Custom Variables (C1–C10) in CPV tracker (CPV Lab or CPV One) are flexible tracking fields designed to capture additional data beyond the standard tokens available in traffic source templates. These fields make CPV tracker (CPV Lab or CPV One) adaptable to any campaign or network setup, allowing you to track unique parameters that are important to your business model but may not be covered by default.
How It Works
Every CPV tracker (CPV Lab or CPV One) campaign URL can include up to 10 custom parameters, labeled c1 through c10. You can map macros from your traffic source into these fields. For example, a campaign URL might look like this:
https://tracker.com/click.php?campid=123&c1={device}&c2={placement}&c3={adgroupid}
When the traffic source sends a click, {device}, {placement}, and {adgroupid} are replaced with actual values, which CPV tracker (CPV Lab or CPV One) stores in C1, C2, and C3. These values then appear in your reports, letting you filter performance by those parameters.
Advantages
- Flexibility: Supports tracking of any data not included in standard tokens.
- Granularity: Provides deep insights into campaign performance by dimensions like device type, creative ID, or targeting segment.
- Compatibility: Adapts CPV tracker (CPV Lab or CPV One) to virtually any traffic source or network.
- Optimization Power: Allows fine-tuned analysis to identify winning or losing subsegments.
Use Cases
- Device Tracking: Track mobile vs. desktop vs. tablet in C1.
- Creative Testing: Track ad creative ID in C2 to see which banners work best.
- Audience Segments: Use C3 to track which retargeting audience is converting.
- Publisher IDs: Track individual publishers from a native ad network in C4.
Example
Suppose you are running a campaign on a native ad network that provides a unique publisher ID but CPV tracker (CPV Lab or CPV One)’s default tokens don’t include it. You can map the {publisher} macro from the traffic source into c1. Now, in reports, you’ll see exactly which publishers delivered conversions and can blacklist low-performing ones directly in the network.
Reporting in CPV tracker (CPV Lab or CPV One)
Custom variable values are stored in the database and can be viewed in optimization reports. You can drill down into conversions, ROI, EPC, and CTR by each custom value. For example, you may discover that certain publishers (c1) consistently underperform, while others generate strong ROI.
Custom variables are also passed along with postbacks (see: S2S Postback). This ensures that when conversions are reported, they are matched with the correct custom data.
Best Practices
- Always map variables from the traffic source that will help you make optimization decisions.
- Use clear naming conventions inside CPV tracker (CPV Lab or CPV One) reports to remember what each custom variable represents.
- Don’t overload campaigns with irrelevant custom data, as this may complicate analysis.
- Combine with Traffic Distribution Rules (TDRs) to segment and allocate traffic more intelligently.
In summary, Custom Variables C1–C10 give CPV tracker (CPV Lab or CPV One) users the flexibility to adapt tracking to any scenario. They transform campaigns into highly granular data sources, enabling precise optimization and deeper insights.
See also: Token, Traffic Source, Campaign, Optimization Reports
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