target=_blank doesn't work with GA outbound link tracking

Question

I want to track clicks on outbound links and implemented the following code:

GA code

var trackOutboundLink = function(url) {
   ga('send', 'event', 'outbound', 'click', url, {'hitCallback':
     function () {
     document.location = url;
     }
   });
}

Links

<a class="postLinks" href="<?php if (get_field('source_link')) echo get_field('source_link'); ?>" onclick="trackOutboundLink('<?php if (get_field("source_link")) echo get_field("source_link"); ?>'); return false;"><?php the_title(); ?></a>

target=_blank

I add the target=_blank attribute via jQuery based on whether the visitor to the website ticks a checkbox or not (the selection is then stored in a cookie). However, if I choose to open the outbound link in a new window it doesn't work. When ticking the checkbox it does correctly add the target attribute to the link but when I click on the link it opens it in the same window.

Links with target attribute

<a class="postLinks" href="<?php if (get_field('source_link')) echo get_field('source_link'); ?>" onclick="trackOutboundLink('<?php if (get_field("source_link")) echo get_field("source_link"); ?>'); return false;" target="_blank"><?php the_title(); ?></a>

Any idea?

Answer 1

Having target="_blank" on a link will not do anything if you're changing the page URL via JavaScript by changing document.location.

However you only need to use the hitCallback when you're tracking an internal link. If you have an external link, and therefore target="_blank", your original tab stays open, and the ga tracking event will complete as normal - you don't have to worry about making sure it finishes before loading the new page.

So I think you'd want to change your click handler to be this:

var trackOutboundLink = function(url, isExternal) {
    var params = {};

    if (!isExternal) {
        params.hitCallback = function () {
            document.location = url;
        }
    }
    ga('send', 'event', 'outbound', 'click', url, params);

    return isExternal;
}

And when you attach this as the click handler

onclick="return trackOutboundLink(urlGoesHere, isExternalGoesHere)"

More concrete examples:

<a href="/" onclick="return trackOutboundLink('/', false)">An internal link</a>
<a href="http://www.example.com/" onclick="return trackOutboundLink('http://www.example.com', true)">An external link</a>

Answer 2

This will make all links open in a new window:

    var trackOutboundLink = function(url) {
   ga('send', 'event', 'outbound', 'click', url, {
     'transport': 'beacon',
     'hitCallback': function(){window.open(url);}
   });
}

I just changes document.location = url; to window.open(url); code from https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1136920

you can also change the function name,and have one for new window links, and one for same window links. That would be change the 1st line to something like:

var trackOutboundNewWindow = function(url) {

And then the link would be

<a href="http://www.example.com" onclick="trackOutboundNewWindow('http://www.example.com'); return false;">Check out example.com</a>

Answer 3

Found a solution (as of Feb 6 2016)

<script>
var trackOutboundLink = function(url) {
   ga('send', 'event', 'outbound', 'click', url, {
     'transport': 'beacon',
     'hitCallback': function(){document.location = href;}
   });
}
</script>

Then make your link look like this...

<a href="http://www.example.com" onclick="trackOutboundLink('label name'); return true;" target="_blank">text</a>

Answer 4

DRY - track all anchor's with a 'tracked' class. Note this code is sensitive to popup blockers. The window.open call needs to be outside the ga call.

/**
* Function that tracks a click on an outbound link in Analytics.
*/
$(function() {
    //only create event tracking if ga has loaded
    ga(function(){
        $("a.tracked").click(function(e) {
            var url = $(this).attr("href");
            var newWindow = ($(this)[0].target || '').toLowerCase() === '_blank';
            if(newWindow) {
                window.open(url, '_blank');
            }
            ga("send", "event", "outbound", "click", url, {
                "hitCallback": function () {
                    if(!newWindow) document.location = url;
                }
            });
            e.preventDefault();
        });
    });
});

Answer 5

Just want to support Some Guy In Winnipeg's answer above. Won't let me comment, but his solution works!

Google's suggested code (does not work to open link in new tab) is:

var trackOutboundLink = function(url) {
   ga('send', 'event', 'outbound', 'click', url, {
     'transport': 'beacon',
     'hitCallback': function(){document.location = url;}
 });
}

:

<a href="http://www.example.com" onclick="trackOutboundLink('http://www.example.com'); return false;">Check out example.com</a>

However, if you change "document.location = url;" to "document.location = href;" and in the link tag, change "return false;" to "return true;" and add "target="_blank", the link will open in a new tab, and track the outbound link.

So, the code that works is:

var trackOutboundLink = function(url) {
  ga('send', 'event', 'outbound', 'click', url, {
    'transport': 'beacon',
    'hitCallback': function(){document.location = href;}
 });
}

:

<a href="http://www.example.com" onclick="trackOutboundLink('http://www.example.com'); return true;" target="_blank;">Check out example.com</a>

Answer 6

this works:

hitCallback': function(){window.open(url);}

Hope, that the event tracking is not affected in any way.