Implement the Standard Client-Side Tag
LiveRamp Client-Side Tags are tags that can be used to log user activities (such as page views or ad views, adding items to a cart, or completing a transaction) and then match the identifiers associated with those activities to RampIDs.
The standard Client-Side Tag (CST) automatically collects LiveRamp cookies and can be placed in any cookieable environment, such as your website, marketing emails, or in online advertisements. You set the tag to fire on the desired user activity and the tag then logs these user activities into segments.
Note
The enhanced Client-Side Tag (eCST) allows you to send additional identifiers, such as mobile device IDs, OTT and CTV IDs, and Identity Envelopes (containing RampIDs) in their relevant environments. For more information on the eCST, see "Implement the Enhanced Client-Side Tag".
CSTs automatically capture basic URL and log data by default, but additional custom data (pdata) can also be captured, depending on your needs. For more information, see "Data Automatically Captured" and "Capturing Custom Data (pdata)".
The CST can be used in two ways:
You can use the tag for measurement: The segments can be delivered back to you or your measurement partner in batch files that include the corresponding RampID(s) for the LiveRamp cookies captured (our File-Based Recognition Workflow). You can choose to receive one RampID for each identifier or to receive multiple RampIDs for each identifier (if there are more than one).
You can use the tag for activation: The segments can be automatically imported into your LiveRamp Connect account, where you can distribute them to your desired destinations (our Onboarding workflow).
Overview of Steps Involved
Once you've initiated the process with your LiveRamp representative, implementing the CST involves the following steps:
You provide your LiveRamp Implementation team with the following information to begin the process of implementing the tag:
Note
If you’ve already gone through the implementation process but want to configure an additional CST, use one of the following Support Quick Case links to create a support case, depending on which workflow you’re using:
The types of user activity you want to track and which websites you plan to track activity in.
Note
CSTs can only be used in browser-based environments.
CSTs can be used in non-cookieable browsers. However, those logs will not typically be associated with a matched RampID.
Whether you want to capture additional custom data (pdata) beyond the data that tag captures automatically.
Note
You should plan on sending custom data (pdata). Without custom data, your log files will only contain a RampID and the automatically-collected data fields.
The countries you want to fire your CST in.
Whether you plan to implement the tag as an image tag or iframe (for more information, see "Implementation Methods").
Whether you want LiveRamp to deliver the data back to you and/or a partner (for measurement, using our File-Based Recognition workflow), or to create segments from the data in Connect (for activation). For measurement, also specify the location where you want the files to be delivered and whether you want to receive one file or separate files for each identifier type.
LiveRamp provides you with a tag ID (sometimes referred to as a "placement ID" or "pid") and creates the necessary additional audiences in your Connect account (for activation use cases).
You work with your technical team or tag manager to structure the tag properly to capture the desired data (for more information, see the "Format the Tag" section below).
You send an example of your tag to LiveRamp (e.g., "https://di.rlcdn.com/api/segment?pid=<TAG ID>"). If you are going to utilize the custom data (pdata) query parameter, make sure to send along examples of the CST with populated custom data so that LiveRamp can ensure it’s formatted properly.
LiveRamp validates that the tag is formatted correctly and working as expected.
You work with your technical team or tag manager to implement the tag so that it fires on the desired user activity.
Once a day (at 0:00 UTC time), LiveRamp generates log files containing all data logged from the tag in the previous day and then ingests that data. The data are then either delivered to you and/or your partner in batch files or used to create or update segments in your Connect account.
Format the Tag
Once you've provided LiveRamp with the initial information and have received the tag ID, work with your technical team and tag manager to structure the tag properly.
Use the request URL format shown below when capturing custom data (pdata):
https://di.rlcdn.com/api/segment?pid=<TAG ID>&pdata=<k1>%3D<v1>%2C<k2>%3D<v2>
The following parameters are included in the tag examples:
"
<TAG ID>" is the tag ID (pid) provided to you by LiveRamp"
<k1>" is the value for key 1 (the key of the first key-value pair of custom data)"
<v1>" is the value for value 1 (the value of the first key-value pair of custom data)"
<k2>" is the value for key 2 (the key of the second key-value pair of custom data)"
<v2>" is the value for value 2 (the value of the second key-value pair of custom data)
Note
The example format shows a tag that has been configured to capture two key-value pairs of custom data (pdata). If you do not want to capture custom data (pdata), leave out the "
&pdata=<k1>%3D<v1>%2C<k2>%3D<v2>" string.For implementations that include capturing custom data, see "Capturing Custom Data (pdata)" for more information on how to format the tag to capture custom data and for the requirements for custom data.
The custom data string must be URL-encoded.
If you’d like to do some basic testing of the tag from Terminal instead of implementing in your browser, you can use the following prompt:
curl -X GET https://di.rlcdn.com/api/segment?pid=<TAG ID>&pdata=<k1>%3D<v1>%2C<k2>%3D<v2>