ga-localstorage

Google Analytics LocalStorage

A JavaScript Google Universal Analytics snippet that uses localStorage, when available, instead of HTML cookies.

Do it for the bytes.

Important Caveats. Read these.

• This is not an offically supported tracking method.
• You cannot do cross-domain tracking of a user. You will not be able to track the same user on both http://www.example.com and http://example.com. A single user visiting both of these will result in two unique users.
• You cannot do cross-scheme tracking of a user. You will not be able to track the same user on both https://www.example.com and http://www.example.com. A single user visiting both of these will result in two unique users.
• You might not be able to utilize some of the advanced Google Analytics features.

You should only use this script if all of the following are true:

• the site you are tracking doesn't track users on other subdomains.

• the site you are tracking is always served over https or always over http, never both/either.

• you pretty much just track page views, users, and/or events (since that is all I've tested myself).

Another thing to note: this script changes the global ga function to ct. If you call ga in your scripts to track events, make sure you update all your ga() calls to ct() calls!

Documentation

Did you read the Important Caveats? Make sure you do that before you read any more.

Copy+Paste

1. Copy the code in ga-localstorage.js into your project's template file.
2. Replace UA-XXXXXXXX-X with your TrackingID.

npm

1. Install node and npm (if you don't know what these are, or don't have these installed already, you should probably follow the Copy+Paste section above).
2. Install the ga-localstorage package (optionally saving it to your package.json): - npm install ga-localstorage --save
3. Build your Google Analytics JavaScript snippet: - var analyticsSnippet = require("ga-localstorage")("UA-8675309-1");
4. Do whatever you want with it. - you should probably output it between a <script> and a </script> right before </body>.

Disclaimer

This isn't being merged into HTML5 Boilerplate for good reason: the Google Analytics team thought it was a risky idea. Read the History section below for more info.

History

Read Google Async Analytics using LocalStorage for the back story.

Read Use localStorage for Google Analytics tracking when available #1444 for why this isn't going to land in HTML5 Boilerplate.

Feedback

Give it to me here and at @pxcoach.