pages/ANALYTICS.md

Analytics Setup Guide

This guide helps you add website analytics to track visitor statistics and behavior.

• Analytics Setup Guide
  • Overview
  • Supported Analytics Services
  • Google Analytics
    • Setup Steps
  • Privacy-Friendly Alternatives
    • Pirsch Analytics
    • Openpanel Analytics
  • Monitoring & Performance
    • Cronitor
  • GDPR and Privacy Considerations
    • GDPR Checklist
    • Privacy-first services (No GDPR cookie banner needed)
    • Services requiring cookie consent
  • Comparing Analytics Services
  • Next Steps

Overview

Analytics help you understand your website visitors: where they come from, which pages they visit, and how they interact with your content. al-folio supports several analytics providers that you can enable in _config.yml.

Supported Analytics Services

Currently implemented in al-folio:

• Google Analytics – Free, feature-rich, but collects user data
• Pirsch Analytics – GDPR-compliant, free tier available, European servers
• Openpanel Analytics – Open-source option, privacy-focused
• Cronitor – Uptime monitoring with Real User Monitoring (RUM) analytics

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Google Analytics

Google Analytics is free and widely used. It provides detailed insights into visitor behavior.

Setup Steps

1. Create a Google Analytics account:

   • Visit Google Analytics
   • Sign in with your Google account
   • Click Start measuring → Create account

2. Create a property for your website:

   • Enter your website name and URL
   • Accept terms and continue
   • Choose your timezone and currency

3. Get your Measurement ID:

   • In the left sidebar, go to Admin → Properties
   • Click Data Streams → Web (or your existing stream)
   • Copy the Measurement ID (format: G-XXXXXXXXXX)

4. Enable in your site:

   • Open _config.yml in your repository
   • Set enable_google_analytics: true
   • Add your Measurement ID: google_analytics: G-XXXXXXXXXX
   • Commit and push

5. Verify it's working:

   • Visit your website
   • Go back to Google Analytics → Real-time tab
   • You should see your visit appear within a few seconds

Note: Google Analytics takes 24-48 hours to start showing data trends.

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Privacy-Friendly Alternatives

If you're concerned about user privacy or GDPR compliance, consider these alternatives:

Pirsch Analytics

Best for: GDPR-compliant analytics without complex setup

Features:

• ✅ GDPR compliant
• ✅ European servers
• ✅ Free tier available
• ✅ Simple integration
• ✅ No cookie consent needed

Setup:

1. Sign up at Pirsch.io
2. Add your domain
3. Copy the tracking code
4. In _config.yml, set enable_pirsch_analytics: true
5. Add your Site ID: pirsch_analytics: YOUR_SITE_ID (format: 32 characters)
6. Commit and push

(The site ID appears in your Pirsch dashboard.)

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Openpanel Analytics

Best for: Open-source and privacy-conscious developers

Features:

• ✅ Open-source
• ✅ Self-hosted option available
• ✅ Privacy-focused
• ✅ Modern dashboard

Setup:

1. Sign up at Openpanel.dev
2. Create a project for your website
3. Get your Client ID
4. In _config.yml, set enable_openpanel_analytics: true
5. Add your Client ID: openpanel_analytics: YOUR_CLIENT_ID (format: UUID)
6. Commit and push

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Monitoring & Performance

Cronitor

Cronitor is an uptime monitoring service with RUM (Real User Monitoring) analytics.

Best for: Tracking if your site is online + basic performance metrics

Setup:

1. Create account at Cronitor.io
2. Get your Site ID
3. In _config.yml, set enable_cronitor_analytics: true
4. Add your Site ID: cronitor_analytics: YOUR_SITE_ID
5. Commit and push

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GDPR and Privacy Considerations

If you're in the European Union or serve EU visitors, consider GDPR requirements:

GDPR Checklist

• If using Google Analytics: Add cookie consent banner
• Display a privacy policy explaining what analytics you use
• Allow users to opt-out if using tracking cookies
• Use privacy-first alternatives when possible

Privacy-first services (No GDPR cookie banner needed)

• ✅ Pirsch Analytics
• ✅ Openpanel Analytics

Services requiring cookie consent

• ❌ Google Analytics (EU users must consent first)
• ❌ Cronitor (collects user data via RUM)

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Comparing Analytics Services

Service	Free	GDPR	Setup	Features	Best for
Google Analytics	✅	⚠️ Requires consent	Easy	Detailed reports	Detailed tracking
Pirsch	✅ Free tier	✅	Easy	Balanced	GDPR compliance
Openpanel	✅	✅	Medium	Modern dashboard	Privacy-focused developers
Cronitor	Paid	⚠️ Requires consent	Easy	Uptime + RUM	Uptime monitoring

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Next Steps

1. Choose a service based on your needs (privacy, features, budget)
2. Follow the setup guide for your chosen service
3. Verify it's working by visiting your site and checking the analytics dashboard

For more customization help, see CUSTOMIZE.md.