1. General

In order for ad-serving systems to track clicks when displaying Flash banners, the Flash banners must be programmed to use clickTAG variables instead of pre-defined URLs. The clickTAG variables are passed to the Flash file by the HTML page that shows the Flash banner. Thereby, the ad-serving systems can track the number of clicks and change the URL realtime, without having to modify the Flash banner.

• Filesize is limited to 60 KB
• Fallback *.gif banners must always be supplied for all formats

2. clickTAG variables

Methods for implementing the clickTAG variables in Flash banners depend on the ActionScript version used in the banners. The methods do the same job and are only different in the coding. Adform supports both ActionScript 2 and ActionScript 3 coded banners. If there is more than one taget URL, please see the naming convention below (for Flash banners with more than five clickTAG variables see section 4 below):

3. Implementation of clickTAG variable

Implementation of the clickTAG variable depends on the version of ActionScript you are using. Also, due to constantly increasing online security measures in internet browsers, pop-up blocking is becoming a common problem in online advertising.

Please click on the ActionScript version to see the implementation instructions.

• ActionScript 2

  When using ActionScript 2 it is very simple to apply the clickTAG method. Simply write "clickTAG" instead of an URL and tick the tick-box "Expression" so that Flash knows it is a variable (it is a common error to forget this - thus resulting the browser to go to a non-existing URL: http://clickTAG when clicked).
  
  
  
  
  
  Note: always make sure you attach the ActionScript code that opens a new browser window to an instance of a button, not a movie clip. Also, the event, which triggers the opening of a new window, must be "release", not "press" because opening a new window on "press" event will definitely trigger the pop-up blockers.

• ActionScript 3

  When using ActionScript 3 it is very important that the clickTAG variable is implemented exactly as described below.
  
  Create a button symbol on Flash API stage, and give it a name (e.g. button - pic. below).
  
  
  
  Download Adform ActionScript 3 Compiled Components. Copy them to your Adobe flash installation components directory. Drag AdfURLNavigator and AdfFlashVarsUtil components to the stage and paste this code to the same Flash API timeline frame where you created the button (replace the name "button" with how you actually called the button):

  button.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, ADFclicked);
function ADFclicked(event:MouseEvent) {
AdfURLNavigator.navigateToUrl( AdfFlashVarsUtil.getParameter("clickTAG"));
}

If you need to implement some aditional functions on the same button instance, make sure that the opening of the new browser window is the first action that happens after user clicks the banner/button (any delay between click and call to the function that opens a new window increases the possibility of triggering the pop-up blocker). E.g. the code in green is much less likely to trigger the pop-up blockers than the code in red:

• ActionScript 2

  on (release) {
 getURL(_root.clickTAG, "_blank");
 SOME_FUNCTION();
}

on (release) {
 SOME_FUNCTION();
 getURL(_root.clickTAG, "_blank");
}

• ActionScript 3

  button.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, ADFclicked);
function ADFclicked(event:MouseEvent) {
AdfURLNavigator.navigateToUrl( AdfFlashVarsUtil.getParameter("clickTAG"));
SOME_FUNCTION();
}

button.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, ADFclicked);
function ADFclicked(event:MouseEvent) {
SOME_FUNCTION();
AdfURLNavigator.navigateToUrl( AdfFlashVarsUtil.getParameter("clickTAG"));
}

For testing clickTAG implementation, please use the Adform Creative Test Module: http://test.adform.com.

4. Transfering Variables in the Querystring

Transferring variables in the querystring is often desired when the user inputs some data interactively in the Flash banner, e.g. his/her e-mail or telephone number etc. This can be achieved by appending a ";cppar=1&" parameter to the clickTAG. This method to transfer these variables in the querystring is best described by an example:

• ActionScript 2

  EmailFlashVariable = "aa@aa.com";
on (release) {
getURL(_root.clickTAG+";cppar=1&EmailURLVariable="+ EmailFlashVariable, "_blank");
}

• ActionScript 3

  button.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, ADFclicked);
function ADFclicked(event:MouseEvent) {
AdfURLNavigator.navigateToUrl( AdfFlashVarsUtil.getParameter("clickTAG") + ";cppar=1&EmailURLVariable=" + EmailFlashVariable);
}


If the clickTAG is e.g. set to http://www.site.com the user gets redirected to http://www.site.com?EmailURLVariable= aa@aa.com when the Flash banner is clicked.

This method can be used for multiple querystring values:

• ActionScript 2

  a = 1;
b = 2;
c = "Hello";
on (release) {
getURL(_root.clickTAG+";cppar=1&a="+a+"&b="+b+"&c="+c, "_blank");
}

• ActionScript 3

  button.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, ADFclicked);
function ADFclicked(event:MouseEvent) {
AdfURLNavigator.navigateToUrl( AdfFlashVarsUtil.getParameter("clickTAG") + ";cppar=1&a=" + a + "&b=" + b + "&c=" + c;);
}


The corresponding target URL then becomes http://www.site.com?a=1&b=2&c=hello.

For testing clickTAG implementation and passed parameters please use the Adform Creative Test Module: http://test.adform.com.

5. Interactive and non-standard Flash banners

The following documents provide detailed specifications on how to create interactive and feature rich Flash banners:

• Streaming Banners -
• Floating Banners -
• Expanding Banners -
• Interactive Banners -
• Polite Banners -
• Implementing Events in Flash Banners -
• Measuring Viewing Time of Video in Flash Banners
• Creating Tear Back Banners
• Creating Synchronized Banners

For further information, examples and Flahs on implementing various features in Flash banners please contact Adform Traffic department

Contact our Traffic Team