Cookieless Analytics: How a Visit Gets Counted
Definition
Cookieless analytics measures website activity without setting an HTTP cookie. But there’s a practical question behind that definition: if there’s no cookie, how does an analytics tool know which actions belong to the same visit? EventDash uses an anonymous session ID stored in localStorage to connect activity during a visit. That means a visitor can view a pricing page and then click through to signup without those actions being treated as unrelated. If they clear their site data, the next visit starts a new session.
How EventDash implements it
EventDash is designed to give website owners useful analytics without setting HTTP cookies. The tracker filters personally identifiable information (PII) from its payloads and respects Do Not Track (DNT) signals. You can still measure funnels and HTML goals without adding a separate tracking script for every action.
How cookieless tracking works
Cookieless tracking can work in different ways. Although the goal is similar, the approach makes a difference in what you can measure.Some analytics tools, including Plausible and Fathom, use approaches that avoid writing an identifier to the visitor's device. They derive a temporary visitor identifier from information available in the request, combine it with a rotating salt, and discard the identifier afterward. Because the identifier changes, the next day's visit generally can't be connected to the previous day's visit in the same way.That can work well when you mainly want to understand traffic patterns, pageviews, and referrers. However, it can limit your ability to connect actions across visits.EventDash takes a different approach. It doesn't set an HTTP cookie, but it stores an anonymous session ID in localStorage. This makes it possible to connect related actions within a visit, such as viewing pricing and completing a signup.As MDN's documentation on localStorage explains, localStorage can retain data across browser sessions until it's removed. That's why cookieless tracking and storage-free tracking aren't the same thing.For a broader look at the privacy principles behind this approach, see our guide toprivacy-first analytics.
Cookieless web analytics
Cookieless web analytics helps you understand what happens on your website without setting HTTP cookies through the analytics tracker.For a content site or blog, tracking pageviews, visits, and referrers might be enough. You can see which pages attract visitors and where your traffic comes from.Product websites often need a little more context. For example, how many visitors who view your pricing page go on to sign up? Which step of the signup funnel loses the most people?An analytics approach that uses a temporary identifier may not connect those actions across days. EventDash's anonymous session ID in localStorage can connect actions within the same visit, making funnels and conversion events easier to understand.The key is to choose cookieless web analytics based on the questions you need your data to answer, not just whether a tool sets cookies.
What the 11 KB script records
EventDash's tracker is approximately 11 KB when compressed with gzip, helping keep its footprint small.It records the events you need to understand how people use your website, including:- Pageviews- Funnel steps- HTML goals- Custom events- Core Web Vitals (LCP, INP, and CLS)Event payloads pass through a PII filter, and the tracker respects Do Not Track signals.This goes beyond a basic traffic chart. You can examine how visitors move through important steps and identify where a signup flow or another conversion process might be breaking down.Explore the EventDash homepage and EventDash vs Plausible to learn more about the product and how it compares with other analytics tools. For the broader approach to collecting and using data, see our guide to privacy-first analytics.
FAQ
- What is cookieless analytics?
- Cookieless analytics measures website activity without setting HTTP cookies. Analytics tools still need a way to count visits and, depending on their design, connect related actions. EventDash uses an anonymous session ID in localStorage to connect actions within a visit. If a visitor clears their site data, the next visit starts a new session.
- Does cookieless analytics remove the consent banner?
- Not automatically. Whether your website needs a consent banner depends on the technologies it uses, the data it collects, the purposes of processing, and the laws that apply. EventDash doesn't set HTTP cookies through its tracker, but it does store an anonymous session ID in localStorage. Other scripts on your website may set cookies or use other storage mechanisms, too.
- How does cookieless tracking work?
- Cookieless tracking measures website activity without relying on HTTP cookies. Some tools generate temporary visitor identifiers from request information and a rotating salt without storing an identifier on the device. Others use browser storage, such as localStorage, to keep an anonymous session ID. EventDash uses the second approach to connect actions within a visit, such as viewing a pricing page and clicking signup. Clearing site data resets that session. The session ID is not an account or an email address.
- Is cookieless analytics the same as privacy-first analytics?
- No. Cookieless analytics describes how an analytics tool handles HTTP cookies. Privacy-first analytics covers a broader set of practices, such as minimizing data collection, filtering personal information, respecting Do Not Track signals, and avoiding advertising-oriented tracking. A tool can avoid HTTP cookies while still collecting more data than necessary. To understand its privacy approach, look beyond the cookie policy and examine what the tool collects, how it handles that information, and where the data goes.