DataSag guides · Updated 27 October 2026

Track custom events on Express with EJS

Use data-datasag-goal for a click goal, or call window.datasag.track after a completed action. Choose a stable event name and distinguish a click from a successful conversion. This guide applies to Express with EJS.

Start with the Express with EJS installation

Add the deferred tracker to the shared EJS partial that emits your document head. Include that partial through the existing local include pattern in each intended template. EJS has no built-in universal layout convention, so identify your actual application composition rather than assuming a views/layout.ejs file exists.

A res.send response or a separately rendered error template can bypass your usual partials. Keep the snippet in browser HTML rather than Express middleware that only logs requests. Never include a template path supplied directly by an untrusted visitor.

Use the public project key from the DataSag project you are inspecting. A test on a preview domain does not confirm that the production domain has the same code or settings.

Track custom events in Express with EJS

  1. Put a click-goal attribute on the EJS-rendered control for click intent. If a shared partial owns the control, pass trusted action configuration into that partial rather than attaching another global listener.
  2. For a completed action, invoke the API in browser code after the Express endpoint confirms success. A Node route or middleware handler does not run in the visitor window.
  3. Test success and validation rejection through the published frontend. Inspect the named payload and confirm a repeated partial render does not register the same callback twice. Keep request acceptance separate from the business outcome your event name promises.

The EJS browser frontend reports its confirmed action once without confusing Node request handling with browser tracking.

Complete the collection checks

  1. Write the event definition first. For example, signup_click means a visitor pressed a signup link, while signup_completed means your application confirmed account creation.
  2. For click intent, add data-datasag-goal to the element. The tracker delegates clicks, so you do not also need a JavaScript handler for the same goal.
  3. For a completed action, call the JavaScript API in the success handler. Wait for the tracker to be available. An optional guard avoids a crash but intentionally drops the event if the tracker has not loaded.
  4. Send only the context needed for the report, such as a form or plan name. Do not include email addresses, passwords, payment details or freeform form contents.
  5. Complete one successful and one failed attempt. Inspect /api/track for the exact eventName and properties. Only the successful attempt should emit a completed-action event.
  6. Check the event report available to your plan. Collection and access to reports are separate; review current plan details before depending on a particular report.
<!-- Click intent: use this OR your own click handler -->
<a href="/signup" data-datasag-goal="signup_click">Create account</a>

// JavaScript: inside the confirmed-success handler
window.datasag?.track('signup_completed', { form: 'main_signup' });

Use a goal attribute in the rendered markup or invoke the API from the browser after a successful request. Node route handlers cannot call the visitor window API.

What a successful check looks like

A controlled successful action produces one event with the agreed name. A validation failure does not emit a success event. Network evidence matches the report definition.

Record the public path you tested, the browser state, the approximate time and the observed request. Check one direct page load and one later navigation so the result covers more than the homepage.

Common mistake

A goal attribute on a submit button measures clicks, including attempts that fail. Do not report those clicks as completed signups or purchases.

Installation snippet for Express with EJS

The shared installation belongs in a shared EJS head partial included by the intended page templates. Use this as the installation reference while checking the procedure above.

<script defer src="https://www.datasag.com/tracker.js" data-datasag-key="YOUR_PUBLIC_KEY"></script>

Related Express with EJS guides

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References

Official Express with EJS documentation covers the integration point. For DataSag data handling, read the privacy policy. Use support if a request fails after these checks.