URLs Not Resolving Correctly Due To Missing Dimension Tag

If the following apply…

  • Your URL Builder is set up to include dimension tracking parameters.
  • And URL with tracking is not resolving correctly (ie. resolving to an error page).

...this may be because no actual dimension tags were loaded for that specific URL. These dimension tags are a requirement for the URL to resolve correctly per your website setup.

Example

In the following example, we show what happens if dimension tags are supposed to be loaded between semi-colon ; delimiters in a URL:

Incorrect

http:// tracker.marinsm.com/rd;;;;u=m...ww.example.com

However the platform actually sees the following, i.e. no dimension values:

http:// tracker.marinsm.com/rd;(missi...ww.example.com

Correct

http:// tracker.marinsm.com/rd;247788961;73390614;y;u=ms&sv1={ifsearch:s}{ifcontent:c}fDX2yJ5b&sv2={creative}&sv3=851o5012286&sv5={placement};? http:// www.example.com

What Causes The Issue?

In the incorrect URL example, you’ll notice “;;;;” indicating placeholders for parameters that are missing. This series of “;;;” are breaking the URL string.

How To Fix The Issue

To see which dimension parameters may be missing, you can go to Settings > Revenue & Tracking > URL Templates to see what named parameter appears within the ” […].”

You can then re-upload your keyword or creative, including columns with the required dimensions and their corresponding value.

In this case, re-uploading the Click Through URL with the missing dimension columns will fix your destination URL.

Written by Marketing @ Marin Software

Last published at: December 5th, 2023