CODEWITHSUNDEEP
google-tag-manager
user11092881
user11092881

Reputation:

Does Pixel Tracking require js code in order to work on Google Tag Manager?

Tag 1: Retargeting

Fire on all pages of the site

For Image format use:

<img height="1" width="1" style="border-style:none;" alt=""
src="https://trck.adsway.org/track/pxl/?adv=ou2fddz&yy=0:r1wen4w&fmt=4"/>

I got this, so I created a Custom Html tag that fires on "All Pages" and I put the image DOM element inside the custom html tag, but I am not sure if this is the only thing we need. Aren't we suppose to add some kind of javascript code in order for this to work? I wasn't provided with any js script tag, and I wasn't provided with any documentation, so I have no idea if pixel tracking doesn't need some kind of js file to make the tracking work. Thanks.

Upvotes: 0

Views: 749

Answers (2)

Eike Pierstorff
Eike Pierstorff

Reputation: 32760

You do not need additional code. Image requests are a time-honoured method to send information across domain boundaries. On the receiving end there will be a script that writes the information from the query parameters ("?adv=ou2fddz" etc.) to some kind of data store, where it then can be processed. This was long in use before javascript based tracking became common because it is simple and reliable. In fact, even many javascript based tags generate an image request, only they collect information or set cookies or create user ids etc. via Javascript before they send it off. So this should work fine as is.

What you could do better is not to use a custom HTML tag, since they cause extra work every time the pixel is fired. GTM has a tag type "custom image". You save your user's browsers a little work when instead of using custom HTML, you create a custom image tag and insert the url from the "src" attribute of the image:

Custom Image Tag Configuration

(the url is cut of in the image, but you need to use the full src attribute).

The cache busting option will add a random parameter. Browsers might decide to cache the image, which means it will be sent only once to the tracking server and on the next occasion will come from the browser cache. The random parameter means this a different url every time, and thus not cached (the parameter usually does not have ill effects on the tracking).

Upvotes: 0

Michael Nicolosi
Michael Nicolosi

Reputation: 71

You don't need a JS script in order for retargeting to work. Many vendors will provide a simple image pixel. You'll basically send a ping to the vendor each time a page is loaded.

JS would allow you to do more advanced things like read cookies and global variables to collect more information. But maybe you could reach out to who sent you the script and see if a JS script is provided. If not, you should be good to go with just the image pixel.

Upvotes: 1

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