Action event – Knowledgebase

The Action event functions as an optional add on to the standard Modular tracking. It's goal it to cover any customer specific tracking needs that the Modular platform would not be able to support as part of a standard event. See the standard events here: Modular standard tracking.

Given the scope of this feature this article will be continually be updated.

The Action event can be used for tracking many additional app interactions. It is possible to define as many extra events as desired. However, there may be limitations in the customer’s third-party solutions that collect the data, in terms of how much they can receive.

Additionally, both implementation time and performance may be impacted depending on what and how much is being tracked. Therefore, Visiolink does not recommend implementing extensive extra tracking.

Naming conventions

Visolink recommends using the standard naming scheme used for the standard tracking events. That has the benefits of keeping any integration specific events clear and separate form the ones made by Visiolink, like the "screen_view" event from Google analytics.

Event names should start with "vl_event_" and parameter names should start with "vl_value_". Best practice would also be to, when posible, reuse the naming of the parameteres in our standard tracking, as it minimises completes and avoids certain limits in tracking integrations.

Action event triggers

Where and when an action event can be triggered.

Application

Triggers	Trigger timing
onLaunch	When a user open the app.
onEnterBackground	When a user puts the app in the background, by existed the app without closing it.
onEnterForeground	When a user re-enters the app after having it in the background.

Universers

Universers are distinct places in the app, e.g. e-paper universe, podcast universe, or live news universe.

Trigger naming	Trigger timing
onEntry	Triggers when a user navigates to a universe. Note that the event might trigger before any content is load ind.
onExit	Triggers when a user navigates away from a universe.

Container

Containers are fullscreen views within a universe.

Triggers	Trigger timing
onEntryNavigation	Triggers when a user navigates to a container.
onRunningNavigation	"onRunningNavigation" is special to a container. Most triggers happens in direct response to an event. This will trigger when the container becomes active and whenever it is updated afterwards as long as the container is active.
onExitNavigation	Triggers when a user navigates away from a container.

Container Page

A container page is where modules are placed, they can either hold one or more modules. There can be multiple container pages within a container, e.g.

Triggers	Trigger timing
onPageEntry	Triggers when a user navigates to a container page.
onPageExit	Triggers when a user navigates away from a container page e.g. by swiping to another one or clicking on content.
onSwipePastFirstPage	Triggers when user swipes away from the first container page, if other container pages are available.
onSwipePastLastPage	Triggers when user has swiped to the last container page within the container.
onScrollPastStart	Triggers when user starts scrolling down within a container page.
onScrollPastEnd	Triggers when user has scrolled to the bottom of the container. If the container is very long or infinite and keeps loading in content, it will trigger when new content gets loaded.

Module

A module is in general something that hold content, like an article teaser, weekly, or newest-issue top module.

Triggers	Trigger timing
onFirstShown	Triggers when a user views a module for the first time.
onShown	Triggers when a user views a module.
onFirstHidden	Triggers the first time a user swipes or scrolls in such a way that the module is no longer on screen.
onHidden	Triggers when a user swipes or scrolls in such a way that the module is no longer on screen.

Scroll Module

A Scroll module is a module that has scrollable content, like showing multiple articles or publication front pages.

Trigger naming	Trigger timing
onScrollPastStart	Triggers when a user start scrolling in the module.
onScrollPastEnd	Triggers when a user has scrolled to the end of the module. If the module is very long or infinite and keeps loading in content, it will trigger when new content gets loaded.

Action event parameters

The available parameters to any given action event will vary, but they come in two diffrent categories:

Uniqe parameters

This will be context-dependent, based on the user’s location within the app and the available data at the time a Trigger or Action Event is sent.

Standrad parameters

It can also get the parameters from the newest standard event of a given type or from a previous Action event that picked it up. This could look like an event that tracks a button within the e-paper, and it sending along the vl_value_publication_title gotten from the last vl_event_publication.