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About Plausible Analytics

Introduction​

Plausible Analytics is a privacy-focused web analytics plugin for WordPress that provides simple, straightforward website statistics without compromising visitor privacy. Unlike traditional analytics tools, Plausible Analytics does not use cookies, does not collect personal data, and is fully compliant with privacy regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and PECR.

Sailstack's Vessel platform includes Plausible Analytics to help you understand your website's performance while respecting your visitors' privacy.

Key Features​

1. Privacy-First Analytics​

Plausible Analytics is designed with privacy at its core:

  • No cookies required - fully compliant with cookie consent laws
  • No personal data collection - anonymous analytics only
  • GDPR, CCPA, and PECR compliant
  • No cross-site tracking or fingerprinting
  • Data is aggregated and anonymized

2. Simple and Intuitive Dashboard​

Plausible Analytics provides a clean, easy-to-understand dashboard that shows:

  • Page views and unique visitors
  • Top pages and referrers
  • Geographic data (country-level only)
  • Device and browser information
  • Real-time visitor statistics

3. Lightweight and Fast​

Plausible Analytics is designed to have minimal impact on your website's performance:

  • Small script size (less than 1 KB)
  • No external dependencies
  • Fast loading times
  • No impact on page speed scores

4. Essential Metrics​

Focus on what matters with key website metrics:

  • Page views and unique visitors
  • Bounce rate
  • Visit duration
  • Traffic sources
  • Popular content
  • Goal conversions (if configured)

5. No Data Ownership Concerns​

With Plausible Analytics, you own your data:

  • Self-hosted option available
  • No data sharing with third parties
  • Transparent data collection practices
  • Export your data anytime

Getting Started​

To start using Plausible Analytics on your Vessel platform site:

  1. Plausible Analytics is typically pre-installed on Vessel platform sites. If you need to activate it, go to Plugins in your WordPress admin dashboard and activate Plausible Analytics.
  2. Navigate to the Plausible Analytics settings in your WordPress admin (usually under Settings > Plausible Analytics or in the plugin menu).
  3. Enter your Plausible Analytics domain or configure the connection to your Plausible instance.
  4. The analytics script will be automatically added to your website's pages.
  5. Visit your Plausible Analytics dashboard to start viewing your website statistics.

Viewing Your Analytics​

Once configured, you can view your website analytics by:

  1. Logging into your Plausible Analytics dashboard (either self-hosted or cloud instance).
  2. Selecting your website domain from the dashboard.
  3. Viewing real-time and historical statistics about your website traffic.

The dashboard provides insights into your website's performance while maintaining complete privacy for your visitors.

Configuring Email Reports​

Plausible Analytics allows you to receive regular email reports with your website's key metrics, so you can stay informed about your site's performance without having to log into the dashboard.

Setting Up Email Reports​

To configure email reports for your site metrics:

  1. Log into your Plausible Analytics dashboard.
  2. Navigate to your website's settings (click on your site domain, then go to Settings).
  3. Find the Email Reports section in the settings.
  4. Enter the email address where you want to receive the reports.
  5. Choose your report frequency:
    • Weekly reports: Receive a summary every week
    • Monthly reports: Receive a summary every month
    • Custom schedule: Set up reports for specific days or intervals
  6. Select which metrics you want included in the reports:
    • Page views and unique visitors
    • Top pages
    • Traffic sources
    • Geographic data
    • Device and browser breakdown
  7. Click Save to activate your email reports.

Report Contents​

Email reports from Plausible Analytics typically include:

  • Summary of page views and unique visitors for the reporting period
  • Comparison with the previous period (showing growth or decline)
  • Top performing pages
  • Main traffic sources
  • Key insights and highlights

Managing Email Reports​

You can manage your email report settings at any time:

  • Update your email address
  • Change the report frequency
  • Modify which metrics are included
  • Pause or disable reports temporarily
  • Add multiple email recipients for team reports

Email reports are a convenient way to stay updated on your website's performance without needing to regularly check the analytics dashboard. They're especially useful for tracking long-term trends and sharing metrics with team members or stakeholders.

Support and Documentation​

If you encounter any issues or have questions about using Plausible Analytics, there are several resources available:

Plausible Analytics offers a modern approach to web analytics that respects both your need for insights and your visitors' right to privacy. With its simple interface, privacy-first design, and lightweight implementation, Plausible Analytics is an excellent choice for websites that value both performance and privacy compliance.

If you have any questions or need assistance setting up Plausible Analytics on your Vessel platform site, please don't hesitate to reach out via support@sailstack.co. We're here to help you get the most out of your website analytics while maintaining privacy compliance.