Testing & Validation

Complete guide for testing and validating your ClickBeam and SkyBeam tracking implementations. Learn how to verify event capture, debug issues, and ensure production readiness.

Testing Guide
Validation

Testing Prerequisites

  • ClickBeam or SkyBeam installed on your website
  • Active API token for tracking
  • Access to browser Developer Tools (F12)
  • Understanding of basic JavaScript debugging

Step 1: Verify Script Installation

1.1

Open Browser Developer Tools

Navigate to your website and press F12 (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Option + I (Mac) to open Developer Tools.

1.2

Check Console for Initialization

Switch to the Console tab. Look for ClickBeam initialization messages confirming the script loaded successfully.

Expected console output:

✓ ClickBeam initialized successfully
✓ Page view tracked automatically
✓ Session ID: abc123-def456-ghi789
1.3

Verify Network Requests

Switch to the Network tab and refresh the page. Filter for "track" to see API requests. Look for POST requests to /api/track with 200 OK status codes.

Tip: Click on a request to inspect headers, payload, and response. Verify the Authorization header contains your Bearer token and the payload includes expected event data.

Step 2: Test Event Tracking

2.1

Trigger Test Events

Perform actions on your website that should trigger events (form submissions, purchases, button clicks). Monitor the Console and Network tabs for corresponding event tracking calls.

2.2

Use Platform Test Mode

Navigate to your advertiser's platform integrations and use the "Test Event" button to fire test events directly. This verifies the platform connection works independently of your website code.

DEV+NULL Platform: For system testing without hitting real platform APIs, use the DEV+NULL platform adapter. It captures transformed payloads for inspection without external API calls.
2.3

Console Testing Commands

You can also fire test events directly from the browser console during development:

Test page view:

beam('trackPageView', {
    event_id: 'test-pageview-001'
});

Test purchase event:

beam('trackPurchase', {
    event_id: 'test-purchase-001',
    value: 99.99,
    currency: 'USD',
    transaction_id: 'TEST-TXN-123'
});

Step 3: Verify Events in Intelligence Dashboard

3.1

Navigate to Intelligence Reports

From your advertiser dashboard, click "Intelligence" in the navigation menu to view all captured events.

3.2

Filter Recent Events

Use the time filter to show "Last Hour" or "Today" to see your test events. Verify they appear with correct event names, timestamps, and source attribution.

Expected event display:

✓ Event: page_view Source: clickbeam URL: /
✓ Event: purchase Source: clickbeam Value: $99.99
3.3

Inspect Event Details

Click on individual events to view complete event data, including all parameters, user data, session information, and source attribution details.

Step 4: Test SkyBeam + ClickBeam Coordination

If you have both SkyBeam and ClickBeam deployed, verify they coordinate correctly for complete attribution.

4.1

Check Source Attribution

Events captured by both systems should show dual source attribution in Intelligence Reports. Page views typically show ["skybeam", "clickbeam"].

Expected Coordination Pattern:
Event 1234 | page_view | / | Sources: ["skybeam","clickbeam"]
Event 1235 | lead | /contact | Sources: ["clickbeam","skybeam"]
Event 1236 | page_view | /thank-you | Sources: ["skybeam","clickbeam"]
4.2

Verify Session Matching

All events in a user session should share the same laser_beam_session ID. This ensures proper journey stitching and attribution across both tracking systems.

4.3

Test Multi-Page Journey

Complete a full user journey (homepage → product page → checkout → confirmation) and verify all events are captured with consistent session IDs and proper source attribution.

Step 5: Validate Platform Queue

5.1

Configure Event Settings

Navigate to Event Settings and configure at least one event to forward to a platform. Select event type, map parameters, and save the configuration.

5.2

Check Queue Status

Navigate to the Queue Management page to see events queued for platform delivery. Verify your test events appear in the queue with correct platform destinations.

Note: Events are queued for asynchronous processing. Queue jobs typically process within seconds, but may take longer during high traffic periods.
5.3

Monitor Platform Logs

In your platform integration settings, check the event logs to verify successful delivery to advertising platforms. Look for 200/201 status codes indicating successful API calls.

Testing Strategies

Browser DevTools Testing

Use browser Developer Tools for real-time debugging:

  • Console: Check for errors and initialization messages
  • Network: Inspect API requests and responses
  • Application: Verify cookies and local storage

Trace Logging

Use the Trace Logging system for detailed request flow analysis:

  • Track events through entire pipeline
  • Identify bottlenecks and failures
  • Debug platform API integration issues

Verification Checklist

Production Readiness Checklist

Common Test Scenarios

Scenario 1: E-commerce Purchase Flow

Test Steps:

  1. Visit product page → verify page_view event
  2. Add to cart → verify trackAddToCart event
  3. View cart → verify page_view event
  4. Initiate checkout → verify trackInitiateCheckout event
  5. Complete purchase → verify trackPurchase event
  6. View confirmation → verify page_view event

Expected: All 6 events captured with same session ID, proper source attribution, and complete transaction data.

Scenario 2: Lead Generation Form

Test Steps:

  1. Visit landing page → verify page_view event
  2. Fill out contact form → prepare form data
  3. Submit form → verify trackLead event fires
  4. View thank you page → verify page_view event

Expected: Lead event includes hashed email/phone, form data captured, thank you page tracked in same session.

Scenario 3: Multi-Page Journey with Platform Attribution

Test Steps:

  1. Visit site with platform click ID (e.g., ?gclid=abc123)
  2. Navigate through multiple pages
  3. Complete conversion event
  4. Check Intelligence Reports for platform attribution

Expected: Platform click ID captured in first touch, all subsequent events linked to platform, conversion properly attributed.

Troubleshooting Testing Issues

Common Testing Issues

Events Not Appearing in Dashboard
Check Network tab for 200 OK responses. Verify API token is active. Clear browser cache and retry. Check Intelligence Reports time filter is set correctly (e.g., "Last Hour").
Wrong Source Attribution
Verify both ClickBeam and SkyBeam are deployed if expecting dual sources. Check that coordination cookies are being set correctly. Review session ID consistency across events.
Missing Event Data Fields
Inspect Network request payload to verify data is being sent. Check event tracking code for typos in parameter names. Ensure required fields (event_id, currency, value) are included.
Platform Queue Not Processing
Verify Event Settings are configured for the event type. Check platform integration is active and credentials are valid. Review Queue Management for failed jobs and error messages.

Next Steps

Once testing is complete and all verification checks pass, you're ready for production deployment. If you encounter issues, consult the troubleshooting guide for detailed debugging steps.

Troubleshooting Guide → System Monitoring