Simple Analytics: Classify analytics without visitor recognition
Requirements
Access to the Analytics integration and an overview of the events and metadata actually transferred.
According to its own documentation, Simple Analytics discards IP addresses, does not set cookies and does not use local storage, fingerprinting or IP hashes for visitor recognition. Nevertheless, external requests to an analytics provider and the measurement data actually transferred still need to be checked.
Check
After the change, check browser memory, network connections and web server, proxy and application logs separately. A product setting does not automatically prove that no visitor IP is stored at all levels.
Basics of visitor recognition
For classification purposes, Cookieless is not automatically tracking-free and Use unique visitors without recognition . What is important is not just the presence of cookies, but also whether requests are merged via sessions, hashes, local storage or other features.
Dismantling
If additional metrics are required, only add the specifically required function and then check whether this creates new visitor identifications or third-party data flows.
Related guides
Sources and verification
This guide is based on multiple current sources. Vendor documentation is not treated as proof that every concrete installation automatically follows the same privacy characteristics.
Important: IP processing is not IP storage
An IP address has to be processed to establish and deliver a network connection. Hosting providers, firewalls or DDoS protection may also process or retain it for a limited time for security purposes. No Logging distinguishes this security layer from unnecessary persistent visitor logging by the website, application and ordinary access logs.