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Web Analytics

1 post · Jul 2011 – Sep 2025

What this trail covers

Cloudflare's Web Analytics, part of its real user monitoring (RUM) tools, is being upgraded to combine client-side metrics with deep, in-network instrumentation. This platform aims to provide comprehensive performance monitoring and debugging capabilities while preserving user privacy by aggregating data at the edge and dropping client-specific information. Starting October 15, 2025, Web Analytics will be enabled by default for all free domains, offering insights into page painting, load times, and visitor counts. Future enhancements will include real-world debugging examples and tips for optimizing performance. The platform will deliver a privacy-first approach by not tracking individual users or using client-side state, with an option to exclude EU/UK visitors' data.

All Cloudflare trails
  1. The RUM Diaries: enabling Web Analytics by defaultThis post announces the upcoming upgrade and default enablement of Cloudflare's Web Analytics for all free domains starting October 15, 2025. It details the architecture of Web Analytics, which uses a lightweight JavaScript snippet to collect client-side performance metrics (Core Web Vitals, resource load times, TLS handshake duration) and aggregates this data at the edge to preserve privacy. The post highlights the problem of fragmented performance monitoring and how Cloudflare's unique position as a reverse proxy enables end-to-end visibility by correlating client data with network and origin performance. It also emphasizes the privacy-first approach, including the exclusion of EU/UK visitor data by default.
  2. Enhancing privacy-focused Web Analytics to better meet your metrics needsThis post introduces several significant enhancements to Cloudflare Web Analytics. Firstly, it expands the capability to track up to 10 websites per account, with detailed instructions on adding root domains and subdomains. Secondly, it adds support for Single-Page Applications (SPAs) by implementing logic to track route changes via the History API's pushState method and onpopstate event, addressing a previously unsupported use case. Lastly, it integrates Core Web Vitals directly into the Web Analytics dashboard, making these performance metrics accessible to all users, not just those using Browser Insights.
  3. Cloudflare’s privacy-first Web Analytics is now available for everyoneThis post announces the general availability of Cloudflare Web Analytics for all users, enabling integration via an HTML snippet. It details the privacy-first approach, emphasizing no user tracking, cookies, or fingerprinting, and defines 'visits' as page views from different sites. It also outlines basic metrics like page views and visits, and features like top pages, countries, device types, referrers, and global filters. The post also mentions future plans for alerts, real-time updates, and deeper integration with other Cloudflare services.
  4. Free, privacy-first analytics for a better webThis post announces the launch of a new, privacy-first web analytics service that is available to everyone, regardless of whether they are a Cloudflare customer. It introduces a new metric called 'visit' as a privacy-friendly alternative to 'unique visitors'. For existing Cloudflare customers, it enhances the existing analytics tab with new features and a banner to opt-in. For non-customers, it announces a JavaScript-based analytics product that can be signed up for and will be available soon. The post also highlights the evolution of Cloudflare's analytics capabilities from basic metrics to a powerful standalone product.
  5. Understanding Analytics: When Is a Page View Not a Page View?This post clarifies Cloudflare's approach to web analytics, differentiating its raw log-based methodology from beacon-based services like Google Analytics. It explains that Cloudflare tracks hits and bandwidth directly, while page view definitions can be complex for modern AJAX-driven sites. The post emphasizes that Cloudflare's analytics are best suited for understanding server load and resource consumption, complementing other services for ad-serving metrics.