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Event Types

Event Types are categories that help you organize different kinds of interactions and events within your application. They provide structure to your event data and make analytics more meaningful and actionable.

What is an Event Type?​

An Event Type defines a category of events that share similar characteristics or represent the same kind of interaction. For example:

  • user_registration - When users create new accounts
  • button_click - UI interaction tracking
  • page_view - Navigation and content consumption
  • error_occurred - System errors and exceptions
  • purchase_completed - Transaction events
  • feature_used - Feature adoption tracking

Event Type Properties​

Each event type contains the following data:

PropertyDescription
IDUnique identifier for the event type
NameDescriptive name for the event category
App IDIdentifier of the app it belongs to
Created AtTimestamp when the event type was created

Why Use Event Types?​

Data Organization​

Event Types help you:

  • Categorize events by functionality or purpose
  • Group related interactions for easier analysis
  • Structure your analytics around meaningful business metrics
  • Maintain consistency in event naming across your team

Analytics Benefits​

With well-defined event types, you can:

  • Track conversion funnels by analyzing sequences of event types
  • Measure feature adoption by monitoring specific interaction types
  • Identify patterns in user behavior across different event categories
  • Create targeted dashboards focused on specific event types

Event Type Naming Best Practices​

Use Clear, Descriptive Names​

✅ Good: "user_registration", "checkout_completed", "error_payment_failed"
❌ Avoid: "event1", "click", "thing_happened"

Follow Consistent Conventions​

✅ Good: snake_case with descriptive action words
- "button_clicked"
- "page_viewed" 
- "form_submitted"

✅ Good: Include context when helpful
- "login_successful"
- "login_failed"
- "password_reset_requested"
Authentication Events:
- "user_login_attempted"
- "user_login_successful" 
- "user_logout"
- "password_reset_requested"

E-commerce Events:
- "product_viewed"
- "item_added_to_cart"
- "checkout_initiated"
- "purchase_completed"

Common Event Type Categories​

User Authentication & Management​

  • user_registration
  • user_login
  • user_logout
  • password_changed
  • account_deleted

User Interface Interactions​

  • button_clicked
  • form_submitted
  • menu_opened
  • search_performed
  • filter_applied

Content & Navigation​

  • page_viewed
  • article_read
  • video_watched
  • download_started
  • external_link_clicked

E-commerce & Transactions​

  • product_viewed
  • item_added_to_cart
  • checkout_initiated
  • payment_processed
  • order_shipped

System & Error Events​

  • error_occurred
  • api_request_failed
  • timeout_exceeded
  • feature_unavailable
  • system_maintenance

Creating Event Types​

Event Types are created through the SEDL web interface:

  1. Navigate to your app dashboard
  2. Click "View Events" to see existing event types
  3. Click the plus-sign button to create a new event type
  4. Enter a descriptive name following naming conventions
  5. Submit to create the event type

Once created, you'll receive an Event Type ID that you'll use in your API requests to categorize events.

Event Type Strategy​

Planning Your Event Types​

Before creating event types, consider:

  • What user actions do you want to track?
  • What business metrics are important to you?
  • How will you analyze the data?
  • What level of detail do you need?

Evolution and Maintenance​

  • Start simple with core event types
  • Add new types as your tracking needs grow
  • Keep naming consistent across your team
  • Document your event types for team reference

Next Steps​

Ready to work with event types? Check out: