Question

The tracking code on the site in question, “site2”, appears as follows:

<script type="text/javascript">

  var _gaq = _gaq || [];
  _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-XXXXXXXX-1']);
  _gaq.push(['_setDomainName', 'site1.com']);
  _gaq.push(['_setAllowLinker', true]);
  _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);
  (function() {
    var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true;
    ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js';
    var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
  })();

</script>
</body>
</html>

Here is a screenshot of the debugger on that site:

The _setDomainName method on the preceding domain, “site1” has a period before it:

<script type="text/javascript">
  var _gaq = _gaq || [];
  _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-XXXXXXXX-1']);
  _gaq.push(['_setDomainName', '.site1.com']);
  _gaq.push(['_setAllowLinker', true]);
  _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);
  (function() {
    var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true;
    ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js';
    var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
  })();
</script>

While this may or may not prevent cookies from being passed along to the second domain, the tracking code should still at least fire, no? It is important to note that we own both domains. I cannot find any reason that would cause the code not to trigger, except perhaps an error elsewhere on the page. I am using GA Debug to see whether or not the beacon is being sent. It’s being sent on site1, but not on site2.

Thanks for the help!

Answer 1

_setDomainName tells the Google Analytics cookie where to store itself. Browsers will not let set a cookie on site1.com from site2.com. Leave .site1.com on you main site and update it to .site2.com on your second.

If you’d like visit data between domains, you have to do one of the following:

• Tag the links between the domains using linkByPost etc… Read the google documentation about it here: https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/gajs/gaTrackingSite
• OR I’d recommend looking into Google Analytics on Steroids as they solve this use case more elegantly: https://github.com/CardinalPath/gas#cross-domain