Visitor Activity Alerts let you set notifications for when individual visitors are looking at your website so you never have to miss an important visitor again. Here’s a little insight into how Visitor Labels evolved to include our newest feature.
Category: Features
Custom Tags
Custom Tags is a new way to measure traffic with StatCounter.
It lets you tag pageviews on your website with whatever data you wish, allowing you to filter and segment your traffic in StatCounter reports in completely customised ways. This can lead to measurement and insights not previously possible with StatCounter.
For example, if you manage a blog, here’s some examples of questions you can now answer using Custom Tags:
- Which authors generate the most traffic?
- Which blog topics attract the most traffic?
- Which types of headline attract the most readers?
- Are long blogs more popular than blogs with lots of images and less text?
Answering these questions could help you optimise your content to attract more traffic.
An ecommerce website might want to know:
- Which categories of product attract most attention?
- What was the navigation flow of a user with a specific username or account ID?
(See Custom Tags Use Cases in the Knowledgebase for suggestions on how to use Custom Tags to answer these questions)
A pageview can be tagged with any data using one line of JavaScript code on your page.
For example in blog posts that feature a lot of images you could tag them like this:
_statcounter.push({“tags”: {“blog_format”: “image-heavy”}});
Or in blog posts with less images and more text you could use the following tag:
_statcounter.push({“tags”: {“blog_format”: “text-heavy”}});
(See How do I use Custom Tags in the Knowledgebase for important implementation details)
Once this data is recorded you can see how your tag values compare in the Custom Tags report:
With the example code above you would be able to see which type of blog format attracts more traffic, and use that insight to help optimise blog posts in the future. You can also click on a tag value in this report to to see which of your urls perform best for that tag.
You can also filter many of our existing reports for these tag values.
Remember, the above are just sample ideas – you can tag your pageviews with any data that is useful to you.
We will be developing this feature further and adding new features to help you measure more with StatCounter. We’d love to hear your feedback on what you want to measure and how we can help make this happen with StatCounter.
Have fun and let us know what you think!
See Also:
New Feature: Mobile Device Stats
Mobile Device stats are now available for all StatCounter members.
When viewing your stats, you can access this new statistic by choosing “Browsers” in the left menu bar and then “Mobile Device” at the top of the page.
Given the increasing usage of mobile devices to access the internet, we’re very pleased to be able to offer you, our members, this new statistic.
(For further information on mobile usage visit the StatCounter Global Stats site and view a graph of worldwide mobile v desktop activity or look at individual countries e.g. India or Nigeria. For other regions, simply choose from the dropdown list.)
This stat will help you to identify the individual mobile devices which are most commonly used to access your site. Use this information to optimise your site for mobile OR to establish if there is a problem accessing your site from certain devices.
Please bear in mind that this stat is a work-in-progress and we plan to add further functionality in the coming weeks. Please also make sure to send us your feedback and ideas so that we can refine and improve the Mobile Device stat to suit your needs.
As always – your comments are welcome below. Thanks folks.
- NOTES:
- If you have a mobile device, please consider contributing to our Mobile Detection project. Please visit this link using your mobile device and let us know any updates or changes we should make.
- Apologies for the hiatus of posts on the blog… one minute it was December 2011 then suddenly through a mist of mobile stats and detection work we find ourselves in May 2012 without a single blog post having been done in the interim! We will try hard not to let that happen again… 😉
StatCounter: Blocking Your Own Visits
If you spend a lot of time browsing/checking/editing your own site, it’s a good idea to block your visits from being counted by StatCounter… Otherwise, your personal visits can skew your stats. At StatCounter we offer two different blocking methods.
- IP Blocking
This method is suitable if you have a static (unchanging) IP address (e.g. 12.345.67.89) OR if your IP always falls within a particular range (e.g. 12.345.*.*). Hits from any blocked IP address or IP range will not be included in your StatCounter stats. - Blocking Cookie
If you have a dynamic (constantly and completely changing) IP then use the Blocking Cookie method. Note that for this method you *must* enable cookies in your browser and ensure that cookies are not regularly destroyed by either your browser or your antivirus software. A blocking cookie must be set up for each separate browser you use. Hits from any browser which contains a blocking cookie will not be included in your StatCounter stats.
More about IP Blocking
Please note that this method will *only* be effective if you have a static (unchanging) IP or if your IP remains within a set range. If your IP is dynamic and changes completely and constantly then IP blocking is not suitable. Instead you should consider using the blocking cookie method.
You can confirm your IP address via many different websites like this one, that one or another one and then block your IP using these steps:
-
1. Login to StatCounter.
2. Click the small “wrench” or “spanner” icon to the right of any project name. (You will later have an option to apply the IP block to all projects)
3. Click the “Edit Settings” link.
4. Go to the section named “IP Blocking”. Enter your IP address/IP range##.
5. Check the
box in the section called “Update IP Blocking in All Projects?” if you want to block the visits in all of your projects.
6. Click the “Edit Project” button.
The IP should now be added to the blocking list.
##If your IP address is in a range, for example, 12.345.00.00 to 12.345.99.99 please use the following format, 12.345.*.* – using the asterisk wildcard characters like this allows you to block the full range of IP addresses which could be allocated to you.
IP Blocking – Your Questions Answered
- How do I find out my IP address?
- How do I know if I have a static (unchanging) IP?
- I’ve blocked my IP but my hits are still counted by StatCounter – what’s wrong?
You can confirm your IP address via many different websites like this one, that one or another one.
Generally, you will *only* have a static IP if you have requested one from your ISP (internet service provider) and in many cases an additional fee will be charged. If you have *not* requested a static IP then it’s unlikely that you have one. You can confirm this by communication with your ISP directly. OR you can try to check yourself via a “trial and error” method. Check your IP using one of the websites mentioned above. Reset your internet connection and check your IP again. Repeat this a few times and note your IP on each occasion. It should quickly become clear if you have a static IP or if your IP is in a static range or indeed if you have a dynamic IP.
The most likely problem is that your IP address has changed from the IP that you blocked. Check the IP address/range that you have blocked in StatCounter. Next check your current IP using one of the sites listed above. You will probably find that your current IP is not blocked by StatCounter. To solve the problem, add your new IP address/range for blocking purposes. If you’re still having trouble – then talk to us.
More about the Blocking Cookie
The Blocking Cookie will *only* be effective so long as the cookie (small text file) remains in your browser. If your browser/antivirus software is set to remove/destroy cookies, then this method will not work for you. In order to effectively use the Blocking Cookie, you must set your browser/antivirus to allow/retain cookies.
Here’s how to set up a Blocking Cookie:
-
1. Login to StatCounter.
2. On the “My Projects” page click the “Blocking Cookie” link.
3. Click the “Creating Blocking Cookie For All Projects” button.
4. The page will reload and the button will change to “Destroy Blocking Cookie For All Projects”. This indicates that the blocking cookie has been successfully installed.
Blocking Cookie – Your Questions Answered
- I’ve set up a Blocking Cookie but my visits are still counted by StatCounter – what’s wrong?
- How do I enable cookies in my browser?
The Blocking Cookie can *only* block your visits while it is stored in your browser. If your browser is set to disallow or remove cookies, then this means that the Blocking Cookie will not be retained in your browser and therefore cannot block your hits. To effectively use the Blocking Cookie you *must* ensure that your browser is set to allow (and retain) cookies. You should also confirm that your antivirus software is not destroying your cookies.
The method to enable cookies will vary from browser to browser – here are instructions for a selection of common browsers:
-
Internet Explorer 7 or 8:
1. Click Start > Control Panel. (Note: with Windows XP Classic View, click the Windows Start button > Settings > Control Panel).
2. Double-click the Internet Options icon.
3. Click the Privacy tab.
4. Click the Advanced button.
5. Select the option ‘Override automatic cookie handling’ under the Cookies section in the Advanced Privacy Settings window.
6. Select the ‘Accept’ or ‘Prompt’ option under ‘First-party Cookies.’
7. Select the ‘Accept’ or ‘Prompt’ option under ‘Third-party Cookies.’ (Note: if you select the ‘Prompt’ option, you’ll be prompted to click OK every time a website attempts to send you a cookie.)
8. In the Internet Options window, click OK to exit.
Internet Explorer 6:
1. Click Start > Control Panel. (Note: with Windows XP Classic View, click the Windows Start button > Settings > Control Panel).
2. Click the Advanced button.
3. Select the option ‘Override Automatic Cookie Handling.’
4. Select the ‘Accept’ or ‘Prompt’ option under ‘First-party Cookies.’
5. Select the ‘Accept’ or ‘Prompt’ option under ‘Third-party Cookies.’ (Note: if you select the ‘Prompt’ option, you’ll be prompted to click OK every time a website attempts to send you a cookie.)
6. In the Internet Options window, click OK to exit.
Mozilla Firefox 3.x (PC):
1. Click Tools > Options.
2. Click Privacy in the top panel.
3. Set ‘Firefox will’: to Use custom settings for history.
4. Check the box next to Accept cookies from sites to enable cookies.
5. Click OK.
Mozilla Firefox 2.x (PC):
1. Click Tools > Options.
2. Click Privacy in the top panel.
3. Select the checkbox labeled ‘Accept cookies from sites.’
4. Click OK.
Mozilla Firefox (Mac):
1. Go to the Firefox drop-down menu.
2. Select Preferences.
3. Click Privacy.
4. Set ‘Firefox will’: to Use custom settings for history.
5. Check the box next to Accept cookies from sites to enable cookies.
6. Click OK.
Chrome (PC):
1. Click the Tools menu.
2. Select Options.
3. Click the Under the Hood tab.
4. Click Content settings in the ‘Privacy’ section.
5. Make sure Allow local data to be set is selected to allow both first-party and third-party cookies.
Chrome (Mac):
1. Select Chrome > Preferences on the menu bar.
2. Click the Under the Hood tab.
3. Click Content settings in the ‘Privacy’ section.
4. Make sure Allow local data to be set is selected to allow both first-party and third-party cookies.
Safari:
1. Go to the Safari drop-down menu.
2. Select Preferences.
3. Click Security in the top panel.
4. Under ‘Accept Cookies’ select the option ‘Always’.
If you have any questions about IP Blocking or the Blocking Cookie, please post them below. We’d also welcome any feedback, comments or suggestions… and if you spot any errors in our post (bar the footnote below!) then please do let us know.
FOOTNOTE: Before anyone decides to comment on our example IP address 12.345.67.89 – please note that it’s an ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE ONLY! It’s not *supposed* to be a real IP address, ok? It’s just a “made up” IP for which we used the digits 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 in that order regardless of whether that sequence of numbers is technically possible or not.
StatCounter User Types
Hi folks,
Did you know that you can set up different users in your StatCounter account?
In fact, if you want to allow other people to access your StatCounter account, we strongly recommend that you do this.
Using our User Access Management feature you can also set up different levels of access for each user.
How do I add a user to my StatCounter account?
- Log in to your StatCounter account and click “Users” in the top navigation bar.
- Click “Add New User”.
- Complete the “Account Details” and “Personal Details”.
- In the “User Access Rights” section, assign the chosen user type.
- In the “Project Access” section, select which projects you want your new user to access.
- At the end of the page, click “Add New User” and you’re done!
What are the different User Types?
- Admin (full access to ALL projects)
This gives the user FULL access to ALL projects in your account – including adding and deleting other users and projects. - Web Designer
This gives the user limited access only to projects you allow. Web Designer Users can view stats and configure the tracking and installation code. - Billing
This gives the user limited access only to projects you allow. Billing Users can view stats, view and pay invoices and upgrade and downgrade your account. - Stats Viewer
This gives the user limited access only to projects you allow. It gives the user the ability to view the stats for each project you allow. - Restricted Stats Viewer
This gives the user limited access only to projects you allow. It gives the user the ability to view only the Summary Stats for each project you allow.
How do I change the User Access to a project?
To change the User Access to a project, go to the My Projects page in your StatCounter account. Click the lock icon lock beside your project name. Check the box beside the users you want to have access to this project. Finally, click Update Project Access.
How do I change the settings for a User?
To change the settings for a User, click Users in the top navigation bar. Click the “Pencil and Paper” icon beside the chosen username to edit the User.
WARNING
Please be extremely careful in allowing third parties to have Admin Access to your StatCounter account. Your account may be compromised if you allow a third party to have Admin Access to your account.