Question

I understand that google analytics uses first party cookie tracking, so it sets the cookie from the domain being visited with javascript (rather than setting the cookie from google-analytics.com)

I am wondering how the ga.js google analytics script saves the cookie data to the database to be reported on by google analytics?

I cant see any reference to a script or url where the data is being saved to a db e.g. in here http://google-analytics.com/ga.js

Any ideas?

Cheers Ke

Answer 1

There are references in that script to a GIF. If a hidden GIF is appended to the page, its URL may contain a query string (i.e. an HTTP GET) with all the data.

When the page requests the image, the data gets sent back to Google.

That file has been compacted, but this may be the code creating the image:

if(1==q||2==q){g=("https:"==b.protocol?"https://ssl.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif":http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif")+g+"&utmac="+d+"&utmcc="+f.Rb(a)