Privacy-first analytics — how it works
We collect the minimum data needed to understand how real visitors experience your website — nothing more.
No cookies — never
Our analytics script (Plausible Analytics) is completely cookieless. It does not set, read, or store any cookies on visitors' devices. It does not use browser fingerprinting, localStorage, sessionStorage, or any other client-side storage mechanism.
Because nothing is stored on the visitor's device, no cookie consent banner is required under UK PECR or EU ePrivacy Directive guidance. This is not a workaround — it is a genuine architectural choice.
What we collect from your visitors
For every visitor to a monitored website, we collect:
- Page URL and path — which page was visited
- Referrer — where the visitor arrived from
- Browser User-Agent — browser type, operating system and device category
- Country — approximate geographic location (IP-based, not stored)
- Viewport size — screen dimensions
- Core Web Vitals — LCP, INP, CLS, FCP, TTFB performance metrics
We do not collect: names, email addresses, IP addresses (stored), precise location, browsing history across sites, or any personal identifiers.
How monitoring works on your site
One lightweight script is added to your website:
One script handles both page view tracking and real-user Core Web Vitals (LCP, INP, CLS, FCP, TTFB). Loaded from plausible.io.
The script is designed to be lightweight and minimise performance impact. No third-party scripts load additional resources.
Where data is stored and processed
Storage location: All monitoring data and analytics are processed and stored on servers within the European Union.
Data processors:
- Plausible Analytics — privacy-focused analytics (EU-hosted)
- Cloudflare — CDN and script hosting
- Formspree — contact form processing
- OpenAI — AI report generation (anonymised metrics only, not used for training)
Retention: Performance data is retained for the duration of your active account. Data is deleted on account cancellation or upon request.
No data sales: We do not sell, rent, or share visitor data with third parties for their marketing purposes.
GDPR compliance summary
- Lawful basis: Analytics data is collected on the basis of legitimate interest — the data is anonymised, non-personal, and essential for providing the monitoring service you have requested.
- Data minimisation: We collect only the minimum data needed for website performance monitoring and visitor analytics.
- No consent required: Because no cookies or similar technologies are used to store or access information on visitors' devices, no cookie consent banner is required under PECR / ePrivacy.
- Subject access requests: Contact us via our form or at [email protected] to access, correct, or delete your account data.
Common questions
Does Plausible Analytics use cookies?
No. Plausible is completely cookieless. It uses no cookies, no localStorage, no fingerprinting. It generates a daily-changing hash from the visitor's IP and User-Agent for uniqueness, but the raw IP is never stored.
Can I see what data is collected from my site?
Yes. Your Plausible dashboard shows all visitor analytics in real time. Your Web Vitals dashboard shows performance metrics. Both are included with every plan.
Do you share data with third parties?
No. We use Plausible for analytics, Cloudflare for CDN, Formspree for contact forms, and OpenAI for AI-generated report summaries. None of these processors use your data for their own purposes. We never sell visitor data.
Can I track Google Ads with privacy-friendly analytics?
Yes. Privacy-friendly analytics like ours can still track which campaigns generate visits, signups and conversions. PPC advertising doesn't require Google Analytics to measure results — they're separate tools. Plus, you avoid the cookie consent modals that GA4 requires in the UK and EU, making the experience better for your visitors.
Want to learn more? Contact us or see our pricing.