How can I have a classic "on-the-page" Webtrends tag and add parameters to it via Tealium?

[lukas_oldenburg]

These are actually several questions: 1. The IT team of my client has no resources right now to take the Webtrends base tag (script version 10.4) out of their HTML templates (it is quite risky, too). The client nevertheless wants to start using Tealium to enhance the current tracking, e.g. we want to add parameters to the Webtrends tag via Tealium (as if we were adding additional Webtrends Meta Tags or Webtrends JavaScript variables to the head). a) Is this only possible if the utag.sync.js file is included as well (and above the existing Webtrends tag in the head of the page)? b) Could I for example set additional parameters via a synchronously loading JS Extension that the Webtrends Base tag uses then? c) Is it possible at all to include synchronously loading JS via Tealium? I can't find a "sync" Scope in JS Extensions. d) Is it mandatory to include the utag.sync.js at the start of the body tag? So far, I had always thought it has to go into the head? Could it go into the head above the existing Webtrends head tag for example? 2. I also read that it is not possible to test utag.sync.js via switching to another environment via Web Companion. What is the best practise to to test utag.sync.js deployments then? 3. I need to add a Webtrends tag to a website to enable us to do some additional Event Tracking. When I do this though, the Webtrends tag by Tealium gets overridden by the Webtrends tag that is already on the page (in the HTML template, not included via Tealium). I can see that when I block the existing tag, i.e. /js/webtrends.load.js, via Fiddler, my Tealium tag fires. I would probably need to set the main Object of Webtrends to a different name to avoid that. But I don't see such an option in the WT tag configuration settings in Tealium. Thanks for any help!

[jared_hislop]

Lukas, Any additions to the current implementation would need to be added before the current WebTrends code runs on the page. It would seem your assumption using the utag.sync.js file would be the method to accomplish this. The utag.sync.js file should be coded into the of the page. There is not a "Synchronous" scope for extensions. If the utag.js file is being loaded Asynchronous then the utag.sync.js file is the only option to synchronously load additional code. 2) The method for testing the utag.sync.js file would be to have a dev/staging environment that uses the "dev" or "qa" version of the utag.sync.js and utag.js files. This way you can test the changes before pushing to production. Another method would be to use a Proxy Tool like Charles or Fiddler to mimic the functionality of Web Companion by switching the "prod" version or another version of the file. 3) It sounds like the page view tracking isn't needed from the tag being loaded via Tealium. It is possible to suppress all page view tracking for the tag and only use the tag for event tracking. I'm not sure if WebTrends supports changing the global object used. Perhaps someone else will be able to chime in and answer that.

[lukas_oldenburg]

Thanks, Jared, that is quite a helpful answer and lets me sleep better! If anyone can chime in on nr. 3) though, that would be awesome.

[steve_thurner · Accepted solution]

Lukas, I have been working with several WebTrends representatives of late and unfortunately their tag is designed to run asynchronously and be included only once per page. If you try and run two WebTrends tags side by side the Multitrack and the AsyncInt functions will be overwritten for the tag that runs second. Because it is run asynchronously I have seen that flip flop between to tags so you can't guarantee which one runs second. Your best option would be to use extensions in Tealium to make the event calls needed to WebTrends directly.

[lukas_oldenburg]

Thanks a lot. I guess it is no problem though using Tealium for Webtrends dcsMUltiTrack calls only and making sure it fires only on utag.link() calls (?). Or would you entirely avoid using the Webtrends Tag from the Tealium Tag Library for this case and do it all with Custom JS Extensions?

[steve_thurner]

Lukas, Without knowing the site and your overall setup it is hard to say. You could achieve this but to be sure we recommend the right direction I would ask that you contact your account manager so we can review everything in detail and provide the right solution.