3rd Party Tracking and Avalanche Tags

3rd Party click and impression trackers can be easily inserted into Avalanche tags by VMG staff or on your own. Here’s an example of an Avalanche Tag:

<!— Publisher: Advertiser - Tag - [970x250,300x250] - 10/28/2017 -->
<div id="avalanche" static="https://yodel.vmg.nyc/acme/full/intro.jpg" ct="destination-url">
<script src="https://yodel.vmg.nyc/acme/www/avalanche.js?ord=[timestamp]" charset="UTF-8"></script>
<noscript><style>#avalanche{display:none;}</style></noscript>
</div>

Parts of the Avalanche Tag

Black Text: The first line of your tag tells you which publisher and advertiser the tag was made for, the date the tag was made, the sizes the tag is configured to serve. If VMG has inserted tracking into the tag, you’ll also find information about tracking here.
Blue Text: The blue text is the tag itself and should not be altered under any circumstances.
Orange Text: The orange text determines the ad’s clickthrough destination.
Red Text: Instances of [timestamp] are in red text. These should be replaced by your cache buster when adding the tag to your ad server.

Applying a 3rd Party Click Tracker

A 3rd Party Click tracker can be applied to the tag by replacing the orange text in the example above with your click tracker.

Good Example:

<!— Publisher: Advertiser - Tag - [970x250,300x250] - 10/28/2017 -->
<div id="avalanche" static="https://yodel.vmg.nyc/acme/full/intro.jpg" ct="http://bs.clicky-click.com/BurstPipez/adServer.bs?cn=111111">
<script src="https://yodel.vmg.nyc/acme/www/avalanche.js?ord=[timestamp]" charset="UTF-8"></script>
<noscript><style>#avalanche{display:none;}</style></noscript>
</div>

Bad Examples:

1 - Clicktracker not surrounded by quotes

<!— Publisher: Advertiser - Tag - [970x250,300x250] - 10/28/2017 -->
<div id="avalanche" static="https://yodel.vmg.nyc/acme/full/intro.jpg" ct=http://bs.clicky-click.com/BurstPipez/adServer.bs?cn=111111>
<script src="https://yodel.vmg.nyc/acme/www/avalanche.js?ord=[timestamp]" charset="UTF-8"></script>
<noscript><style>#avalanche{display:none;}</style></noscript>
</div>

2 - Click tracker added in front of destination-url instead of replacing it

<!— Publisher: Advertiser - Tag - [970x250,300x250] - 10/28/2017 -->
<div id="avalanche" static="https://yodel.vmg.nyc/acme/full/intro.jpg" ct="http://bs.clicky-click.com/BurstPipez/adServer.bs?cn=111111http://vmgood.com">
<script src="https://yodel.vmg.nyc/acme/www/avalanche.js?ord=[timestamp]" charset="UTF-8"></script>
<noscript><style>#avalanche{display:none;}</style></noscript>
</div>

3 - Click tracker added in behind destination-url instead of replacing it

<!— Publisher: Advertiser - Tag - [970x250,300x250] - 10/28/2017 -->
<div id="avalanche" static="https://yodel.vmg.nyc/acme/full/intro.jpg" ct="http://vmgood.comhttp://bs.clicky-click.com/BurstPipez/adServer.bs?cn=111111">
<script src="https://yodel.vmg.nyc/acme/www/avalanche.js?ord=[timestamp]" charset="UTF-8"></script>
<noscript><style>#avalanche{display:none;}</style></noscript>
</div>

Tracking Clicks in Your Ad Server

The simplest way to track clicks in your ad server is to insert your click macro before the destination URL in the tag, so both the click macro and destination URL are between the quotes.

Good Examples:

1 - DFP’s clicktracker and a 3rd Party Clicktracker:

<!— Publisher: Advertiser - Tag - [970x250,300x250] - 10/28/2017 -->
<div id="avalanche" static="https://yodel.vmg.nyc/acme/full/intro.jpg" ct="%%CLICK_URL_UNESC%%http://bs.clicky-click.com/BurstPipez/adServer.bs?cn=111111">
<script src="https://yodel.vmg.nyc/acme/www/avalanche.js?ord=[timestamp]" charset="UTF-8"></script>
<noscript><style>#avalanche{display:none;}</style></noscript>
</div>

2 - DFP’s click tracker and a destination URL:

<!— Publisher: Advertiser - Tag - [970x250,300x250] - 10/28/2017 -->
<div id="avalanche" static="https://yodel.vmg.nyc/acme/full/intro.jpg" ct="%%CLICK_URL_UNESC%%http://vmgood.com">
<script src="https://yodel.vmg.nyc/acme/www/avalanche.js?ord=[timestamp]" charset="UTF-8"></script>
<noscript><style>#avalanche{display:none;}</style></noscript>
</div>

Bad Examples:

1 - Clicktracker placed after the destination URL:

<!— Publisher: Advertiser - Tag - [970x250,300x250] - 10/28/2017 -->
<div id="avalanche" static="https://yodel.vmg.nyc/acme/full/intro.jpg" ct="http://vmgood.com%%CLICK_URL_UNESC%%">
<script src="https://yodel.vmg.nyc/acme/www/avalanche.js?ord=[timestamp]" charset="UTF-8"></script>
<noscript><style>#avalanche{display:none;}</style></noscript>
</div>

2 - Clicktracker replaced the destination URL

<!— Publisher: Advertiser - Tag - [970x250,300x250] - 10/28/2017 -->
<div id="avalanche" static="https://yodel.vmg.nyc/acme/full/intro.jpg" ct="%%CLICK_URL_UNESC%%">
<script src="https://yodel.vmg.nyc/acme/www/avalanche.js?ord=[timestamp]" charset="UTF-8"></script>
<noscript><style>#avalanche{display:none;}</style></noscript>
</div>

Note: It is important that your destination URL begin with "http://" or "https://" - it cannot begin with just "www" or "//". Either instance will result in the user not reaching the destination URL.

Applying Cache Busters

Avalanche tags have at least 1 instance of [timestamp]. Each instance of [timestamp] should be replaced by your cache buster (brackets included!).

Good: Cachebuster Properly Inserted

<!— Publisher: Advertiser - Tag - [970x250,300x250] - 10/28/2017 -->
<div id="avalanche" static="https://yodel.vmg.nyc/acme/full/intro.jpg" ct="http://vmgood.com">
<script src="https://yodel.vmg.nyc/acme/www/avalanche.js?ord=%%CACHEBUSTER%%" charset="UTF-8"></script>
<noscript><style>#avalanche{display:none;}</style></noscript>
</div>

Applying Impression Trackers

An Impression tracker can be applied by pasting it below the last line of the tag (</div>).

Good: Impression Tracker Properly Inserted

<!— Publisher: Advertiser - Tag - [970x250,300x250] - 10/28/2017 -->
<div id="avalanche" static="https://yodel.vmg.nyc/acme/full/intro.jpg" ct="http://vmgood.com">
<script src="https://yodel.vmg.nyc/acme/www/avalanche.js?ord=[timestamp]" charset="UTF-8"></script>
<noscript><style>#avalanche{display:none;}</style></noscript>
</div>
<img src="http://your-impression-trackers-URL.com?ord=%n" height=1 width=1 border=0 alt="Advertisement">

Notes on Impression Trackers:

Impression trackers will usually need a cache buster inserted. These locations are typically denoted as [timestamp] or %n.
If the 3rd Party Impression Tracker is just a URL (ie. http://bs.clicky-click.com/BurstPipez/adServer.bs?cn=111111?ord=[timestamp]), you will need to format it in order for it to function properly. You can do so by replacing ‘http://your-impression-trackers-URL.com?ord=%n’ from the example above with the Impression Tracker’s URL

<img src="http://bs.clicky-click.com/BurstPipez/adServer.bs?cn=111111?ord=[timestamp]" height=1 width=1 border=0 alt="Advertisement">
With cache buster inserted: <img src="http://bs.clicky-click.com/BurstPipez/adServer.bs?cn=111111?ord=%%CACHEBUSTER%%" height=1 width=1 border=0 alt="Advertisement">