. Replace YOUR_SITE_ID with your actual site ID. The script is lightweight (under 2KB), loads asynchronously with the 'defer' attribute, and will not impact your page load performance. It works with any website — static HTML, WordPress, React, Next.js, or any other framework. Once installed, pageview data will begin appearing in your dashboard within seconds."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How does cookieless tracking work?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Cookieless tracking identifies visitor sessions without storing persistent data on the user's device. Actualytics achieves this using the browser's sessionStorage API, which provides temporary storage that is automatically cleared when the browser tab closes. When a visitor first loads a page with the Actualytics script, a random session ID is generated and stored in sessionStorage. This ID is sent with each subsequent pageview during that session, allowing Actualytics to group pageviews into sessions and calculate metrics like pages per session and bounce rate. Unlike cookies, sessionStorage cannot be used to track users across different websites or across separate browsing sessions, making it inherently more privacy-respecting."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What is a pageview in analytics?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"A pageview is recorded each time a visitor loads or reloads a page on your website. It is the most fundamental metric in web analytics. If a single visitor views your homepage, then navigates to your about page, and then returns to your homepage, that counts as three pageviews. Pageviews help you understand the overall volume of traffic to your site and which pages attract the most attention. In Actualytics, pageviews are tracked automatically by the embedded script and displayed in the Overview tab alongside unique visitor counts, traffic trends, and top pages. The distinction between pageviews and unique visitors is important: pageviews measure total page loads, while unique visitors count distinct sessions."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What is bounce rate and why does it matter?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who land on a page and leave without viewing any other page on your site. A 'bounce' means the visitor's session included only a single pageview. For example, if 100 visitors land on your blog post and 65 of them leave without clicking to another page, the bounce rate for that page is 65%. Bounce rate matters because it can indicate whether your content meets visitor expectations. A high bounce rate on a landing page might suggest the content isn't engaging enough, the page loads too slowly, or the visitor found what they needed immediately. However, context matters — a high bounce rate on a FAQ page might be perfectly normal if visitors find their answer quickly. In Actualytics, bounce rates are displayed in the Behavior tab for each page."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What are UTM parameters and how are they tracked?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are tags added to URLs that help you identify the source, medium, and campaign of your traffic. The three most common UTM parameters are: utm_source (identifies the traffic source, e.g., 'google', 'newsletter'), utm_medium (identifies the marketing medium, e.g., 'cpc', 'email', 'social'), and utm_campaign (identifies the specific campaign, e.g., 'spring-sale', 'product-launch'). For example: https://yoursite.com/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=launch. When a visitor arrives via a URL with UTM parameters, Actualytics automatically captures and stores them. You can view UTM attribution data in the Traffic Sources tab, which helps you understand which marketing campaigns and channels drive the most traffic."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Can I share my analytics dashboard publicly?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes. Actualytics includes a built-in public dashboard sharing feature. From the My Sites page, click the three-dot menu on any site and select 'Share Dashboard.' Toggle the switch to make your dashboard public, and a unique shareable URL will be generated. Anyone with this link can view your analytics data — including pageviews, traffic sources, behavior metrics, and insights — without needing an Actualytics account. This is useful for transparency (showing your audience your real traffic numbers), client reporting, or team collaboration. You can revoke public access at any time by toggling the switch off. Actualytics itself uses this feature: our own public dashboard is linked from the landing page so you can see our real traffic data."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What data does Actualytics collect from visitors?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Actualytics collects only the minimum data needed to provide useful analytics. For each pageview, the tracking script sends: the page URL and path, the referrer URL (the page the visitor came from), UTM parameters if present in the URL, the device type (desktop, mobile, or tablet), the browser name, and a temporary session ID stored in sessionStorage. Actualytics does not collect: IP addresses, personally identifiable information, email addresses, form inputs, mouse movements, scroll depth, or any data from cookies. The session ID is randomly generated and exists only for the duration of the browser tab session. This minimal data collection approach ensures compliance with privacy regulations while still providing actionable insights."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How are unique visitors counted without cookies?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Actualytics counts unique visitors by counting distinct session IDs within a given time period. When a visitor first loads a page with the Actualytics script, a random session ID is generated and stored in the browser's sessionStorage. All pageviews during that browsing session share the same session ID. If the visitor closes the tab and returns later, a new session ID is generated, which counts as a new unique visitor. This approach means Actualytics may slightly overcount unique visitors compared to cookie-based tools (since the same person returning in a new session is counted again), but it provides a reasonable approximation while fully respecting privacy. The trade-off is intentional: privacy is prioritized over absolute counting precision."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What are traffic sources in web analytics?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Traffic sources tell you where your visitors come from before arriving at your website. They are typically categorized into several types: Direct traffic (visitors who type your URL directly or use a bookmark), Organic search (visitors from search engine results like Google or Bing), Referral traffic (visitors who click a link on another website), Social traffic (visitors from social media platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook), and Campaign traffic (visitors from marketing campaigns identified by UTM parameters). Understanding your traffic sources helps you allocate marketing resources effectively. In Actualytics, the Traffic Sources tab provides a detailed breakdown of referrers, UTM attribution, and the split between direct and external traffic."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Does the Actualytics tracking script slow down my website?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"No. The Actualytics tracking script is designed to have zero impact on your website's performance. The script is under 2KB in size (smaller than a typical favicon), loads with the 'defer' attribute so it doesn't block page rendering, and sends data asynchronously using the navigator.sendBeacon API (with a fetch fallback). It contains no external dependencies, no DOM manipulation, and no heavy computation. If the Actualytics server is unreachable, the script fails silently without any error messages or retries. Your visitors will never notice it's there, and your Core Web Vitals scores will not be affected."}}],"itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://actualytics.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"FAQ","item":"https://actualytics.org/faq"}]}
Actualytics

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about web analytics, privacy-friendly tracking, and how Actualytics works.

General

What is web analytics?

Web analytics is the practice of collecting, measuring, and analyzing website data to understand how visitors interact with your site. It helps you answer questions like: How many ...

General

What is Actualytics and how does it work?

Actualytics is a lightweight, privacy-friendly web analytics platform that tracks pageviews, referrers, and visitor behavior without using cookies. It works by embedding a small Ja...

Privacy & Compliance

Is Actualytics GDPR compliant?

Yes. Actualytics is designed with privacy as a core principle. It does not use cookies, does not collect personally identifiable information (PII), and does not track users across ...

Privacy & Compliance

Does Actualytics use cookies?

No. Actualytics is completely cookieless. Instead of cookies, it uses the browser's sessionStorage API to maintain a session identifier during a single browsing session. SessionSto...

Technical

How do I install the Actualytics tracking script?

Installing Actualytics takes about 30 seconds. After creating an account and adding your site, you'll receive a unique site ID. Add the following script tag to your website's HTML,...

Technical

How does cookieless tracking work?

Cookieless tracking identifies visitor sessions without storing persistent data on the user's device. Actualytics achieves this using the browser's sessionStorage API, which provid...

General

What is a pageview in analytics?

A pageview is recorded each time a visitor loads or reloads a page on your website. It is the most fundamental metric in web analytics. If a single visitor views your homepage, the...

General

What is bounce rate and why does it matter?

Bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who land on a page and leave without viewing any other page on your site. A 'bounce' means the visitor's session included only a single pa...

Features

What are UTM parameters and how are they tracked?

UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are tags added to URLs that help you identify the source, medium, and campaign of your traffic. The three most common UTM parameters are: ut...

Features

Can I share my analytics dashboard publicly?

Yes. Actualytics includes a built-in public dashboard sharing feature. From the My Sites page, click the three-dot menu on any site and select 'Share Dashboard.' Toggle the switch ...

Privacy & Compliance

What data does Actualytics collect from visitors?

Actualytics collects only the minimum data needed to provide useful analytics. For each pageview, the tracking script sends: the page URL and path, the referrer URL (the page the v...

Technical

How are unique visitors counted without cookies?

Actualytics counts unique visitors by counting distinct session IDs within a given time period. When a visitor first loads a page with the Actualytics script, a random session ID i...

Features

What are traffic sources in web analytics?

Traffic sources tell you where your visitors come from before arriving at your website. They are typically categorized into several types: Direct traffic (visitors who type your UR...

Technical

Does the Actualytics tracking script slow down my website?

No. The Actualytics tracking script is designed to have zero impact on your website's performance. The script is under 2KB in size (smaller than a typical favicon), loads with the ...

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