Analytics Glossary

An ever-growing collection of analytics jargon

A browser cookie or HTTP cookie (also frequently just called a 'cookie') is a little piece of data that a web server stores in a user's browser. It can be used to measure user behavior as well as to save user preferences for the next time the user visits the website.

Data Layer

The data layer is a JavaScript object that can be added to a website to provide a standardized way for data collection throughout a user's journey.

Event

An event is an occurrence that your website or app (or other system) can inform you about so that you can have the option to programmatically react. E.g., As a programmer, you can set up a button click as an event. When you do this, if a user clicks the button, your program will know about the button click event. You can then utilize this click event as a trigger to 'fire' (or execute) a new command - to open a popup, for example.

Cookies characterized by a direct relationship between the browser and the server of the website the user visits are called “first-party cookies”. They are often used to improve the experience of the website for the user (e.g. remembering language settings, previously entered login details, items in a shopping cart, etc.). Learn more.

Tag

A tag is a snippet of code that can be initiated on a website or app based on a defined set of triggers. Such snippets are frequently provided by third-party vendors of marketing or analytics solutions to help track users as well as to monitor or enhance digital marketing campaigns. A tag manager such as Tealium or Google Tag Manager is frequently used to manage these code snippets. With a tag manager, you can inject code snippets into websites and define the conditions under which these code snippets are to be executed.

These cookies are set by third parties such as marketing vendors. Whereas first-party cookies are characterized by a direct relationship between the browser and the server of the website that the user visits, third-party cookies could be set by the server of an advertising vendor (such as Meta). Learn more.