Measuring quality of user interaction with third party content

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program instructions that when executed by a computer processor of an online system causes the processor to perform steps comprising:

• sending, by a first server of a plurality of servers in an origin domain of an online services system, a web page in the origin domain to a user device, the web page including a third party link, the third party link directed to a third party page of information in an external domain;
• sending from the first server to the user device together with the web page in the origin domain, a timer script comprising instructions configured to cause the user device to start a timer upon the user device being directed to the third party page and to stop the timer upon the user device being directed away from the third party page;
• detecting, by the first server of the online services system, a user selection of the third party link on the web page;
• responsive to the user selection of the third party link, directing, by the first server of the online services system, the user device to the third party page in the external domain, the third party page configured to be displayed on the user device;
• following the user device navigating away from the third party page in the external domain, obtaining, by the first server of the online services system from the user device, a duration of time recorded by the timer representing a time spent by the user device on the third party page in the external domain;
• and
• determining a quality score for an interaction with the third party page based on the duration representing the time spent on the third party page in the external domain.

A server for an online system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program instructions that when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform steps comprising:
• sending, by a first server of a plurality of servers in an origin domain of an online services system, a web page in the origin domain to a user device, the web page including a third party link, the third party link directed to a third party page of information in an external domain;
• sending from the first server to the user device together with the web page in the origin domain, a timer script comprising instructions configured to cause the user device to start a timer upon the user device being directed to the third party page and to stop the timer upon the user device being directed away from the third party page;
• detecting, by the first server of the online services system, a user selection of the third party link on the web page;
• responsive to the user selection of the third party link, directing, by the first server of the online services system, the user device to the third party page in the external domain, the third party page configured to be displayed on the user device;
• following the user device navigating away from the third party page in the external domain, obtaining, by the first server of the online services system from the user device, a duration of time recorded by the timer representing a time spent by the user device on the third party page in the external domain;
• and
• determining a quality score for an interaction with the third party page based on the duration representing the time spent on the third party page in the external domain.