If you value your privacy and wish to avoid being tracked by Google Analytics while browsing the internet, you have come to the right resource. In this article, I will provide a step-by-step guide on how to opt-out of Google Analytics.
What is Google Analytics?
Google Analytics is a free web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. It offers valuable insights that can help you to shape your business’s success strategy.
Why Opt Out of Google Analytics?
Though Google Analytics is a powerful tool for businesses to understand their users, some users may prefer not to share their online activity. You may want to opt out for privacy reasons, or you simply don’t want your data to be part of a company’s research and analysis.
How to Opt Out?
Thankfully, Google provides an option to opt out from being tracked by Google Analytics. You can do this by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
Step 1: Download the Add-on
Navigate to the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on page. Click on the “Get Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on” button to download the add-on.
Step 2: Install the Add-on
After downloading the add-on, install it on your browser. The installation process will vary depending on the browser you use.
Step 3: Verify the Installation
To confirm that the add-on has been installed correctly and is working, visit a website that uses Google Analytics and then check the ‘Real-Time’ reports.
Remember, opting out of Google Analytics only stops the data collection by Google Analytics. Other websites and online services may still collect and use your browsing data.
Opting Out Programmatically
If you’re a website owner and you want to offer your users a way to opt out from Google Analytics tracking on your website, you can do so by adding a few lines of code to your website.
<script> // Set to 'true' to opt out of Google Analytics tracking window['ga-disable-UA-XXXXX-Y'] = true; </script>
Replace ‘UA-XXXXX-Y’ with your Google Analytics ID. When a user opts out, the Google Analytics code on your website will check this value and stop sending data if it’s ‘true’.
Conclusion
Privacy concerns are a legitimate reason to want to opt out of Google Analytics tracking. With the steps provided above, you can easily opt out and browse the internet with a little more peace of mind.