Understanding Action Type vs. Event Name in KMP

When reviewing reports in the Katalys Marketing Platform (KMP), you will see both Action Type and Event Name as dimensions. While they sound similar, they represent different points in the customer journey. This article clarifies their definitions, relationships, and use cases.

What is an Event Name?

An Event Name is any user interaction an advertiser chooses to track using the Katalys tracking script.

• In addition to Katalys default events, Advertisers can define and send custom events to measure funnel activity, such as engagement and drop-off points.

• Examples of custom event names include: pagevisit, email_submit, survey_begin, thank_you.

• Certain names are reserved by Katalys and cannot be used as custom Event Names (e.g., click, convert, pageview).

• Events are broader than conversions — many Event Names tracked will have no conversions associated with them, which is expected.
  
  Key takeaway: Event Names represent the tracked raw interactions happening throughout the funnel.
  
  Reference: Reporting Custom Events

What is an Action Type?

An Action Type is the advertiser-defined action reported when a conversion occurs.

• Examples include: online-sale, signup, or other advertiser-defined outcomes.

• Action Types are tied directly to conversions and provide a way to categorize advertiser-reported actions when users can convert through multiple paths.

• In reporting, the Action Type helps view how the conversion is categorized, but is not required for a successful conversion.

• If an advertiser does not provide an Action Type, the conversion will still be recorded, but reporting will show the Action Type as null.

  • In reports, add the Payout Rules column to see which Payout Rules were applied to conversions.
    

Key takeaway: Action Types represent the reported conversion outcomes captured at the end of the funnel.

Reference: Order Status Reporting

How Do They Relate?

• A single conversion may be preceded by multiple Event Names (for example: pagevisit → survey_begin → addtocart → thank_you).

• The Action Type reflects only the final reported action attributed to that conversion (for example: online-sale).

In many cases, the Event Name that triggered the conversion and the Action Type will match. In other cases, the advertiser may map an Event Name (e.g., thank_you) to a different Action Type (e.g., signup) to align with reporting and payout requirements.

Key Differences