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This article explains how to track clicks in Beeswax when using third-party JavaScript ad tags or HTML5 creatives. It does not apply to ads uploaded directly into Beeswax FreeWheel DSP or through a VAST 2.0 Wrapper, as Beeswax FreeWheel DSP automatically handles click redirection in those cases.

In third-party ad tags, a click macro must be included to track clicks and properly redirect the user to the destination URL. The Beeswax API The API and UI automatically detect tags from popular ad serving systems such as DoubleClick Campaign Manager and Sizmek.

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How Click Tracking Works

When using Beeswax FreeWheel DSP for click tracking, the {{CLICK_URL}} macro is used to generate a URL that includes both the Beeswax FreeWheel DSP click tracker and the Beeswax FreeWheel DSP redirect. This URL will have the following structure:

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 {{CLICK_URL}}https%3A%2F%2Fwww.beeswaxDSP.com%2Fprivacy.html

Some exchanges require additional redirects, which means the destination URL will need to be escaped a second time.

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 {{CLICK_URL}}https%253A%252F%252Fwww.beeswaxDSP.com%252Fprivacy.html

Beeswax FreeWheel DSP also provides an escaped click macro: {{CLICK_URL_ESC}}. This is typically used when the ad server performs an initial redirect before redirecting through BeeswaxFreeWheel DSP. In this case, the destination URL must be encoded twice or even three times, depending on the exchange's requirements.

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 {{CLICK_URL_ESC}}https%253A%252F%252Fwww.beeswaxDSP.com%252Fprivacy.html

Example 4:
If the exchange requires additional redirects, encode the destination URL three times:

 {{CLICK_URL_ESC}}https%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.beeswaxDSP.com%25252Fprivacy.html

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Configuring Click Macros in Ad Servers

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1. Some ad servers handle URL encoding automatically without any extra work needed.
   
   
2. Other ad servers require you to specify how many times the URL should be encoded. For example, you might need to specify whether the destination URL should be encoded once or twice.
   
   
3. Some ad servers do not offer URL encoding parameters, and you will need to manually encode the destination URL using a custom "for" loop.
   
   
4. Certain ad servers fire click trackers in parallel, which means you will not need to escape the URL at all. In this case, you only need to insert the Beeswax FreeWheel DSP click macro without additional encoding.

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1. Before the ad is served: The Beeswax FreeWheel DSP click macro expands to a Beeswax URL a URL with the domain https://event.bidr.io/.
2. User clicks on the ad:
   • If the exchange does not require a redirect, the user is sent:
     • First, through the Beeswax click the click tracker (https://event.bidr.io/clk).
     • Then, to the destination URL, which must be encoded once.
   • If the exchange requires a redirect, the user is sent:
     • First, through the Beeswax click the click tracker (https://event.bidr.io/clk).
     • Then, through the exchange.
     • Finally, to the destination URL, which must be encoded twice.

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1. Before the ad is served: The Beeswax FreeWheel DSP click macro ({{CLICK_URL_ESC}}) expands to an escaped Beeswax URLFreeWheel DSP URL.
2. User clicks on the ad:
   • If the exchange does not require a redirect, the user is sent:
     • First, through the ad server.
     • Then, to the Beeswax click tracker (which is escaped once).
     • Finally, to the destination URL (which is escaped twice).
   • If the exchange requires a redirect, the user is sent:
     • First, through the ad server.
     • Then, to the Beeswax click tracker (escaped once).
     • Next, through the exchange (escaped twice).
     • Finally, to the destination URL (escaped three times).

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1. Before the ad is served: The Beeswax FreeWheel DSP click macro ({{CLICK_URL_ESC}}) expands to an escaped Beeswax URLFreeWheel DSP URL.
2. User clicks on the ad:
   • If the exchange does not require a redirect, the user is sent directly to the destination URL.
   • In parallel, a click tracker fires from the Beeswax FreeWheel DSP domain.
   • If the exchange requires a redirect, the user is sent directly to the destination URL, while the click tracker fires in parallel, and an additional redirect happens through the exchange.

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Implementing the

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FreeWheel DSP Click Macro in Flashtalking Tags

In order for clicks to track properly in both Flashtalking and Beeswax reporting, a few changes need to be made. BeeswaxFreeWheel DSP's click s click macros need to be inserted into the ad tag, and Flashtalking needs to ensure they've properly configured their URL-encoding logic.

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For any questions on this process or to verify that it’s been done correctly, please reach out to Beeswax Support.