After installing Independent Analytics, there are a few steps you may need to take to properly track your analytics.
Clear your cache
Independent Analytics adds a tracking script to your site automatically, but if you have a caching plugin installed, your visitors will see copies of your pages from before you installed Independent Analytics.
Your cache needs to be emptied so that visitors see the most recent copies of your pages that include the Independent Analytics tracking script.
You only need to clear your cache once for Independent Analytics to track every future visitor.
If you’re using Cloudflare or another CDN, make sure to empty the cache with your caching plugin first, and then empty the CDN cache.
How to clear your cache
First, check your Plugins menu for a caching plugin. Popular caching plugins include:
- WP Super Cache
- W3 Total Cache
- WP Rocket
- LiteSpeed Cache
- WP Fastest Cache
- SiteGround Optimizer
Regardless of which plugin you use, there will be an option to “clear” or “empty” the cache.
If your host includes caching, you will also want to empty your site’s cache through your host. If you use a CDN like Cloudflare, you will need to empty the CDN cache too. Make sure to empty the CDN cache after emptying the cache created by a plugin.
Log out if you’re testing for views
Independent Analytics doesn’t track logged-in visitors by default, so you won’t see your own views get recorded unless you log out or visit your site in a private browser window.
It is possible to enable tracking of logged-in visitors, and you can block IP addresses as well.
Enable the REST API
For most users, clearing the cache will ensure data tracking works.
However, if data is still not showing up in the dashboard, it’s most likely because your site has disabled the REST API. There are some security and performance plugins that do this, such as All In One WP Security and Perfmatters.
Since Independent Analytics requires the REST API to track views, it needs to be enabled. If you are concerned about security implications from enabling the REST API, it is possible to leave it disabled for all routes except for the one used by IA: Read the tutorial.
Still having trouble?
If these solutions don’t help, please contact us, and we will assist you right away.
