ClickTale URL API

Many of the ClickTale API functions can be accessed more simply by using URL parameters. This article describes when and how to use this functionality.

Introduction to the URL API
The ClickTale URL API provides many aspects of the full JavaScript API and requires no programming and little or no changes to your existing website. It is especially suitable for actions that are relevant for a whole page, (such as tagging all recordings of a shopping cart page with a shopping cart tag), and for debugging your ClickTale code.

These functions are performed when the page is viewed (ie. at recording time). To affect your page during reports or recordings, see Playback Time JavaScript API.

ClickTale URL API functions are accessed by adding a ct parameter to the page's URL with a comma separated list of functions (see How to use the URL API)

API Commands
The available URL functions are

Events
Add an event to the pageview. Does not support event names containing a comma. eg: http://wwww.yourdomain.com?ct=t(special_event)
 * Accessed using

Debug Panel
Shows information for debugging your ClickTale implementation.
 * Accessed using

Force or prevent recording of pageview
Ensure that the pageview is/is not recorded (overrides recording ratio)
 * Use  or

Reset user ID
Assigns a new tracking ID for the user. This user is treated as new and will be re-classified for recording based on the recording ratio.

Set user ID
Assigns the current user an ID defined by the parameter. This is particularly useful to record across multiple domains (eg. store checkout domains). Available since version 12.5
 * - sets the ID of this visitor to the value in parenthesis. eg: http://wwww.yourdomain.com?ct=u(123456)

How to Use the URL API
To use the ClickTale URL API, start by adding the ct= parameter to your URL using ? or #.

Example:
 * Change the URL
 * to
 * or to

If your page URL already contains a ? (ie. it already contains query string parameters), use & instead. Example:
 * becomes
 * becomes

A URL can contain more than one &

The ct= should be followed by the functions required in a comma-separated list. for example:

Usage Tips
ClickTale URL API functions can be added to links on your page (especially suitable for events) or typed into the navigation bar of your browser (for debugging).

How to choose between ? and #
Pages with different ? parameters will be recorded as different pages. This is useful if a page sometimes displays differently in different situations. By adding  to all users of the UK version of the page, I can easily view aggregated reports of only this version of the page.

To avoid recording as distinct pages, use #. This is useful when you set parameters such as User ID using the URL but want to see aggregated reports of all page users together. For example:

will be recorded as two views of the same page and can be combined easily in aggregated reports.