WordPress: Statify as a simple, data-efficient page view counter
If you just want to know which pages are accessed and how often, you don't need permanent visitor identification. Statify follows exactly this reduced approach.
Requirements
WordPress administration access and a decision as to whether simple page views are sufficient for statistical purposes.
What Statify stores
According to project documentation, the core local statistics consist of ID, date, origin and destination. IP addresses are not stored; Cookies or visitor profiles are not used for identification. This means that there are deliberately no real unique visitor profiles.
Setting and testing
Select the retention time as short as it is sufficient for the purpose. Only keep referrer if this information is actually needed. Additionally check the web server logs: A data-saving WordPress plugin does not prevent Apache or the host from logging IP addresses in parallel.
Dismantling
Statify can be deactivated without interfering with WordPress content. Then check that no old statistical data remains in the database longer than desired.
Basics for classification
Don't just pay attention to cookies when evaluating: Cookieless is not automatically tracking-free. If “unique visitors” are recorded, also note Unique visitors without recognition .
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.