Capture additional information from URL parameters when customers submit your form.
What is Metadata?
Metadata is extra information captured from URL query parameters when someone visits and submits your form. This data is stored with the submission and visible in conversation views.
How It Works
Add query parameters to your form URL:
https://supportretriever.com/form/your-form-id?source=newsletter&campaign=summer2024&userId=12345
When a customer submits the form, these parameters are automatically:
- Captured - Stored with the submission
- Cleaned - Removed from the URL (for cleaner URLs)
- Stored - Available in conversation metadata
Example Use Cases
Marketing Campaigns
Track which campaigns drive form submissions:
https://supportretriever.com/form/your-id?utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=product_launch&utm_medium=social
User Context
Capture user information:
https://supportretriever.com/form/your-id?userId=12345&plan=premium&page=settings
Referral Tracking
Identify where customers came from:
https://supportretriever.com/form/your-id?referrer=blog&article=getting-started&source=internal
URL Format
Add parameters using standard query string format:
[form-url]?key1=value1&key2=value2&key3=value3
Rules:
- Use
&to separate multiple parameters - Values are automatically URL-encoded
- Parameter names are sanitized (alphanumeric, underscores, hyphens)
- Values are limited to 500 characters
- Parameter names limited to 50 characters
Viewing Metadata
Metadata appears in conversation views:
- Open a conversation in your dashboard
- Look for the metadata icon (braces:
{}) in the header - Click to view captured metadata
Statistics Integration
Metadata is also available in your statistics:
- Go to Statistics (
/stats) - Find the Metadata Breakdown section
- See counts for each metadata field and value
This helps you understand:
- Which campaigns drive the most submissions
- Where customers are coming from
- What contexts lead to support requests
Implementation Examples
In Email Campaigns
<a href="https://supportretriever.com/form/your-id?source=email&campaign=newsletter_jan">Contact Support</a>
In Website Navigation
<a href="https://supportretriever.com/form/your-id?source=header&page=home">Contact</a>
In Application Settings
const formUrl = `https://supportretriever.com/form/your-id?source=app&page=settings&userId=${userId}`;
window.location.href = formUrl;
With UTM Parameters
<a href="https://supportretriever.com/form/your-id?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=product_guide">Get Help</a>
Best Practices
- Consistent Naming: Use consistent parameter names across your site
- Meaningful Values: Use values that provide useful context
- Not Sensitive: Don't include passwords or sensitive data
- Documentation: Document your parameter structure for your team
Security Considerations
- Parameters are automatically sanitized
- Only alphanumeric characters, underscores, and hyphens allowed in keys
- Values are limited in length
- No sensitive data should be passed in URLs
URL Cleaning
SupportRetriever automatically removes parameters from the URL after capture:
- Before:
https://supportretriever.com/form/your-id?source=newsletter - After:
https://supportretriever.com/form/your-id
This keeps URLs clean for customers while preserving the metadata.