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Measurement
Data layer
Page data layer
The data layer is the structure a page publishes so measurement reads from it instead of from the HTML. Field names, types, and when each value becomes available.
- When it applies
- It fits whenever more than one tool reads the same thing, or more than one team touches the page. It is what stops every integration from inventing its own way of looking.
- What it is confused with
- It is not a variable filled in when needed. It is a contract: if engineering renames a field or moves when it is published, measurement breaks quietly until a month of data is missing.
- Architecture consequence
- It has to be versioned, documented, and validated on every release, like an API. Someone has to own it, because an unowned data layer turns into a pile of fields that no longer describe anything.