At Blotout, customer feedback has always been our compass. Over time, we noticed a recurring pattern:
- A new feature added to one channel quickly led to requests for the same feature in another.
- Weeks later, yet another customer would ask for that feature in a different channel.
This highlighted a need for a flexible mechanism to handle event transformations before reaching the channel processor. That’s where EdgeTag Plugins come in.
Why We Built Plugins (Customer Feedback in Action)
Customers wanted:
- Less duplication of event logic across channels
- More control over how events were processed
- The ability to experiment without waiting for code changes
Plugins now make all of this possible.
The Old Flow: Event Duplication Challenges
Previously, EdgeTag worked like this:
- Event sent to the Edge.
- User ID graph checked and consent verified.
- Consented channels received the event.
- Each channel prepared its own payload and sent it to the endpoint.
If you wanted to rename an event, you had to implement this logic in every channel’s payload preparation—creating duplication and maintenance headaches.
The New Flow: Plugins in Action
With Plugins, you can:
- Extract transformation logic (like renaming events) into a single plugin
- Apply it across multiple channels—or restrict it to specific ones
- Maintain cleaner, faster, and more flexible event flows
Event Rename Logic Made Simple
Instead of rewriting code per channel, you define the rename logic once in a plugin.
For example, you might apply renaming for Facebook and Klaviyo, while leaving Google Ads untouched.
Channel-Specific Configuration
Plugins can run at both:
- Channel level (e.g., Meta only)
- Instance level (e.g., EU pixel only, not US pixel)
This is especially useful for regional compliance requirements.
Beyond Transformation: Generating New Events
Plugins don’t just transform events—they can also:
- Generate new events on the fly
- Skip unnecessary events
- Create channel-optimized event flows
This gives marketers and engineers full control over event orchestration.
Real-World Plugin Examples
HIPAA Plugin
HIPAA requires strict filtering of what data can be shared. The HIPAA Plugin:
- Removes restricted data before channel processing
- Preserves complete payloads for compliant endpoints (e.g., Google Pub/Sub, private clouds)
- Lets customers define which keys to strip
This ensures compliance without breaking analytics pipelines.
Event Manipulation Plugin
Different channels have different event requirements. The Event Manipulation plugin provides two core capabilities:
1. Event Rename
- Replace standard events with custom ones
- Generate new events from standard flows
- Strip sensitive details (e.g., keep only ID + quantity for HIPAA safety)
2. Keywords
- Trigger category-specific events for better targeting
- Example: A purchase of shoes + hats triggers two separate category events for Facebook targeting.
This makes it possible to optimize ad spend around precise categories—something nearly impossible without plugins.
How Plugins Solve Complex Marketing Needs
With Plugins, marketers can:
- Apply logic once and deploy it across channels
- Stay HIPAA-compliant without breaking event delivery
- Unlock category-specific optimization for ad platforms
- Reduce maintenance costs and dev complexity
And this is just the beginning—we’re actively building more plugins with community input.
FAQs: EdgeTag Plugins
Q1: Do Plugins replace payload preparation?
Not entirely. Plugins run before payload preparation, modifying or generating events. The channel still formats its final payload.
Q2: Can I restrict a plugin to just one channel instance?
Yes. Plugins support both channel-wide and instance-level configurations.
Q3: Are Plugins HIPAA-compliant?
Yes. In fact, Plugins are the mechanism we use to enforce HIPAA-safe event flows.
Conclusion: The Future of Event Customization
Plugins mark the start of a new era for EdgeTag: flexible, modular, and customer-driven event processing.
Whether you need:
- Region-specific compliance
- Smarter ad optimization
- Easier event management across multiple channels
👉 EdgeTag Plugins make it possible—without duplication, complexity, or delay.
We’re just getting started. If you’d like to contribute ideas or test new plugins, join us on Slack and help shape the future of EdgeTag.