Skip to content

Privacy

When cookies are disabled by a visitor (cookieless tracking), how does this affect the accuracy of MVMCloud Analytics reporting?

There are several cases in which cookies can be disabled: when the browser has cookies disabled or when the code JavaScript from MVMCloud Analytics runs without cookies (cookies disabled via call to disableCookies()), or if you are importing server logs in MVMCloud Analytics that do not contain cookie information.

When cookies are disabled, some data in MVMCloud Analytics will be less accurate.

You will find the full list of affected metrics and reports below. All other reports not mentioned below will work the same way.

Unique visitor and new returning visitor metrics will be inaccurate

MVMCloud Analytics uses cookies to store a unique visitor ID used to recognize visitors from previous visits. When cookies are disabled, MVMCloud Analytics will still be able to determine unique visitors based on IP address and other identifiers, but this will be inaccurate. Therefore, the following metrics will be inaccurate: Unique Visitors, New Visitors, Returning Visitors.

Ecommerce goals and conversions will be attributed to the channel used in the converting visit

Ecommerce attribution and goal tracking are also affected. By default, MVMCloud Analytics stores the website or keyword or campaign used to find your site in a cookie so we can credit (attribute) that site when the visitor converts (goal conversion or ecommerce order). When the conversion occurs on the same visit, MVMCloud Analytics can credit the referrer of the website (even if cookies are disabled).

However, imagine the following scenario: the visitor uses a newsletter link marked with a campaign parameter and then visits 5 pages on your website, but don't buy it. She then comes back 2 hours later by directly typing in your website URL (so a direct inbound visit) and purchases during that second visit. When cookies are enabled, MVMCloud Analytics credits the conversion to the initial campaign. When cookies are disabled, the conversion is not attributed to the link to the original newsletter, as this data is not available.

Multi-attribution and cohort reports will not show data

Because all conversions will be attributed to the channel used in the converting visit, multiple attribution reports for multiple channels and cohorts reports will not be able to show data.

A small limited number of other reports will be inaccurate

The following reports will no longer display accurate data as all visits without a cookie will be counted as if they were new visitors, making the report inaccurate:

  • Days since last visit;
  • Visits by visit count;
  • Visits for conversion;
  • Days for conversion.