Session Attributes

Session attributes are a pre-defined and persistent values stored for the duration of a visitors session, unless subsequently updated by an event. Session attributes are very useful for storing data for referencing by events at any point during the session, for example:

Interest, Fraud, Frustration, Engagement score: 75
Basket product name: Teal T-Shirt Motorcycle Print
Latest SKU capture: SC-1971
Order number: UK-1254-001AGB

Session attributes types

Non-editable System defined session attributes. These attributes are available for use in generating events through the Event Manager.
or, Custom or user-defined session attributes. Each custom attribute is assigned an internal index number, which corresponds to the first available system slot (0 - 63).

Tips

Assigning and updating a session attribute is only available through an events action
Session attribute values are strings with a maximum length of 255 characters
Session attributes are indexed automatically
System defined attributes cannot be modified

Session attributes can be configured to hold string by default, or numeric values. However, you can use Advanced mode to convert the string to a numeric type and perform operations on it.

Using attributes

Session attributes may be used in:

Event conditions or values
Dimension values
Session List Templates

Populating attributes

Session attributes are populated by storing event values. Whenever the event occurs, the event value can be written to a specified session attribute.

A custom or user-created session attribute may be populated by the output of multiple events. Populating the attribute with a value that is not directly available to the event(s), for example a Yes / No, True / False or Social / Email, the event requires populating but manipulated through a scripted advanced event.

The example show below shows setting the $S.CustomVar34 Fact output to either Discounted or Not Discounted depending upon value.

Unchanged defaultChanged

// Generated by Discover Event Manager
// NOTE: Do not change event name
function CUST$E_DISCOUNTED__638802292476456004()
{
    if (($S.CustomVar34.toUpperCase() != ""))
    {
        // Set fact for Report Group: No Dimension Report Group
        $F.setFact("CUST.F_E_DISCOUNTED__638802292476456004", $S.CustomVar34);
    }
}

// Generated by Discover Event Manager
// NOTE: Do not change event name
function CUST$E_DISCOUNTED__638802292476456004()
{
    if (($S.CustomVar34.toUpperCase() != ""))
    {
        // Set fact for Report Group: No Dimension Report Group
        $F.setFact("CUST.F_E_DISCOUNTED__638802292476456004", Discount Applied);
    } else 
    {
        (($S.CustomVar34.toUpperCase() == ""))
        // Set fact for Report Group: No Dimension Report Group
        $F.setFact("CUST.F_E_DISCOUNTED__638802292476456004", No Discount);
    }
}

Setting Facts

All setFact statements must record the same value. A setFact statement is what will be written as the value for each report group. If no additional report group are specified only the default No Dimension Report Group is shown.

Session attribute assignments are managed through the More Options step of the event definition. When the event occurs, the detected value for the event can populate any of the defined session attributes.

That variable and its value are added to the session object, which means it becomes part of the session data. As soon as the variable is created, it is part of the session, regardless of whether the session is active or completed.

Events can be triggered in the following points of a session:

Event	Description
First Hit of Session	When the session begins
Every Hit	When the hit loads
After Every Hit	When the hit is unloaded
Last Hit	The last hit of the session
End of Session	When the session closes
Last ScreenView of Session	Always holds the URL, or screen view name, of the page that is currently visible