Anomalous Behavior of Google Analytics

Question

Use the Google Analytics on my website however it has an anomalous behavior:

• When I open 2 to infinite pages of my site in a single browser is computed as a single active user.
• When I open 2 up to infinite pages of my site in 2 browsers are computed as 2 active users.
• When closing pages is not updated the number of active users on the site.
• When I leave the tabs open but without any update or redirect the number of online users is updated to 0.

I am using a code from google Analytics asynchronous and optimized (I put in an external . js file (which contains other javascript functions, however there is no interfrencia between variables)):

var _gaq = [['_setAccount', 'UA-63633330-1'], ['_trackPageview']];
(function(d, t){
    var g = d.createElement(t),
        s = d.getElementsByTagName(t)[0];
    g.src = 'http://www.google-analytics.com/ga.js';
    s.parentNode.insertBefore(g, s);
}(document, 'script'));

What is the reason for this anomalous behavior or this is the appropriate behavior?

Site link that provided the optimized version of Google Analytics: https://mathiasbynens.be/notes/async-analytics-snippet

Answer 1

We can say that yes, all seem to me "correct" with the logic of the functioning of most of the "online accountants", I hope this helps you:

Q: When I open 2 to infinite pages of my site in a single browser is computed as a single active user.

• R: Yes are considered unique as it is necessary to do the metric and usually used to define the customer’s step-by-step, for example on a shopping site if the user opens multiple windows or tabs will need to check where he went until he reaches the Goal (in this example would complete the purchase)

Q: When I open 2 to infinite pages of my site in 2 browsers are computed as 2 active users.

• R: Each browser has one User-Agent (identification of the technologies the user is using to browse) different and also do not use the same session/cookies, so it is not possible to determine that they are different users. They could even use the IP, but if two computers use the same network the IP will be the same and this would cause conflicts and unreal data (mixed).

Q: When closing pages is not updated the number of active users on the site.

• R: The browser has a javascript event called window.onbeforeunload, but it only works well in front-end, if you use it to make an ajax request for example, the moment you close the browser it will call the ajax, but you will not have time to complete the delivery of the order on the server, sometimes you can, but it is not guaranteed. They could use it to assist, but instead they use an approximate one-minute time to check the user’s activities, if the user has closed the browser, after one minute it is removed from the "amount of users online" and this is the most guaranteed process of working today.

Q: When I leave the tabs open but without any update or redirect the number of online users is updated to 0.

• R: It is the same situation as the previous one, if the user is inactive on the site even with open tabs, the counter should disregard after one minute (~approximate) the user, because what matters is the activity within the site, if the user is in another tab has no reason to account for it. The moment it performs an activity the counter updates.

Completion

Browsers may fail, there may be power outage, so the "one minute" (~approximate) system is the best to check if the user is active compared to the event window.onbeforeunload. Note that this "method" is not only on google, but other similar and even simpler systems use the same procedure (like those online visitor support chats)