> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.northbeam.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Tracking Ads using Off-Domain Sites
> This guide explains how to track ads that send users to an off-domain site before they reach your main domain.
## 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:
```text theme={null}
https://example-lander.com/article?nbt=abc123&nb_placement=feed
```
The CTA to the main site should preserve the same values:
```text theme={null}
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:
```text theme={null}
nbt=nb:tiktok::__CAMPAIGN_ID__:__AID__:__CID__&nb_platform=tiktok
```
Example off-domain URL:
```text theme={null}
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:
```text theme={null}
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:
```text theme={null}
nbt=nb%3Aadwords%3A{network}%3A{campaignid}%3A{adgroupid}%3A{creative}
```
Example off-domain URL:
```text theme={null}
https://www.mysubscriptionaddiction.com/article?nbt=nb%3Aadwords%3Ag%3A123456789%3A987654321%3A456789123
```
The same value should remain when the visitor reaches the main domain:
```text theme={null}
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?
| If this is your setup | Use this |
| :- | :- |
| You want the simplest setup and your platform supports Redirect Links | **Northbeam Redirect Link** |
| You cannot edit the off-domain page or its CTAs | **Northbeam Redirect Link** |
| You control the off-domain site and can preserve parameters across links | **Parameter Preservation** |
| Your ad platform does not support Redirect Links | **Parameter Preservation** |
| Another tool needs dynamic parameters such as `fbclid` on the off-domain page | **Parameter Preservation may be a better fit** |
> **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.
***
## Can I Use Basic UTMs Instead?
You can add standard UTMs to the link from the off-domain site to the main domain, but this will not necessarily connect the visit to the original ad.
Basic UTMs may help Northbeam categorize the traffic, but they may not contain the campaign, ad set, ad, and other IDs needed to connect the visit to the original ad spend.
For paid advertising, use either:
* A Northbeam Redirect Link
* The complete set of required Northbeam tracking parameters preserved between the off-domain site and the main domain