Question about Google Analytics Tracking (w/ Rails

Question

I've got google analytics setup on a rails project, and I've got "A single domain (default)" selected for the tracking options.

I've copied and pasted the js code into the layout for the application.

Now, if I use this locally, does analytics track the local use as well?

The reason I'm asking this is we've been running tests on our dev computers using rspec, and there seems to be a spike in the analytics. All these spikes also seem to show up as unique visitors.

I'd appreciate any insight on this.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Also, using a Google Analytics gem will automatically set some of these features for you. Here is a great way to do it:

Google Analytics and Rails in 5 EASY Steps:

If you are in Rails 3, I just found a great solution for doing Google Analytics in Rails apps.

(1) In your Gemfile:

group :production do
  gem 'rack-google_analytics', :require => "rack/google_analytics"
end

(2) Bundle Install

(3) In your config/application.rb (put this in the class definition section - careful not to drop it in a module. I put mine right under "class Application"):

if Rails.env == "production"
  config.middleware.use("Rack::GoogleAnalytics", :web_property_id => "UA-0000000-1")
end

(4) Initiate your Google Analytics account

(5) Copy and paste that funky web_property_id from Google's supplied code into the code from (3), replacing 'UA-000000-1'

That's it!

I originally found this solution here: David Bock Article

Answer 2

I tried the gems but they didn't work; wouldn't spit out any code, etc. Seemed dumb for something so simple. So I ended up just doing this, in application.html.erb:

<% if Rails.env.production? %>
(GA JS Code Snippet)
<% end %>

Answer 3

Yes, it does track local visits as well. You should probably use ruby conditional statement to exclude it for the local conneciton. For example, at the bottom of the layout file

<% if !request.local? %>
Your source codes for Google Analytics
<% end %>

This way, Google Analytics will not be printed if connection is made from local.

Answer 4

This tutorial shows you how to set it up. I don't know why there's a gem for this. Just put the code in a partial and render it in your application layout if rails.env.production?

http://aihuiong.com/post/452550136/google-analytics-and-rails-in-3-steps-and-less-than-5

Answer 5

In the google analytics admin, you can filter out visitors based on various attributes (e.g. ip address) This would also be a good idea to do.

Another option that I've done is add another analytics tracking account that you use for the dev/test environment so that you can test whether and how analytics are working.