Implementing Third-Party Link Queries in Webflow: A Step-by-Step Guide

Published on
April 16, 2020

How to Implement Third-Party Link Queries in Webflow

If you're looking to add link queries from third-party links and apply those queries within your website, you're in the right place! In this tutorial, we'll walk through how to seamlessly integrate link queries from third-party platforms into your Webflow site, so they follow the user as they navigate through the different pages. This feature is particularly useful if you want to capture valuable information and track user sources for marketing campaigns without the need to navigate between various platforms and dashboards.

Understanding the Concept

Link queries from third-party links are essentially parameters that are appended to the URL. These parameters can include vital information about the source, campaign details, and more. The idea is to seamlessly carry these link queries with the user as they interact with your website and eventually submit a form. It allows for effective tracking and provides valuable insights without overwhelming users with a cluttered URL.

Implementing the Hack

Let's dive into the step-by-step process of implementing this feature in Webflow:

Step 1: Setting the Foundation

In order to effectively implement the functionality of carrying link queries through the user's journey on your website, we need to delve into some JavaScript coding. Don't worry if you're not proficient in JavaScript; we'll guide you through the process.

Step 2: Incorporating the Script

Within your Webflow project, navigate to the page where you want to add the functionality of capturing and carrying link queries. To incorporate the necessary script, follow these steps:

  1. Access the page in the Webflow Designer.
  2. Click on the page settings or access the custom code section.
  3. Insert the JavaScript code provided below the closing </body> tag.

The script will be responsible for identifying and applying the link queries to the appropriate URLs as the user interacts with your website.

Step 3: Understanding the Script

The script contains logic to detect if the page URL contains any query parameters. If queries are detected, the script locates all the links on the page and seamlessly appends the detected queries to the respective URLs. This allows the queries to travel with the user across different pages, capturing valuable information without cluttering the URL visibly.

Step 4: Ensuring Clean URLs

An additional enhancement involves removing the queries from the URL promptly, ensuring that the users are not overwhelmed with a cluttered URL. This is achieved through the manipulation of the HTML5 history API to clean up the URLs after a brief delay, ensuring a seamless and polished user experience.

Step 5: Site-wide Implementation

To ensure that this functionality is applied across your entire Webflow site, you can incorporate the script within the site settings or global custom code sections. This ensures that the link queries effortlessly accompany the users across all pages while maintaining clean and polished URLs.

Step 6: Testing and Refinement

It's crucial to thoroughly test the functionality across various scenarios to ensure seamless integration and performance.

Summary

In conclusion, implementing the functionality of carrying link queries from third-party links within your Webflow site can significantly enhance your ability to track user sources and campaign details without impacting the user experience. By seamlessly applying these link queries and maintaining clean URLs, you can obtain valuable insights and make data-driven decisions for your marketing strategies.

Remember, while the concept might involve some technical details, Webflow's flexibility and the power of JavaScript allow for the seamless incorporation of such advanced features without the need for extensive custom code.

We hope this tutorial has provided you with valuable insights into implementing link queries from third-party links within Webflow. Stay tuned for more tutorials and advanced Webflow hacks that can elevate your web development capabilities.

Now, you're ready to amaze your clients and elevate your web development skills through Webflow's powerful and flexible platform!