- **Thank-you page:** make a test purchase or a free enrollment, copy the thank-you page's path, and add a **Someone reaches a thank-you page** goal for it. It counts sales, not their value, tied to the visit's source. If you changed the post-purchase page to the curriculum, use that page's path instead.
- **With the amount:** Teachable's Zapier app, on the Growth plan and up, can pass each sale to another tool ([Teachable](https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/11682584-use-third-party-apps-with-teachable)). From there, a step that posts to Sporetag's [Events API](https://sporetag.com/docs/events-api), on paid plans, records the sale with its value and the buyer's email, which Sporetag hashes on arrival.

### Keep the sale's source after checkout

The buyer arrives on the thank-you page from `checkout.teachable.com`. Unless your analytics treats that host as part of your school, the thank-you page starts a new visit "from teachable.com" and the post that sold the course loses the credit.

- **School on a `teachable.com` address:** Sporetag's tracking health check spots the checkout host starting visits and offers **Count them as my site**. One tap, and the visit carries on through checkout.
- **School on its own domain:** Sporetag does not yet recognize `checkout.teachable.com` as your checkout. With 90-day tracking on a paid plan, read sales in the [attribution report](https://sporetag.com/docs/attribution-report) under **First touch**, which credits where the buyer first came from.
- **Google Analytics:** add `teachable.com` to your domains for cross-domain tracking, as below.

## Use your own domain

Sporetag counts visits only from the domain you added and its subdomains. If your school runs on a `teachable.com` address, add that address; add your custom domain when you connect it.

If you also run Google Analytics, Teachable asks schools with a custom domain to set up cross-domain tracking with `teachable.com`, so checkout does not split each buyer into two sessions ([Teachable](https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/11682605-cross-domain-tracking-with-google-analytics)). See [cross-domain tracking](https://sporetag.com/guides/cross-domain-tracking) for why.

## Fewer buyers seen at checkout

Teachable's checkout shows a cookie banner to logged-out students who have not chosen before. Those who decline leave third-party tools with limited data for that checkout ([Teachable](https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/11682560-cookies-on-checkout-pages)). Expect GA4 and pixel purchase counts below Teachable's own sales report, and use Teachable's report for revenue.

## Make content traffic count

Links in Instagram bios, YouTube descriptions and podcast notes often arrive with no referrer. For each place you share a link:

- use a [short link](https://sporetag.com/glossary/short-link) per placement, such as `go.yourbrand.com/yt-oct` for one video,
- tag it with [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters), so the visit carries the source,
- link to your sales page on your school, so the visit is counted before checkout.

See [how to track an Instagram link in bio](https://sporetag.com/guides/track-instagram-link-in-bio) for the same method on Instagram, and [Kajabi](https://sporetag.com/track/kajabi) for the same setup on another course platform.

## Common questions

### Does Teachable have analytics?

Yes. Teachable has its own sales reports, and connects Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, the Meta pixel and other tools from its App Hub. Other tools go in Head Code Snippets, on the Builder plan and above.

### Why does my tracking code not run on Teachable checkout?

Head Code Snippets do not apply to checkout pages, which run on `checkout.teachable.com`. Count the thank-you page after checkout instead.

### Can I see which YouTube video sold my course?

Yes, if each video's description uses its own tagged short link to your sales page, and you count sales on the thank-you page by source.

### Should I use Teachable's Google Analytics app or a code snippet?

One, not both, or page views count twice. Teachable's Google Tag Manager guide warns the same for purchase events ([Teachable](https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/12084088-google-tag-manager-advanced-setup-guide)).

## Sources

- Teachable Help Center: [Code Snippets and Custom CSS](https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/11682515-code-snippets-and-custom-css), [Checkout analytics updates 2025](https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/12091692-checkout-analytics-updates-2025), [Course thank you page](https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/11682521-course-thank-you-page-page-editor-1-0), [Use third-party apps with Teachable](https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/11682584-use-third-party-apps-with-teachable), [Cross-domain tracking with Google Analytics](https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/11682605-cross-domain-tracking-with-google-analytics), [Cookies on checkout pages](https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/11682560-cookies-on-checkout-pages), [Google Tag Manager advanced setup guide](https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/12084088-google-tag-manager-advanced-setup-guide). Checked October 2026.

## Where Sporetag fits

On Teachable, Sporetag goes in Head Code Snippets and counts your thank-you page as the sale. Tagged short links show which post, email or video sold the course. More: https://sporetag.com/docs/custom-events-and-goals

---

# Ad blocker

> Browser software that blocks ads and, often, the tracking scripts and pixels that measure them.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/ad-blocker
Also called: content blocker, tracker blocker.

Ad blockers and privacy browsers use filter lists to stop requests to known ad and tracking addresses. Many lists include analytics and ad pixel domains, so the visit happens but the tool never hears about it.

Effects on your data:

- Analytics tools on blocked domains undercount visitors and conversions.
- Ad pixels miss conversions, so ad platforms see fewer sales than happened.
- Two tools can disagree because one is blocked more often than the other.

To see the size of the effect on your own site, the free [ad blocker estimator](https://sporetag.com/tools/ad-blocker-estimator) shows the math with your numbers, and running two tools side by side for a week gives you the real gap.

Measurements that do not depend on the browser are not affected: orders read from your store, payments from your payment processor, and conversions sent from your server. See [server-side vs client-side tracking](https://sporetag.com/guides/server-side-vs-client-side-tracking).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/server-side-tracking
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/bot-traffic
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/itp

---

# ARR

> Annual recurring revenue: the yearly run rate of active subscriptions, usually MRR × 12.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/arr
Also called: annual recurring revenue, MRR vs ARR.

ARR = [MRR](https://sporetag.com/glossary/mrr) × 12. A business with $8,500 of MRR has an ARR of $102,000. Like MRR, it counts subscriptions that are paying now, and leaves out one-time fees, usage-based charges and free plans.

| | MRR | ARR |
|---|---|---|
| Measures | Monthly run rate | Yearly run rate |
| A $1,200 yearly plan adds | $100 | $1,200 |
| Common in | Monthly plans, early SaaS | Annual contracts, board reporting |

Neither is cash or revenue: a yearly plan paid today adds its whole price to this month's revenue and only a twelfth of it to MRR. Use MRR to see monthly moves (new, expansion, contraction, [churn](https://sporetag.com/glossary/churn)) and ARR when contracts are yearly. See the [SaaS metrics dashboard](https://sporetag.com/guides/saas-metrics-dashboard).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/mrr
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/churn
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/retention-rate

---

# Attribution

> The rule that decides which marketing touch gets credit for a sale, signup or other conversion.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/attribution
Also called: marketing attribution, conversion attribution.

A buyer often meets a brand several times before buying: an ad, a search, an email, a link from a friend. Attribution is the rule that turns that path into credit, so you can say which channel or campaign earned the sale.

Every attribution result has three parts:

- **The touches a tool can see.** A tool only credits what it recorded. A Meta ad that was viewed on a phone, then a purchase on a laptop, is invisible to a tool that cannot link the two devices.
- **The model.** First touch gives all the credit to the first known touch, last click to the last one, and multi-touch models split it.
- **The window.** How far back a touch can be and still get credit, such as 7 days after a click.

Because each tool sees different touches and uses its own model and window, two honest tools give two different answers for the same sale. The [attribution models guide](https://sporetag.com/guides/attribution-models-explained) works through one buyer's path under each rule.

In Sporetag, the attribution report shows conversions and revenue by source, campaign, ad platform and short link, under the site's attribution model: last touch by default, or first touch, linear, position based, time decay or any touch.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/first-touch-attribution
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/last-touch-attribution
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/data-driven-attribution
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/attribution-window

---

# Attribution window

> How long after a click or view a conversion can still be credited to it.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/attribution-window
Also called: lookback window, conversion window.

An attribution window, also called a lookback or conversion window, is the time limit on credit. A purchase eight days after a click does not count for that click if the window is seven days.

Defaults differ by tool, which is one reason their numbers differ:

- **Meta:** 7-day click and 1-day view for most website conversion campaigns, plus a 1-day engage-through window since 2026.
- **Google Ads:** 30 days for Search and Display unless you change it, with 1 to 90 days allowed ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/3123169)).
- **GA4:** 90 days for most key events and 30 days for first visits by default ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10597962)).

A longer window credits more sales to the channel, and some of those sales would have happened anyway. A shorter one undercounts channels with long buying cycles. Compare tools only after setting their windows to match, as far as each allows. See [why analytics numbers never match](https://sporetag.com/guides/why-analytics-numbers-dont-match).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/attribution
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/view-through-conversion
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/last-touch-attribution

---

# Blended ROAS

> Total revenue from your store divided by total ad spend on every platform, for the same period.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/blended-roas
Also called: blended return on ad spend.

Blended ROAS = total revenue ÷ total ad spend, both for the same period, with revenue taken from your store or payment system rather than from the ad platforms. Example: $60,000 of orders in a month and $15,000 spent across Meta, Google and TikTok is a blended ROAS of 4.

Each platform's own ROAS credits every sale its ads touched, so adding them up counts some sales two or three times. Blended ROAS counts each sale once, which makes it the honest number for "are the ads paying overall?". It cannot say which platform earned it; use each platform's ROAS for that, as a trend.

Teams use blended ROAS and [MER](https://sporetag.com/glossary/mer) loosely. A common split: blended ROAS divides by ad spend only, MER by all marketing costs. Compare it with your [break-even ROAS](https://sporetag.com/glossary/break-even-roas). See [ROAS, blended ROAS and MER](https://sporetag.com/guides/roas-mer-blended-roas).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/roas
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/mer
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/break-even-roas

---

# Bot traffic

> Visits made by automated software rather than people: crawlers, scrapers, monitors and fake clicks.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/bot-traffic
Also called: bots, non-human traffic.

Search engine crawlers, uptime monitors, price scrapers, AI crawlers and click fraud all load web pages. Some identify themselves in their user agent; others pretend to be a normal browser.

Analytics tools filter bots differently. Common methods: known bot user agents, verified bot lists from a CDN, requests from data center networks, and scripts that only send data after the page has been visible for a moment. A tool that filters less shows more visits, a higher bounce rate and a lower conversion rate.

Signs of bots in a report: a spike of one-page visits from one country or city, very short visits, odd screen sizes, or traffic at a steady rate through the night. In Sporetag, events from known bots and automated browsers are dropped before they are counted.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/bounce-rate
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/ad-blocker
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/session

---

# Bounce rate

> The share of visits or sessions that ended without engagement; each tool defines it differently.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/bounce-rate

In GA4, bounce rate is the percentage of sessions that were not engaged, which is 100 percent minus the [engagement rate](https://sporetag.com/glossary/engagement-rate). A session is engaged if it lasted over 10 seconds, had a key event, or had 2 or more page views ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/12195621)).

Universal Analytics counted any single-page session as a bounce, however long it lasted. Sporetag counts a visit with one pageview and under 10 seconds on the page. Because definitions differ, compare bounce rates only within one tool. See [bounce rate in GA4](https://sporetag.com/guides/bounce-rate-ga4).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/engagement-rate
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/session
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/exit-rate

---

# Break-even ROAS

> The ROAS at which ad revenue exactly covers the ad spend and the cost of the goods sold: 1 ÷ gross margin.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/break-even-roas
Also called: breakeven ROAS, minimum ROAS.

Break-even ROAS = 1 ÷ gross margin, with the margin as a decimal. Gross margin is what is left of the price after the cost of the product, shipping and payment fees.

| Gross margin | Break-even ROAS |
|---|---|
| 25% | 4.0 |
| 40% | 2.5 |
| 60% | 1.67 |
| 75% | 1.33 |

Example: a $100 product that costs $60 to make, ship and take payment for has a 40 percent margin. Ads must bring at least $2.50 of revenue for each $1 spent to break even on the first order.

Running below break-even can still pay when customers buy again: an ad that brings a buyer worth three orders a year earns its cost back over the year, not on day one. Use your real repeat rate and [lifetime value](https://sporetag.com/glossary/ltv), not a hoped-for one. Compare break-even with [blended ROAS](https://sporetag.com/glossary/blended-roas), which counts each sale once. See [ROAS, blended ROAS and MER](https://sporetag.com/guides/roas-mer-blended-roas), and [break-even ROAS and target MER](https://sporetag.com/guides/break-even-roas-and-target-mer) for fixed costs and a profit target.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/roas
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/blended-roas
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/ltv

---

# Call tracking

> Crediting phone calls to their source by giving each ad, place or website visitor its own forwarding number.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/call-tracking
Also called: phone call tracking, call attribution.

Call tracking gives each source of calls its own phone number. Every number forwards to the business's real line, and the service records each call: when, how long, from which number, and through which tracking number. Since each number appears in one place, the number dialed tells you where the caller saw it.

There are two kinds. A static number always belongs to one place, such as a flyer, a truck or a Google Business Profile. [Dynamic number insertion](https://sporetag.com/glossary/dni) shows each website visitor a number from a pool, so a call can be tied to that visitor's source, campaign and ad.

Calls that pass a test, such as answered and longer than 60 seconds, can count as [conversions](https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversion) and be sent back to ad platforms like any other lead. See [call tracking for local businesses](https://sporetag.com/guides/call-tracking-for-local-businesses).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/dni
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversion
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/attribution

---

# Churn

> The share of paying customers, or of recurring revenue, that stops in a period.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/churn
Also called: churn rate, customer churn, revenue churn.

Customer churn is customers who stopped paying in a period divided by the customers you had. Stripe divides customers lost in the last 30 days by the active customers 30 days ago plus the new ones since ([Stripe](https://docs.stripe.com/billing/subscriptions/analytics)).

Revenue churn is the [MRR](https://sporetag.com/glossary/mrr) lost to cancellations and downgrades, divided by MRR at the start. When upgrades from the customers who stay outweigh it, net revenue retention goes above 100 percent.

Example: you start the month with 200 customers and $20,000 MRR. Five customers on $50 plans cancel, and one on $2,000 cancels. Customer churn is 6 ÷ 200 = 3 percent. Revenue churn is $2,250 ÷ $20,000 = 11.25 percent. Say which one you mean. See [MRR and SaaS attribution](https://sporetag.com/guides/saas-mrr-attribution).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/mrr
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/ltv
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversion

---

# Click ID

> A unique value an ad platform adds to the link when someone clicks an ad, so it can match later conversions to that click.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/click-id
Also called: click identifier.

Ad platforms add a long, random value to the landing page address on each ad click: `gclid` for Google Ads, `fbclid` for Meta, `ttclid` for TikTok, `msclkid` for Microsoft Advertising, and others. The platform stores the click under that id.

When you later report a conversion with the same id, from the platform's tag or from your server, the platform can credit the exact campaign, ad set and ad. Click ids are stripped by some redirects and, in some contexts, by Safari's Link Tracking Protection. See [click ids explained](https://sporetag.com/guides/click-ids-explained).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/gclid
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/fbclid
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-parameters

---

# Consent banner

> The notice that asks visitors to accept or decline cookies and similar tracking on a website.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/consent-banner
Also called: cookie banner, cookie consent banner, CMP.

A consent banner asks the visitor before a site stores or reads information on their device for purposes that are not strictly necessary, such as advertising and most analytics. In the EU, that rule comes from the ePrivacy Directive, and the consent itself must meet the GDPR standard: freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous, and as easy to withdraw as to give ([EDPB](https://www.edpb.europa.eu/our-work-tools/our-documents/guidelines/guidelines-052020-consent-under-regulation-2016679_en)).

What makes a banner valid in practice: no ticked boxes, a reject choice as easy as accept, nothing stored before the answer, and the answer respected on every later page. Tags then follow the answer; Google's tags read it through [consent mode](https://sporetag.com/glossary/consent-mode).

Whether you need one depends on what you run and where your visitors are. Analytics that stores nothing on the device, such as [cookieless tracking](https://sporetag.com/glossary/cookieless-tracking), often needs no banner; ad pixels almost always do. The UK regulator is revising its guidance on storage and access technologies ([ICO](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/direct-marketing-and-privacy-and-electronic-communications/guide-to-pecr/cookies-and-similar-technologies/)), so check current rules for your market. Sporetag's built-in banner, for 90-day tracking, stores nothing until the visitor accepts. See [cookieless analytics and GDPR](https://sporetag.com/guides/cookieless-analytics-gdpr).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/consent-mode
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/cookieless-tracking
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/first-party-cookie

---

# Consent mode

> Google's way for its tags to change behavior based on the visitor's consent choices.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/consent-mode
Also called: Google consent mode, consent mode v2.

Consent mode passes a visitor's choices, such as `analytics_storage` and `ad_storage`, to Google's tags. When consent is denied, the tags do not set cookies, and in the advanced setup they send cookieless pings that Google can use for modeling.

GA4's behavioral modeling only switches on for properties that meet thresholds, such as at least 1,000 events a day with analytics storage denied for 7 days and 1,000 daily users who granted consent ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/11161109)). Smaller sites get no modeled data.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/cookieless-tracking
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/first-party-cookie
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/key-event

---

# Conversion

> An action you count as success: a purchase, a signup, a booked call, a form sent.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversion
Also called: goal, key event, conversion event.

A conversion is whatever action you decide counts: an order, a lead form, a booked call, a trial started. Each tool names it differently: GA4 calls it a [key event](https://sporetag.com/glossary/key-event), Google Ads a conversion action, Meta a conversion event, and Sporetag a goal.

The same conversion is counted differently by each tool, because each has its own attribution rule, window and blind spots. Your store or CRM is usually the source of truth for how many happened.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/key-event
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversion-rate
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/cpa

---

# Conversion rate

> The share of visits, sessions or users that converted.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversion-rate

Conversion rate = conversions ÷ visits (or sessions, or users). State the denominator: a rate per user is higher than a rate per session for the same data.

Two things move it that have nothing to do with your site: bot traffic adds visits that never convert, lowering the rate, and blocked or declined tracking removes conversions from a browser tool's count. Compare conversion rates within one tool, over time, and by source.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversion
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/session
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/bot-traffic

---

# Conversion window

> The Google Ads setting for how long after an ad interaction a conversion can be recorded.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversion-window
Also called: click-through conversion window, view-through conversion window.

Google Ads sets a conversion window on each conversion action. A conversion that happens after the window has closed is not recorded for that ad, and never appears in its reports ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/3123169)).

Defaults for a new conversion action:

| Window | Default |
|---|---|
| Click-through | 30 days |
| Engaged-view (video) | 3 days |
| View-through | 1 day |

The click-through window can be set from 1 to 90 days, depending on the conversion source. Set it to fit your buying cycle: a 30-day window drops deals that close in week six. The same idea in other tools is the [attribution window](https://sporetag.com/glossary/attribution-window).

For uploaded offline conversions, the click has to fall inside the window too. See [Google Ads conversion tracking for lead generation](https://sporetag.com/guides/google-ads-conversion-tracking-lead-gen).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/attribution-window
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/view-through-conversion
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/enhanced-conversions

---

# Conversions API

> Meta's server-to-server interface for sending conversion events, alongside or instead of the pixel.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversions-api
Also called: CAPI, Meta Conversions API, Facebook Conversions API.

The Conversions API accepts events such as purchases and leads from your server. Required fields include `event_name`, `event_time`, `user_data` and `action_source`, with `event_source_url` for website events ([Meta](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/parameters/server-event)).

Meta matches events to people with hashed email and phone, the `fbc` click id, the `fbp` browser id, IP address and user agent. Run with the pixel, each event needs the same name and event id in both, or it counts twice. See [the Conversions API explained](https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-conversions-api-explained).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/event-deduplication
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/fbclid
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/server-side-tracking

---

# Cookieless tracking

> Measuring visits without storing cookies or other data on the visitor's device.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/cookieless-tracking
Also called: cookieless analytics, cookie-free analytics.

Cookieless analytics recognize a visitor without storing anything in the browser. A common method hashes the IP address and browser string with the site and a salt that changes daily, so a visitor is recognized within a day and not after.

Benefits: nothing stored on the device, so the EU's ePrivacy consent rule for storage is usually not triggered, and no cross-site tracking. Costs: no memory across days, so multi-day attribution is not possible. The IP address is still processed, so the GDPR still applies. See [cookieless analytics and GDPR](https://sporetag.com/guides/cookieless-analytics-gdpr).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/first-party-cookie
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/consent-mode
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/unique-visitor

---

# Cost per lead

> Ad spend divided by the number of leads it brought, for the same period and campaigns.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/cost-per-lead
Also called: CPL, cost per lead formula.

Cost per lead = spend ÷ leads, for the same campaigns and period. $3,000 that brings 120 leads is a CPL of $25. It is a [CPA](https://sporetag.com/glossary/cpa) where the action is a lead.

Two choices change the number, so state them: **which lead** (a form, a booked call, a phone call) and **who counted it** (the ad platform or your own site). Meta counts leads after ad views and leads other channels also touched; your site or CRM counts each person once.

The most a lead is worth paying for is your close rate times the profit on a sale. At a 10 percent close rate and $1,000 profit per sale, a lead is worth $100. (Example numbers.) Cheap leads that rarely qualify can cost more per customer than dear ones that do, so compare cost per qualified lead when your CRM marks them. See [Meta Ads cost per lead](https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-ads-cost-per-lead) and the [lead generation dashboard](https://sporetag.com/guides/lead-generation-dashboard).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/cpa
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversion
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/ltv

---

# CPA

> Cost per acquisition: ad spend divided by the number of conversions.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/cpa
Also called: cost per acquisition, cost per action, cost per result.

CPA = spend ÷ conversions. Name the conversion: cost per lead, cost per booked call, cost per purchase. A CPA is only useful when everyone knows which one it is.

Compare CPA with what a conversion is worth. For leads, that is the lead-to-sale rate times the average sale. For purchases, it is margin per order, and over time the customer's [lifetime value](https://sporetag.com/glossary/ltv).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/roas
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/ltv
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversion

---

# Dark social

> Shares through private channels, such as messaging apps and email, that arrive without a referrer.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/dark-social

"Dark social" describes links shared privately: in WhatsApp, iMessage, Slack, Discord, email or a direct message. The visit is real and social, but it often arrives with no referrer, so analytics files it under direct.

You cannot tag a link someone else copies, but you can make the links you share easy to tag: share buttons that add UTM tags, short links in your own messages, and a referral or "how did you hear about us" question at checkout. Some tools also name the app from the in-app browser or the Android app referrer when no web referrer arrives.

See [direct traffic explained](https://sporetag.com/guides/direct-traffic-explained).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/direct-traffic
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/referrer
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/short-link

---

# Data thresholds

> GA4 rules that withhold small rows of data so individual users cannot be identified.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/data-thresholds
Also called: thresholding, GA4 thresholds.

GA4 applies data thresholds to stop anyone from inferring the identity or sensitive information of individual users from a report. When a threshold applies, rows are withheld and the data quality indicator says thresholding was applied ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9383630)).

Thresholds are system defined and cannot be adjusted. Google names two common triggers: reports or explorations that include demographic data, and rows with search query information when there are not enough users. A narrow date range with few users makes them more likely.

Thresholding is different from [sampling](https://sporetag.com/glossary/sampling). Sampling estimates the whole from a part; thresholding hides small parts. Totals in a thresholded report can be lower than the sum you expect, because some rows are missing. Widen the date range or remove demographic dimensions to see more.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/sampling
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/unique-visitor
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/consent-mode

---

# Data-driven attribution

> A model that learns how to split credit from your own conversion paths, instead of a fixed rule.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/data-driven-attribution
Also called: DDA.

Data-driven attribution compares paths that led to a conversion with paths that did not, and gives more credit to touches that seem to raise the chance of converting. Google Ads and GA4 use it, and Google retired first click, linear, time decay and position-based models from both in 2023 ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/13427716)).

It adapts to your data, but it only sees touches inside Google's own measurement, and its weights cannot be checked by hand. Use it alongside a simple model you can explain.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/multi-touch-attribution
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/last-touch-attribution
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/attribution

---

# Direct traffic

> Visits that arrived with no referrer, no campaign tags and no click id, so the tool cannot tell where they came from.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/direct-traffic
Also called: (direct) / (none), direct / none.

Direct is a leftover bucket, not a channel. A visit lands there when the analytics tool found nothing to say where it came from: no referrer header, no UTM tags and no ad click id. In GA4 it shows as source `(direct)` and medium `(none)` ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9756891)).

Some direct visits really are people typing your address or using a bookmark. Many are not: links opened from email apps, chat apps, PDFs and some in-app browsers often arrive with no referrer, and redirects can strip tags.

Tag every link you control, and use short links for print and bios, to move visits out of direct. The [direct traffic guide](https://sporetag.com/guides/direct-traffic-explained) covers every cause.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/referrer
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/dark-social
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-parameters

---

# Dynamic number insertion

> A script that shows each website visitor their own tracking number, so a call can be tied to the visit.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/dni
Also called: DNI, dynamic call tracking.

Dynamic number insertion (DNI) is the website half of [call tracking](https://sporetag.com/glossary/call-tracking). A script finds the business's phone number on the page, in `tel:` links and in the text, and replaces it with a number from a pool. The service remembers which visit each number was lent to. When that number rings, the call takes on the visit's source, [UTM parameters](https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-parameters) and ad [click id](https://sporetag.com/glossary/click-id).

A number stays with one visitor for a while after their last page view, often around 30 minutes. If more people are on the site at once than the pool holds, a number must be reused and a call on it could belong to either visitor, so the pool is sized to the busiest moment, not to monthly traffic.

Because the swap happens in the visitor's browser, the real number stays in the page's HTML, which keeps business listings consistent for search engines. See [call tracking for local businesses](https://sporetag.com/guides/call-tracking-for-local-businesses).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/call-tracking
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-parameters
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/click-id

---

# Engagement rate

> In GA4, the share of sessions that were engaged.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/engagement-rate

Engagement rate = engaged sessions ÷ sessions. GA4 counts a session as engaged if it lasted longer than 10 seconds, had a key event, or had at least 2 page or screen views ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/12195621)). The 10 second threshold can be changed per web data stream.

Engagement rate and bounce rate always add up to 100 percent in GA4. On social media, "engagement rate" means something unrelated: interactions divided by reach or followers.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/bounce-rate
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/session
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/key-event

---

# Enhanced conversions

> Google Ads' feature that sends hashed customer details with conversions to improve matching.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/enhanced-conversions

Enhanced conversions add first-party customer data, such as an email address, hashed with SHA-256, to the conversions you send Google Ads, from the tag on your site or with an upload. Google uses it to match conversions to signed-in Google accounts that clicked or saw an ad, which recovers conversions where cookies or click ids were lost.

There are versions for web purchases and for leads that close later. Your privacy notice and consent setup must cover sharing that data with Google.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/gclid
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversions-api
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/server-side-tracking

---

# Event deduplication

> Merging the same conversion reported twice, such as by the browser and the server, so it counts once.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/event-deduplication
Also called: dedup, dedupe.

When a browser tag and a server both report a purchase, the receiving tool must know they are one event. Meta merges a browser event and a server event that share the event name and the event id, if they arrive within 48 hours of the first ([Meta](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/deduplicate-pixel-and-server-events)).

The order id is the natural event id, since both the thank-you page and the server know it. Use the exact same string in both places.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversions-api
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/server-side-tracking
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversion

---

# Event Match Quality

> Meta's score for how well the customer details on your server events can be matched to Meta accounts.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/event-match-quality
Also called: EMQ, match quality.

Event Match Quality (EMQ) is a score out of 10 that Meta shows for each server event in Events Manager. It indicates how well the customer information on the event can match it to a Facebook or Meta account. Meta says it is available only for web events ([Meta](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/best-practices)).

The score rises with the match keys you send: hashed email and phone, the `fbc` click id built from the [fbclid](https://sporetag.com/glossary/fbclid), the `fbp` browser id, and the buyer's IP address and browser. An event with only an IP address scores low; one with a hashed email, `fbc` and `fbp` scores high.

A low score usually means the server sends fewer keys than it could, often because the click id was not saved at landing or the email was not passed to the event. See [Meta Conversions API explained](https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-conversions-api-explained). Sporetag sends hashed email and phone, `fbc` and `fbp` with each event when it has them, and keeps a delivery log with Meta's answer for each send.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversions-api
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/event-deduplication
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/fbclid

---

# Exit rate

> The share of a page's views that were the last in their visit.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/exit-rate

Exit rate = exits from a page ÷ views of that page. Every visit ends somewhere, so every page has some exits.

It differs from bounce rate: a bounce is a whole visit that was not engaged, while an exit is just the last page, whatever happened before. A high exit rate on a checkout step is a warning; on an order confirmation page it is expected.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/bounce-rate
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/pageview
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/session

---

# fbclid

> Meta's click id, added to links people click on Facebook and Instagram.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/fbclid
Also called: Facebook Click Identifier.

`fbclid` is added by Meta to links clicked on Facebook and Instagram, ads and posts alike. Meta's pixel reads it and stores it in the `_fbc` cookie, so a later purchase can be matched to the click.

When sending server events through the Conversions API, you can send the click as `fbc` in the form `fb.1.<time in milliseconds>.<fbclid>`, copying the `fbclid` exactly, since it is case sensitive ([Meta](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/parameters/fbp-and-fbc)). Safari removes `fbclid` from links opened from Mail, Messages and Private Browsing.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/click-id
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversions-api
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/gclid

---

# First-party cookie

> A cookie set by the site the visitor is on, readable only by that site.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/first-party-cookie

A first-party cookie belongs to the domain in the address bar. It is one kind of [first-party data](https://sporetag.com/guides/first-party-data). Analytics and ad tools use them to recognize a returning browser, for example GA4's client id or Meta's `_fbp`.

They are not blocked by browsers the way third-party cookies are, but they are limited. Safari caps cookies set by JavaScript at 7 days ([WebKit](https://webkit.org/blog/8613/intelligent-tracking-prevention-2-1/)), and in the EU, storing a cookie that is not strictly necessary usually needs consent.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/third-party-cookie
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/itp
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/cookieless-tracking

---

# First-touch attribution

> A model that gives all the credit for a conversion to the first known touch.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/first-touch-attribution
Also called: first-click attribution.

First touch answers "what introduced this buyer?". All the credit goes to the earliest touch the tool recorded: the first ad click, search, post or link.

It is the right lens for channels that create demand: prospecting ads, content, podcasts, partnerships. Its weakness is memory. A tool can only see as far back as its data reaches, and browser limits such as Safari's 7-day cap on script-set cookies shorten that. A buyer's "first touch" may really be their second or third.

Compare it with last touch before cutting a channel. See [attribution models explained](https://sporetag.com/guides/attribution-models-explained).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/last-touch-attribution
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/multi-touch-attribution
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/attribution

---

# gclid

> Google Ads' click id, added to landing page links by auto-tagging.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/gclid
Also called: Google Click Identifier.

`gclid` (Google Click Identifier) is added to your landing page address when someone clicks a Google ad and auto-tagging is on. GA4 reads it to show Google Ads campaign data, and Google Ads uses it to match conversions to clicks, including conversions you upload later from your own system.

On iOS traffic where Apple's rules limit `gclid`, Google uses `gbraid` and `wbraid` instead. These are aggregate identifiers that cannot tie a conversion to one person ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/10417364)).

If a redirect on your site drops the query string, the `gclid` is lost and Google Ads conversions go missing. Test with `?gclid=test` on each landing page.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/click-id
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/fbclid
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/enhanced-conversions

---

# Global Privacy Control

> A browser signal asking websites not to sell or share the visitor's personal data.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/global-privacy-control
Also called: GPC, Sec-GPC, opt-out preference signal.

Global Privacy Control (GPC) is a preference the visitor sets once in their browser or an extension. The browser then sends it to every site in two ways: a `Sec-GPC: 1` header on each request, and a `navigator.globalPrivacyControl` property that page scripts can read ([W3C](https://www.w3.org/TR/gpc/)).

It is a "do not sell or share" signal, not a consent banner answer. Its weight comes from law. In California, regulations under the CCPA require a business to treat a qualifying opt-out preference signal such as GPC as a valid request to opt out of sale and sharing ([CPPA](https://cppa.ca.gov/regulations/)). Other US states are adopting similar rules, so check each state where you have customers.

For measurement, the signal matters most where data leaves your site for advertising: ad pixels, retargeting audiences and server-side sends such as a [Conversions API](https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversions-api). A site that honors GPC stops those for that visitor. Whether analytics kept only by the site itself counts as a sale or share depends on the setup and the state, so check with counsel.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/consent-mode
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/third-party-cookie
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversions-api

---

# Incrementality

> The conversions an ad caused that would not have happened without it.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/incrementality
Also called: incremental lift, incremental conversions.

Incrementality asks a harder question than attribution. Attribution asks "which ad did this buyer touch?". Incrementality asks "would this buyer have bought without the ad?". A retargeting ad shown to people already at checkout can be credited with many sales and cause very few.

It cannot be read from tracking data alone, because every buyer either saw the ad or did not; nobody saw both versions of their own life. It is measured by comparison: a [lift test](https://sporetag.com/glossary/lift-test) that holds a random group back from the ads, a geo test that switches ads off in some regions, or a [marketing mix model](https://sporetag.com/glossary/marketing-mix-model) calibrated with such tests. Google describes incrementality experiments as the way to measure the causal impact of ads ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/12003020)).

A practical reading: attribution tells you where to look, and incrementality tells you what the money did. When an attributed channel looks too good to be true, test it. See [attribution models explained](https://sporetag.com/guides/attribution-models-explained).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/lift-test
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/attribution
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/marketing-mix-model

---

# Intelligent Tracking Prevention

> Safari's set of limits on cookies and storage used for tracking.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/itp
Also called: ITP, Safari tracking prevention.

Intelligent Tracking Prevention is WebKit's tracking protection in Safari. Its effects on measurement:

- Third-party cookies are blocked.
- Cookies set by JavaScript are capped at 7 days ([WebKit](https://webkit.org/blog/8613/intelligent-tracking-prevention-2-1/)).
- Script-writable storage such as `localStorage` can be deleted after 7 days of Safari use without a visit to the site.
- Link Tracking Protection removes known click ids from links opened from Mail, Messages and Private Browsing ([Apple](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/06/apple-announces-powerful-new-privacy-and-security-features/)).

The practical result: a Safari buyer who comes back after more than a week often looks like a new visitor. See [iOS and Safari tracking changes, version by version](https://sporetag.com/guides/ios-safari-tracking-changes).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/first-party-cookie
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/third-party-cookie
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/click-id

---

# Key event

> GA4's name for an event you mark as important to your business, such as a purchase, a signup or a booked call.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/key-event
Also called: GA4 conversion.

In GA4, every interaction is an event. A key event is an event you have marked as important, so GA4 counts it in key event reports and uses it for engaged sessions and attribution. Google renamed GA4 "conversions" to "key events" in 2024 and kept the word "conversion" for actions used to measure ad campaigns ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/13965727)).

Marking an event as a key event only changes how GA4 reports it from that moment on. It does not count past events again, and it does nothing if the event itself never fires. When "GA4 is not tracking conversions", the cause is usually one of those two. See [GA4 not tracking conversions](https://sporetag.com/guides/ga4-not-tracking-conversions).

Other tools use other names: Sporetag calls them goals, Meta calls them conversion events, and Google Ads calls them conversion actions.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversion
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversion-rate
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/attribution

---

# Landing page

> The first page a visitor sees in a visit, or a page built for one campaign.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/landing-page
Also called: entry page.

In analytics, the landing page (or entry page) is the first page of a visit. In marketing, it also means a page built for one campaign, with one offer and one call to action.

Reading results by landing page shows where visits start and how each entry point converts. Direct visits landing deep on a campaign page usually mean a link lost its UTM tags.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/bounce-rate
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/direct-traffic
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-parameters

---

# Landing page experience

> Google Ads' estimate of how relevant and useful a landing page is for the people who click an ad.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/landing-page-experience
Also called: landing page quality.

Landing page experience is a measure Google Ads uses to estimate how relevant and useful your [landing page](https://sporetag.com/glossary/landing-page) will be to people who click your ad. Pages rated higher are usually well organized, with text that relates to the search ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/1659694)).

It is one of the three components of Quality Score, with expected click-through rate and ad relevance. Each is rated Above average, Average or Below average against other advertisers who showed for the same search over the last 90 days ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6167118)). Google calls Quality Score a diagnostic tool, not an input to the auction.

What usually improves it: a page that answers the search in its first screen, loads fast on a phone, and makes the next step obvious. Your own analytics shows the effect from the other side: a falling [bounce rate](https://sporetag.com/glossary/bounce-rate) and a rising [conversion rate](https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversion-rate) on that page.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/landing-page
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversion-rate
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/bounce-rate

---

# Last-touch attribution

> A model that gives all the credit for a conversion to the final touch before it.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/last-touch-attribution
Also called: last-click attribution, last non-direct click.

Last touch, or last click, gives 100 percent of the credit to the final touch before the conversion. It is simple and easy to check, and it shows what closes sales.

It overrates channels that sit at the end of a path, such as branded search, email to existing customers and retargeting, and underrates whatever created the demand. "Last non-direct click" is a common variant: a direct visit never takes the credit when a marketing touch came before. Shopify uses it as its default ([Shopify](https://www.shopify.com/blog/marketing-insights)).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/first-touch-attribution
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/data-driven-attribution
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/attribution

---

# Lifetime value

> The total revenue, or profit, a customer brings over their whole relationship with you.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/ltv
Also called: LTV, CLV, customer lifetime value.

Lifetime value (LTV, or CLV) adds up what a customer is worth across all their purchases, not just the first. A simple estimate: average order value × orders per customer over a period × gross margin.

Use real repeat rates from your own customers, over a period you have data for, such as 12 months. Comparing it by first source over a fixed span is covered in [cohorts and retention](https://sporetag.com/guides/cohort-retention-analysis). LTV is what lets you pay more to acquire a customer than their first order earns, as long as the repeat purchases are real.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/cpa
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/roas
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversion

---

# Lift test

> An experiment that compares people who saw ads with a held-back group to measure the ads' real effect.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/lift-test
Also called: conversion lift, holdout test, brand lift.

A lift test is a controlled experiment. The audience is split at random: a test group can see your ads, and a control group is held back. After the test, the difference in conversions between the two groups is the lift, the part of the result the ads caused.

Ad platforms run them for you. Google's Conversion Lift separates an audience into two groups and compares the conversions of people who saw the ads with those who did not; it is not available in every account ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/12003020)). Meta offers lift tests too, including brand lift studies that measure recall rather than sales ([Meta](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/1693381447650068)).

Lift tests need volume. With few conversions a week, the difference between the groups is lost in noise. A geo test, which turns ads off in some regions and compares them with similar regions, is the usual alternative for smaller budgets. See [incrementality](https://sporetag.com/glossary/incrementality).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/incrementality
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/marketing-mix-model
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/attribution

---

# Marketing mix model

> A statistical model that estimates each channel's effect on sales from aggregate spend and sales over time.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/marketing-mix-model
Also called: MMM, media mix model, marketing mix modeling.

A marketing mix model (MMM) looks at totals over time: spend per channel per week, sales per week, and outside factors such as season, price and promotions. It fits a model that explains sales from those inputs, then reads each channel's contribution and its diminishing returns.

It needs no cookies, click ids or user-level data, which makes it durable as tracking gets harder. Two open-source models are widely used: Google's Meridian ([Google](https://developers.google.com/meridian)) and Meta's Robyn ([Meta](https://facebookexperimental.github.io/Robyn/)).

The limits: it needs a long history of weekly data with real variation in spend, and it answers budget questions per channel, not per ad. Its estimates are only as good as its assumptions, which is why both projects support calibrating the model with experiments such as [lift tests](https://sporetag.com/glossary/lift-test). For per-campaign decisions, [multi-touch attribution](https://sporetag.com/glossary/multi-touch-attribution) and click data still do the daily work.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/incrementality
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/lift-test
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/multi-touch-attribution

---

# MER

> Marketing efficiency ratio: total revenue divided by total marketing spend.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/mer
Also called: marketing efficiency ratio.

MER = total revenue ÷ total marketing spend, both for the same period. It is sometimes called [blended ROAS](https://sporetag.com/glossary/blended-roas), though some teams count only ad spend in blended ROAS and all marketing costs, such as agency fees, tools and creators, in MER.

Because the revenue comes from your store or payment system, each sale is counted once, whatever channels touched it. That makes MER the honest headline number for "is our marketing paying overall?", while platform ROAS stays useful for comparing campaigns inside one platform. See [ROAS, blended ROAS and MER](https://sporetag.com/guides/roas-mer-blended-roas), and [target MER](https://sporetag.com/guides/break-even-roas-and-target-mer) for the ratio that leaves the profit you planned.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/roas
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/blended-roas
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/break-even-roas

---

# MRR

> Monthly recurring revenue: the monthly value of every subscription that is paying now.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/mrr
Also called: monthly recurring revenue.

MRR adds up the monthly value of every active subscription. Monthly plans count at their price, yearly plans at a twelfth, quarterly plans at a third, times the quantity. Stripe's definition counts `active` and `past_due` subscriptions and leaves out taxes, free plans and metered (usage-based) prices ([Stripe](https://docs.stripe.com/billing/subscriptions/analytics)). Trials add nothing until they pay.

Example: 100 customers at $50 a month and 30 at $480 a year make an MRR of $5,000 + $1,200 = $6,200.

MRR changes in four ways: new subscriptions, expansion (upgrades), contraction (downgrades) and [churn](https://sporetag.com/glossary/churn) (cancellations). MRR is a run rate, not cash: a yearly plan paid today adds its full price to revenue but a twelfth to MRR. See [MRR and SaaS attribution](https://sporetag.com/guides/saas-mrr-attribution).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/churn
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/ltv
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/attribution

---

# Multi-touch attribution

> Any attribution model that splits credit across more than one touch.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/multi-touch-attribution
Also called: MTA.

Multi-touch models divide a conversion between the touches before it. The common ones:

- **Linear:** equal shares.
- **Position-based:** usually 40 percent to the first touch, 40 to the last, 20 split across the middle.
- **Time decay:** more credit to touches closer to the sale.
- **Data-driven:** shares learned from converting and non-converting paths.

All of them can only split credit between touches the tool recorded. Ad views, cross-device journeys and offline touches are usually missing. See [attribution models explained](https://sporetag.com/guides/attribution-models-explained) for one path worked through each model.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/data-driven-attribution
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/first-touch-attribution
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/last-touch-attribution

---

# Pageview

> One page loaded and counted by an analytics tool.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/pageview
Also called: page view, views.

A pageview is counted each time a page is loaded and the analytics tag runs. Reloading counts again. GA4 calls the metric "Views", which also includes app screen views.

Single-page apps change pages without a full load, so the tool must listen for navigation through the History API, or pages after the first are not counted. Pageviews per visit, sometimes called views per session, is a simple read on depth.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/session
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/unique-visitor
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/bounce-rate

---

# QR code

> A square barcode that phones read with the camera to open a link.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/qr-code

A QR code encodes a link. A phone camera reads it and opens the address, with no referrer, so scans land in direct traffic unless the link carries UTM tags.

- **Static codes** hold the final address. They cannot change, and only your analytics can count the visits.
- **Dynamic codes** hold a short link, which counts each scan and can be pointed somewhere else later.

QR codes tolerate damage through error correction, recovering about 7, 15, 25 or 30 percent of the code at levels L, M, Q and H ([Denso Wave](https://www.qrcode.com/en/about/error_correction.html)). See [QR code tracking](https://sporetag.com/guides/qr-code-tracking).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/short-link
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-parameters
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/direct-traffic

---

# Referrer

> The address of the page a visitor came from, sent by the browser when they follow a link.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/referrer
Also called: referer, HTTP referer.

When someone clicks a link, the browser usually tells the new site where they came from, in the `Referer` header (the misspelling is in the original HTTP standard). Analytics tools turn the referring address into a source, such as Google or Facebook.

Under the default policy, `strict-origin-when-cross-origin`, a browser sends only the origin to other sites, such as `https://news.example.com/`, and sends nothing at all from a secure page to an insecure one ([MDN](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Reference/Headers/Referrer-Policy)). Sites can choose a stricter policy, and many apps send no referrer at all.

That is why referrers are good for sources you do not control, such as search engines and other sites, and UTM tags are better for links you share yourself.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/direct-traffic
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-source
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/dark-social

---

# Retention rate

> The share of customers, or of recurring revenue, still with you at the end of a period.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/retention-rate
Also called: customer retention rate, churn rate vs retention rate, net revenue retention.

Customer retention rate = customers at the end of a period who were already customers at the start ÷ customers at the start. Start the month with 200 customers, lose 6, and retention is 194 ÷ 200 = 97 percent. Leave new customers out of both counts, or the rate rises just from growth.

Retention is 1 − [churn](https://sporetag.com/glossary/churn) when both use the same period and the same base. They stop matching when one counts customers and the other revenue, or when one includes new customers in the base.

Net revenue retention counts the [MRR](https://sporetag.com/glossary/mrr) kept from the starting customers, including their upgrades: start at $20,000, lose $1,000 to cancellations and downgrades, gain $1,600 from upgrades, and net revenue retention is 103 percent. (Example numbers.) It can pass 100 percent while customers leave. See [cohort retention analysis](https://sporetag.com/guides/cohort-retention-analysis) and the [SaaS metrics dashboard](https://sporetag.com/guides/saas-metrics-dashboard).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/churn
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/mrr
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/ltv

---

# ROAS

> Return on ad spend: revenue credited to ads divided by what the ads cost.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/roas
Also called: return on ad spend.

ROAS = revenue credited to the ads ÷ spend on those ads. A ROAS of 4 means $4 of revenue for each $1 spent.

Whether a ROAS is good depends on margin. Break-even ROAS is 1 ÷ gross margin, so a 40 percent margin needs a ROAS of at least 2.5 to cover the cost of the ads on the first order.

Each ad platform credits every sale its ads touched, so platform ROAS figures overlap. For a total, divide your store's revenue by all ad spend. See [ROAS, blended ROAS and MER](https://sporetag.com/guides/roas-mer-blended-roas).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/mer
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/cpa
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/ltv

---

# Sampling

> Building a report from a portion of the data and scaling the result up to estimate the whole.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/sampling
Also called: data sampling, sampled data.

When a report would need more data than a tool processes per query, it can read a portion and scale up. The result is an estimate, close for big numbers and rough for small segments.

In GA4, sampling can happen when a report, exploration or API request needs more events than the property's quota: 10 million events per query for standard properties, and up to 1 billion for Analytics 360. The data quality icon shows the share of data used ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/13331292)). Standard reports are rarely sampled; explorations over long date ranges are where it shows up.

Other tools sample at different points. Sporetag stores events in Cloudflare's Workers Analytics Engine, which samples at high volume and records the weight of each kept event, so totals are scaled back up when read ([Cloudflare](https://developers.cloudflare.com/analytics/analytics-engine/sampling/)).

To reduce sampling, shorten the date range, or use a report that reads from pre-aggregated tables.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/session
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/unique-visitor
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/pageview

---

# Server-side tagging

> Running marketing and analytics tags on a server you control, which then forwards data to each vendor.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/server-side-tagging
Also called: server-side GTM, sGTM, server container.

In a normal setup, the browser loads each vendor's tag and sends data to each vendor directly. With server-side tagging, the browser sends events to one endpoint you run, usually on your own subdomain, and a server container decides what to forward to GA4, Google Ads, Meta and others. Google Tag Manager's server-side containers are the best-known version ([Google](https://developers.google.com/tag-platform/tag-manager/server-side)).

What it changes: fewer scripts in the page, one place to remove fields before they leave, and requests to your own domain rather than to a dozen vendors. What it does not change: you still need consent where the law asks for it, and data you forward is still shared.

It is related to, but not the same as, [server-side tracking](https://sporetag.com/glossary/server-side-tracking): sending events like orders from your backend. Google also advises against running a server-side and a standalone browser setup for the same GA4 property on one page ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/14847402)). See [server-side vs client-side tracking](https://sporetag.com/guides/server-side-vs-client-side-tracking).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/server-side-tracking
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversions-api
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/first-party-cookie

---

# Server-side tracking

> Sending analytics or conversion events from a server, rather than from the visitor's browser.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/server-side-tracking
Also called: server-side tagging, S2S tracking.

Server-side tracking covers two setups. In the first, a browser tag sends data to a server on your domain, which forwards it to tools (a server-side tag manager or proxy). In the second, your backend sends events straight to a tool's API when something happens, such as a paid order sent to the Meta Conversions API.

The second kind fixes missing sales, because the event comes from the system that recorded the sale. Neither kind changes what needs consent. See [server-side vs client-side tracking](https://sporetag.com/guides/server-side-vs-client-side-tracking).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversions-api
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/ad-blocker
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/event-deduplication

---

# Session

> A group of pageviews and events from one browser, ended by a period of inactivity or another rule.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/session
Also called: visit.

A session groups what one browser did in one visit. GA4 ends a session after 30 minutes of inactivity by default, and you can change the timeout ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9191807)). GA4 also estimates session counts rather than counting each one exactly.

Other tools use other rules. Sporetag counts a visit as one visitor's day on a site. Comparing sessions across tools is only meaningful when you know both rules. See [visitors, sessions and pageviews](https://sporetag.com/guides/sessions-users-pageviews).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/unique-visitor
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/pageview
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/bounce-rate

---

# Session timeout

> How long a visitor can be inactive before their session ends and the next action starts a new one.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/session-timeout
Also called: session timeout duration, inactivity timeout.

A [session](https://sporetag.com/glossary/session) has no natural end; the visitor just stops. So tools pick a rule. In GA4, a session ends after 30 minutes without activity by default, and there is no limit on how long an active session can last. You can change the web timeout per data stream under **Configure tag settings**, **Adjust session timeout** ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9191807)).

The timeout changes the counts. A shorter timeout splits one long visit into several sessions; a longer one merges them. A reader who leaves a tab open over lunch and comes back starts a second session in GA4, often with landing page (not set), because no page loaded. See [GA4 (not set)](https://sporetag.com/guides/ga4-not-set).

Not every tool uses a timeout. Sporetag counts a visit as one visitor's day on a site, so its visits are longer and fewer than GA4 sessions. See [sessions, users and pageviews](https://sporetag.com/guides/sessions-users-pageviews).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/session
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/unique-visitor
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/engagement-rate

---

# Short link

> A short address on a link domain that redirects to a longer one, counting the click on the way.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/short-link
Also called: branded link, short URL.

A short link, such as `go.yourbrand.com/spring`, points to a longer address, often one with UTM tags. When someone opens it, the link service counts the click, then sends the browser on to the destination.

For tracking, short links do three things a long link cannot:

- count the click even if the visit is never counted by analytics,
- keep UTM tags intact where people would trim or retype a long link, such as in bios, print, SMS and podcasts,
- let you change the destination after the link is printed or posted.

A branded domain you own keeps the link trustworthy and portable between tools. See [how to track an Instagram link in bio](https://sporetag.com/guides/track-instagram-link-in-bio).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-parameters
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/qr-code
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/direct-traffic

---

# Third-party cookie

> A cookie set by a domain other than the one in the address bar, used to follow people across sites.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/third-party-cookie

A third-party cookie is set by an embedded resource from another domain, such as an ad server, and is sent back to that domain from every site that embeds it. That is what made cross-site ad tracking possible.

Safari and Firefox block third-party cookies by default. Chrome still allows them by default, after Google dropped its plan to remove them. Modern analytics and conversion tracking rely on first-party data and server events instead.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/first-party-cookie
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/itp
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/cookieless-tracking

---

# Unique visitor

> A browser or person counted once in a period, however many times they visited.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/unique-visitor
Also called: unique user, users, visitors.

Unique visitors (or users) count people, approximately. Cookie-based tools recognize a returning browser by an id in a cookie. Cookieless tools use a daily hash, so the same person on two days counts once per day.

Neither recognizes one person across a phone and a laptop without a login, and clearing cookies or declining consent makes a returning person look new. GA4 shows several user metrics; most reports use Active users ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/12253918)).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/session
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/pageview
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/cookieless-tracking

---

# UTM parameters

> Tags added to the end of a link that tell analytics tools the source, medium and campaign of the visit.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-parameters
Also called: UTM tags, UTM codes, campaign parameters.

UTM parameters are query string tags added to a link, such as `?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=spring-sale`. Every major analytics tool reads them and uses them as the source of the visit.

The five classic parameters are `utm_source`, `utm_medium`, `utm_campaign`, `utm_content` and `utm_term`. GA4 also reads `utm_id` and `utm_source_platform` ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10917952)). Values are case sensitive.

Use them on links that point to your site from somewhere else: ads, emails, social posts, QR codes. Never on links between your own pages. The [UTM parameters guide](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters) has a naming scheme you can copy.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-source
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-medium
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-campaign
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-content

---

# utm_campaign

> The UTM parameter that names the specific push, offer or promotion a link belongs to.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-campaign

`utm_campaign` groups every link that belongs to one push: `spring-sale`, `black-friday-2026`, `webinar-oct`. It is the parameter you report on most, because it maps to decisions: which offer, which launch, which promotion.

Keep a shared list of campaign names, lowercase with hyphens, so the same campaign has one spelling across ads, emails and social posts. Ad platforms can fill it in for you with dynamic values, such as Meta's `{{campaign.name}}`.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-source
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-content
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-parameters

---

# utm_content

> The UTM parameter that tells apart links or creatives within the same campaign.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-content

`utm_content` separates links that share a source, medium and campaign: the bio link from the story link, the header button from the footer link in one email, video A from video B in one ad set.

It is the parameter that makes comparisons possible. Without it, an Instagram campaign with a bio link and five stories reports as one row. With it, you see which placement brought the sales.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-term
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-campaign
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-parameters

---

# utm_medium

> The UTM parameter that names the kind of channel: social, cpc, email, sms, qr.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-medium

`utm_medium` answers "what kind of channel?": `social`, `paid-social`, `cpc`, `email`, `sms`, `qr`, `referral`. GA4 uses it, with the source, to sort visits into channels such as Email, Paid Social and Organic Social ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9756891)).

The value has to match GA4's rules to land in the right channel. `email` lands in Email; `newsletter` does not. `cpc` or anything starting with `paid` with a social source lands in Paid Social. See the [UTM parameters guide](https://sporetag.com/guides/utm-parameters).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-source
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-campaign
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-parameters

---

# utm_source

> The UTM parameter that names who sent the visit: a site, app, newsletter or partner.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-source

`utm_source` answers "who sent this visit?": `google`, `facebook`, `instagram`, `newsletter`, `partner-name`. It is one of the three parameters Google says to always set, with `utm_medium` and `utm_campaign` ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10917952)).

Keep it to the platform or list itself, lowercase, with one spelling. `Facebook`, `facebook` and `fb` become three rows in your reports. Put the kind of channel in `utm_medium`, not here.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-medium
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-campaign
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-parameters

---

# utm_term

> The UTM parameter originally made for the paid search keyword, often used for the ad set or audience.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-term

`utm_term` was designed for paid search: the keyword that triggered the ad. With Google Ads auto-tagging, GA4 gets keywords from Google directly, so manual `utm_term` matters most for other search engines and for social ads.

Many teams put the ad set or audience name in `utm_term` on social ads, such as Meta's `{{adset.name}}`. That works well, as long as everyone uses it the same way.

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-content
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/utm-parameters

---

# View-through conversion

> A conversion credited to an ad the person saw but did not click.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/view-through-conversion
Also called: view-through, VTC.

Ad platforms can credit a conversion to an ad impression with no click, if the person bought within a short window after seeing it. Meta's default for website conversion campaigns includes a 1-day view window.

View-through conversions are real influence in some cases and coincidence in others: someone who was going to buy anyway scrolled past an ad. No tool outside the ad platform can see the view, so these conversions explain part of the gap between Ads Manager and your store. See [Meta ads vs Shopify](https://sporetag.com/guides/meta-ads-vs-shopify-sales).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/attribution-window
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/attribution
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/roas

---

# Year over year

> A comparison of a period with the same period a year earlier, to see growth after seasonality.

Source: https://sporetag.com/glossary/year-over-year
Also called: YoY, YoY growth, year on year.

YoY change = (this period − the same period last year) ÷ the same period last year × 100. From 1,200 orders last October to 1,380 this October is +15 percent. (Example numbers.)

It removes the seasonality a month-over-month comparison cannot: a store that compares December with November sees a boom every year, and a crash every January. For daily and weekly numbers, compare with the days 364 days back (52 weeks), so a Saturday lines up with a Saturday; for whole months and quarters, use the same dates.

A YoY change is only as good as the tracking behind both years: a new tag, a consent banner or a new bot filter can move the counts more than the business did. See [year over year comparison in analytics](https://sporetag.com/guides/year-over-year-comparison).

## Related terms

- https://sporetag.com/glossary/conversion-rate
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/session
- https://sporetag.com/glossary/pageview