Adobe Heartbeat Tag Setup Guide

How it Works

The Adobe Heartbeat tag allows you to collect extensive data on how visitors interact with videos on your site. When your video loads on a page, Heartbeat triggers server calls every second through the length of the video, capturing its playhead positions, pause and resume actions, ad views, and several other video performance parameters. Additionally, if your implementation is integrated with the Nielsen DCR plugin, you can configure those parameters together in this tag.

Prerequisites

• jQuery
  Ensure that your site has jQuery installed on it. If you are not using jQuery, you can add and configure a new jQuery tag from the Tealium iQ tag Marketplace.
• Adobe Enterprise Cloud ID Service Tag
  The Adobe Cloud Service generates a unique ID for every visitor on your site and persists the ID across all their Enterprise Cloud Solutions, thus preventing duplicate counts. Add and configure the tag in your profile, if you have not already done and enable the bundle flag setting for the tag so that it can be bundled into utag.js on all pages.
• AppMeasurement JavaScript Tag
  Add and configure the tag in the same profile and enable the bundle flag, if you have not done so already. This is required for JavaScript implementations. Bundling is only required for Tag version 1.6.3, as the prior versions already have the Enterprise Cloud Service bundled by default.

In the Tags tab, ensure that the bundled Enterprise Cloud ID tag is placed above the bundled AppMeasurement tag. This ensures the Enterprise Cloud ID tag will load first.

Supported Vendor Libraries

• Adobe Heartbeat v2.0.2 (default)
• Adobe Heartbeat v1.6.7
• Adobe Heartbeat v1.6.7 with Nielsen v5.0 integration

Tag Tips

• Heartbeat requires the Adobe Experience Cloud ID Service as well as AppMeasurement for JS to be loaded first, preferably bundled.
• This tag is fired via “utag.track(‘video’, data);” which should be implemented in your video event handlers.
• jQuery is required by Adobe Heartbeat.

Tag Configuration

First, go to Tealium’s tag marketplace and add the Adobe Heartbeat tag (Learn more about how to add a tag).

After adding the tag, configure the following settings:

FIELD NAME	FIELD VALUE
Title	Required. Enter a unique name to identify the tag. This is important if you are adding multiple instances of this tag.
Tracking Server	Required. Adobe Heartbeat tracking server. Enter the server URL where all heartbeat tracking calls are sent. If you do not have the URL, contact your Adobe representative. For example, .hb.omtrdc.net
Publisher	Required. Enter your publisher name as assigned by your Adobe representative.
Use SSL	This flag determines whether or not to send heartbeat calls over HTTPS. The default value is False, meaning SSL is disabled. You may toggle the value to True if you prefer the tracking calls are sent securely.
S-Object Name	Required. Set your own custom s-object variable name. If you are unsure, use the default value of s.
Video Platform Name	Optional. The name of the online video platform through which content gets distributed.
Video Player SDK	Optional. The version of the video player app/SDK.
Tag Version	This drop-down list allows you to choose Adobe Heartbeat tracking with or without Nielsen integration. The available options are: Adobe Heartbeat 2.0.2 (default) Adobe Heartbeat 1.6.7 Adobe Heartbeat 1.6.7 with Nielsen 5.0

The following fields are only required if you set the tag version to Adobe Heartbeat 1.6.7 with Nielsen 5.0. If you do not have the required Nielsen values, contact your Nielsen or Adobe representative.

FIELD NAME	FIELD VALUE
Adobe Nielsen SDK Configuration Key	Required for Nielsen. Enter the Nielsen configuration key Configuration SDK key for Nielsen integration with Adobe Heartbeat.
Nielsen Collection Environment	Required for Nielsen. Location of collection environment. Enter the location of Nielsen’s collection environment For example, eu-cert or eu.
Nielsen Player ID	Required for Nielsen. Enter the unique identifier assigned to the video player Unique ID assigned to player/site, provided by Nielsen.
Nielsen APN	Required for Nielsen. Enter a description for the player/site User-defined string value for describing the player/site.
Nielsen Client ID	Required for Nielsen. Enter your Nielsen client identifier Unique ID for VA Beacon Measurement.
Nielsen VCID	Required for Nielsen. Enter the video channel identifier. Unique ID for VA Beacon Measurement.

Apply Load Rules

Load Rules determine when and where to load an instance of this tag on your site. The Load on All Pages rule is the default load rule. To load this tag on a specific page, create relevant rule conditions to apply to the tag.

Best Practice: Create and apply custom rules to load this tag on any pages where videos are made available.

Data Mappings

Mapping is the process of sending data from a data layer variable to the corresponding destination variable of the vendor tag. For instructions on how to map a variable to a tag destination, see Data Mappings.

The following sections provide detailed tables for each available category.

Standard

The Standard category corresponds to the configuration fields for the tag. If desired, you can map to these destinations. Dynamically send values for the tag fields that are left blank or override the current values.

Destination Name	Description
tracking_server	Adobe Heartbeat Tracking Server. URL of the server where all heartbeat tracking calls are sent.
publisher	Adobe Heartbeat Publisher. Publisher name as assigned by your Adobe representative.
ssl	Adobe Heartbeat SSL Flag. Boolean flag that determines whether or not to send heartbeat calls over HTTPS. Ensure the variable you are mapping is populated with a Boolean value, either true or false. Mapping overrides the current drop-down selection.
syndication_channel	Adobe Heartbeat Channel. Name of the channel syndication.
online_video_platform_name	Adobe Heartbeat Video Platform Name. Name of the online platform that is rendering your video content.
player_sdk	Adobe Heartbeat Player SDK. Version of the video player app/SDK.
debug_logging	Adobe Heartbeat Debug Logging Flag. Boolean flag to enable/disable logging of each component within the Heartbeat plugin. Adobe recommends disabling this flag for the production version of your player because active logging impacts performance.

The following fields are only required if you set the tag version to Adobe Heartbeat 1.6.7 with Nielsen 5.0. If you do not have the required Nielsen values, contact your Nielsen or Adobe representative.

Destination Name	Description
nielsen_config_key	Adobe Nielsen SDK Configuration Key. Nielsen configuration key to integrate with Adobe Heartbeat.
nielsen_client_id	Nielsen Client ID. Your Nielsen client identifier.
nielsen_vcid	Nielsen VCID. Video channel identifier.
nielsen_collection_environment	Nielsen Collection Environment. Location of Nielsen’s collection environment.
nielsen_player_id	Nielsen Player ID. The unique identifier for the video player.
nielsen_apn	Nielsen APN. Description of the player/site, expressed as a string value.
nielsen_device_id	Nielsen Device ID. Unique identifier of mobile/tablet where you wish to track the video.
nielsen_sdk_debug	Nielsen SDK Debug Flag. Boolean flag to enable/disable logging of the Nielsen integration.
nielsen_opt_out	Nielsen Opt Out Flag. Disable all Nielsen tracking for the current visitor. Requires triggering the opt-out event.

Video Events

Video event destinations are event listeners that trigger when a certain action or change occurs in the video player. To trigger an event, you must map your variable to the desired event in the toolbox and set the value of the variable as the trigger. The mapped event fires when the supplied trigger value is found in the data layer.

The following tables lists the available event destinations:

Destination Name	Description
video_load	Video Load. Indicates the video is ready to be played.
video_start	Video Start. Indicates the video has started playing, possibly after one of the following three (3) scenarios: initial loading buffering ad display
video_playing	Video Playing. Indicates that the video is currently playing. Use to update QoS data. Should not be called when ads are playing.
video_pause	Video Pause. Indicates that video was paused.
video_play	Video Play. Indicates that the video is playing, possibly after the buffering or seeking has completed.
video_stop	Video Stop. Indicates that the video has been manually stopped.
video_resume	Video Resume. Indicates the viewer has unpaused the video to resume playing.
video_complete	Video Complete. Indicates that the video has ended.
video_seek	Video Seek. Indicates the viewer has started seeking the video.
video_buffer	Video Buffer. Indicates the video has started buffering.
video_skip	Video Skip. Indicates the viewer has skipped the video or ad.
video_error	Video Error. Indicates the video has encountered an error.
nielsen_opt_out_status_changed	Nielsen Opt Out Status Change. Indicates the viewer has switched from opt-in to opt-out OR vice-versa.

Video

These destinations correspond to the Adobe Video Measurement parameters.

Destination Name	Description
video.id	Video ID. Unique identifier of the video.
video.title	Video Title. Name of the video being tracked.
video.length	Video Length. The duration (in seconds) of the video asset.
video.current_playhead	Video Current Playhead. The current position of the player (in seconds) in the video, excluding ad content.
video.stream_type	Video Stream Type. Type of the video asset.
video.is_full_episode	Video Is Full Episode. Boolean flag to indicate if the video content is a full episode. Y for full episode. N for a partial clip.
video.original_air_date_nielsen	Video Original Air Date For Nielsen. The original air date of the episode, format. For example, YYYYMMDDHH24:MI:SS
video.channel_name	Video Channel Name. Name of the program or feed being sent.
video.series_name	Video Series Name. Name of the program (series name) being viewed.
video.player_name	Video Player Name. Name of the video player that is playing the content.
video.is_ad	Video Is Ad. Boolean value to indicate whether or not the video is an advertisement.
video.fps	Video FPS. The frame rate of the media, in frames per second (FPS).
video.bit_rate	Video Bitrate. The bits per second attribute of the video content.
video.startup.time	Video Startup Time. The start time, in seconds, of the video content.
video.dropped_frames	Video Dropped Frames. The sum of all frames dropped during a playback session.
video.error_id	Video Error ID. The ID of the error encountered during playback.
video.error_is_fatal	Video Error Is Fatal. Boolean value to indicate whether or not the error prevents playback from continuing.

Chapter

These destinations correspond to Adobe Video Chapter Parameters.

Destination Name	Description
chapter.name	Chapter Name. Name of the individual chapters.
chapter.length	Chapter Length. Total duration of the chapter in seconds.
chapter.position	Chapter Position. Position of the chapter inside the video content.
chapter.start_time	Chapter Start Time. The offset inside the main content where the chapter starts.
chapter_meta_data.custom	Chapter Custom Metadata. Additional custom value related to the chapter.

Ad

These destinations correspond to Adobe Video Ad Parameters.

Destination Name	Description
adbreak.name	Ad Break Name. The name of the individual cad breaks.
adbreak.position	Ad Break Position. The position (index) of the ad break inside the video content. Required when the video.is_ad flag is set to True.
dbreak.start_time	Ad Break Start Time. The offset inside the main content where the ad break starts.
ad.id	Ad ID. Unique identifier of the ad being displayed.
ad.title	Ad Title. Name of the ad.
ad.type	Ad Type. Type or category of the ad.
ad.length	Ad Length. Total duration of the ad (in seconds).
ad.position	Ad Position. The position (index) of the ad inside the video content. Required when the video.is_ad flag is set to True.

Video Metadata

These destinations correspond to Adobe Standard Metadata Parameters.

Destination Name	Description
meta_data.custom	Video Custom Metadata. Additional custom value related to the video.
meta_data.show	Video Metadata Show. Name of the show.
meta_data.season	Video Metadata Season. The season number.
meta_data.episode	Video Metadata Episode. The episode number.
meta_data.asset	Video Metadata Asset. The video asset identifier also known as TMS ID (Tribune Media Service).
meta_data.genre	Video Metadata Genre. Genre of the video content.
meta_data.airDate	Video Metadata Air Date. The date on which the asset was first aired on TV.
meta_data.digitalDate	Video Metadata Digital Air Date. The date on which the asset was first available as digital.
meta_data.rating	Video Metadata Rating. Ratings available for the video content.
meta_data.originator	Video Metadata Originator. Name of the video originator.
meta_data.network	Video Metadata Network. The name of the network associated with the show.
meta_data.type	Video Metadata Type. Type of the show.
meta_data.adLoad	Video Metadata Ad Load. Metadata for the ad load.
meta_data.dayPart	Video Metadata Day Part. The day part for which the ad display is scheduled.
meta_data.feed	Video Metadata Feed. The type of programming feed.
meta_data.format	Video Metadata Format. Stream format of the video.

Ad Metadata

These destinations correspond to Adobe Standard Ad Metadata Parameters.

Destination Name	Description
ad_meta_data.custom	Ad Custom Metadata. Additional custom value related to the ad being displayed.
ad_meta_data.advertiser	Ad Metadata Advertiser. Name of the company/brand that is displaying the ad.
ad_meta_data.campaign	Ad Metadata Campaign. Ad campaign Identifier.
ad_meta_data.creative	Ad Metadata Creative. Creative asset for rendering the ad.
ad_meta_data.placement	Ad Metadata Placement. Metadata related to the position of the ad inside the video.
ad_meta_data.site	Ad Metadata Site. Site associated with the ad.
ad_meta_data.creativeURL	Ad Metadata Creative URL. URL of the ad being displayed.

Built-in Video Data Layer Variables

Mapping is not required if your data layer is already using these values. Tealium typically sends data to the matching tag destinations. If your data layer uses different variables names from those listed in this table, then you will need to manually map.

Built-in Variables	Toolbox Destination Variable	Description
event_name	Video Event destinations	If you use any of the following values in your event_name variable, you do not need to map again in the toolbox. load is mapped to video_load start is mapped to video_start playing is mapped to video_playing pause is mapped to video_pause play is mapped to video_play stop is mapped to video_stop resume is mapped to video_resume complete is mapped to video_complete seek is mapped to video_seek buffer is mapped to video_buffer optstatus is mapped to Nielsen_opt_out_status_changed
video_id	–	Unique identifier of the video.
video_name	video.title	Video Title. Name of the video being tracked.
video_length	video.length	Video Length. The duration (in seconds) of the video asset.
video_player_name	video.player_name	Video Player Name. Name of the video player that is playing the content.
video_current_playhead	video.current_playhead	Video Current Playhead. The current position of the player (in seconds) in the video, excluding ad content.
video_stream_type	video.stream_type	Video Stream Type. Type of the video asset.
video_fps	video.fps	Video FPS. The frame rate of the media, in frames per second (FPS).
video_bitrate	video.bit_rate	Video Bitrate. The bits per second attribute of the video content.
video_dropped_frames	video.dropped_frames	Video Dropped Frames. The sum of all frames dropped during a playback session.
video_is_ad	video.is_ad	Video Is Ad. Boolean value to indicate whether or not the video is an advertisement.
video_ad_position - OR - video_ad_pod_position	ad.position	Ad Position. The position (index) of the ad inside the video content. Required when the video.is_ad flag is set to true.
video_chapter_name	chapter.name	Chapter Name. Name of the individual chapters.
video_chapter_length	chapter.length	Chapter Length. Total duration of the chapter in seconds.
video_chapter_position	chapter.position	Chapter Position. Position of the chapter inside the video content.
video_chapter_start_time	chapter.start_time	Chapter Start Time. The offset inside the main content where the chapter starts.
video_ad_pod_name	ad.id	Ad ID. Unique identifier of the ad being displayed.
program	video.series_name	Video Series Name. Name of the program (series name) being viewed.
is_full_episode	video.is_full_episode	Video Is Full Episode. Boolean flag to indicate if the video content is a full episode. Y for full episode N for a partial clip
original_air_date	video.original_air_date_nielsen	Video Original Air Date For Nielsen. The original air date of the episode, in the following format: YYYYMMDDHH24:MI:SS

Validation

The Heartbeat tag is event-based and leverages the utag.track("video", data) call to differentiate itself from other utag calls. For this reason, it is crucial to properly set up the video event triggers in the Data Mapping toolbox.

Once configured, the tag fires continuously every second in order to keep the video data current. This is accomplished by firing the “playing” event within your video player’s “playing” event handler. Other video events should also be fired via their corresponding Adobe heartbeat events. Network calls are aggregated and reported to Adobe every 10 seconds; including those for event changes.

An easy way to set both the Heartbeat and Nielsen debug flags is by adding a querystring parameter to the URL of the video page. For For example, adobe_debug=1&Nielsen=1
You can then add the Query parameter variables to your data layer in Tealium iQ and map them accordingly.
Mapping destinations for both the Heartbeat and Nielsen debug flags are available under the Standard category. See “Adobe Heartbeat Debug Logging Flag” and “Nielsen SDK Debug Flag”.
When complete, you can run the following Tealium debug command in your browser console.
document.cookie = "utagdb=true";

Sample Implementation

The following examples show network calls for a sample Heartbeat implementation. Primary parameters to note are s:event:type and s:asset:type. These parameters, respectively, indicate the type of video event and which video component it pertains to. The example shows the beginning of the main video before the ad display. The l:event:playhead, also shown, refers to the elapsed time on the main video.

The s:asset:type value equals ad and the l:event:playhead value is 8. This means that the ad started playing at 8 seconds into the video.

Vendor Documentation

• About Adobe Video Heartbeat
• Video Heartbeat Library Configuration
• Nielsen appinfo Parameters
• Video Measurement Parameters
• Metadata Parameters
• Video Player Event