How to track a new visitor

Once you have installed the SimpleStats client package, visitor tracking is set up automatically — no additional configuration is required on your part. We ensure this process is GDPR-compliant by generating a unique visitor_hash if a new visitor visits your site.

The Visitor Hash

The hash is created from a combination of the visitor's User-Agent, the IP address and a daily salt. This allows us to track unique visitors without storing any personally identifiable information, keeping their data safe and private.

The visitor_hash enables seamless visitor identification across different sessions and provides insights into how your marketing campaigns and UTM parameters drive traffic.

With this, you gain a clear picture of which marketing efforts contribute most effectively to your site's growth, all while respecting user privacy.

TIP

This privacy-first hashing approach is similar to what other analytics tools like Plausible and Fathom Analytics use. The key difference is that SimpleStats tracks entirely server-side, making it invisible to ad blockers.

INFO

Want to understand how visitor data flows into registrations and revenue? Check out From Visitor to User to Revenue.