LT.js Detailed Reference Guide

OVERVIEW

This page provides reference details for all available Lotame Lightning Tag functionality. It assumes you have already completed the pre-requisites and steps in the basic implementation on your website.

Lightning Tag Setup Object

As configured in the basic implementation, the lotameTagInput object has two main sub-objects that permit various options to be set:

      var lotameTagInput = {
          data: {},
          config: {}
      };

The details of the input data and config options are below.

config Object

The config object has the following possible parameters:

onProfileReady Callback

As noted above in the config object created at script setup, you may specify the callback method onProfileReady to fire after targeting completes. This work happens asynchronously, so the callback is fired when the targeting work is completed.

When fired, the callback passes a profile object with the following methods:

Note: If you have implemented the TCF 2.0 framework on your site you must enable Lotame as a vendor in your CMP in order for Lotame to return a Panorama ID ™. Learn more about TCF 2.0 implementations here.

audienceLocalStorage Parameter

If this parameter is set to other than "false" then when targeting is completed, the audiences are written out to the browser's localStorage.

Audiences are written out as a string of audience IDs. Example: "123,789"

onTagReady Callback

You may pass a function to the onTagReady callback that will fire when the Lotame Lightning Tag interface is ready to be used. This callback firing is also an indication that the collect() and page() methods described below are ready to be used.

onTagReady: function(namespace) {
  // Lightning Tag script is ready to be used
},

This event does not confirm audiences are available; that is the onProfileReady callback described above in this document.

autoRun Parameter

The autoRun boolean is defaulted true and runs the Lotame data collection and targeting retrieval immediately after the script is loaded. If set to false, control is left to you to fire data collection and targeting by calling the collect() and/or page() methods described later on this document.

A use-case for setting this to false is if you want to get the customer's consent before enabling the data collection and targeting to run.

data Object

The data object is used to pass first party-data to the Spherical Platform for use in targeting or other features. The object is optionally passed at setup time in the tag input function. It can also be passed post-page load in the collect({data}) or in the page({data}) methods that are described further down this page.

{
  behaviorIds: [1,2,3],
},

{
  behaviors: {
    int: ['site section: news', 'traffic: mysite.com'],
    med: ['article category : politics']
  },
},

{
  ruleBuilder: {
    article_tags: ['food', 'in the news'],
    article_title: ['Todays Headline'],
    article_author: ['Bob Roberts'],
  },
},

{
  thirdParty: {
    namespace: 'FAKE',
    value: '123456789101112131415'
  },
},

Lightning Tag Methods

collect()

The collect() method is available to pass data to the Spherical Platform after the Lotame javascript is loaded. An example use-case is tracking events such as user interaction with a video player on your site.

window.lotame_<lotameClientId>.cmd.push(function() {
  window.lotame_<lotameClientId>.collect({data});
});

The data object parameters are described earlier in this article.

Calls to this method are queued up. Every 1 second (and also at the page.unload() event) the Lightning Tag flushes the queue and sends the batch of data objects to the Platform. This functionality allows your website to make calls to this method and not need to wait on a response.

page()

The page() method allows you to re-run your targeting call without reloading the Lotame Lightning Tag script. A use-case is a single-page site which as a user scrolls, new articles pop up. Your site can now pass in new {data} elements that describe this new article the user is now viewing and then retrieve updated audiences based on that new information.

window.lotame_<lotameClientId>.cmd.push(function() {
  window.lotame_<lotameClientId>.page({data});
});

Please note that {data} is an optional parameter to the page() method.

The following tasks occur when page() is called:

1. The data queue described above in the collect() method flushes, including any new data passed on this page() call.
2. Your Optimus rules execute, pulling in new values based on the page contents.
3. A new page view registers in your Lotame Platform.
4. Targeting executes, and audiences return on either the callback method or localStorage (or both) depending on how you configured audience extraction on your site.

Please note that the page() method fully re-runs all Lightning Tag processing including re-running Optimus rules. If all you are looking to do is send new data as more of the page is loaded and visible, please use the collect() method. That method is asynchronous and therefore much faster for your site.

setIdentity()

The setIdentity() method is used to pass user-identifiable info directly to Lotame for use in targeting. Currently, email is the only supported identifier type.

window.lotame_<lotameClientId>.cmd.push(function() {
  window.lotame_<lotameClientId>.setIdentity(
    { id: 'username@domain.com', type: 'EMAIL'}
  );
});

Note: The email must be provided as plain-text, and not hashed. We encrypt and store it in our Identity Vault to ensure security-first handling of your customer information.

Also, in the <head> of your page, include the below to speed up HTTP & DNS overhead time of the setIdentity() call.

<link rel="preconnect" href="https://bcp.st.crwdcntrl.net">
<link rel="dns-prefetch" href="https://bcp.st.crwdcntrl.net">
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://c.st.ltmsphrcl.net">
<link rel="dns-prefetch" href="https://c.st.ltmsphrcl.net">

Note: the email being passed should be whitespace trimmed and set to lowercase before submission to follow industry best practices.

getPanorama()

getPanorama() returns an object with two methods; getId() and getIdType(). The getId() returns the Lotame Panorama ID as a string. The getIdType() returns the type of Panorama ID as a string and will be either 'panoIndiv' or 'panoDevice'.

var PanoObject = window.lotame_<lotameClientId>.getPanorama();
var PanoID = PanoObject.getId();
var PanoIDType = PanoObject.getIdType();

The ID Type value panoIndiv is to denote Individual-Based Panorama ID that connects multiple devices (desktop, mobile, CTV, etc) to a single individiual persona. panoDevice is to note Device-Based Panorama ID that connects IDs to a single device/browser. If Lotame cannot resolve a browser to a panoIndiv, it will attempt to assign it to a panoDevice ID.

Note - Lotame will return an UNKNOWN ID type if a Panorama ID value cannot be returned. 

getAudiences()

getAudiences([limit]) is a shortcut that retrieves the targeted audience array from localstorage. It optionally accepts a limit parameter that will restrict the number of audiences returned.

window.lotame_<lotameClientId>.getAudiences();

Audiences will be returned as an array of audience IDs. Example: ["123","789"]. If you would like to limit the number of audiences returned, send in a limit like getAudiences(100).

The audienceLocalStorage parameter must be set on the Lotame Lightning Tag config object. If it is not, the response to getAudiences will be an empty array and an error message will be written to the browser's console log.

setConsent()

The Lotame Lightning Tag provides a method setConsent() to submit consent signals to the Lotame Consent API for enforcement within the Lotame Platform. Once you've collected the appropriate consent from your customer within your privacy user experience, submit the appropriate signals as follows:

function setConsentCb(returnData) {
  console.log('LT.JS: Placeholder for setConsentCb logic');
}

var customerConsents = {
  analytics: true,
  crossdevice: true,
  datasharing: true,
  targeting: true
};

window.lotame_<lotameClientId>.cmd.push(function() {
  window.lotame_<lotameClientId>.setConsent(setConsentCb, <lotameConsentClientId>, customerConsents);
});

The Lotame Lightning Tag User Consent Guide describes the returnData object provided to the callback function.