What’s the difference between using init function to track pageview and using .track_pageview() function? Which is the better solution if we want to send custom event property under the page view event?
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To answer your question about tracking page views in Mixpanel, let's look at the two methods you mentioned: 1. Using the init
function with track_pageview
option: LBKSmixpanel.init('YOUR_TOKEN', {track_pageview: true});LBKS
2. Using the track_pageview()
function: LBKSmixpanel.track_pageview();LBKS
The main differences are: 1. The init
method with track_pageview: true
will automatically track page views on every page load. This is a set-it-and-forget-it approach.2. The track_pageview()
function allows you to manually trigger page view tracking when you want, giving you more control over when the event is sent.As for sending custom event properties with page views, the track_pageview()
function is the better solution. Here's why: According to the Mixpanel JavaScript SDK documentation, you can add custom properties to the page view event using the track_pageview()
function like this: LBKSmixpanel.track_pageview({ "page": "Pricing" });LBKS
This allows you to include any custom properties you want with the page view event.On the other hand, the init
method with track_pageview: true
doesn't provide a straightforward way to add custom properties to every page view event.So, if you want to send custom event properties with your page view events, using the track_pageview()
function is the recommended approach as it gives you more flexibility and control over the data you send with each page view event.
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Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! 📚
Yes, when you use the track_pageview()
method, the event name is indeed $mp_web_page_view
. This is consistent with the default page view event tracked by Mixpanel.According to the Mixpanel JavaScript SDK documentation: "The default page view event has the event name ($mp_web_page_view
), and includes the event properties page title (current_page_title
), URL components (current_domain
, current_url_path
, current_url_protocol
, current_url_search
), and marketing parameters."This means that whether you use the automatic page view tracking with track_pageview: true
in the init
function or manually call track_pageview()
, the event name will be $mp_web_page_view
. The advantage of using track_pageview()
is that you can add custom properties to this event, as mentioned in the previous answer.For example: LBKSmixpanel.track_pageview({ "page": "Pricing" });LBKS
This will send a $mp_web_page_view
event with the additional custom property "page" set to "Pricing", along with the default page view properties.
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