URL Parameters in Websites and Funnels
What Are URL Parameters?
A URL is the address of a webpage, such as https://example.com. URL parameters are key=value pairs appended to the end of a URL, separated by a question mark and ampersands, like https://example.com?key=value&key2=value2. The base URL directs the browser to the webpage, while the parameters pass additional information that the page can use.
URL parameters are versatile and can be customized for various purposes, such as navigating to specific sections of a page or displaying personalized content. They differ from UTM parameters, which follow industry standards for marketing tracking (e.g., utm_source=google) and are used for analytics rather than visible content.
Merge Fields in Pages
Merge fields allow you to insert dynamic content into your website or funnel pages. They use a double curly brace format, such as {{contact.email}}, which the CRM replaces with real-time data from your database. For instance, if your template includes {{location.name}}, it will display your business's name as stored in your CRM settings.
Common merge fields preconfigured in templates include:
- {{location.full_address}} for your business address
- {{location.phone}} for your business phone number
- {{location.name}} for your business name
URL Parameters in Pages
You can use URL parameters similarly to merge fields. By adding a parameter like ?first_name=John to your page's URL, you can display personalized content on the page. For example, if your page contains the text Hi {{first_name}}, and you load the URL with ?first_name=John, the page will show Hi John.
To test this, save your page, open the preview, and manually edit the URL in your browser's address bar to include the parameter. The page will update dynamically to reflect the parameter's value.
URL Parameters in Links
When linking to a page that uses URL parameters, ensure the links include the necessary parameters. In emails or other marketing materials, you can construct URLs with merge fields to make them dynamic. For example, instead of hardcoding a value, use a URL like https://example.com?first_name={{contact.first_name}} so each recipient sees their own name.
For reuse across multiple locations, store the base URL in a custom value and build the full URL dynamically. For instance, if you save a URL as a custom value named yoga_page, you can construct the link in an email as {{custom_values.yoga_page}}?first_name={{contact.first_name}}. Alternatively, you can store the entire URL with parameters in a custom value and insert it directly as a merge field.