Segment is a powerful Customer Data Platform (CDP) that enables companies to collect, clean and unify customer data from disparate sources and deliver it to a wide range of integrated destinations such as data warehouses, analytics tools, marketing tools, and more.
If you are interested in learning more about CDPs, we have also published an article on the topic that you may find useful.
While implementing Segment, debugging is probably one of the most challenging aspects as it requires a good understanding on how the tool collects and processes the data. However, this is also crucial in ensuring that events and properties are properly sent to your Segment account. In this article, we will discuss four techniques to master Segment debugging, giving you the tools and knowledge needed to debug your implementation with confidence and efficiency.
Number 1 : Check out the Segment debugger
This should be your first step. The Segment debugger is a tool that allows you to see the events that are being sent through Segment in real-time from a specific source. You just need to trigger the events you want to verify and directly check them into the debugger. This is probably the easiest way to verify that everything is there in the right format.
Number 2 : Have a look at the network tab
Another easy way to check that your events and properties are sending properly to your Segment account is to directly inspect the network tab of your website.
To do so, simply right click on your website page in Chrome & select “inspect”. Then Navigate towards the “network” tab.
You can find your segments calls by typing “Segment” in the search bar. You will see below an example of a “track” call.
You can also use this method to export a HAR file and analyze it using a specific tool to get more data about the request. You will find more information about HAR files in this article.
Number 3 : Take a look at the browser console
The browser console can also be a useful tool for debugging Segment. To open the console, right-click on the page, select "Inspect" and go to the "Console" tab.
Then type the following command into the console :
analytics.debug()
This command will start logging all of the interactions with Segment in the console. Simply trigger the different events and watch them being logged into the console.
You can stop the console from logging these all these interactions with the following command:
analytics.debug(false)
Below an example :
Number 4 : Do you know Segment Event Tracker ?
There is also a chrome extension called “Segment Event Tracker” that allows you to debug a Segment set up directly from the website. Again, just trigger the different events and watch them into the plugin. It is worth noting that this extension is not maintained by Segment and therefore they cannot control its behavior.
In conclusion, mastering the art of Segment debugging is crucial for ensuring that your implementation is functioning effectively and efficiently. By applying the four techniques outlined in this article, you will be better equipped to identify and troubleshoot any issues that may arise during the debugging process.
However, we understand that debugging can be a complex and challenging task, and that you may encounter issues that are difficult to resolve on your own. If this is the case, we encourage you to contact the Segment support for assistance. Their experienced team can help you troubleshoot any issues and identify any problems with your setup.
To ensure that you receive the most efficient and effective assistance from Segment support,
It is important to check your integration settings beforehand, as many issues can be resolved by verifying that your settings are correctly configured.
If you have any further questions or concerns about Segment debugging or implementation, do not hesitate to reach out!