# Jimalytics

> Jimalytics is the blog of Jim Gordon, a digital analytics practitioner with nearly two decades of implementation experience. Jim writes about analytics implementation, Adobe Experience Platform (AEP), Adobe Launch (Data Collection Tags), event-driven data layers, tag management governance, bot and invalid traffic, and AI agent traffic. He is Field CTO at CHEQ, a go-to-market cybersecurity company, and created Tagtician, a tag management companion tool.

Articles are written for analytics engineers, implementation consultants and marketing technologists. Many are hands-on guides with examples; others are opinion pieces on where the analytics industry is heading. Older posts covering Adobe DTM, Universal Analytics and Adobe Target Standard document tools that have since been retired or replaced.

## About

- [About Jim Gordon](https://jimalytics.com/atlanta-digital-analytics-consultant/): Background, experience and consulting services
- [Rockstar Resources](https://jimalytics.com/rockstar/): Curated resources for analytics practitioners
- [Videos](https://jimalytics.com/videos/): Video content and talks

## Bots, Invalid Traffic and AI Agents

- [Introducing AI Agent Delegation and Escalation Events](https://jimalytics.com/cheq/introducing-ai-agent-delegation-and-escalation-events/): Detecting when a human hands a session to an AI agent, and when an agent hands it back
- [AEP Data + CHEQ + Datastream Override = Maximum Efficiency](https://jimalytics.com/adobe-experience-platform/aep-data-cheq-datastream-override-maximum-efficiency/): Routing bot traffic into non-Profile AEP datasets with Datastream Overrides
- [My First Release: Data Layer Connectors at CHEQ](https://jimalytics.com/cheq/my-first-release-data-layer-connectors-at-cheq/): Pushing traffic verdicts into the data layer so analytics tools can act on them
- [Joining CHEQ to Bring Sanity to our Industry](https://jimalytics.com/industry/joining-cheq-to-bring-sanity-to-our-industry/): Why invalid traffic is an analytics problem, not just an ad fraud problem
- [The Dawn of the Authenticated Internet](https://jimalytics.com/bots-and-fraud/the-dawn-of-the-authenticated-internet/): Bot traffic overtaking human traffic and what that forces us to rebuild
- [You're Buying Bots: An Inconvenient Truth](https://jimalytics.com/industry/youre-buying-bots-an-inconvenient-truth/): Large-scale bot traffic arriving from paid advertising platforms
- [Have You Checked Yourself for Bots Lately?](https://jimalytics.com/governance/have-you-checked-yourself-for-bots-lately/): Finding and filtering bot traffic in your analytics data

## Adobe Experience Platform (AEP)

- [The AEP Mindset](https://jimalytics.com/adobe-experience-platform/the-aep-mindset/): How AEP's top-down workflow changes the way you design analytics
- [Adobe AEP Guide: Schemas](https://jimalytics.com/adobe-aep-guides/aep-guide-schemas/): What XDM schemas are and how to use them
- [Adobe AEP Guide: Schema Fields](https://jimalytics.com/adobe-aep-guides/aep-guide-schema-fields/): Field-by-field walkthrough of AEP schema field types and their nuances
- [Adobe AEP Guide: Datasets](https://jimalytics.com/adobe-aep-guides/adobe-aep-guide-datasets/): The role datasets play in AEP
- [Adobe AEP Guide: Datastreams](https://jimalytics.com/adobe-aep-guides/adobe-aep-guide-datastreams/): What datastreams do and how to configure them
- [Single vs. Multiple Datasets in AEP](https://jimalytics.com/adobe-experience-platform/single-vs-multiple-datasets-in-aep/): When to use one dataset versus several smaller ones
- [AEP Debugging Tips](https://jimalytics.com/adobe-experience-platform/aep-debugging-tips/): Practical debugging tips for teams new to AEP
- [Adobe Experience Platform (AEP) Dictionary](https://jimalytics.com/adobe-experience-platform/adobe-experience-platform-aep-dictionary/): Plain-language definitions of AEP terminology
- [Adobe Analytics & CJA in Google Tag Manager (via Web SDK)](https://jimalytics.com/adobe-experience-platform/adobe-analytics-cja-in-google-tag-manager-via-web-sdk/): Implementing Adobe Analytics and Customer Journey Analytics through GTM with the Web SDK
- [Make Launch Better: The Web SDK Extension](https://jimalytics.com/adobe-launch-ideas/make-launch-better-the-web-sdk-extension/): A case for redesigning the Launch Web SDK extension around users
- [What even IS a CDP?](https://jimalytics.com/industry/what-even-is-a-cdp/): A skeptical look at what customer data platforms actually deliver

## Data Layers

- [You Need a Data Layer](https://jimalytics.com/data-layers/you-need-a-data-layer/): The business and cost case for implementing a data layer
- [The Event-Driven Data Layer](https://jimalytics.com/data-layers/the-event-driven-data-layer/): Why an event-driven data layer (EDDL) beats a static object
- [Top Event-Driven Data Layer Mistakes](https://jimalytics.com/data-layers/top-event-driven-data-layer-mistakes/): Common EDDL implementation mistakes and how to avoid them
- [Event-Driven Data Layer (EDDL) Demo](https://jimalytics.com/data-layers/event-driven-data-layer-eddl-demo/): Hands-on EDDL demo in Adobe Launch
- [Dream Team: EDDL and HTML5 Data Attributes](https://jimalytics.com/data-layers/dream-team-eddl-and-html5-data-attributes/): Pairing an EDDL with HTML5 data attributes
- [The Adobe Client Data Layer (ACDL)](https://jimalytics.com/tag-management/the-adobe-client-data-layer/): How Adobe's official client data layer works
- [Data Layers and Server-Side Tag Management](https://jimalytics.com/tag-management/data-layers-and-server-side-tag-management/): Why data layers still matter in a server-side world
- [Data Layer or CSS Selectors?](https://jimalytics.com/implementation/data-layer-or-css-selectors/): Choosing between a data layer and DOM scraping
- [Adobe Launch Data Layer: An Appeal](https://jimalytics.com/data-layers/adobe-launch-data-layer-an-appeal/): A case for Adobe Launch supporting one standard data layer approach

## Adobe Launch and Tag Management

- [The Adobe Launch Cheat Sheet](https://jimalytics.com/tag-management/adobe-launch-cheat-sheet/): Quick reference for Adobe Launch
- [Adobe Launch: Data Elements Guide](https://jimalytics.com/tag-management/adobe-launch-data-elements-guide/): Data elements explained with examples
- [Adobe Launch: Rule Events Guide](https://jimalytics.com/adobe-launch-guides/adobe-launch-rule-events-guide/): Every rule event type with use cases
- [Adobe Launch: Rule Conditions Guide](https://jimalytics.com/adobe-launch-guides/adobe-launch-rule-conditions-guide/): Every rule condition type with use cases
- [Adobe Launch: Naming Conventions](https://jimalytics.com/tag-management/adobe-launch-naming-conventions/): Naming rules and data elements for maintainable implementations
- [Adobe Launch: Adapters vs. Environments](https://jimalytics.com/tag-management/adobe-launch-adapters-vs-environments/): How adapters and environments differ, with best practices
- [Adobe Launch Property Inheritance](https://jimalytics.com/tag-management/adobe-launch-property-inheritance/): Parent and child property inheritance with the Master Property Manager extension
- [Make Launch Better: Consent Mode](https://jimalytics.com/adobe-launch-ideas/making-launch-better-consent-mode/): A proposed approach to consent handling in Adobe Launch
- [Failure to Launch: 3 Adobe Launch Gotchas](https://jimalytics.com/tag-management/failure-launch-3-adobe-launch-gotchas/): Common Adobe Launch pitfalls
- [Data Element Viewer for Adobe Launch](https://jimalytics.com/implementation/data-element-viewer-for-adobe-launch/): A bookmarklet that shows all data elements in one click
- [Adobe DTM vs. Launch](https://jimalytics.com/tag-management/adobe-dtm-vs-launch/): Feature-by-feature comparison of DTM and Launch
- [DTM-to-Launch Cheat Sheet](https://jimalytics.com/tag-management/dtm-to-launch-cheat-sheet/): What changed moving from DTM to Launch
- [The Future of Tag Management](https://jimalytics.com/tag-management/the-future-of-tag-management/): Where tag management systems were heading
- [Keep Your TMS Tagging Simple](https://jimalytics.com/tag-management/keep-your-tms-tagging-simple/): Why clever tag manager tricks create long-term debt
- [GTM: Enhanced eCommerce Tracking for Single Page Apps](https://jimalytics.com/tag-management/gtm-enhanced-ecommerce-tracking-single-page-apps/): Ecommerce tracking for SPAs in Google Tag Manager

## Analytics Strategy, Governance and Industry

- [The Semantic Implementation](https://jimalytics.com/implementation/the-semantic-implementation/): Designing every implementation around how the data will be used
- [The Modern Digital Analytics Existential Crisis](https://jimalytics.com/industry/the-modern-digital-analytics-existential-crisis/): Key questions the analytics industry has to answer
- [Analytics Needs a Culture Change](https://jimalytics.com/industry/analytics-needs-a-culture-change/): How the analytics industry should think differently
- [Where's all this AI stuff heading?](https://jimalytics.com/industry/wheres-all-this-ai-stuff-heading/): Practical take on what AI means for analytics work
- [My Shoes Don't Have Laces](https://jimalytics.com/industry/my-shoes-dont-have-laces/): How subconscious decisions shape analysts' conscious ones
- [RIP DAA](https://jimalytics.com/industry/rip-daa/): What the end of the Digital Analytics Association means for the community
- [The Price Tag of Analytics Precision](https://jimalytics.com/implementation/the-price-tag-of-analytics-precision/): Why perfect precision is unobtainable and what to aim for instead
- [The "Track Everything" Mindset](https://jimalytics.com/implementation/the-track-everything-mindset/): Why tracking everything produces less insight, not more
- [The Death of the Session](https://jimalytics.com/governance/the-death-of-the-session/): Why the session is losing value as a unit of measurement
- [Google Analytics Data Quality Checklist](https://jimalytics.com/implementation/google-analytics-data-quality-checklist/): A checklist for auditing Google Analytics data quality
- [Building a Testing Culture with the 3 Second Scan](https://jimalytics.com/ab-testing/building-a-testing-culture-with-the-3-second-scan/): A lightweight method for building an A/B testing culture
- [My Secret Sauce: Building a Forgettable Donation Form](https://jimalytics.com/analysis/my-secret-sauce-building-a-forgettable-donation-form/): Lessons from operationalizing A/B testing on a donation form
- [Adobe Summit Guide for Newbies](https://jimalytics.com/industry/adobe-summit-guide-for-newbies/): Practical advice for first-time Adobe Summit attendees

## Optional

- [Tagtician](https://jimalytics.com/tag-management/introducing-tagtician-beta-the-tag-management-companion/): Introduction to Tagtician, Jim's tag management companion tool
- [Tagtician enters the automated analytics QA space](https://jimalytics.com/tagtician/tagtician-enters-automated-analytics-qa-space/): Automated QA for Adobe tag management
- [Dynamic Tag Manager (DTM) Cheat Sheet](https://jimalytics.com/tag-management/dynamic-tag-manager-dtm-cheat-sheet/): Reference for Adobe DTM (retired)
- [Adobe Target Standard vs. Optimizely](https://jimalytics.com/ab-testing/adobe-target-standard-vs-optimizely/): A/B testing tool comparison (historical)
- [Full sitemap](https://jimalytics.com/wp-sitemap.xml): Every published article