Tracking Asset Downloads by Rendition Type

Context

Tracking which renditions (such as original, thumbnail, or high-resolution versions) of assets are downloaded the most offers valuable insights into user preferences and content delivery efficiency. By monitoring download events, specifically focusing on the different asset renditions, you can identify which versions of the assets are most popular among users. This information helps optimize content distribution strategies, ensuring that the right formats are prioritized for user accessibility and performance. Additionally, understanding user behavior regarding asset downloads can guide future decisions on asset creation, optimization, and delivery methods.

Before the below setup, make sure you have set up Google Analytics with Google Tag Manager. Identifying the Most Searched Terms on the Assets Page recipe has additional detail for a step-by-step approach.

Execution

The following will walk through how to setup the rights events for GTA and GA to give you visibility into how users are using assets within Content Hub, including data on which formats (e.g., original, high-res, or thumbnails) are most in demand.

These insights can guide decisions around:

• Understanding which renditions are downloaded most frequently allows you to prioritize the optimization of those specific asset types.
• Refine your asset management strategy. If certain renditions are underused, it may indicate an opportunity to either remove them from the system to save on storage or promote them more effectively to the user base.
• Tracking download behavior enables you to understand user preferences and trends. This data can be used to shape future asset creation and marketing efforts, ensuring you deliver the formats most valuable to your audience.

This data-driven approach leads to informed decisions that enhance user experience, simpler asset management, and optimize the overall content delivery process.

Step 1. Observe the Download Event in Tag Assistant

• Navigate to the Assets page in Content Hub.
• Download a specific asset rendition (e.g., “High-Resolution”).
• Open Tag Assistant and confirm the download event is triggered.
• Identify the:
  • Associated API call
  • Corresponding Data Layer entry

Step 2. Create Required Variables in GTM Go to Variables → New → Data Layer Variable and create the following:

Save each variable.

Step 3. Create the Trigger

• Go to Triggers → New → Custom Event
• Name the trigger (e.g., trg-download)
• Set the Event Name to: download
• Save the trigger

Step 4. Create the GA4 Tag

• Go to Tags → New → Google Analytics: GA4 Event
• Name the tag (e.g., tag-download)
• Select the GA4 Configuration Tag
• Configure with the following:

Event Name:
download

Event Parameters:

• Assign the trg-download trigger
• Save the tag

Step 5. Publish and Test

• Click Submit, add a version name, and click Publish
• In Tag Assistant, download various asset renditions
• Confirm that:
  • The download events are firing correctly
  • The GA Debug View in Google Analytics displays:
    • The download event
    • Correct rendition names
    • Accurate asset IDs

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