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

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How Click Tracking Works

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

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 {{CLICK_URL}}https%3A%2F%2Fwww.DSPbeeswax.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.DSPbeeswax.com%252Fprivacy.html

The platform Buyer Cloud also provides an an escaped click macro: {{CLICK_URL_ESC}}. This is typically used when the ad server performs an initial redirect before redirecting through the platform. 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.DSPbeeswax.com%252Fprivacy.html

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

 {{CLICK_URL_ESC}}https%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.DSPbeeswax.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 DSP the Buyer Cloud click macro without additional encoding.

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1. Using the {{CLICK_URL}} Macro without an Ad Server

1. Before the ad is served: The DSP The Buyer Cloud click macro expands to a URL a URL with the domain 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 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 click tracker (https://event.bidr.io/clk).
     • Then, through the exchange.
     • Finally, to the destination URL, which must be encoded twice.

2. Using the {{CLICK_URL_ESC}} Macro with an Ad Server that Redirects First

1. Before the ad is served: The DSP The Buyer Cloud click macro ({{CLICK_URL_ESC}}) expands to an escaped DSP URLescaped Buyer Cloud 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 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 click tracker (escaped once).
     • Next, through the exchange (escaped twice).
     • Finally, to the destination URL (escaped three times).

3. Using the {{CLICK_URL_ESC}} Macro with an Ad Server that Fires Click Trackers in Parallel (e.g., Sizmek)

1. Before the ad is served: The DSP The Buyer Cloud click macro ({{CLICK_URL_ESC}}) expands to an escaped DSP URLescaped Buyer Cloud 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 DSP the Buyer Cloud 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

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the Buyer Cloud Click Macro in Flashtalking Tags

In order for clicks to track properly in both Flashtalking and reporting, a few changes need to be made. The DSP's Buyer Cloud 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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