‘Origin Source’ can be stored in a supporter’s data record to help identify where the record originated from and compare different channels on performance. For example: You can use ‘Origin Source’ to look at supporters that came in via Facebook advertising in 2018 (based on the origin source code you set) to determine how many converted to donors and at what level.
The Origin Source can be set via:
- Importing (via a front-end import or via the Bulk Import API (supporters) – if using the API you’ll need to map the Origin Source and Origin Source Category fields first from a csv file and save that as a import format to use in the API)
- A page submission (set in the page’s admin settings)
- A page submission (set in the URL)
- A page submission (via the REST API)
Origin Source Category can be imported but must be one of the predefined values.
If you import supporters with no participation data or Origin Source, then the first action they take will have an Origin Source applied to their record (if the action has an Origin Source applied).
How do they work?
An Origin Source can only be set once – and once set it will not change based on the supporter’s behavior. Therefore it is a useful tool for understanding the reason a supporter came to be on your database to begin with, as it cannot accidentally be updated.
- New supporters can have their Origin Source set by any of the four methods above
- Existing supporters with an Origin Source cannot have it changed based on their behavior (they can be changed via import)
- Existing supporters without an Origin Source can only have it set via an import
- Supporters who are imported in the account without an Origin Source will have their Origin Source written based on their first organic action in the account (i.e. they submit a page with an Origin Source).
NOTE: Origin Source has a 100 character limit.
Components – Origin Source
Any origin source values you’ve imported will be automatically added to your Components library. To access the existing sources just go to Pages > Components > Origin Source.
If you would like to manually add new origin source codes just click 
then fill out the information in the pop up.
| Origin Source | The code you are using for this source goes here. |
| Notes | Any internal notes about the source goes here. |
You do not have to manually add the origin source values if importing. They are automatically added if imported.
You do need to manually add the origin source values before they are passed in via the URL.
Importing Origin Sources
If you would like to store ‘Origin Source” you will need to import a file with that contains the columns ‘Origin Source’ and ‘Origin Source Category’. For information about formatting your file for import see here. Once you have created your import file you can user the import tool to import the supporters and map their ‘Origin Source’. A sample file is shown below:
NOTE: Origin Source Category must be one of the these values:
advocacy fundraising direct_mail peer_to_peer email event mobile gala newsletter legacy_list volunteer grants survey ecards membership organic offline offline_petition offline_donor offline_street_canvas offline_door_canvas list_acquisition list_acquisition_care2 email_append socialmedia socialmedia_facebook socialmedia_twitter socialmedia_instagram socialmedia_linkedin paid_ads free_ads display_ads display_ads_facebook display_ads_google display_ads_aol display_ads_baidu display_ads_yandex retargeting_ads retargeting_ads_facebook retargeting_ads_google retargeting_ads_aol retargeting_ads_baidu retargeting_ads_yandex search_engine search_engine_google search_engine_yahoo search_engine_bing search_engine_aol search_engine_baidu search_engine_yandex search_engine_ask external_system
Clearing supporters Origin Source Value
If you need to remove an Origin Source from supporter records, you can import a file with supporter email addresses and [CLEAR] in the Origin Source and Origin Source Category columns. This will remove the Origin Source from the associated supporter records and you can then reimport new values.
Setting via a URL Variable
You can also pass Origin Source over the URL for your page-builder pages.
Please use this format: en_og_source
Example: https://politicalnetworks.com/page/11089/donate/1?mode=DEMO&en_og_source=ABC123
You will need to manually add your source codes before they are passed in via the URL.
Setting Origin Source on a page
You can also set an Origin Source in your page’s admin settings. The category will be set to the type of page (transaction type), e.g. “fundraising”. The origin source can only have one category so if you assign an origin source to a different type of page, then the category will switch on submission.
Note: the URL option above will override the page setting if both are used
Some examples:
fundraising, listpurchase
Viewing and Exporting the Origin Source
The Origin Source can be viewed when looking up a supporter under their Activity Summary gadget
It can also be filtered on by using the query builder to preview and export data.
The Bulk Export API will export Origin Source as a column the first time the value is written, if you have selected it in the Data & Reports > API Options > File Format area.