Overview
This check ensures that tracking parameters (such as cid, utm_source, or internal search terms) appended to a URL are not "stripped" or lost when a user is redirected from one page to another.
Redirects (301, 302, or JavaScript-based) are common during site migrations, vanity URL usage, or login sequences. If the redirect does not explicitly pass the query string to the destination URL, Adobe Analytics loses the context of where the user came from.
Why it is important
Redirects that strip query parameters are a leading cause of "Marketing Blindness":
Attribution Erasure: If a user clicks an email link with
?cid=email123and is redirected to a landing page without that parameter, the visit will be recorded as "Direct" instead of "Email."Broken Internal Search: If a search redirect strips the
q=parameter, the Internal Search report will fail to capture the user’s intent.Inflated Bounce Rates: If the landing page cannot identify the campaign, it cannot correctly associate the session with the intended landing experience, making performance analysis impossible.
Inaccurate ROI: Strategic decisions are made based on the success of marketing spend. Stripped parameters lead to under-reporting of paid channel performance.
Implementation
ObservePoint identifies redirect issues by simulating a request to a URL containing specific parameters and monitoring the final landing page for their presence.
Trigger: This check is performed during Audits or Journeys.
Logic: The platform requests a source URL with a dummy parameter (e.g.,
www.site.com/promo?test_param=123).Validation: ObservePoint follows all redirects until it reaches the final status code 200 page. It then checks if
test_param=123is still present in the final browser URL.Failure: If the final URL is
www.site.com/landing/(missing the parameter), the check fails.
Here is a pre-built report in ObservePoint on pages that lose query parameters after redirects.
Remediation
To fix redirect issues, you must coordinate with your web development or server administration teams:
1. Configure Server-Side Pass-Through
Most web servers (Apache, Nginx, IIS) require a specific flag to carry over query strings during a redirect.
Action: For Apache
.htaccessredirects, ensure theQSA(Query String Append) flag is used:RewriteRule ^source$ /destination [R=301,L,QSA].Action: For Nginx, ensure the
$is_args$argsvariables are included in the return or rewrite directive.
2. Audit Vanity URLs
Marketing teams often use "vanity" URLs (e.g., brand.com/sale) that redirect to deep links.
Action: Test all vanity URLs to ensure that any tracking codes added by ad platforms (like GCLID or CID) are preserved through the redirect to the final landing page.
3. Review JavaScript Redirects
If your site uses window.location.href to move users between pages (common in Single Page Applications or Login gates):
Action: Ensure the script explicitly captures
window.location.searchand appends it to the new destination string.
4. Check Load Balancers and CDNs
Sometimes redirects happen at the Edge (e.g., Akamai, Cloudflare).
Action: Review the "Edge Rules" to ensure they are not configured to strip unknown parameters for caching purposes.
Conclusion
Query parameters are the "DNA" of your marketing attribution. When a redirect strips these parameters, it severs the link between your marketing investment and your business outcomes. By ensuring parameters persist through every transition, you protect the integrity of your attribution models and guarantee that your data remains actionable.
Regular monitoring via ObservePoint ensures that no "silent" server changes break your tracking infrastructure.