Learn how Marketo Channels and Tags work, why they’re vital for campaign reporting and ROI tracking, and how to set them up correctly in Marketo Engage.
Quick answer:
Channels define how marketing programs are tracked and measured, using progression statuses and success criteria for ROI reporting. Tags add contextual metadata like region, product line, or owner, enabling segmentation and dashboard filtering. Together, they power structured reporting, campaign governance, and performance analysis in Marketo Engage.
Understanding Channels and Tags in Marketo Engage
Channels and Tags are critical for structured reporting, ROI visibility, and campaign governance. They might seem tedious, but they’re essential for accurate measurement and consistency.
The Difference Between a Channel and a Tag
| Channels | Tags | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Measure campaign performance and track lead progression | Categorise and filter programmes for analysis |
| Includes | Progression statuses and success criteria | Custom attributes like Product Line, Region, or Owner |
| Used For | ROI reporting, success metrics, funnel analysis | Segmentation, dashboard filters, team ownership |
| Setup | Admin → Tags → New Channel | Admin → Tags → New Tag Type |
Progression Statuses
Each Channel defines a journey made up of these statuses – for example, in an Email Send Channel: Sent → Delivered → Opened → Clicked.
Statuses are numbered in tens (10, 20, 30, 40) to control order and prevent backwards movement.
Defining Success
Each Channel step includes a Success checkbox — allowing you to decide what defines success. Combined with Cost Periods, these enable Cost per Success reporting — a key insight into campaign ROI.
How to Create a New Channel
- Go to Admin
- Select Tags
- Choose New → New Channel
- Name your Channel (e.g. Training Class)
- Select applicable Program Type
- Choose an Analytics Behaviour Type
- Add Statuses, Steps, and Successes
- Click Create – and your Channel is ready!
Analytics Behaviour Types Explained
| Type | Description | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Normal (requires period cost) | Appears in reports only when a cost period exists | ROI-driven campaigns |
| Inclusive (regardless of cost) | Always included, cost or not | Awareness / brand campaigns |
| Operational (hide from reporting) | Excluded from analytics | Internal automations, data flows |
Tags in Marketo Engage
Tags add extra context to your programs. They make it easier to slice data, filter dashboards, and group performance by category.
Examples: Region (EMEA | AMER | APAC), Product Line (Marketo Engage | Adobe RTCDP), Owner (Marketing | Sales | Partner).
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Learn More About Reporting in Marketo Engage
The Handbook for Marketo Engage is your essential guide to building a reporting-ready setup. Learn how to structure Channels, Tags, and Cost Periods for accurate ROI tracking, success metrics, and performance analysis.
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FAQs on Marketo Channels & Tags
Channels define how you deliver and track marketing programmes. Each Channel includes statuses and success criteria to measure campaign effectiveness.
They bring structure to your database and reporting. Without them, campaign performance, ROI, and engagement analysis become inconsistent.
Use Channels to measure what happened and Tags to define context — for example, a “Webinar” Channel tagged with Product Line = Adobe RTCDP and Region = EMEA.
If you want a campaign included in ROI reports, use Normal or Inclusive. If it’s internal or operational, use Operational to exclude it.
Yes – but be careful. Editing live Channels can change how historical data appears in reporting, so plan your setup first.