Avoid data loss due to ad-blocking & cookie limitations by browsers (ITP)
In certain configurations, ad blockers such as Ghostery and Adblock Plus prevent the collection of data with etracker Analytics, although etracker respects the privacy of the user and data protection regulations are observed. As a result, around 15% of visit data is lost.
By means of a custom tracking domain, these browser extensions do not interfere with etracker Analytics, as ad blockers usually do not block scripts originating from the same domain.
Safari also limits the cookie lifetime for most ad traffic to 24 hours using Intelligent Tracking Protection (ITP). On average, this affects 40% of visits via paid ads when not using a custom tracking domain.
The use of a custom tracking domain can be added to any etracker Analytics Edition. After activation you can start the setup in your account.
To do this, log in to your etracker account, go to Settings → Integration → Tracking code and click the Custom Tracking Domain button.
In the first step, define a name for your custom tracking domain (subdomain). This should be based on the name of your website domain.
Example:
Website domain name: yourwebsite.com
Possible/recommended name for your custom tracking domain: webcontr.yourwebsite.com
Important:
The custom tracking domain must be unique, i.e. not already assigned elsewhere.
Paste the address of your subdomain into the URL field and click Download Certificate Signing Request (CSR). With the CSR you create a corresponding TLS/SSL certificate at your Certificate Authority (CA).
At your DNS service provider you set up a CNAME record from your tracking domain to customer.etracker.com. Please note that “customer” is not a placeholder and remains unchanged.
We recommend a certificate with a validity of one year and 2048 bit key length. Please make sure that the certificate chain is complete. This also includes the so-called intermediate certificate. Visit SSL labs to verify that the certificate chain is complete.
Alternatively, tracking via your custom domain is also possible with an existing certificate.
Upload the TLS/SSL certificate you received from your certification authority and click Save. If the configuration was successful, the expiration date of your certificate will be displayed.
An etracker tracking code customized for your custom tracking domain is now waiting for you to be copied:
Replace this customized code with the existing etracker code on your website. Please make sure that any manually set parameters are not changed and that the requirements for the use of consent management solutions are implemented.
If you integrate the code using an etracker plugin, you will find the option to enter your custom tracking domain in the plugin settings.