Sources Overview

What is a source?

In Segment, you create a source (or more than one!) for each website or app you want to track. While it’s not required that you have a single Source for each server, site or app, you should create a Source for each unique source of data.

You can create new sources using the button in the workspace view. Each source you create has a write key, which is used to send data to that source. For example, to load analytics.js, the Segment JavaScript library on your page, the snippet on the Quickstart Guide includes:

analytics.identify('user_123', {
  email: 'jane.kim@example.com',
  name: 'Jane Kim'
  });

Website libraries

Analytics.js, the JavaScript library, is the most powerful way to track customer data from your website. If you’re just starting out, Segment recommends it over server-side libraries as the simplest installation for any website.

Mobile

Segment’s Mobile SDKs are the best way to simplify your iOS, Android, and Xamarin app tracking. Try them over server-side sources as the default installation for any mobile app.

• AMP
• Android
• Android Wear
• iOS
• Kotlin
• React Native
• Swift
• Xamarin

Server

Segment’s server-side sources let you send analytics data directly from your servers. Segment recommends tracking from your servers when device-mode tracking (tracking on the client) won’t work. Check out the guide on server-side tracking if you’re not sure whether it makes sense for your use case.

• Clojure
• Go
• Java
• Node.js
• PHP
• Python
• Ruby
• .NET

Cloud Apps

Cloud app sources empower you to pull together data from all of your different third-party tools into a Segment warehouse or to your other enabled integrated tools. There are two types of Cloud Apps: Object and Event sources.

Object Cloud Sources

These Cloud App Sources can export data from its third party tool and import it directly into your Segment warehouse. Make sure you have a Segment warehouse enabled before you enable any of the following sources:

• Facebook Ads

• Google Ads

• HubSpot

• Intercom

• Mailchimp

• Mandrill

• Marketo

• Salesforce

• Salesforce Marketing Cloud

• SendGrid

• Stripe

• Twilio

• Zendesk

Event Cloud Sources

These Cloud App Sources can not only export data into your Segment warehouse, but they can also federate the exported data into your other enabled Segment integrations:

• ActiveCampaign

• Aircall

• Airship

• Amazon S3

• Amplitude Cohorts

• AutopilotHQ

• Beamer

• Bluedot

• Blueshift

• Braze

• Candu

• Chatlio

• Customer.io

• Delighted

• Drip

• Facebook Lead Ads

• Factual Engine

• Foursquare Pilgrim

• Friendbuy

• Gladly

• Herow

• IBM Watson Assistant

• InMoment (formerly Wootric)

• Iterable

• Jebbit

• Klaviyo

• Klenty

• LaunchDarkly

• Leanplum

• Looker

• Mailjet

• Mixpanel Cohorts

• Moesif API Analytics

• Nudgespot

• Pendo

• ProveSource

• Radar

• Refiner

• Regal Voice

• Selligent Marketing Cloud

• Twilio Event Streams (Beta)

• Vero

• WorkRamp

• Youbora

To dig into some examples of how to pull this data together, check out the sample queries in the Segment Community.

HTTP

If Segment doesn’t have a library for your environment, you can send your data directly to the HTTP Tracking API. All of Segment’s other sources and platforms use the HTTP API to work their magic behind the scenes.

Pixel

Segment’s Pixel Tracking API lets you track events from environments where you can’t execute code, like tracking email opens.