The Journey of a Pageview
Transparency is a core value. Let's walk through exactly what happens from the moment a visitor loads your page to when the data appears on your dashboard, and see how privacy is protected at every step.
1. No Cookies or Client-Side Storage
VeritaMetrics does not use any browser cookies (first-party or third-party) or other persistent client-side storage mechanisms (like localStorage) for tracking visitors.
This means:
- Immunity to cookie consent banner fatigue and rejection for analytics tracking.
- Helps with compliance for PECR (ePrivacy Directive) and other regulations regarding cookie usage.
- Tracking works even if users block cookies or clear them frequently.
- No cross-site tracking capabilities via cookies.
2. Anonymous IP Address Handling
Visitor IP addresses are considered personal data under GDPR. We handle them with extreme care:
- IPs are used only momentarily in memory during the request.
- We use the IP solely for deriving geographic location (Country/Region/City) and generating a daily `visitId`.
- The full IP address is never stored on disk or in our database logs.
- This process makes it impossible to identify or track an individual visitor via their IP address in our system. For further information, see our GDPR Compliance page.
3. Pseudonymous Daily Hashing
To count unique visitors without cookies, we generate a temporary, pseudonymous `visitId` by creating a SHA-256 hash from the following data points:
- The visitor's IP Address (which is then discarded).
- The visitor's User-Agent.
- The website ID.
- A secret, daily-rotating salt.
This allows us to recognize page views from the same visitor within the same 24-hour period only. Because the salt changes every day, it's impossible to link visits from the same person across different days, preventing long-term tracking. The hash cannot be reverse-engineered to reveal the original data.
4. Minimal, Aggregated Data Storage
We only collect the data absolutely necessary to provide core web analytics:
- Page URLs visited
- Referrer domains
- Browser type and version
- Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet)
- Operating system
- Country, region, and city (derived from IP, which is immediately discarded)
- UTM parameters (for campaign tracking)
- Pseudonymous daily `visitId`
We do not collect granular user flow paths, mouse movements, form inputs, or any other personally identifiable information (PII). The data is stored in aggregate and cannot be tied back to an individual.
Update Your Privacy Policy With Confidence
To help you accurately describe how VeritaMetrics works, you can adapt the following language for your own privacy policy.
Sample Language: Website Analytics
We use VeritaMetrics to collect anonymous information about how visitors use our website. VeritaMetrics is a privacy-focused analytics tool that helps us understand website traffic and improve user experience without compromising individual privacy. It operates without using cookies and does not store visitors' IP addresses.
Data Collected via VeritaMetrics:
VeritaMetrics provides us with aggregated insights by collecting the following types of information:
- Page URLs visited
- Referrer domains
- Browser type and version
- Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet)
- Operating system
- Country, region, and city (derived from IP, which is immediately discarded)
- UTM parameters (for campaign tracking)
- Pseudonymous daily `visitId`
How VeritaMetrics Protects Your Privacy:
- No cookies or local storage: VeritaMetrics doesn't use cookies or browser storage mechanisms to track visitors.
- No IP address storage: IP addresses are used momentarily for geolocation and creating a daily identifier, then immediately discarded.
- Daily reset: The pseudonymous visitId is reset every 24 hours, preventing long-term tracking.
- European data processing: All data is processed and stored on EU-based servers.
- No cross-site tracking: Data collected is strictly limited to activity on our website.
Have Questions About Our Approach?
We believe in transparency. Reach out to us if you have specific questions about our privacy practices or how VeritaMetrics fits your compliance needs.