For a long time now there has been a question hovering around just when or if Google would pull the plug on the tracking technology that started it all: Urchin tracker (also known as Urchin.js.) Urchin.js was the original tracking technology that powered Google Analytics. It was the beautiful code that we all knew and loved, but was subsequently replaced by the more nimble variations of GA.js; first in a synchronous snippet and later an asynchronous version. That was replaced earlier this year by Universal Analytics and its analytics.js collection methods.
Each iteration brought new features and enhancements that could only be used by upgrading the tracking snippet on your site to a new version. So the question was always there: How long will Google Analytics continue to allow data to be collected by an eight year old version of the tracking technology? Not only has Urchin.js been around a while but with the launch of analytics.js — it was now several generations behind.
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.
975 South Federal Highway, 2nd Floor
Boca Raton, FL 33432
800.787.0497
ph: 561.620.9682
fx: 561.620.9684
info@morevisibility.com
