Recording source information when tracking data is missing

When campaign or referral tracking is missing, record the operational source as unknown unless other evidence establishes it. Keep the analytics label, campaign values received with the enquiry, the visitor’s account and any later assessment separate. A missing value is more useful than invented campaign credit.

Name what each field records

A website session source describes what the analytics setup observed. Campaign parameters describe values that reached the form or enquiry system. An answer to “How did you hear about us?” describes what the person recalls. None is a complete account of the buying journey.

Do not copy a stated referral into a field labelled “tracked campaign”. Someone may hear about a firm from a colleague and later arrive through search.

Field Records: Observed vs. Self-Reported vs. Unknown Sources

Interpret direct and missing values

An analytics source label is an observation about what the tracking setup recorded. It does not prove how the person arrived or establish their original influence.

Keep any observed label as observed, while leaving the enquiry’s unknown marketing origin unknown. Investigate the relevant report and tagging before drawing a conclusion.

For links the business controls, use a consistent tagging convention. Google provides URL builders for collecting campaign data with custom URLs. Check that campaign information survives the final destination and redirects.

Do not assign old unknown records to whichever campaign was active. If reliable evidence appears later, add it with its source and date while preserving the earlier observation. If evidence does not appear, leave the origin unknown.

Ask without forcing an answer

An optional “How did you hear about us?” question may add useful context. Let the person answer in their own words or indicate uncertainty. Do not ask them to resolve technical attribution they cannot see.

For an Australian organisation covered by the Australian Privacy Principles, collecting an answer that identifies a person must meet the applicable APP 3 test. APP 5 notification requirements may also apply. A named referrer should not be collected merely because it would be interesting for attribution.

Report the gap

Show known tracked source, self-reported source and unknown origin separately, and state which field each comparison uses. If unknowns fall after a tagging change, do not describe the entire shift as a change in demand. Compare a sample of requests with the original page and campaign records first.

Do not send names, email addresses or unfiltered enquiry text to Google Analytics. Keep the detail needed for a reply in the enquiry system under the organisation’s applicable handling rules.

Key Principles in Source Attribution