Conversion Tracking

Overview

Conversion tracking keeps the track of conversions initiated by Google through one of our Action Center integrations. It's necessary to keep your integration healthy and running, as it can influence the ranking on certain pages. Each time Google generates an action_link, the specific URL is modified to include a unique query parameter: rwg_token. You can store the token and return the appropriate values when a user completes a booking.

To complete the integration, follow these steps:

1. Parse and store the rwg_token.
2. Parse and store the merchant information.
3. Return the rwg_token and the merchant_changed values.
4. Test and verify the conversion tracking.

Parse and Store the rwg_token

To complete the integration you need to collect and store the rwg_token for up to 30 days of the initial Google referral. The rwg_token value is an encoded string, which contains metadata about the link and the merchant information that generated that action_link.

Parse the Token

When a user is directed to your booking page, a new rwg_token is appended to the URL provided. In your booking page, you need to parse the token value.

The following example shows how the rwg_token is parsed for device-level tracking through a browser.

var query = location.search.substring(1);
var params = query.split('&');
var rwgToken = undefined;
for (var i = 0; i < params.length; ++i) {
  var pair = params[i].split('=');
  if (pair[0] == 'rwg_token') {
    rwgToken = decodeURIComponent(pair[1]);
    break;
  }
}

The token appended to your URL is encrypted, see the following example of a rwg_token. Use this sample token to ensure that you parse the token correctly, along with any special characters such as =.

AJKvS9WeONmWKEwjG0--HdpzMq0yAVNL8KMxbb44QtbcxMhSx_NUud5b8PLUBFehAIxOBO-iYRIJOknEFkIJmdsofdVJ6uOweQ==

Store the Token

When you store the rwg_token, you can implement conversion tracking at two different levels:

• Device-level
• User-level

You can store the token at any level, but you must store the token for 30 days after the initial referral.

The following example shows the device-level conversion tracking. You can store the token values in a browser with the first-party cookie. This example assumes that you parsed the token value into a variable. Make sure to update rootdomain.com with your domain.

if (typeof rwg_token !== 'undefined') {
  document.cookie =
  "_rwg_token=" + rwg_token + ";max-age=2592000;domain=rootdomain.com;path=/";
}

Each time Google generates an action_link that you have provided through the feeds, the URL is modified to include a unique query parameter: rwg_token. You must store this token, and pass it back as part of the conversion event.

Store at Device-Level

The device-level includes the use of browser cookies, local storage, app local storage, or any other method that can persist the token for the 30 days attribution window. The token is stored locally on the user's device. So, the conversion event can't attribute properly, if the user:

• Changes the device they use.
• Clears the local storage or cookies.
• Uses a private or incognito browser.

When you use the device-level conversion tracking, you need to re-implement the conversion event across every supported device that includes mobile.

Store at User-Level

The user-level persists the token in your application database, through a server-side analytics system or other server-side systems. The token is stored on the server-side. So, the conversion event still attributes properly after the user logs back in.

When you use user-level conversion tracking based on your system architecture, you can implement the conversion event once on your server-side and reuse it across all supported devices.

Refresh the Token

When Google refers a user to the same merchant, the existing token which is already stored, is replaced with the new token from the latest referral. After the token replacement, the 30 days attribution window of the token storage resets and any new conversions for this merchant, attribute to the latest token.

Refer to Requirements for Conversion Attribution for more details.

Parse and Store the Merchant Information

When a user is directed to your booking page, you need to implement the logic that can find and capture the merchant details. Typically, partners add merchant metadata or merchant_id to their action links and use that to identify and store the merchant information.

We recommend you to store the merchant_id or the selected identifier along with the rwg_token. When a user confirms a booking, you can refer to the merchant before you send the complete conversion request. Similar to the token storage, you must save the merchant details with the token for 30 days after the initial referral.

The following example modifies the previously stored rwg_token. It assumes that you parsed the merchant information from metadata in the provided URL and either saved it as a merchant_id or matched it to an existing merchant_id.

if (typeof rwg_token !== 'undefined') {
  document.cookie =
  "_rwg_token=" + rwg_token + ";_merchant_id=" + merchantid + ";max-age=2592000;domain=rootdomain.com;path=/";
}

Return the rwg_token and the merchant_changed Values

When a user completes a booking that begins from an action_link referral, you need to send an HTTP POST request to the conversion endpoint. There are two endpoints:

• Production environment: https://www.google.com/maps/conversion/collect
• Sandbox environment: https://www.google.com/maps/conversion/debug/collect

When you send a conversion event, you must include the stored rwg_token and a merchant_changed value of 1 or 2. For more details on merchant_changed, see Return the Merchant Change Value.

The POST body must be a JSON encoded object in the format:

{
  "conversion_partner_id": "<partnerId>",
  "rwg_token": "<rwg_token_val>",
  "merchant_changed": "1|2"
}

{
  "conversion_partner_id": "XXXXXXX",
  "rwg_token": "AJKvS9WeONmWKEwjG0--HdpzMq0yAVNL8KMxbb44QtbcxMhSx_NUud5b8PLUBFehAIxOBO-iYRIJOknEFkIJmdsofdVJ6uOweQ==",
  "merchant_changed": "2"
}

The following example includes device-level conversion tracking with a cookie on the user's device, written in JavaScript:

const partnerId = XXXXXXXXXX;

const endpoint = `https://www.google.com/maps/conversion/collect`;

const rwgTokenCookie = document.cookie
  .split('; ')
  .find(row => row.startsWith('_rwg_token='));

if (typeof rwgTokenCookie !== 'undefined') {
  const rwgTokenVal = rwgTokenCookie.split('=')[1];
  fetch(endpoint, {
    method: "POST",
    body: JSON.stringify({
      conversion_partner_id: partnerId,
      rwg_token: rwgTokenVal,
      merchant_changed: merchantChanged
    })
  });
}

Return the Merchant Change Value

The merchant_changed value is used to determine if the merchant is changed from the initial redirect merchant. Change of merchants is common if your landing page is within a platform that includes other merchants. In this case, if a user is referred to your platform by Google and decides to navigate to a different merchant to complete a booking, you need to know that a conversion happened with a separate merchant. You can use a Boolean to identify the merchant change, but not the merchant details.

When you decide which value to assign to the merchant_changed, you need to take the original merchant saved in Parse and Store the Merchant Information. Check if the merchant has changed, and assign the value as per your requirement.

• Requirement: when a user leaves the original merchant's website and completes a purchase through your platform with a different merchant.
  • Merchant change value: 1
• Requirement: when the user completes a transaction through the original merchant.
  • Merchant change value: 2

Test and Verify the Conversion Tracking

The following test cases use test tokens provided in the Test Tokens section and are intended to help guide you through all of various scenarios that can result in a conversion event. This ensure that the token is stored appropriately, the merchant_changed value is set correctly, and the conversion event is sent when appropriate.

Use the action link or booking page URLs provided in your feeds, and run each test case by appending the Test Tokens to the end of the URL. Be sure to use a private or incognito browser window -- this will clear any existing tokens associated with the current user and give you a clean slate to work with.

If you have a platform with the ability for users to checkout with a different merchant, test the following.

While you test, send the HTTP POST request to the conversion endpoint. There are two endpoints:

• Production environment: https://www.google.com/maps/conversion/collect
• Sandbox environment: https://www.google.com/maps/conversion/debug/collect

Test Tokens

To test conversion tracking, add one of the following test tokens to the end of the Action links or booking page URLs you provide in your feeds.

Token A:

rwg_token=AJKvS9WeONmWKEwjG0--HdpzMq0yAVNL8KMxbb44QtbcxMhSx_NUud5b8PLUBFehAIxOBO-iYRIJOknEFkIJmdsofdVJ6uOweQ%3D%3D

Token B:

rwg_token=AJKvS9U2QfiQanHFQrlJxBjD0AyFany3qpaJVEWOcY4nHqY_UkLYFFDj6RIa-EXS1iEmV8gtFPG6v1cU1jnusJK66ijXXnaqkQ%3D%3D

Token C:

rwg_token=AJKvS9VwInjZ_hGZPvBz0COVWJ5oFDzocFt9hGi7TMurlo2l71uiXP48PspPUMmRnqCUDE1mF_A5H_dMV78cBTF8jIfSQK6lEA%3D%3D

When you send the successful conversion events, you can see them aggregated in the Action Center under the conversion tracking dashboard.

Requirements for Conversion Attribution

Google's required standard for conversion attribution is a 30 days attribution window for any interaction with a place action link, at any store.

This attribution window means that Google can expect a conversion event to be sent in any of the following scenarios:

• A user follows a place action link and places an order for the same merchant in the same session. Merchant change value = 2.
• A user follows a place action link and then returns from a different channel within the 30 days attribution window to place an order for the same merchant. Merchant change value = 2.
• A user follows a place action link and then places an order at a different store, either within the same session or a different session within a 30 days attribution window. Merchant change value = 1.

Additionally, Google expects to send conversion events from any device, a user can access through a place action link. These devices include:

• Desktop or mobile web applications.
• Mobile apps, either through an app deep link or a registered app-intent for your domain.

If the token is stored at the user-level, it's expected that you provide cross-device attribution. For more information, see Store at User-Level. In this case, a user who follows an action link from the desktop and then completes the transaction on mobile with the same user account, must trigger a conversion event.

If the token is stored exclusively at the device-level, such as in browser cookies, it's not expected that you provide cross-device attribution. In this case, each device can have a separate token persisted, if the user follows an action link on that device, and each device can follow the attribution rules separately.