Changes to How Referrer URL is Stamped on Form Submission?

[Kelly_Gault1]

Has Marketo introduced any changes in the way the Referrer URL is stamped on the "Fill Out Form" activity? 

We use global forms to process registration for resources, webinars, etc. Many of our campaigns are triggered off of "Fills Out Form" with the constraint Referrer contains, which is where we list the specific registration page URL. I have set up registration processor smart campaigns like this for years without incident, but suddenly, I'm seeing many situations in which the Referrer URL is getting stamped as the page the person was on just prior to reaching the actual registration page. I've always known the Referrer URL to be stamped as the page from which the form is submitted. Has Marketo introduced any changes that would affect this?

I've connected with our web developers, who cannot think of any changes they have introduced that would cause this situation. My suspicion is that it is something we have done, but I need to eliminate all other culprits. Any info you can share would be greatly appreciated.

[SanfordWhiteman · Accepted solution]

The Referrer constraint on Filled Out Form should compare to (as you said) the URL of the page hosting the form. That is, not the document.referrer of the page hosting the form, but the page itself.

Haven't seen any change in that behavior.

[Kelly_Gault1]

Thanks for your reply, Sanford. Another reply you provided in a thread on a similar topic came up during my discussion with our web developers: https://nation.marketo.com/t5/Product-Discussions/Anyone-know-why-Referrer-URL-is-its-own-self-on-fo... Good to know that Marketo hasn't changed anything since then.

We're still at a loss as to what we've done to produce this change. Unfortunately, I think we're going to have to add a hidden field on the form to capture the URL of the page from which the form is being submitted. Yes... literally duplicate exactly what the Referrer URL is supposed to capture... then go in and update ALL of our smart campaigns triggered off form fills with the Referrer constraint. So frustrating.

Anyway, than you very much for confirming that my understanding of how that field should be functioning is correct.

[Ajay_Mamgain2]

I am also using the Global Form for all my campaigns with Referrer URL set as well and I have not seen any issue so far. I am using a trigger on pdf download with Referrer URL contains registration "Landing Page" to a Gated Content Program. 

[Kelly_Gault1]

Hi Ajay,

Thanks for confirming that you have a similar set up and that everything is working as expected. We have revamped our website in the last few months, so we must have inadvertently made some change that is affecting the way the forms are loading and/or being processed. I appreciate knowing that it's not something Marketo changed that is affecting other customers. Now, we can put all of our energy into figuring out what we did or developing some kind of workaround.

Thanks again!

[SanfordWhiteman]

---

We have revamped our website in the last few months, so we must have inadvertently made some change that is affecting the way the forms are loading and/or being processed.

---

Have you started (this would be a regression by the way, but have to wonder) to use IFRAMEd LPs instead of actual form embeds? Because that's the only substantive change that I can think of that one can make in this area.