I built my own website analytics, and it doesn't use cookies.
I built my own website analytics. It counts page views, and it knows almost nothing about the people behind them.
It also doesn't use cookies.
What it counts
Each time someone opens a page, a tiny message goes to my own server. It saves four things: which page, where the visit came from (like a search engine or a link in an email), the width of the screen (phone, tablet or desktop), and the country.
That's all. No name, no email address, no cookie.
What it doesn't keep
It never saves your IP address or your browser details. They're used for a split second to make a code, and then they're thrown away.
The code changes every day. So the same person gets a different code tomorrow, and I can't tell that you came back. I can tell how many people read a page today. I can't follow anyone around.
The rows with those codes are deleted the day after. What's left are totals, like how many views a page got that day. I keep the daily totals for 13 months. After that I only keep monthly ones.
The rules I gave it
- If your browser sends Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control, I don't count you.
- I don't count myself when I'm signed in to my admin.
- I don't count bots.
- If you refresh the same page within five seconds, it counts once.
What I can see
There's a Stats page in my admin. It shows views by page, where people came from, device sizes and countries. There's also a live view that updates every 20 seconds, so I can watch what happens right after I post something.
The links in my newsletter and my email signature have tags on them. That lets me see which ones people actually click.
What I can't promise
My host still sees your IP address, because that's how any website loads. I don't receive it and I don't keep it. But I won't pretend nobody sees it. It's written out on my Privacy page.
Is this as good as Google Analytics? No. I can't see how long you stayed or what you did on the page.
Drafted and created with the help of AI.