Tracking Ads using Off-Domain Sites

Table of Contents

1. What Is an Off-Domain Site?
2. Why Additional Setup Is Required
3. Option 1: Use a Northbeam Redirect Link
4. Option 2: Preserve Tracking Parameters Between Domains
5. Important Technical Considerations
6. Which Option Should I Use?
7. How Do I Confirm the Setup Is Working?
8. Can I Use Basic UTMs Instead?

What Is an Off-Domain Site?

An off-domain site is a webpage hosted on a different root domain from the website connected to Northbeam.

Common Examples

• Advertorials
• Editorial reviews
• “Top 10” product roundups
• Affiliate or partner landing pages
• Third-party presell pages

Example

• Off-domain site: https://www.mysubscriptionaddiction.com/northbeam
• Main domain: https://www.northbeam.io

Example flow:

Meta Ad → mysubscriptionaddiction.com → northbeam.io

Without the correct setup, Northbeam may record the final visit as a referral from the off-domain site instead of connecting it to the original ad.

Tracking requirement: Northbeam must be able to capture the original ad information before or when the visitor reaches a page where the Northbeam Pixel fires.

Why Additional Setup Is Required

Northbeam's first-party tracking is tied to your main root domain.

If an ad sends someone directly to another root domain, the original ad session does not automatically carry over when the visitor later reaches your main website.

Without the correct setup, Northbeam may lose the connection to the original:

• Campaign
• Ad set or ad group
• Ad
• Associated ad spend

Northbeam supports two approaches:

1. Use a Northbeam Redirect Link
2. Preserve the Northbeam tracking parameters between domains

Option 1: Use a Northbeam Redirect Link

Available for: Meta, Pinterest, Klaviyo, and Attentive

This is usually the easiest option because it requires less custom development.

How It Works

The visitor briefly passes through your main domain before being redirected to the off-domain page.

Example:

Meta Ad → northbeam.io redirect → mysubscriptionaddiction.com → northbeam.io

This allows Northbeam to capture the original ad visit before the visitor leaves your main domain.

Benefits

• Requires less custom development
• Does not require the Northbeam Pixel on the off-domain site
• Does not require you to preserve Northbeam parameters across every CTA

Limitations

• Redirect Links are only available for supported platforms
• Google Ads and X may block or penalize redirect behavior
• Unsupported platforms, such as TikTok or Taboola, cannot use this method
• Other URL parameters may not automatically carry through to the final landing page

Important: Other URL Parameters May Not Carry Through

Ad platforms can add parameters dynamically when someone clicks an ad.

For example, Meta may add an fbclid parameter.

Northbeam can still capture the visit during the redirect even if fbclid does not appear on the final off-domain landing page.

However, this can matter if another analytics or attribution provider needs that parameter.

If another tool requires parameters such as fbclid on the off-domain page, confirm that those parameters are preserved through the redirect. If not, parameter preservation may be a better option.

Setup Steps

1. Open the Mini Menu in Northbeam.
2. Go to Guides → Redirect URLs Guide.
3. Enter the final off-domain destination URL.
4. Generate the Redirect Link.
5. Copy the generated URL and tracking parameters into the ad platform.

Important: Redirect Links use a different tracking parameter structure from Northbeam's normal platform tracking parameters. Use the exact URL and parameters generated by the Redirect URLs Guide.

Option 2: Preserve Tracking Parameters Between Domains

Available for: All platforms

Use this option when:

• Redirect Links are not supported
• You control the off-domain site
• You can update its links or CTAs
• Other tracking parameters need to remain available through the funnel

How It Works

The ad sends the visitor directly to the off-domain page with Northbeam's tracking parameters.

Those same parameters must then be preserved when the visitor moves to the main domain.

Example:

Ad + Northbeam parameters → Off-domain site → Main domain + same Northbeam parameters

When Northbeam records the visit:

• The Northbeam Pixel must fire
• The full Northbeam tracking string must still be available
• The original campaign, ad set or ad group, and ad IDs must be preserved

If you can reliably preserve the Northbeam tracking parameters between domains, a Redirect Link is not required.

Example

A visitor lands on:

https://example-lander.com/article?nbt=abc123&nb_placement=feed

The CTA to the main site should preserve the same values:

https://yourstore.com/product?nbt=abc123&nb_placement=feed

This approach can also help preserve other dynamic parameters, such as fbclid, if your funnel needs them.

TikTok Example

Northbeam's TikTok parameters are:

nbt=nb:tiktok::__CAMPAIGN_ID__:__AID__:__CID__&nb_platform=tiktok

Example off-domain URL:

https://www.mysubscriptionaddiction.com/article?nbt=nb:tiktok::123456789:987654321:456789123&nb_platform=tiktok

When the visitor reaches the main domain, the same values should still be present:

https://www.northbeam.io/product?nbt=nb:tiktok::123456789:987654321:456789123&nb_platform=tiktok

In this example:

• 123456789 = campaign ID
• 987654321 = ad group ID
• 456789123 = ad ID

Google Ads Example

Northbeam's Google Ads parameter is:

nbt=nb%3Aadwords%3A{network}%3A{campaignid}%3A{adgroupid}%3A{creative}

Example off-domain URL:

https://www.mysubscriptionaddiction.com/article?nbt=nb%3Aadwords%3Ag%3A123456789%3A987654321%3A456789123

The same value should remain when the visitor reaches the main domain:

https://www.northbeam.io/product?nbt=nb%3Aadwords%3Ag%3A123456789%3A987654321%3A456789123

In this example:

• g = Google network
• 123456789 = campaign ID
• 987654321 = ad group ID
• 456789123 = creative ID

These are dummy values used only to show the expected structure.

Important Technical Considerations

Tracking parameters can be lost as a visitor moves through the off-domain site.

For example:

1. The visitor lands on an article.
2. They navigate to another page.
3. They click a CTA to the main website.

If the original parameters are not preserved, they may disappear before the visitor reaches the main domain.

Your team is responsible for keeping the original Northbeam parameters available throughout the journey.

Common implementation methods include:

• Link rewriting
• Google Tag Manager
• Custom JavaScript
• Cookies
• Local storage
• Custom development

Northbeam does not require one specific method.

The goal: The original Northbeam tracking string and IDs must still be available when the Northbeam Pixel records the visit.

Which Option Should I Use?

Key point: Neither method is better in every case. The goal is to preserve the original ad information in a way that works with the rest of your tracking stack.

How Do I Confirm the Setup Is Working?

Test the full customer journey using a live ad or a test URL with Northbeam tracking parameters.

Confirm that:

1. The visitor follows the expected funnel.
2. The Northbeam Pixel fires where expected.
3. The correct Northbeam tracking information is available when the pixel fires.
4. Northbeam records a Visit under the expected campaign, ad set or ad group, and ad.

If You Use Parameter Preservation

Confirm that the parameters remain available after each important page transition.

Example:

Ad → Off-domain page + Northbeam parameters → CTA → Main domain + same parameters

If the parameters disappear before Northbeam records the visit, attribution may be lost.

If You Use a Redirect Link

Confirm that Northbeam records the Visit from the redirect flow.

If another provider depends on parameters such as fbclid, confirm separately that those parameters reach the page where that provider needs them.

Check Visit data in Northbeam.

If Visits appear under the correct campaign, ad set or ad group, and ad, the Northbeam tracking setup is working.