Extension : Data Layer Manager

One of the benefits of Apollo is organizations using Apollo to deploy to Experience Platform Launch are entered into the paid tier (i.e., Pro Mode) of Data Layer Manager for free.

 

Apollo adds and configures this Extension, which provides 3 primary purposes in an Apollo implementation

  1. Ability for Apollo to trigger Experience Platform Launch Rules off of Data Layer event pushes

  2. Ability for Apollo to create context aware Experience Platform Launch Data Elements

  3. Ability to configure Data Layer Event schema requirements and validate events against these schema requirements

There are optional manual configurations users can make within this extension in Experience Platform Launch. It’s important to note that all settings changes must be saved and built into a relevant launch property library to take effect.

 

Click Event Detection

This feature detects when a user clicks on page elements, determines what type of click it is (Exit, Download, CTA, or Internal Navigation), and pushes an appropriate event to the data layer for each.By default, this feature is disabled with Apollo implementations. Users may choose to enable this feature, though.

 

Enabled Environments

This option allows you to enable or disable the extension for libraries in any or all of the 3 launch environments.

 

 

Airbrake Integration

Data Layer Manager includes an optional integration with Airbrake for logging errors. Airbrake is a paid tool for use with a subscription, which provides error monitoring and performance management for your implementation so you can be notified of and resolve issues faster.

 

The configuration to enable the Airbrake Integration with Data Layer Manager requires the Airbrake Project ID and Project Key.

 

The Project ID and API Key can be retrieved from the Airbrake project settings after a project is created in Airbrake.

 

Configure Event Names

Apollo pre-populates this section of the extension based on the configurations you made in Apollo. You’ll notice that for each Apollo Event in the implementation, there is an Event listed in this section:

 

Each event also has an associated JSON schema that Apollo preconfigured:

 

Data Layer Manager for Data Layer Event Validation

For each environment Data Layer Manager is enabled, as Data Layer events are pushed onto the Data Layer matching the Event Names in Data Layer Manager, the events are validated against the JSON Schemas. Examples of what this validation detects:

  • The absence of required attributes

  • Passing incorrect data types

  • Passing of string values not matching prescribed patterns

  • Passing values outside of an allowed set of values

  • Passing unexpected additional attributes

  • Passing numeric values below a stated minimum

  • Passing numeric values above a stated maximum

If you are using the Launch & DTM Switch Chrome Extension with Debug mode enabled you will see console logs of the payload validation results with each Data Layer event push:

 

Even if users are not using the Launch & DTM Switch Chrome Extension with Debug mode enabled, the validation output is attached to each data layer event object (on __meta.validationResult) meaning that it can be accessed programmatically.

 

View a demonstration of Data Layer Manager being used for Data Layer validation in the video below:

 

Updating Settings

If manual configuration changes are made within the extension after it’s configuration by Apollo, here is how Apollo will interact with those changes during subsequent builds:

Section

Manual Change Made

Apollo’s Treatment

Installed

Disable Extension

Apollo does not overwrite the change

Installed

Uninstall Extension

 

Causes deployment to fail (even redeployments of initial build that created the extensions)

Main Configuration

Data Layer Object Name Change

Apollo overwrites the change

Main Configuration

Enable Click Event Detection

Apollo does not overwrite the change

Main Configuration

Enable Payload Validation For Launch Environment

Apollo does not overwrite the change

Main Configuration

Disable Payload Validation For Launch Environment

Apollo does not overwrite the change

Main Configuration

Airbrake Project Id/Key Additions

Apollo does not overwrite the change

Main Configuration

Event Deletions

Apollo overwrites the change

Main Configuration

Event Additions

Apollo does not overwrite the change

Main Configuration

Enable Reset Before Data Layer Event

Apollo does not overwrite the change

Main Configuration

Event Code Additions

Apollo overwrites the change

Main Configuration

Event Code Deletions

Apollo overwrites the change

Main Configuration

Event Name Changes

Apollo overwrites the change

For more information on Data Layer Manager, you can read the technical documentation for the extension here.

 

FAQ

Question

Answer

I don't see Pro Mode enabled when I look into the Data Layer Manager extension.

This can easily be resolved by reaching out to your Apollo Account Manager.