Google Analytics: Change the tracked URL path

By default, Google Analytics tracks the current URL for every request. Sometimes you will want to track another URL instead, for example:

  • When an application URL contains a secret (e.g. an access token)
  • When you want to track multiple URLs under the same bucket
  • When you want to track interactions that don't have a corresponding URL + request (e.g. a Javascript button or a PDF download)

Luckily the Analytics code snippet allows you to freely choose what path is being tracked. Simple change this:

ga('send', 'pageview');

... to this:

ga('send', 'pageview', { 'page': '/YOUR-CUSTOM-PATH' });

With Unpoly

With Unpoly you want to trigger an Analytics pageview whenever a major content fragment is replaced. See Unpoly instructions here.

Legacy snippet

Change this:

_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);

... to this:

_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/YOUR-CUSTOM-PATH']);
Henning Koch Almost 12 years ago