Rest in Peace, _initData.

Take a look at the following two sets of Google Analytics Tracking Code. Can you spot the difference between the two?

Old GA.js Tracking Code:

<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJshost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." :
"http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3C script src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js'
type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-1234567-1");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
</script>

New GA.js Tracking Code:

<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJshost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." :
"http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3C script src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js'
type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-1234567-1");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
</script>

As of very recently, the great folks at Google Analytics have removed the following line of code:

pageTracker._initData();

…and have modified the actual GA.js tracking file to execute this command automatically.

What this means for you:

Until Google Analytics makes some sort of announcement about it, this does not mean anything to you. There has been no interruption in the collection of data or the display of data in all of your Google Analytics Accounts. Also, it will not “hurt” you to keep _initData in your Google Analytics Tracking Code on the pages of your website. So, don’t worry, and don’t send in that request to your IT or Web Development team quite yet.

If you’d like to be proactive about it, simply remove:

pageTracker._initData();

from the GA Tracking Code on all of the pages on your website, and you should be good to go.