Visitors and Pageviews
How many people came, and which pages they opened.
Guide
Cookieless Analytics, Explained
What it means to count visitors without cookies, what you can still measure, and what it does not change.
General information, not legal advice.
- 01
No cookies set
Nothing is stored on your visitor's device.
- 02
Still useful
Pages, sources, devices, goals and realtime all work.
- 03
Honest limits
No cross-site tracking and no cross-device identity.
- No cookies
- One script tag
- Free plan
- Billed in rupees
What a Cookie Does in Analytics
A cookie is a small file a website stores in the visitor's browser. Classic analytics tools use one to give each browser an ID. When the same browser comes back tomorrow, the tool sees the same ID and counts a returning visitor.
That ID is also what makes consent necessary. Storing something on a person's device is regulated in many places, which is why so many sites show a banner before their analytics may start. Visitors who click “decline” vanish from the numbers.
Cookieless analytics skips the file. It reads the details a browser already sends with every request, such as the page, the referrer, the language and the browser type, and counts visits from those. Nothing is stored on the visitor's device, so there is nothing to ask permission for.
What You Can Still Measure
Where They Came From
Referrers, search and social sources, and UTM campaigns.
Who They Are, Roughly
Country, device, browser and screen size, from what the browser sends.
What They Did
Sessions, events and goals, so you can see a visit turn into a sign-up.
Who Is Here Now
A realtime view of the people on your site at this moment.
What It Cannot Do
Cookieless is a trade. You give up a few things on purpose:
- You cannot follow one person across different websites. That is the point.
- A person who visits from their phone and later from a laptop counts as two visitors.
- A returning visitor is recognised less precisely than with a long-lived cookie, so retention numbers are approximate.
For most sites that is a fair price. You still see what pulls visitors in, what they read and where they drop off.
Cookieless Is Not the Same as Anonymous
Not setting a cookie does not make every number anonymous. On Starter and above, Traffsite can list individual visits with the visitor's IP address, location, ISP and device. Teams use it to spot spam, check a support complaint or understand one odd session.
An IP address can count as personal data in some places. That is why IP logging is a switch you control for each website, and why we suggest telling your visitors in your privacy notice if you keep it on. If you do not need per-visitor detail, turn it off and keep only the totals.
Switching from a Cookie-Based Tool
- Add the Traffsite script tag before the closing head tag. Your own visit should appear in Realtime within seconds.
- Leave your old tool running for two weeks and compare trends and top pages, not exact totals.
- Set your goals and tag campaign links with UTM parameters.
- Remove the old tag, and the banner too if analytics was the only reason you had it.
Coming from Google? Read the Traffsite vs Google Analytics comparison or the install guide.
Common Questions
What is cookieless analytics?
Analytics that counts visits without storing a cookie on the visitor's device. It works from the information a browser sends with every page request, such as the page, the referrer and the browser type.
Does Traffsite Web Analytics use cookies?
No. Traffsite sets no cookies on your visitors' devices. You add one script tag and nothing else is stored in their browser.
Do I still need a cookie banner?
The analytics itself does not need one, because it sets no cookies. Your site may still need a banner for other things, such as advertising pixels, embedded videos or chat widgets. Rules differ by country and by how you use the data, so ask your own advisor. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Is an IP address personal data?
It can be, depending on where your visitors live. On Starter and above, Traffsite can show each visit's IP address. You can switch IP logging off for any website in its settings. If you keep it on, say so in your privacy notice.
Are cookieless numbers less accurate?
They are different, not worse. Cookie-based tools lose every visitor who declines the banner. A cookieless tool has no such step, so it usually counts them. What it cannot do is follow a person across devices.
Can I try it without paying?
Yes. The free plan covers one website and 100,000 events a month, with no card.
See Your Traffic Without a Cookie Banner.
Free for one website. No card needed.