Learn how to configure required open web tracker fields when creating or updating a campaign on the Canvas (new experience). This article focuses on setting up conversion actions for site engagement, lead generation, and purchase activity so campaigns can measure outcomes accurately.
Prerequisites
Know how to create mapped pixels.
What is a tracker?
Trackers are small pieces of code that capture user behavior across websites, apps, and digital channels. Marketers use them to understand how audiences engage with ads and content, then optimize campaigns by refining messaging, enhancing user experience, and driving conversions.
That said, not every advertiser needs trackers. For example, a brand running an awareness campaign may prioritize visibility over individual user insights, focusing instead on metrics like impressions or reach. Similarly, advertisers in regulated industries or regions with strict privacy laws (e.g. GDPR or CCPA) may lack the infrastructure or consent to collect personal data. In these cases, strategies such as contextual targeting (serving ads based on webpage content rather than user behavior) enable compliance while still delivering relevant, effective advertising.
Steps to open trackers page
If you're building a campaign from scratch and sequentially following the Canvas quickstart guide, the Open Web Trackers page is easy to find. It's the next wizard stage. If you're working on an existing campaign and want to edit Open Web Trackers settings, follow these steps:
- Open a campaign on the Canvas (new experience).
- Go to the top of the canvas.
- Click the gear icon. A new page displays.
- Go to the left menu.
- Click the Open Web Trackers link.
Steps to select a tracker
On the Open Web Trackers page, go to the Tracker Type field and select Universal Pixel. Click the Tracker field and select an option. I'll select Soap General. That's the name I used for a tracker I created in a previous step.
Click the New Conversion Action button. Now, add actions to each mapping that we created. I'll start by adding a conversion goal to the All Pages mapping.
Go to the Action Name field and enter any unique name you like. I'll enter All Pages. so that it's easy to recognise at a glance. BTW, did you notice the period after the word pages? Each label on the illumin platform must be unique. Adding an extra character (like a period) lets me use a familiar label and still enter a unique name.
Click the Mapping field and select the matching mapping record. In this example, it's All pages.
Steps to create a site engagement conversion
Go to the Conversion Type field and select Site Engagement. Here, I'll apply one of the universal pixels I created on the pixel page to a specific conversion.
Fill in the fields (see below) and then click the Add button to save the conversion action.
After you click the Add button, illumin displays the conversion action in the table. Click the pencil icon to edit the action.
Filing in the form
- Conversion Label: Select a tag. When you get to the reporting stage, use this tag to sort conversions by order of importance (i.e. Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary).
- Conversion Value: Enter a value (e.g. $15) that you attach to each conversion. When the data starts coming in, illumin uses this figure to prioritize different conversion actions and optimize the action with higher conversion value.
- Post View Conversion Ratio: Do you consider view considerations as important as click conversions? If yes, then leave the default 100% (which is an industry standard). If you think view conversations are less important, enter a value of less than 100%. For example, you'd enter 50% if click conversions are twice as important as view conversions.
- Post Click Window: Enter a number and set the unit of measurement (i.e. minutes, hours, or days) to create a window that allows illumin to associate a click with a conversion.
- Post View Window: Enter a number and set the unit of measurement (i.e. minutes, hours, or days) to create a window that allows illumin to associate a view (e.g. impression) with a conversion.
- Repeat Window: Enter a value and unit of measurement (i.e. minutes, hours, or days) to avoid double counting the same conversion within a set period. If, for instance, a user converts and then refreshes the page within a four-minute window, illumin could count the refreshed page as another conversion without this feature.
- Accept Duplicate Order ID: Switch off the toggle (the default setting) to stop illumin from double counting orders with the same ID.
Steps to create a purchase action
To create a Purchase action, select the Purchase conversion type and then follow the steps described above (e.g. add an Action Name and select a Mapping on the drop-down). If you select this option, the page unhides a field. Go to the Conversion Weight field and select Fixed or Dynamic.
- If you select Fixed, go to the Conversion Value field and enter a number.
- If you select Dynamic, the form hides the Conversion Value field and displays a code snippet. Ask your web dev team to place the snippet on the site. Be sure to check the Mapping field (scroll up the form) to see the specific page that should host the snippet. The illumin algorithm will optimize the conversion value and generate the most revenue possible for you.
FAQs
What are Open Web Trackers?
Open Web Trackers capture user actions tied to campaigns so outcomes like site engagement, leads, or purchases appear in reporting. They connect mapped pixels to conversion actions. This setup lets marketers evaluate performance beyond impressions and diagnose issues such as conversions not reporting.
When should marketers configure Open Web Trackers?
Marketers configure Open Web Trackers when campaigns require outcome measurement such as visits, leads, or purchases. Awareness-only campaigns may skip trackers. Regulated environments may also limit tracker use, which can explain symptoms like journey not spending or missing conversion data.
How do marketers access Open Web Trackers on the Canvas?
Open Web Trackers appear as a wizard step for new campaigns and as a settings page for existing campaigns. Marketers open a campaign, select the gear icon at the canvas top, and choose Open Web Trackers from the left menu to edit tracker settings.
What settings matter most when creating a site engagement conversion?
Site engagement conversions rely on correct labels, values, and attribution windows. Conversion value guides optimization priority. Post click and post view windows define attribution timing. Repeat windows prevent double counting, which helps explain inflated metrics or unexpected reporting gaps.
What is the difference between fixed and dynamic purchase conversion values?
Fixed purchase values assign one static number to each conversion. Dynamic values rely on a site code snippet that passes revenue data. Dynamic optimization lets the algorithm prioritize higher-value outcomes and often improves performance analysis when purchase data exists.