# Reach External Destination

The **Reach External Destination** goal tracks successful transfers to partner sites, affiliate destinations, and multi-domain checkouts. This goal type helps you understand which outbound placements actually send users where you want them, eliminating visibility gaps when users click external links.

## What It Tracks

Humblytics automatically tracks when visitors:

* Start on your test page (Control or Variant)
* Click external links to partner sites, affiliate destinations, or multi-domain checkouts
* Successfully reach the designated external destination URL

This goal provides complete visibility into outbound link performance, helping you identify which placements drive actual user transfers rather than just clicks.

## Why Use This Goal

**Stop losing visibility** when users click external links. Traditional analytics often lose track of users once they leave your domain. The Reach External Destination goal maintains tracking through:

* **Partner site redirects** - Track successful transfers to affiliate partners
* **Multi-domain checkouts** - Monitor completion rates across separate checkout domains
* **External booking systems** - Measure successful transfers to third-party booking platforms
* **Affiliate destinations** - Understand which placements drive actual conversions

## How It Works

1. Visitors are randomly assigned to **Control (A)** or **Variant (B)**
2. Humblytics tracks when users click external links configured for tracking
3. The system verifies successful arrival at the external destination URL
4. Conversion rates are calculated (successful transfers ÷ total visitors)
5. Real-time analytics show which version leads to higher external destination completion rates

## Common Use Cases

* **Affiliate Link Optimization** - Test which placements drive more successful transfers to partner sites
* **Multi-Domain Checkout** - Compare checkout flows that redirect to external payment processors
* **Partner Integration Testing** - Measure which designs drive more successful partner site visits
* **Booking System Optimization** - Test layouts that lead to external booking platforms
* **External Tool Adoption** - Measure successful transfers to third-party tools or services

## Setup Instructions

1. Click the **Split Testing** menu in your Humblytics dashboard
2. Click **Start Creating Experiment**
3. Under **Select Testing Goal**, choose **Reach External Destination**
4. Enter your **External Destination URL** (e.g., `https://partner-site.com/checkout` or `https://booking-platform.com/confirm`)
5. Configure external link tracking in your site settings or via custom tracking code
6. Choose your **Experiment** and **Test Type**
7. Add your **Control (A)** page URL
8. Configure **Visitor Assignment** (allow or prevent overlap)
9. Apply **Restrictions** (Geo or Audience filters as needed)
10. Launch your test and monitor external destination completions in real-time

## Technical Implementation

For external links to be tracked, they must be configured with Humblytics tracking. This can be done through:

* **Site Settings** - Enable external link tracking in your site configuration
* **Custom Tracking Code** - Add tracking attributes to external links:

  ```html
  <a href="https://external-site.com" 
     data-humblytics-external="true"
     data-humblytics-destination="https://external-site.com/confirmation">
    External Link
  </a>
  ```

## Best Practices

* **Clear Destination URLs** - Use exact destination URLs that represent successful completion
* **Test Tracking** - Verify external link tracking before launching split tests
* **Cross-Domain Setup** - Ensure proper cross-domain tracking configuration for multi-domain flows
* **Monitor Attribution** - Review attribution data to ensure proper conversion tracking

## Benefits

By running this test, you'll gain insights into which experience helps users successfully reach external destinations, resulting in:

* **Higher partner site transfers**
* **Improved affiliate conversion rates**
* **Better multi-domain checkout completion**
* **Complete visibility** into outbound link performance