tracking query parameter

Question

We need to store a query parameter (gclid) in a cookie - if it exists. Using Cookie Plus on an EE 2.8 installation.

ie: domain.com/page?gclid=12345

How can I detect that the query exists and then how do I grab the data in the query? I believe this would work if it was segments: {if segment_2=="gclid"} {exp:cookie_plus:set name="cookie" value="{segment_3}" seconds="86400"} {/if}

Answer 1

Given your outdated EE version, I'm not sure there are any viable add-on's that can help you with this (maybe Mo' Variables if you can get an old version?).

A quick search shows this add-on:

https://devot-ee.com/add-ons/pg

Might do the trick. And there maybe other plugins if you search for them. If not...

You have two options. The first would be to craft a plugin that can grab, parse, and return query variables you ask it for. Then you could (probably) do something like this:

{exp:cookie_plus:set
    name="cookie"
    value="{exp:my_query_plugin:get query='gclid'}"
    seconds="86400"
    parse="inward"}

Not sure all of that would work with EE 2.8, I have no access to an install earlier than EE 4.

The second is to simply skip using templating to get this done. It's easily done in JS:

https://davidwalsh.name/query-string-javascript
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Document/cookie

You can test if the query param exists, and if so, set a cookie in JS.