Pulse Analytics

Customization Theme component

AI-generated summary

ciphera introduces Pulse Analytics, a privacy-focused theme component for Discourse forums that tracks visitors without using cookies or storing IP addresses. The component is lightweight, with an embedded script under 3 KB, and hosts its dashboard in Switzerland.

Key Features and Privacy

  • Privacy-First: No cookies, no IP storage. It respects browser signals like Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control.
  • Metrics: Tracks pageviews, referrers, countries, devices, time on page, and scroll depth. It also supports custom goals, funnels, and campaigns.
  • Security: Administration pages are excluded from tracking by default.

Installation and Requirements
Users can install the component via the provided button or by adding the GitHub repository https://github.com/ciphera-net/pulse-discourse in the Discourse admin panel. It requires Discourse 3.3 or later and a Pulse Analytics account (free plan available) registered for the same domain as the forum.

Configuration
The component includes several settings:

  • Domain: Defaults to empty, which uses the browser’s hostname. Set this if your forum is registered under a specific domain in Pulse.
  • Interaction Tracking: An optional setting to record clicks, copies, and form submits via a separate script.
  • Admin Tracking: Optional setting to include administration pages.
  • Custom API Origin: Allows sending events through a user-controlled proxy.

For more details, users are directed to the documentation and standard guides for installing Discourse themes.

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:information_source: Summary Pulse Analytics counts visitors on your forum without cookies or stored IP addresses.
:hammer_and_wrench: Repository GitHub - ciphera-net/pulse-discourse: Pulse Analytics theme component for Discourse: privacy-first, cookie-free web analytics. · GitHub
:question: Install Guide How to install a theme or theme component
:open_book: New to Discourse Themes? Beginner’s guide to using Discourse Themes

Install this theme component

Pulse Analytics adds privacy-first web analytics to a Discourse forum with one theme component. It sets no cookies and never stores IP addresses. The script it adds to your pages is under 3 KB.

Install

  1. Use the button above, or go to Admin → Customize → Themes → Components → Install → From a git repository and paste https://github.com/ciphera-net/pulse-discourse.
  2. Add the component to your theme.
  3. Open its settings and set Domain to the domain your forum is registered under in Pulse. If you leave it empty, the tracker uses the browser’s own hostname, which is right for a forum served on one domain.
  4. Visit pulse.ciphera.net and watch visitors arrive.

Settings

Setting Default What it does
Domain empty The domain this forum is registered under in Pulse. If it is empty, the tracker uses the browser’s own hostname.
Record clicks, copies and form submits off Loads a second, separate script that records interactions.
Also track administration pages off Tracks administration pages too. They are excluded by default; the README explains how that is enforced on a single-page app.
Custom API origin empty Sends events through your own proxy origin.

What it measures

Pulse counts pageviews, referrers, countries, devices, time on page and scroll depth, plus the goals, funnels and campaigns you set up, in one dashboard hosted in Switzerland. It does not count visitors whose browser sends Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control. The component excludes administration pages by default.

Requirements

You need Discourse 3.3 or later and a Pulse Analytics account with a site registered for the same domain. The free plan is enough to start.

Docs: docs.ciphera.net/pulse