Title: Parse.ly Integration
Author: joshua
Published: June 16, 2023
Last modified: November 12, 2025

---

 1. [Installation resources](https://docs.parse.ly/installation-resources/)
 2. Parse.ly Integration

#  Parse.ly Integration

Whether you’ve already made your [purchase](https://www.parse.ly/pricing/) or you
want a summary of the process before starting, these are the steps for Parse.ly 
integration.

 1.  Receive one “[sandbox](https://docs.parse.ly/sandbox/)” Site ID and one, or more,
     production Site IDs from Support.
 2.  Attend [kickoff call](https://docs.parse.ly/kickoff-call/)
 3.  Install the tracking code.
 4.  [Test](https://docs.parse.ly/test-integration/) pageview events.
 5.  Send [metadata](https://docs.parse.ly/metadata/).
 6.  [Validate](https://docs.parse.ly/validator/) metadata.
 7.  Admins, adjust your [preferences](https://docs.parse.ly/site-network-preferences/).
 8.  Admins, [invite](https://docs.parse.ly/user-management/) your teammates.
 9.  Get trained.
 10. If your contract contains [premium features](https://docs.parse.ly/installation-resources/parsely-integration?output_format=md#h-step-10-add-on-features),
     install them.

## Step 1: Receive Site IDs

An Account Executive will work with your team to determine your needs and how Parse.
ly can solve them. This person will also coordinate the start of your Parse.ly integration.
They will contact the Parse.ly Support team and provide contract details.

The Support team will then create your [Sandbox](https://docs.parse.ly/sandbox/),
production Parse.ly [Site IDs](https://docs.parse.ly/site-id/), and enable the features
that you’ve purchased. Your team will need these Site IDs when it is time to install
tracking (Step 3).

You’ll receive emails from:

 * Parse.ly (support@parsely.com) — this is where we’ll provide your Site IDs, personalized
   instructions, and an invitation to join us for a kickoff call. The subject lines
   begin with “Welcome to Parse.ly.”
 * Parse.ly (app@parsely.com) — Parse.ly Support will invite the first batch of 
   Parse.ly Admins. The subject line will say “You have been invited to Parse.ly
   Analytics.”

## Step 2: Attend Kickoff Call

This call can happen at any point in the implementation process. It’s about aligning
to your team’s goals and walking through the steps outlined below. Read more about
[what to expect from this call](https://docs.parse.ly/kickoff-call/).

## Step 3: Install tracking

In most cases, we recommend using [Google Tag Manager](https://docs.parse.ly/tracking-code-setup/#h-google-tag-manager-gtm)
to install our [JavaScript Tag](https://docs.parse.ly/tracking-code-setup/#h-javascript-snippet)
on your site. Click [here](https://docs.parse.ly/tracking-code-setup/) to see a 
full list of options. You will be using the Site ID provide in Step 1.

[⌊A screenshot from Google Tag Manager with a Parse.ly tag template in use for tracking.⌉⌊
A screenshot from Google Tag Manager with a Parse.ly tag template in use for tracking.
  ⌉[

GTM is one convenient way to add our code

[⌊HTML containing Parse.ly tracking code resulting from the integration process.⌉⌊
HTML containing Parse.ly tracking code resulting from the integration process.⌉[

Our code will appear on your site like this

Some sites may require special configuration to account for Single-Page Applications
or dynamic tracking. Click [here](https://docs.parse.ly/tracking-code-setup/#h-special-cases-dynamic-tracking-spas)
to see if any of these special cases apply to your site.

## Step 4: Test

Immediately after installing our tracking code on your pages, your site will start
generating pageview events. Read our [testing instructions](https://docs.parse.ly/test-integration/)
to validate those pageviews in your browser.

[⌊A screenshot of Chrome developer tools showing a filter of "action=pageview" and
a pageview event resulting from a Parse.ly integration.⌉⌊A screenshot of Chrome 
developer tools showing a filter of "action=pageview" and a pageview event resulting
from a Parse.ly integration.⌉[

Minutes after your site begins sending pageviews, you should see them in your Parse.
ly Dashboard.

[[

Adding tracking code will trigger pageviews and enable all other Parse.ly features

## Step 5: Send metadata

If your CMS is WordPress, we recommend using the [WordPress Parse.ly Plugin](https://docs.parse.ly/wordpress-plugin-setup/).
By following [these instructions](https://docs.parse.ly/plugin-common-questions/#h-does-wp-parsely-support-google-tag-manager),
you may use the plugin _and_ GTM tracking (from Step 3).

If you are not using WordPress, review our [metadata requirements](https://docs.parse.ly/metadata/).

Regardless of your CMS, the objective is the same. We want to take information, 
like the author of a post, and gain meaningful insights. For example:

The WordPress Post editor has an Author field. In the screenshot below, I’ve selected
my name.

[[

Now the wp-parsely plugin will extract this information out of WordPress and will
display it in the form of a meta tag within the HTML of the post.

[[

Once Parse.ly receives that first pageview event (depicted in Step 4), we will crawl
the url to get the metadata. Within minutes, we will associate the pageview information
with the metadata for a complete picture in the Dashboard. If this isn’t happening,
try [allowlisting our crawler](https://docs.parse.ly/crawler/).

[[

## Step 6: Validate metadata

Review the listings in [your Dashboard](https://dash.parsely.com/to/posts/?page_type=any)
and check them against [our metadata-review guide](https://docs.parse.ly/how-to-check-metadata/).

## Step 7: Adjust Preferences

Admins should review the Preferences menu and make suitable adjustments for their
team. You may [access the menu in your dashboard](https://beta.parsely.com/docs.parse.ly/settings/preferences)
and [follow these instructions](https://docs.parse.ly/site-network-preferences/).

To see more information about Account settings, review our [documentation](https://docs.parse.ly/account/).

## Step 8: Invite teammates

Admins should invite their teammates using [these instructions](https://docs.parse.ly/user-management/).

## Step 9: Training

When your satisfied with the integration of your Parse.ly Dashboard, contact your
Relationship Manager to discuss training. In the meantime, [download our Getting Started Guide](https://docs.parse.ly/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/Getting-Started-with-Parse.ly_v3Q422.pdf),
take our [learning course](https://docs.parse.ly/course-one-getting-started/), and
explore these tools that come bundled with your [Dashboard](https://docs.parse.ly/dashboard/):

 * [Alerts](https://docs.parse.ly/alerts/): set up alerts of significant activity
 * [Automatic Metadata Change Detection](https://docs.parse.ly/automatically-update-metadata-changes/):
   ask and it’s yours (in lieu of manual [recrawl](https://docs.parse.ly/whats-a-recrawl/))
 * [Benchmarks](https://docs.parse.ly/benchmarks/): compare authors, sections, and
   tags with others
 * [Campaign Tracking](https://docs.parse.ly/setting-up-campaign-tracking-parsely//):
   [view the campaigns](https://dash.parsely.com/to/using-campaign-metrics/) from
   your UTM/ITM parameters
 * [Comparison Mode](https://docs.parse.ly/comparison-mode/): compare results across
   time
 * [Goals](https://docs.parse.ly/goals-setup-and-best-practices/): define your goals
   and achieve them as a team
 * [Open in Parse.ly Bookmarklet](https://docs.parse.ly/overlay/#0--open-in-parse-ly-bookmarklet):
   content to dashboard in one click!
 * [Overlay / Slot Tracking](https://docs.parse.ly/overlay//): designed for high-
   traffic home pages (multiple clicks in 10-minutes)
 * [Referrers](https://docs.parse.ly/referrers/): see where your traffic is coming
   from
 * [Reports](https://docs.parse.ly/reports/): create a one-time or recurring reports
   on the metrics you care about most

## Step 10: Add-on features

After your Parse.ly Dashboard integration and testing, you may continue installing
[add-on features](https://docs.parse.ly/add-on-features/) in any order.

Add-on features include

 * [API](https://docs.parse.ly/add-on-features/#h-api) (premium)
 * [Audience Segments](https://docs.parse.ly/add-on-features/#h-audience-segments)(
   premium)
 * [Channels](https://docs.parse.ly/add-on-features/#h-channels)
    - [Apple News](https://docs.parse.ly/apple-news/) (premium)
    - [Google AMP](https://docs.parse.ly/google-amp/)
    - [SmartNews](https://docs.parse.ly/smartnews/)
    - [Mobile App Tracking](https://docs.parse.ly/mobile-sdk/) (premium)
       * [Android](https://docs.parse.ly/mobile-sdk/#h-android-sdk)
       * [iOS](https://docs.parse.ly/mobile-sdk/#h-ios-sdk)
 * [Conversions](https://docs.parse.ly/add-on-features/#h-conversions) (premium)
 * [Data Pipeline](https://docs.parse.ly/add-on-features/#h-data-pipeline-dpl) (
   DPL) (premium)
 * [Network Syndication](https://docs.parse.ly/metadata/)
 * [Single Sign-On](https://docs.parse.ly/add-on-features/#h-single-sign-on-sso)(
   SSO) (premium)
 * [Video Tracking](https://docs.parse.ly/add-on-features/#h-video-tracking) (premium)

Last updated: November 12, 2025