Tracking usage
The GetFTR API wraps each document link with a “Redirector URL” (see Redirector) that enables GetFTR to track the number of clicks on GetFTR links in discovery tools that integrate with GetFTR.
This also enables publishers to track the number of clicks on GetFTR links to their content, which can be viewied via the GetFTR portal.
In addition to the GetFTR reports, it is possible to track usage independently through your own analytics platform, such as Google Analytics.
How it works
All participating Integrators receive entitlement responses, with each document link wrapped in a Redirector URL. When a user clicks on a document link, the Redirector URL redirects the user through the GetFTR platform, before redirecting them to the actual document link.
A redirector link looks like this:
https://ct.prod.getft.io/Z2V0ZnRyLGFjcyxodHRwczovL3B1YnMuYWNzLm9yZy9kb2kvMTAuMTAyMS9hY3NhcG0uOGIwMDE2NT9zcmM9Z2V0ZnRy.XRIOncT0qhxE5ruwAgjhGBBwTFkzgI7o736wYDYas50This will redirect through to the publishers website, appending additional query parameters to the URL. These query parameters can be used to track clickthroughs from specific integrators.
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsapm.8b00165?utm_source=<integrator id>&getft_integrator=<integrator id>utm_source- The ID of the Integrator (Discovery Tool) where the click originated. Note: Ifutm_sourceis already present on the url, it will not be overridden. If you’re not using anyutm_*parameters, we recommend using thegetft_integratorparameter instead.getft_integrator- The ID of the Integrator (Discovery Tool) where the click originated. This will always be appended to the URL.
Custom tracking
If for any reason these query parameters are insufficient, it is also possible to append custom query parameters to document response URLs. The URL returned by a Publishers platform are preserved through the Redirector URL, allowing you to append any additional query parameters you require.