This article outlines requirements for the generation and daily delivery of an attribution file as an input to the performance of your Connexity campaign. The attribution file provides Insight into conversions from shopper traffic Connexity generates and is critical to driving the success of your campaign. Having a full understanding about how traffic converts, at a granular level, further helps us to optimize placements that maximize incremental growth opportunities.
The documentation below is for generating your own attribution data file to be sent to Connexity. If you're looking to create and send attribution data using a analytics platform, please refer to the Google Analytics 4, Google Search Ads 360, or Adobe Analytics documentation instead.
Links to Installation Instructions
**Important: Please ensure that network settings allow data flow between our systems by enabling our domains and IP addresses. Please do this before testing with your Account Manager. You can find network access setting instructions here.
ABOUT ATTRIBUTION DATA
The attribution file provides Insight into conversions from shopper traffic generated by Connexity generates. Sharing attribution data is critical to driving the success of your campaign. Having a full understanding about how traffic converts, at a granular level, further helps us to optimize placements that maximize incremental growth opportunities.
How Attribution Data Is Used
The attribution data you provide is the most important performance signal Connexity receives. We combined this information with signals from the Connexity Shopping Tag to better align events observed by the Tag with conversions confirmed in your daily file. This alignment minimizes discrepancies in how different attribution models may recognize conversions and the aligned results are applied in two main areas.
Optimization: Validation of traffic conversions helps Connexity optimize pricing within your budget to bid for and win you competitive placements that drive even more traffic at higher conversion rates. It enables us to optimize pricing all the way to the traffic source and product SKU level in order to meet your cost of sale (COS) goals.
Reporting: Validation of conversions helps us communicate about campaign progress from a common understanding of performance. It means Connexity can deliver more accurate performance reporting in our merchant portal and in updates with your Account Manager.
Implementation Overview
There are a few important steps this document will outline to help you successfully implement
daily creation and delivery of an attribution file.
| 1 | Create File | Review file and data requirements. Setup daily creation. |
| 2 | Setup Delivery | Set daily delivery of attribution file to Connexity. |
| 3 | Test & Verify | We need to verify the completeness of your file implementation. |
| 4 | Complete | When attribution data is verified, your campaign can begin. |
Creation and delivery of the attribution file can be accomplished with the help of a site analytics platform such as Google Analytics 4 (GA4) or Adobe Analytics. We offer instructions for implementation on-your-own and implementation using an analytics platform, where GA4 is used as the example.
IMPLEMENT ON YOUR OWN
1. Create Attribution File
An attribution file needs to be created that contains sales data required to identify conversion. The attribution file needs to be generated and sent daily to Connexity. If your engineering resources/team wishes to programmatically generate the attribution file, requirements and field specifications are provided below. You can use an analytics platform to create the attribution file with these instructions.
You can also follow our video instructions to implement this yourself.
File Requirements
- File format must be XSLX or CSV format
- Delimiter must be comma or tab (for CSV files)
- The file must be uncompressed
- File name should include the merchant name and the date in yyyy-MM-dd format
- Suggested file name format: MerchantName_OrderReport_yyyy-MM-dd.csv
Required Fields
This is the data that is required within the attribution file for Connexity to properly analyze the data. This is specifically formatted in a way our system can process the information. This data, once ingested, can be viewed in the merchant platform.
We understand that depending on the attribution and reporting platform you are using that you may not be able to provide the exact column names asked for. Where is not possible, can you please provide a column mapping matrix. For example, cnxlid = paramOne.
| Column Name | What It Contains/Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| cnxclid |
A unique redirect variable dynamically generated by Connexity and appended to the product URL. Required to associate the sale to the original click.
Note that this value can contain a Google/Bing click ID in case of parallel tracking, which can contain up to 100 alpha-numerical characters
|
|
|
order_timestamp OR order_date |
*order_timestamp is the preferred option. The date, time and timezone on which the transaction was done. Please use RFC 3999
|
For further help with RFC 3999 formatting please refer to, or reach out to your CNX account manager. |
| order_id |
The order number of the retailer
|
|
| order_value |
This is the total value of an order assigned to one product identifier. Therefore, if two of one product worth $10 is purchased, the order value will be $20.
|
Optional Fields
| Column Name | What It Contains/Example | Notes |
| new_customer |
For new customers: use "1" or or include the keyword "new"
For returning customers: "0" or include the keyword "returning" or "existing".
|
|
| currency | If you operate in multiple territories and currencies and you want to report the transactions in a specific currency please populate this field. This only applies if you are submitting one file for all MIDs. Please use ISO 4217 codes for currency.
|
|
| units_ordered | The total number of a product bought
|
|
| mid | Typically you would provide an Attribution Data file per MID. If you want to send one inclusive of all MID, can you please include the MID.
|
2. Setup Daily Delivery
In this step the merchant sets up delivery of the attribution file to Connexity through email or FTP. This file should be sent daily and a new file should be provided every day covering attribution results for the previous day. If you require a delivery method other than email or FTP, please contact your Connexity Account Manager.
- Email: The attribution file is sent automatically from your reporting system to Connexity daily.
- Send your daily file to: CNX_Order_Reports@connexity.com
-
Include merchant name and ID for the subject line
Example: MerchantName – 12345 – Connexity Attribution File - FTP: Connexity can work with you to establish a method for you to “push” the daily attribution file you create to a secure Connexity or merchant FTP location you specify. The attribution file is pushed/uploaded to an FTP location daily.
3. Test and Verify
Please contact your Account Manager after you create and set-up a delivery method for your attribution file. During this stage our team will verify the attribution file is valid and that the data is correctly routed into our system and into our merchant portal platform.
Your Account Manager may ask you to place a test order to verify the attribution tracking is working as expected from your FTP/SFTP file transfer or data analytics platform/Google analytics. If this is not something you can do on your end, we can place a test order on your behalf.
4. Complete
Once you and your Account Manager have established that the attribution file data is correct and your delivery method is functioning properly, you are all set to start your campaigns on the Connexity network. Please contact your Account Manager if you have any additional questions.
ADDITIONAL REFERENCE INFORMATION
How Connexity Redirect IDs are Generated and Used
ach time a user clicks on a product, Connexity dynamically creates and appends a unique ID to the product URL. This allows us to allocate the sales order to the original redirect and use this information to optimize the performance of your account.
|
Example product URL |
https://www.merchantname.com/clothing/jeans-slim-fit/?product=ABCXYZ&utm_source=connexity |
|
When a shopper clicks through, we generate a redirect ID |
14061651499390444729810030301008005 |
|
The redirect ID is appended to the URL |
https://www.merchantname.com/clothing/jeans-slim-fit/?product=ABCXYZ&utm_source=connexity&cnxclid=14061651499390444729810030301008005 |
Appending to report
We append the selected parameter to your URL, or you can input CNXCLID into the GA parameter, in order to pick up our redirect ID.
|
Example product URL |
https://testmerchant.com/productlink/product?utm_source=connexity&utm_medium=aff&utm_content=CNXCLID |
You must be able to capture and pass back to Connexity this redirect ID value for all orders in the attribution file. The default setup will pass this value to a variable labeled “cnxclid”.
If you prefer that value be appended to a different variable for tracking purposes please communicate that need back to your Connexity Account Manager. The redirect ID should then be sent back to Connexity in the attribution report in the “cnxclid” field, if there was a transaction.