Marketo tracking cookie

Igor_Tosic
Level 2

Marketo tracking cookie

Hi, I would like to use code snippet for clearing Marketo tracking cookie from forms submission( form.addHiddenFields({"_mkt_trk":""});). I am wondering is it possible to use it as if condition, for example, if you don't checkbox in form than disable tracking. And all this is related to landing pages, I want to do this on a landing page in Marketo, not in an embed code which you usually copy from Form Actions.

10 REPLIES 10
SanfordWhiteman
Level 10 - Community Moderator

Re: Marketo tracking cookie

You certainly can make removing the cookie conditional:

if (form.getValues().trackMe == "no") {

  form.setValues({ _mkt_trk : "" });

}

But be careful, you're not honoring the user's no-track status by doing only this. Their session will still be associated if they click a tracked and mkt_tok-enized email link, for example.

Igor_Tosic
Level 2

Re: Marketo tracking cookie

Hi, this looks great, I'll use it in some way. I am the beginner in Marketo, so I will explain my instance a little bit more: When I checkbox, form expands. And you get new checkbox and few drop-down fields also with the checkbox. So the first checkbox is optional and if you don't check it I want to clear tracking. Also, I am wondering, where should I put this code snippet - in <head> of my site or somewhere in Marketo when I create Form?

SanfordWhiteman
Level 10 - Community Moderator

Re: Marketo tracking cookie

So the first checkbox is optional and if you don't check it I want to clear tracking.

That's fine, but what I'm explaining is if you promise people "We will not track you" then merely removing the cookie from form submission does not meet that promise. If you later send that person a Marketo email with a tracked and mkt_tok-enized link (the default kind of link) you will end up associating their previously anonymous cookie and tracking their web activities. 

That's what Marketo-wrapped links are all about: they're a substitute for a form fillout when the email was already sent to a known person.  So if you're going to be honest/legal you can't just turn off one way you might track them, you have to turn off all ways you track them.

Here's what removing the cookie at form submission promises: that you will not change the current associated/anonymous status of their cookie.  It won't un-associate a previously associated cookie, and it won't delete the cookie. It will just leave it alone.

The only way to fully disable tracking for a person is:

  • delete all existing Munchkin cookies they have
  • never reinitialize Munchkin (Munchkin.init), since that will create a new cookie that could be associated
  • do not send tracked links to a person you already know has opted out of tracking
  • observe these policies on all devices and browsers known to be operated by the person

A couple of these steps may be redundant depending on your workflow, but it does not hurt to make sure you're obeying the law.

Also, I am wondering, where should I put this code snippet - in <head> of my site or somewhere in Marketo when I create Form?

Don't put it on your form (in Form Editor) because you'll end up losing track of it. Put it as an inline <script> in your template(s), or better yet, host it via a remote <script> on another server so you can more easily tweak it without having to reapprove all your LPs.

Dan_Stevens_
Level 10 - Champion Alumni

Re: Marketo tracking cookie

So this adds some further complexity for those of us that are going to be using a separate "cookie preference center" on our website and Marketo LPs.  If/when someone decides to disable their cookies, this isn't communicated back to Marketo.  How do you suggest we keep this preference persistent - and also, ensure any future emails aren't tracking their behavior?

Michelle Miles

Grégoire Michel

Michelle_Miles3
Level 9 - Champion Alumni

Re: Marketo tracking cookie

Dan Stevens​ I rely on my team and my developer heavily for this, but my understanding is if you are loading Munchkin conditionally only based on the person's consent, then they should not be associated with a Munchkin cookie if they have not consented. The mechanics of this would vary depending on how you achieve it. Sending them a tracked link would result in the link click being tracked and recorded, but the subsequent web session should not be associated unless Munchkin is loaded, for which they would need to provide consent.

Michelle Miles
SanfordWhiteman
Level 10 - Community Moderator

Re: Marketo tracking cookie

  Sending them a tracked link would result in the link click being tracked and recorded, but the subsequent web session should not be associated unless Munchkin is loaded, for which they would need to provide consent.

It's a little more complex than that, because

  • if you're using a "trust center" the implication is you'll honor their preference whenever you know who they are; however, if you don't persist (save) the trust center data into their lead record, then they'll have to re-opt-in on any new device/browser/session
  • email tracking happens before they get a chance to opt out, since it has nothing to do with cookies, and you should be sending them untracked links
Justin_Norris1
Level 10 - Champion Alumni

Re: Marketo tracking cookie

Sanford Whiteman

It's a little more complex than that, because

  • if you're using a "trust center" the implication is you'll honor their preference whenever you know who they are; however, if you don't persist (save) the trust center data into their lead record, then they'll have to re-opt-in on any new device/browser/session
  • email tracking happens before they get a chance to opt out, since it has nothing to do with cookies, and you should be sending them untracked links

If you are using an opt-in (as opposed to opt-out) model for Munchkin, it seems to me you would be safe in both these situations. Worst case in a new browser they would not be tracked even though they had previously given permission.

For the email click, you would indeed be tracking the click but wouldn't the subsequent web session remain unassociated? (Assuming for the moment that the link click is permitted by data consent and you are just worried about suppressing cookie tracking).

On the other hand, I suppose if you had cookie consent stored in DB you could use a global velocity token to dynamically add the no track class based on their preference? It would need to be included on every link instance-wide which is interesting to consider.

SanfordWhiteman
Level 10 - Community Moderator

Re: Marketo tracking cookie

If you are using an opt-in (as opposed to opt-out) model for Munchkin, it seems to me you would be safe in both these situations. Worst case in a new browser they would not be tracked even though they had previously given permission.

Right, in terms of Munchkin-powered tracking, you'll be safer than sorry if you're conditionally loading Munchkin (which I don't think anyone is actually doing successfully as I haven't pubbed my OneTrust integration script yet! ).

But it's the click tracking that concerns me more, since I'm not convinced that's permitted (it does represent tracking web activity).

...you could use a global velocity token to dynamically add the no track class based on their preference? It would need to be included on every link instance-wide which is interesting to consider.

Exactly.

Dan_Stevens_
Level 10 - Champion Alumni

Re: Marketo tracking cookie

Appreciate the engaging discussion around this.  And to be honest, we're still not being given clear direction by our legal team on whether or not we can enable tracking by default - but make it very easy to disable if desired - or if consent is required for any sort of cookie tracking beyond just those functional cookies.  While I realize it's important to share upfront the benefits of getting users' consent (e.g., relevant content, personalized experience, etc.), I just feel that if tracking is off by default, our ability to track behavior - at a meaningful scale - is not possible.  Which is why I asked the question in another discussion thread around "what's next now that cookies are 'dead'? " (Tracking without cookies? ).   I just don't see website visitors taking the time to enable cookies on the site's they visit - unless of course, it's a site/brand that they visit very frequently and where a lot of transactions are completed  - mainly B2C, e.g., Amazon.