What is the Channel Mapper for?
At Adtriba, we understand the importance of working with your preferred channel grouping, even when you're not using your usual web analytics tool.
To facilitate this, we've developed the Adtriba Channel Mapper, providing you with the flexibility to map all your incoming traffic.
How Does the Channel Mapper Work?
The Channel Mapper operates on a fully rule-based system, empowering you to create mapping rules based on essential input factors such as Channel, Medium, Source, and Campaign.
Rule Structure:
Within one rule, all conditions are connected with an 'AND' relationship.
The rules themselves are connected with an 'OR' relationship.
Effect on Adtriba Reports:
The mapping set up through the Channel Mapper significantly impacts the way and hierarchy of the channels, sources, and campaigns in your Adtriba reports.
You have the freedom to map different sources, mediums, or campaigns into distinct channels or mediums—feel free to adapt the structure as needed according to your preferences and requirements.
Where Can I Find the Channel Mapper?
You can conveniently access the Channel Mapper by clicking on 'Channel Mapper' in the main menu on the left-hand side.
Setting Up the Channel Mapper
Getting started with the Channel Mapper is easy!
You have two options: you can either create a completely new channel mapping from scratch or duplicate an existing mapping that’s already active in one of your other projects.
Create a New Channel Mapping:
If you're starting fresh, click on 'Create New Mapping.' This straightforward option allows you to define your mapping rules according to your specific needs.
Adding Conditions and Rules:
You have the flexibility to add multiple conditions to a single rule. Simply use the + / - within the rule to add or remove conditions.
AND Relationship and Field Values:
As mentioned earlier, the conditions within one rule are connected using an 'AND' relationship. Additionally, it's essential to note that it's not possible to add several values within one field or one rule.
Example:
Let’s demonstrate how you can map “Criteo” and “Awin” impressions into the channel “Affiliate” using the Channel Mapper. To do this, you’ll need to create two separate rules:
Rule 1:
Source equals 'Criteo' AND Channel equals 'Display Views'
Action: Map to Channel 'Affiliate'
You can then copy this rule and exchange 'Criteo' with 'Awin';
2. Rule 2:
Source equals 'Awin' AND Channel equals 'Display Views'
Action: Map to Channel 'Affiliate'
Adding and Managing Rules:
To expand your mapping, you can easily add new rules in the Channel Mapper. You have two options:
Copy an existing rule: If you already have a rule that suits your needs, you can make a copy and modify it to meet new conditions.
Create a new rule: Click on the '+' button next to a saved rule to add a fresh rule to your mapping.
Deleting Rules:
Should you wish to remove a rule, simply click on the '-' button next to the rule you want to delete.
Instant Preview:
With the new Preview function, you can instantly check whether your rules work as expected or require further adjustments, providing you with peace of mind and efficient rule validation.
Resolving Rule Conflicts:
While using the Channel Mapper, you may encounter certain conflicts that can affect the mapping process. We’ve identified common conflict scenarios to help you understand and address them effectively.
Conflict #1: Rule conflicts with #6
This conflict occurs when you attempt to map a source or campaign that is already referenced in another rule.
Conflict #2: Rule matches against the result of an existing mapping
This error arises when you attempt to apply rules to channels that were previously created by your own rules. Such conflicts can lead to undesirable outcomes and inaccurate mapping.
Conflict #3: Rule conflicts with #0
This particular conflict might occur due to certain technical glitches or data inconsistencies. Perform a hard refresh of the page to ensure that any temporary data issues are cleared. After the refresh, the conflict should no longer appear.
Understanding Rule Conflicts and Rule Hierarchy
It is important to highlight that conflicts do not render the conflicting rules entirely ineffective; they are still functioning correctly. Instead, these conflicts indicate that certain sources or campaigns within one specific rule also satisfy the conditions of another rule.
The rules are arranged hierarchically, meaning the first rule will be applied first, then the second, then the third, and so on. If there are rows within the data that would apply to two rules, the rule that is higher up in the hierarchy will be applied to this row.
However, because it could also be applied to a rule further down the hierarchy, the rule conflict “This rule conflicts with #4“ appears, to make you aware of this.
If all the rules are in the right hierarchy, the sources and campaigns should end up in the right place.
CHANNEL MAPPER FAQ
When can I see the changes I made to my channel mapping in my reporting?
It can take up to 24 hours until your changes are reflected in the performance reports. However, for instant validation, you can use our Preview function, allowing you to see the immediate impact of your rules.
Please note: Any changes taking place in the Channel Mapper need up to two days to also be visible in the Spend Mapper.
Do changes apply to historic data as well?
Yes, the channel mapping will automatically apply to all historical and new traffic data in your reports. This ensures consistent and accurate mapping across all data points, empowering you to analyze past and current performance with ease.
Are there any limitations I need to consider?
Yes, there are a couple of important limitations to keep in mind to ensure smooth mapping:
All fields in the Channel Mapper must have a value entered. Avoid leaving any fields blank to prevent discrepancies in your mapping results.
The Channel Mapper also supports regular expressions (regex).
Do I need to be case sensitive when defining new rules?
Update 28/02/2023:
We are excited to announce the implementation of case-sensitive functionality in the Channel Mapper. With this new feature, you can now define rules to be applied either in a case-sensitive or non-case-sensitive way.
We also implemented a new feature in the Channel Mapper, that allows you to work with case-sensitive operators. The previous version of the Channel Mapper only had the opportunity to work with case-insensitive operators, meaning that none of your rules are affected by this change, even though you now see the IGNORE CASE for your current rules. But of course, if you would like to change some of your rules to case sensitivity or create new rules with this new operator, you now have the chance to do so.
How's my traffic clustered if I am not using the channel mapper?
In that case we'll create a default channel grouping following the definitions below:
IMPORTANT NOTES:
If you are applying rules in the Channel Mapper, we highly recommend clicking on the 'Save' button whenever you feel confident that you have the correct rules emplaced. The reason for this is that after several changes (especially if many of them are applied), you may see the message “conflicting rules”.
In Adtriba, whenever you click the button 'Save', we make a copy of the configuration that you set, so we will always be able to put it back.
In certain cases, you may notice a slight delay in the redistribution of some of your most recent or new campaigns, even after applying rules in the Channel Mapper.
Example:
For instance, suppose you’ve set a rule in the Channel Mapper as follows:
- IF channel = 'affiliate' then, goes under 'Affiliate'
If some of your latest campaigns have channel = 'affiliate', it will take 1 or 2 days to be re-distributed to 'Affiliate'
In conclusion, the Channel Mapper is a user-friendly tool that allows for customized channel grouping. Please reach out to our support team if you have any further questions.