Munchkin Reliability

[Anonymous]

Hi Everyone,

Has anyone had any issues with the munchkin API? We're seeing about 12% of leads not making it across to the lead database when using associate lead. This has been very difficult for us to debug as it's all clientside (could be conflicts with our other scripts in particular browsers?). We use a catchup job on the server to synch any missing leads.

On another note, if we were to switch to the SOAP API, is there a way to associate the tracking cookie from the server response? We used the munchkin API initially because it gave us the tracking cookie for logging page visits and link clicks. If we could use the server side API for creating the lead, at least we would know if succeeded or failed.

Edit: I noticed there is a munchkin cookie on the docs, but how do you get that ID?

syncLead » Marketo Developers

[SanfordWhiteman]

Do not switch from the Munchkin API.  You will introduce a Denial of Service attack vector against your instance.  You'll be trading a troubleshooting task for guaranteed failure.

As for Munchkin, I wouldn't look into conflicts with other scripts per se.  But conflicts with other script-based navigation, absolutely.  Can you please point me to a page where you're doing this?  A lot of people don't understand the JS race condition that's in play when you rely on background Ajax tasks.  I also have a Munchkin adapter script that can make Munchkin astronomically more accurate in late-model browsers (although it is designed to help with page activity events like Visit Web Page and Click Link, it assists ​Associate Lead as well).

[Grégoire_Miche2]

Hi Sanford,

Could it be another consequence of the domainlevel bug that we discussed a couple of months ago?

-Greg

[SanfordWhiteman]

Unlikely to be a direct cause since the bug causes the cookie to be (successfully) set a level lower than appropriate, rather than failing to be set at a higher level.  But certainly part of the troubleshooting should be whether a cookie exists.

[Grégoire_Miche2]

Hi again Sanford,

If the cookie is set at a lower level, then when the visitor moves from one subdomain to another sub domain (such as moving from the web site to a Marketo LP), the tracking is lost.

-Greg

[SanfordWhiteman]

Absolutely.  But the OP refers to Munchkin associateLead not creating leads ("leads not making it across"). If there's a Munchkin Visit Web Page on Page X and associateLead also runs on Page X, then you expect to see a lead with at least that single activity.  You don't expect no lead at all.  That's regardless of whether the cookie is immediately orphaned because of the domain issue (or because the browser is shut down).

[Grégoire_Miche2]

I got your point. Insightful as always, Sanford

If I get it right, now that we cannot access the anonymous leads, it's harder to know whether a lead has been created...

-Greg

[SanfordWhiteman]

You can still run a WPA report to see if the activities you thought should've been associated ended up staying anonymous.

We need to hear the whole current scenario, example URL(s), why associateLead instead of a form post, etc