Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Analystra's real-time analytics platform
Getting Started
What is Analystra?
Analystra is a privacy-first real-time visitor analytics platform that lets you see who's on your website right now. Unlike traditional analytics that show historical data, Analystra provides live presence tracking with updates every 15 seconds.
How do I get started?
Getting started is simple: 1) Sign up for a free account, 2) Add your website and copy the tracking snippet, 3) Paste the snippet into your website's HTML. You'll start seeing real-time visitors immediately.
Do I need a credit card to sign up?
No! You get 1,000 free visits when you sign up, with no credit card required. This lets you test Analystra on your website before making any commitment.
What counts as a 'visit'?
A visit is when someone lands on your page (VIEW event). Our tracking snippet sends one VIEW event per page load, then HEARTBEAT events every 15 seconds while they remain active, and a LEAVE event when they navigate away. Only VIEW events deduct 1 credit from your balance - HEARTBEAT and LEAVE events are free.
Pricing & Billing
How much does Analystra cost?
Analystra uses pay-as-you-go pricing at $0.15 per 10,000 page views (or $0.015 per 1,000 views). There is a minimum purchase of $5. There are no monthly subscriptions or per-site fees - you only pay for what you use.
How is Analystra cheaper than competitors?
Traditional analytics platforms charge $9-90/month for fixed tiers. Analystra's pay-as-you-go model means you only pay for what you use. At just $1.50 per 100K page views, we're drastically cheaper than platforms like Plausible ($9/mo for just 10K views) or Fathom ($14/mo for 100K views).
What happens when I run out of credits?
When your credit balance reaches zero, tracking will stop until you add more credits. You'll receive notifications as your balance gets low so you can top up before running out.
Can I track multiple websites?
Yes! You can track unlimited websites with a single account. Credits are shared across all your sites, and there are no per-site fees.
Privacy & Compliance
Is Analystra GDPR compliant?
Yes. Analystra is privacy-first by design. We don't store IP addresses, we hash user agents before storage, we respect Do Not Track headers, and we don't use cookies for tracking. All data is stored securely and can be exported or deleted on request.
Do you store IP addresses?
No. We derive country information from CDN headers (x-vercel-ip-country, cf-ipcountry) without ever storing the actual IP address. This ensures privacy while still providing useful location insights.
Do you use cookies?
No cookies are required for tracking. We generate a visitor ID on the client side and store it in localStorage. This means visitors can use your site without cookie consent banners for our analytics.
What data do you collect?
We collect: visitor ID (client-generated), page path, country (derived without storing IP), user agent hash (not the actual UA string), referrer, device type, browser, OS, and screen size bucket. All data is privacy-safe and cannot identify individuals.
Technical Questions
How does real-time tracking work?
Our tracking snippet sends a VIEW event when someone lands on your page, then HEARTBEAT events every 15 seconds while they're active. These events update Redis sorted sets with 5-minute TTLs for instant presence queries. Dashboard updates are pushed via Server-Sent Events (SSE) every 2 seconds.
Does Analystra slow down my website?
No. The tracking snippet is lightweight (<2KB), loads asynchronously, and uses navigator.sendBeacon for non-blocking requests. It has zero impact on your page load times or Core Web Vitals.
Do you have an API?
Yes! We provide a full REST API for programmatic access to analytics data. You get both a public API key (for tracking) and a private API secret (for REST API access). Rate limits are 1,000 requests per minute per API secret.
Can I self-host Analystra?
Analystra is currently offered as a hosted SaaS solution only. This ensures optimal performance, reliability, and automatic updates without infrastructure management on your end.
What happens if someone closes the tab without the LEAVE event firing?
We use Redis sorted sets with automatic expiration. If a visitor doesn't send a HEARTBEAT for 5 minutes, they're automatically removed from the online count. This ensures accurate presence even if LEAVE events don't fire.
Features & Limitations
What analytics data can I see?
You can see: total visitors online right now, per-page visitor counts, session history, event logs, country distribution, device types, browsers, operating systems, screen sizes, referrers, and daily usage stats. All data is available in real-time.
Can I export my data?
Yes. You can export your analytics data as CSV or JSON format via the dashboard or REST API. All your historical data remains accessible for export at any time.
Do you support custom domains?
Yes. The tracking works across any domain. Each event includes the hostname field, so you can track multiple domains or subdomains with a single API key.
What's the data retention period?
Historical data (sessions and events) is stored in PostgreSQL with no automatic deletion. Real-time presence data in Redis expires after 5 minutes of inactivity. You control your data and can delete it anytime.
Support & Troubleshooting
I installed the snippet but don't see any data. What's wrong?
Check: 1) The snippet is in the <head> or <body> of your HTML, 2) The API key in the snippet matches your dashboard, 3) You have remaining credits, 4) Your browser isn't blocking the requests, 5) Do Not Track isn't enabled in your browser. If issues persist, check the browser console for errors.
How do I contact support?
For technical issues, feature requests, or general questions, reach out to us on Twitter/X or email support through your dashboard. We typically respond within 24 hours.
Can I get a refund?
Since Analystra uses pay-as-you-go pricing and charges only for actual usage, refunds are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Contact support if you believe you were charged incorrectly.
Still have questions?
Try Analystra free for 1,000 visits or contact our support team