FAQ: JavaScript, Pixels, and User Data

  • Updated

What is the CMP pixel?

The Optimizely Content Marketing Platform (CMP) pixel is an invisible image file (unique to each article) that is included as part of each piece of content published from the CMP. It lets the CMP JavaScript associate page views, engagement, and actions with specific articles. When the CMP JavaScript is not installed, the pixel allows for tracking page views and unique visitors for each article; however, if the JavaScript is installed, this is handled by the JavaScript instead.

What user data is captured with the CMP pixel?

The CMP pixel has the ID of the article currently being viewed encoded in its URL. When the pixel activates, it makes a request to Optimizely servers to track a page view which contains the user's IP address, user agent, page URL, and timestamp. The data is stored in AWS S3 and is encrypted at rest.

What user data is captured with the CMP JavaScript?

When the CMP JavaScript is installed, it checks for a pixel on the page to identify the ID of the article the user is viewing. The CMP JavaScript then tracks a pageview event, and tracks scroll depth and engagement events using a timer, to measure content performance metrics.

CMP's JavaScript works in tandem with Google Analytics. The cookies set by Google Analytics are documented in Google Analytics Cookie Usage on Websites.

The CMP JavaScript also sets two cookies which have their values passed along with events that are tracked:

  • __ncuid – a randomly generated ID that lasts for 365 days to track a unique visitor
  • nc-previous-guid – lasts for 24 hours stores the ID of the last seen article published from CMP

If Eloqua is fully integrated using our process then the CMP JavaScript tracks email addresses if the user submits their email and Eloqua's JavaScript identifies them as a contact.

Data collected through CMP JavaScript passes through Google Analytics and then is exported into our AWS S3 bucket and is encrypted at rest.

The visitor IP address is not exposed through data we pull from Google Analytics. See Google Analytics' data privacy and security documentation for more on how they handle data.

What is the cookie expiry term?

CMP cookies, and cookies set by Google Analytics that CMP references, expire after 12 months from the time they are set.

Can we change the cookie expiry term?

No, you cannot change cookie expiry per instance.

Does the JavaScript call out to any other vendor or software?

The CMP JavaScript calls out to:

  • Google Analytics
  • Google Tag Manager (GTM), if there is a CMP GTM container for the instance, such as to track action analytics
  • Eloqua, if GTM is configured to use Eloqua for the instance, and also to our t.welcomesoftware.com pixel tracker if Eloqua is enabled

What domains need to be on an allow list for the CMP JavaScript?

Place the following domains on the allow list:

  • analytics.welcomesoftware.com
  • pixel.welcomesoftware.com
  • www.google-analytics.com
  • www.googletagmanager.com (for actions, but not strictly necessary)