What is the Northbeam integration?

The Northbeam integration connects your Northbeam account to Instant AI. When a shopper visits your store from an Instant AI email, Instant tells your Northbeam pixel which shopper it is, so Northbeam can match their visits to the orders they place.

Why you need it

  • Without it, Northbeam only knows a visit came from Instant AI if the UTMs on that visit reach your store.
  • Without it, Northbeam cannot connect an Instant AI email visit to an order the shopper places later, in a new session or on another device.
  • Without it, your Instant AI email visits and orders are under-reported in Northbeam.

How to set it up

Before you start

  • You need an active Northbeam account for the same store.
  • The Northbeam pixel must be installed on your store. Instant does not install it for you.
  • You need to be able to log in to Northbeam and open Settings, so you can copy your API credentials.

Connecting Northbeam

  1. In your Instant AI dashboard, click the Settings cog in the bottom left corner
  2. Under Site, select Integrations
  3. Select the Attribution tab, or search for Northbeam
  4. Click Connect on the Northbeam card
  5. In a new browser tab, log in to Northbeam and go to Settings > API Keys
  6. Copy your Client ID
  7. Create an API key and copy it
  8. Go back to Instant and paste them into the Client ID and API key fields
  9. Click Connect
  10. Northbeam shows as Connected

Note: Instant AI links use utm_source=instantai and utm_medium=email. Use these values if you set up a channel for Instant AI in Northbeam. For the full list, see How to manage UTM Tracking in external platforms with Instant AI.

How it works

  • After you connect, every link in your Instant AI flow and campaign emails includes an identifier for the shopper who received it.
  • Emails sent before you connected do not include it.
  • SMS links do not include it.

On your store

  • When a shopper lands on your store from an Instant AI email, Instant passes the identifier to your Northbeam pixel on each page they view.
  • Instant remembers the identifier in the shopper’s browser, so later visits in the same browser are matched too, even if they do not come from an email.
  • If the Northbeam pixel does not load on a page, Instant cannot pass the identifier on that page.

In Northbeam

  • Northbeam uses the identifier to connect the shopper’s visits with their orders.
  • Northbeam’s attribution model and settings decide how much credit Instant AI gets. Instant does not change them.

Tip: Your Instant AI dashboard reporting does not change when you connect Northbeam.

FAQ

Why does Northbeam show less revenue for Instant AI than my Instant AI dashboard? Northbeam and Instant AI use different attribution models. Northbeam credits visits from email clicks, and it does not see email opens. For how Instant AI attributes revenue, see How does Instant AI attribute email revenue?

Does the integration work for SMS? No. Only email links include the identifier.

Northbeam shows a message to check the API key and client ID. What do I do? Northbeam rejected your credentials. Go to Settings cog > Integrations, click Manage on the Northbeam card, then click Reconnect and enter a new API key from Settings > API Keys in Northbeam.

Can I connect a different Northbeam account? Yes. Disconnect Northbeam first, then connect the new account. Click Manage on the Northbeam card, then Disconnect and Confirm disconnect.

What happens when I disconnect Northbeam? New Instant AI emails stop including the identifier. Instant does not delete anything in your Northbeam account.

For more on UTMs and checkout links, see Why might some attribution tools be missing cart & checkout flow conversions?