Metadata Extraction
What is Metadata Extraction?
Metadata extraction is the process where the extension gathers contextual details from pages of onboarded products.
Whenever a user navigates to a page with the Chrome Extension enabled, product detection logic checks for the name of the product. If the product is supported, the extension checks its local storage for metadata.
When Metadata Extraction Runs
- A user navigates to a page in a supported Cisco product with the extension installed and enabled.
- Executes product detection logic to identify the product context.
- Proceeds only for supported products; otherwise, the session is marked as "product not supported."
What Metadata Is Collected
Metadata focuses on page and product context required to deliver guidance safely and accurately. Typical categories include:
- Product identity — for example, product name or identifier.
- Page context — for example, URL patterns relevant to targeting.
- UI targeting anchors — for example, configured CSS selectors used by campaigns.
- Campaign configuration references — for example, keys used to fetch audience, targeting, and scheduling logic.
Note: The process does not collect personal data beyond what is necessary for in-product experiences and honors Cisco privacy and security controls.
How It Works
- Navigation: The user visits a page in a Cisco product with the extension enabled.
- Product Detection: The extension checks the page against known product signatures to determine the product name and support status.
- Support Check: If the product is supported, the extension proceeds; otherwise, it records "product not supported" for the session.
- Metadata Retrieval: The extension looks up existing metadata in local storage. If absent or stale, it refreshes from configured sources.
- Context Application: Retrieved metadata is used to:
- Attach UI elements (for example, banners, tooltips, modals, tours) to the correct DOM elements.
- Apply targeting rules (page URLs, triggers, conditions).
- Provide inputs for audience segmentation and scheduling.
- Caching: Relevant metadata is cached locally to optimize performance and reduce repeated lookups.
Managing the Extension
Enabling and Disabling the Extension
- Default Enabled: The extension is configured to be enabled by default, ensuring that users have immediate access to its features upon signing in.
- User Control: Users have the option to disable the extension temporarily via a toggle in the pop-up window. This feature is particularly useful in scenarios where the user prefers a browsing experience uninterrupted by the extension's functionalities.
Reversible Deactivation
- Temporary Deactivation: Disabling the extension deactivates all its supplemental features but does not remove or uninstall the extension. Users can reactivate all features by toggling the power button back to the "on" position at their convenience.
Unsupported Products
- If a page does not match a supported product, the extension marks the session as "product not supported."
- No metadata extraction or UI injection occurs for unsupported products.
Privacy and Security Considerations
- Operates within Cisco's Secure Development Lifecycle (CSDL) practices.
- Collects only the minimum metadata required for in-product guidance and analytics.
- Honors host page security controls, including origin policies and Content Security Policy (CSP).
- No debugger permissions are required by CDAP; extension behaviors are confined to supported product contexts.