Understanding Query Parameters
Query parameters are the part of a URL that comes after the? symbol:
- Base URL:
https://yoursite.com/page - With parameters:
https://yoursite.com/page?vtID=k&source=facebook
vtIDis a parameter with valueksourceis a parameter with valuefacebook
Query Parameter Condition Node
The Query Parameter Condition node checks if URL parameters exist or have specific values.Basic Setup
- Go to Page Events for your page
- Click “Add Node”
- Select “Query Parameter Condition”
- Configure the parameter name and condition
- Connect to appropriate action nodes
Available Operators
- Equals - Parameter exactly matches a value
- Not Equals - Parameter doesn’t match a value
- Contains - Parameter contains a substring
- Is Empty - Parameter exists but has no value
- Is Not Empty - Parameter exists and has a value
- Greater Than - Parameter value is greater than specified number
- Less Than - Parameter value is less than specified number
Common Use Cases
Content Whitelisting
Use parameters to control access to full content: Example:https://yoursite.com/page?vtID=k
Configuration:
- Go to Page Events for the specific page you want to configure
- From the “On Page Loaded” node, drag a new “Query Parameter Condition” node
- Configure: Parameter
vtID, OperatorEquals, Valuek - From the “Query Parameter Condition” node, drag a “Whitelist Visitor” node
Affiliate Tracking
Track different affiliate sources: Example:https://yoursite.com/page?affID=100
Configuration:
- Parameter:
affID - Operator:
Equals - Value:
100 - Action:
Dynamic Container(show affiliate-specific content)
Campaign Tracking
Show different content based on campaign: Example:https://yoursite.com/page?campaign=summer2024
Configuration:
- Parameter:
campaign - Operator:
Equals - Value:
summer2024 - Action:
Dynamic Container(show summer promotion)
Geographic Targeting
Redirect based on location parameter: Example:https://yoursite.com/page?country=US
Configuration:
- Parameter:
country - Operator:
Equals - Value:
US - Action:
Load Page(US-specific page)
Advanced Parameter Logic
Multiple Conditions
You can check multiple parameters in sequence:- First condition: Check if
vtIDis not empty - Second condition: Check if
sourceequalsfacebook - Action: Show Facebook-specific whitelisted content
Conditional Branching
Use different actions based on parameter values: Setup:- Parameter:
traffic_source - If equals “google” → Show Google-optimized content
- If equals “facebook” → Show Facebook-optimized content
- If empty → Show default content
Parameter Validation
Ensure parameters meet specific criteria: Example: Only whitelist if affiliate ID is valid- Parameter:
affID - Operator:
Greater Than - Value:
0 - Action:
Whitelist Visitor
Integration with Other Features
Whitelisting System
Query parameters are the primary method for visitor whitelisting: Common patterns:vtID=kfor general whitelistingaccess=premiumfor premium contentpreview=truefor preview mode
Split Testing
Use parameters to control which visitors see which tests: Example:https://yoursite.com/page?test=variant_a
- Show specific split test variant based on parameter
- Useful for controlled testing or affiliate-specific variants
Dynamic Content
Parameters can trigger dynamic content changes: Example:https://yoursite.com/page?price=discounted
- Show special pricing based on parameter
- Useful for limited-time offers or special promotions
Best Practices
Parameter Naming
- Use clear names -
vtID,affID,campaignare descriptive - Be consistent - Use the same parameter names across all pages
- Avoid conflicts - Don’t use parameter names that conflict with system parameters
Security Considerations
- Don’t rely on parameters alone for security
- Validate parameter values to prevent injection attacks
- Use HTTPS when passing sensitive information
- Consider parameter encryption for highly sensitive data
URL Management
- Keep URLs clean - Use only necessary parameters
- Document parameter usage - Maintain a list of all parameters and their purposes
- Test parameter combinations - Ensure multiple parameters work together
Common Parameter Patterns
Affiliate Tracking
Standard parameters for affiliate management:affIDoraff- Affiliate identifiersubID- Sub-affiliate or campaign identifiersource- Traffic source (google, facebook, etc.)medium- Traffic medium (cpc, social, email, etc.)
Content Control
Parameters for content management:vtID- Visitor type identifier for whitelistingaccess- Access level (free, premium, vip)preview- Preview mode for testingversion- Content version or variant
Campaign Tracking
Parameters for campaign management:campaign- Campaign name or identifierutm_source- UTM source trackingutm_medium- UTM medium trackingutm_campaign- UTM campaign tracking
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
- Parameter not recognized - Check spelling and case sensitivity
- Condition not triggering - Verify operator and value match exactly
- Multiple parameters conflicting - Check the order of conditions
- URL encoding issues - Ensure special characters are properly encoded
Testing Parameters
- Manual testing - Add parameters to URLs and test functionality
- Browser tools - Use developer tools to inspect parameter values
- Incognito mode - Test without cached data
- Different browsers - Ensure cross-browser compatibility
Debugging Tips
- Check parameter spelling - Parameters are case-sensitive
- Verify operator logic - Ensure you’re using the correct operator
- Test empty states - Check what happens when parameters are missing
- Monitor page events - Use debugging tools to track node execution
Multi-Parameter Logic
Dynamic Parameter Generation
Generate parameters dynamically:- JavaScript generation - Create parameters based on user behavior
- Server-side generation - Add parameters based on server logic
- Third-party integration - Parameters from external systems
Parameter Persistence
Maintain parameters across page navigation:- Session storage - Store parameters for the session
- Local storage - Store parameters persistently
- URL rewriting - Automatically add parameters to all links
API Integration
Use parameters for API calls:- Pass parameters to external APIs - Forward tracking data
- Receive parameters from APIs - Get data from external systems
- Webhook integration - Send parameter data to webhooks
Keep query parameters focused. Too many parameters make URLs harder to read, test, and share.