Comments on: Tracking your file downloads http://www.drexplain.com/isv-kaizen-blog/website/tracking-your-file-downloads/ Strategy of continuous improvement for software business Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:16:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Dennis Crane http://www.drexplain.com/isv-kaizen-blog/website/tracking-your-file-downloads/#comment-782 Dennis Crane Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:19:58 +0000 http://www.drexplain.com/isv-kaizen-blog/website/tracking-your-file-downloads/#comment-782 You are not allowed to output any characters (e.g. GA code) before sending HTTP headers through PHP header() function. I.e. headers goes first, and then the rest output (HTML, txt, media) goes. You are not allowed to output any characters (e.g. GA code) before sending HTTP headers through PHP header() function. I.e. headers goes first, and then the rest output (HTML, txt, media) goes.

]]> By: Andrea Nagar http://www.drexplain.com/isv-kaizen-blog/website/tracking-your-file-downloads/#comment-781 Andrea Nagar Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:59:41 +0000 http://www.drexplain.com/isv-kaizen-blog/website/tracking-your-file-downloads/#comment-781 Hi, I would like to use your code to track downloads using google analytics. I tried injecting the standard Google Analytics javascript before the PHP redirect but I get an warning Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent Is there a way around this? Hi,
I would like to use your code to track downloads using google analytics.
I tried injecting the standard Google Analytics javascript before the PHP redirect but I get an warning

Warning: Cannot modify header information – headers already sent

Is there a way around this?

]]> By: Dennis Crane http://www.drexplain.com/isv-kaizen-blog/website/tracking-your-file-downloads/#comment-187 Dennis Crane Tue, 26 Jun 2007 18:06:06 +0000 http://www.drexplain.com/isv-kaizen-blog/website/tracking-your-file-downloads/#comment-187 Nir, I don't say we track only downloads. We track everything :-) This is just one of the techniques we use. Web analytics software is often superfluous and raw log analysis also requires specialized tools or scripts. PHP scripts built into the page code allows me easily track the standard ISV conversions: "visit(referrer)-download-order". Plus, I have more control over my own scripts and data formats than over any third-party tool. Nir,
I don’t say we track only downloads. We track everything :-) This is just one of the techniques we use.
Web analytics software is often superfluous and raw log analysis also requires specialized tools or scripts.
PHP scripts built into the page code allows me easily track the standard ISV conversions: “visit(referrer)-download-order”. Plus, I have more control over my own scripts and data formats than over any third-party tool.

]]> By: NirD http://www.drexplain.com/isv-kaizen-blog/website/tracking-your-file-downloads/#comment-183 NirD Tue, 26 Jun 2007 14:34:37 +0000 http://www.drexplain.com/isv-kaizen-blog/website/tracking-your-file-downloads/#comment-183 Hi Dennis Why are you only tracking downloads? Why aren’t you using web analytics software (for example, Google Analytics)? And if you are interested only in tracking downloads why aren’t you using the web server logs? This is faster and more reliable then any redirector script and you don't have to write a single line of code (if the answer is that you don't have access to the server logs, well, if you think tracking is king you should think about switching web hosts). Hi Dennis
Why are you only tracking downloads?
Why aren’t you using web analytics software (for example, Google Analytics)?
And if you are interested only in tracking downloads why aren’t you using the web server logs? This is faster and more reliable then any redirector script and you don’t have to write a single line of code (if the answer is that you don’t have access to the server logs, well, if you think tracking is king you should think about switching web hosts).

]]> By: Dennis Crane http://www.drexplain.com/isv-kaizen-blog/website/tracking-your-file-downloads/#comment-182 Dennis Crane Tue, 26 Jun 2007 13:33:12 +0000 http://www.drexplain.com/isv-kaizen-blog/website/tracking-your-file-downloads/#comment-182 In download.php you may analyze referrer (e.g. getenv("HTTP_REFERER"), $GLOBALS["HTTP_REFERER"] or $HTTP_REFERER), user agent ($_SERVER["HTTP_USER_AGENT"]), IP ($_SERVER["REMOTE_ADDR"]) and your cookies that were set on other pages. Usually download managers and bots may be recognized by user agent strings and by IP (e.g. regular daily downloads from the same IP). In download.php you may analyze referrer (e.g. getenv(“HTTP_REFERER”), $GLOBALS["HTTP_REFERER"] or $HTTP_REFERER), user agent ($_SERVER["HTTP_USER_AGENT"]), IP ($_SERVER["REMOTE_ADDR"]) and your cookies that were set on other pages.

Usually download managers and bots may be recognized by user agent strings and by IP (e.g. regular daily downloads from the same IP).

]]> By: Andrea Nagar http://www.drexplain.com/isv-kaizen-blog/website/tracking-your-file-downloads/#comment-181 Andrea Nagar Tue, 26 Jun 2007 13:23:51 +0000 http://www.drexplain.com/isv-kaizen-blog/website/tracking-your-file-downloads/#comment-181 That's a great tip Dennis. Thanks. It will allow for virtually tracking all downloads. Have you got any tips on how to get the real downloads so that you take in account the download managers? That’s a great tip Dennis. Thanks. It will allow for virtually tracking all downloads.

Have you got any tips on how to get the real downloads so that you take in account the download managers?

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