URL parameters, also called query strings, are a tool to add information about your calls to a URL. In Ringba, you can use URL parameters to receive information about your calls from outside systems. 

This article contains the following sections:

• URL Parameters
  • Receiving URL Parameters
  • Using Data from URL Parameters
• How to Declare a URL Parameter
  • Getting the Exact Name of the Tag
  • Declaring the URL Parameter
• How to Add a URL Parameter to a Campaign

URL Parameters

URL parameters are a powerful solution to let landing pages, business tools, or your partners' systems add the call information to the Ringba URLs they ping. When the systems ping the URL, Ringba receives the information in the URL parameters and stores it as reporting tags on the call.

When the URL parameters include values like caller ID, Ringba can aggregate all of the other attribute data, like affiliate ID or keyword, with a particular call. 

Receiving URL Parameters

Many Ringba users use number pools to collect caller information via URL parameters. The call tracking tag you add to your landing pages when implementing number pools automatically sends each landing page visitor's browser session data to Ringba so Ringba can aggregate it together with the call data in your reporting.

Another common use of URL parameters is to gather caller information from your publishers. Publishers can send you information they have already collected about callers to help you route or convert the call.

Using Data from URL Parameters

When your account receives data through URL parameters, Ringba attaches the data to the call as a reporting tag. You see reporting tags on the Reporting screen in Tags tab of the Call Details report.  

You do not have do anything to receive data from URL parameters. If Ringba receives data from a URL and can connect it to a call, it appears on this tab. 

However, you can proactively declare a URL parameter in Ringba. You declare a URL parameter in the following situations:

• When you want to change the label you see on the data in reporting. For example, if you receive an ftc=yes URL parameter, you could change the ftc label to First-Time Caller to make it easier to understand in reporting.
• If you want to use the tags you get from inbound data enrichment (IDE), real-time bidding (RTB), or other sources in your tag routing filters.

How to Declare a URL Parameter

This section describes one method for getting the exact name of the tag from reporting. Then it covers the steps to declare the URL parameter. 

Getting the Exact Name of the Tag

To create and use a URL parameter, you must know the exact name of the data you are receiving. If you declare a URL with an incorrect name, Ringba can't find the data to match and store it. To get the correct URL parameter name:

1. Navigate to Reporting > Default.
2. Scroll to the Call Details section and expand the row for a call that has the kind of data you want.
   Tip: You can use the filter tools at the top of the Reporting screen to help find a particular call.
3. Select the Tags tab and find the data in the User section.
   The data collected in this example is Zipcode:
   
4. Hover your mouse over the tag name and click the copy-to-clipboard icon that appears:
   

The system copies the exact name of the tag to your clipboard so you can use it in the next procedure. 

Declaring the URL Parameter

Use the following steps to declare a URL parameter:

1. In the left navigation bar, navigate to Integrations > URL Parameters.
2. Click the Create URL Parameter button.
3. Configure the URL parameter fields that appear:
   • URL Parameter: Paste the parameter name from the previous procedure here.
   • Reporting Menu Name: Set this to user, because the data appeared in the User section in the Tags tab of the call details.
   • Report Menu Name: Enter the name you want to appear in reporting for the tag with the data from this URL parameter. If you are happy with the current name of the tag, paste the same value here as you used in the URL Parameter field.
     
     Note: If this tag comes from a number pool and you want to change the name of this tag in reporting, you must add the URL parameter to the campaign. See the procedure later in this article.
     
4. Click Create to create and save the URL parameter.

Tip: You can also create URL parameters inside Campaigns under the URL Parameters section.

How to Add a URL Parameter to a Campaign

For most ways you use URL parameters, all you need to do is create them in the Integrations > URL Parameters screen, as described in the previous procedure. However, in one scenario you must also add the URL parameter to your campaign. 

If you receive the URL parameter from a number pool AND you want to change the tag's label on the Reporting screen, you must add the URL parameter to the campaign.

Note: There is no harm in adding other URL parameters to your campaign, even outside this situation.

Use the following steps to add a URL parameter to a campaign:

1. In the left navigation bar, navigate to Manage Campaigns. Open the campaign where you want to add the URL parameter.
2. Scroll to the URL Parameters section and click the Add URL Parameter button. 
   A panel appears with fields to configure your URL parameters.
   
3. Make sure the Choose Option indicator is set to Select Existing, then find the URL parameter you want in the Select URL Parameter drop-down list. 
   Tip: You can start typing the URL parameter name in the field to find the one you want faster.
4. Select the URL parameter and click Add.