topic Re: Original source set to "Offline sources" in APIs & Integrations

Original source set to "Offline sources"

tashbukholt — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 10:09:45 GMT

Hello!

I am currently deugging our Hubspot intergration and I am seeing the"Orginal source" for contacts is set to "Offline sources".

We've implemented an email wall on the website. After the user has filled in their email we do a client side identify call with the email to create the contact in Hubspot and later a server side API call using the Contacts API for the users that are using ad blockers. I've confirmed that the identify call correctly sent.

This results in a contact in Hubspot for which the "Orginal source" is set to "Offline sources" and the "Original source drill-down 1" for these contacts it is set to "ANALYTICS".

Would you be able to explain why the "Orginal source" is not set to channel stored in the associated cookie (Search, direct etc)?

Re: Original source set to "Offline sources"

IsaacTakushi — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 15:53:15 GMT

Welcome, @tashbukholt.

If all cookies are enabled and the identify function truly creates the contact record before the Contacts API, then I would not expect records to have the Original Source value "Offline Sources."

That said, if the Contacts API created the contact record, then I would expect Original source drill-down 1 to be "API" — not "Analytics." (Though the change source would be "Analytics," per this screencast.)

Could you share links to a few contacts which are displaying this behavior?

Re: Original source set to "Offline sources"

tashbukholt — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 17:13:56 GMT

Hi @IsaacTakushi,

Thanks so much for your response!

I also would have expected the Original source drill-down 1 to be "API" if the Contacts API was creating the contact record. However in our case the Original source drill-down 1 value is "ANALYTICS", while the Original Source value is "Offline Sources".

Below I have provided links of a few contacts where I see this happening . Two of these are test accounts I created - for these accounts I can guarntee the cookies were enabled:

https://app.hubspot.com/contacts/4075618/contact/101387901/

https://app.hubspot.com/contacts/4075618/contact/99195901/

https://app.hubspot.com/contacts/4075618/contact/101272001/

https://app.hubspot.com/contacts/4075618/contact/101335601/

Please let me know if you need any additional information.

Re: Original source set to "Offline sources"

IsaacTakushi — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 14:40:16 GMT

Apologies for the delayed response, @tashbukholt.

Thanks for sharing those examples!

I actually don't see form submissions or hutk/usertoken values associated with any of those four contacts.

Instead, I believe these contacts were created through the frontend-email_wall_submitted custom event, which seems to have been triggered via the Events HTTP API due to the lack of page views and cookie values. If the event had been triggered in a browser with the Events JavaScript API, I would expect to see an online Original Source value (e.g. "Direct Traffic") and a usertoken on the backend.

Does the Events HTTP API ring a bell with you or your team?

Re: Original source set to "Offline sources"

tashbukholt — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 13:48:31 GMT

Hey Isaac,

Thanks so much for the update.

Great find! We are working on implementing a fix for the custom events that have been triggered via the Events HTTP API.

I will touch base again next week when we know how the fix it going.

Thanks again for the help!

Tash

Re: Original source set to "Offline sources"

tashbukholt — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 13:44:11 GMT

Hi @IsaacTakushi ,

Our team has implemented a delay so that the custom event, frontend-email_wall_submitted, is only triggered after the identify function.

When I tested this the Original source drill-down 1 is still set to analytics "ANALYTICS", and the Original Source value is set to "Offline Sources". This is the account I created for testing.

Do you have any further insight into this for us? Is there a way to see what event contacts were created through?

Thanks,

Tash

Re: Original source set to "Offline sources"

IsaacTakushi — Thu, 28 Mar 2019 21:24:00 GMT

Hey, @tashbukholt.

Thanks for the update!

I can confirm that this contact was created by the same frontend-email_wall_submitted event as before.

However, the "Offline Sources" Original Source and lack of usertoken on the backend still suggest you're using the Events HTTP API. These requests can't pass hutk cookie token values and thus will always create "Offline Sources" > "Analytics" contacts.

Did you switch to using the Events JavaScript method?

Re: Original source set to "Offline sources"

tashbukholt — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 14:16:54 GMT

Hi @IsaacTakushi ,

Thanks for the insight!

We are exploring a few different solutions at the moment.

But just to make sure we are on the right track, could you please share the exact requirements that are needed to ensure the Original Source field does not show as "Offline Sources" ?

Re: Original source set to "Offline sources"

IsaacTakushi — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 15:08:48 GMT

Sure thing, @tashbukholt:

Don't:

Use the Contacts API, as it cannot pass hutk cookie values.
Use the Events HTTP API, as it also won't pass cookies.

Do:

Use either the trackPageView or trackEvent JavaScript functions after the identify function. These will pass a hutk cookie to the new contact record.
Alternatively, use this Forms API endpoint and pass a hutk value directly in the context object.

Re: Original source set to "Offline sources"

tashbukholt — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 15:19:02 GMT

Hey @IsaacTakushi ,

This information was extermely helpful, thank you so much!

We are currently working on implementing the Forms API endpoint - we will use that to pass a hutk value directly to the context object.

I will let you know how it goes!

Re: Original source set to "Offline sources"

IsaacTakushi — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 20:48:13 GMT

Glad to hear it, @tashbukholt!

Re: Original source set to "Offline sources"

OGruzdyn — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 19:00:01 GMT

what does it means when "contact was greated from Offline Sources from API"? I have google ads and facebook ads connected to my hubspot but only on some contacts i'm seeing which campaign the contact came from and from other contacts, it shows "offline sources" even though i'm thinking they still saw the fb ad and signed up to my list. What is there another way to confirm the source of the contact? I can't seem to figure out how to set up the GCLID.

Re: Original source set to "Offline sources"

bmauger — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 14:10:06 GMT

Hi @IsaacTakushi - the "Forms API endpoint" link is taking to a 404 page. Is there a new page for this or any updates to the workarounds here since your post back in 2019. Thank you very much.