# Getting Started with Our Analytics Platform

## Prerequisites

- What you'll need before starting
- Supported browsers and devices

## Step 1: Create Your Account

Brief explanation of account creation process.

### Account Tiers

Quick overview of available plans.

## Step 2: Add Your Website

Brief explanation of adding a website to your account.

### Domain Verification

Short explanation of verification process.

## Step 3: Install Tracking Code

```html
<!-- Tracking code snippet placeholder -->
<script>
  // Actual tracking code would go here
</script>
```

### Installation Options

#### Option 1: Direct Script Integration

Brief explanation.

#### Option 2: Tag Manager

Brief explanation.

#### Option 3: CMS Plugins

Brief explanation.

## Step 4: Verify Installation

Brief explanation of how to confirm tracking is working.

### Troubleshooting Installation

Common issues and solutions.

## Step 5: Configure Basic Settings

### Setting Time Zone

Brief explanation.

### Adding Team Members

Brief explanation.

### Creating Goals

Brief explanation.

## Next Steps

- Exploring your dashboard
- Setting up custom events
- Creating organizations
- Customizing dashboard views


# Introduction to Our Analytics Platform

## What is Our Analytics Platform?

Brief introduction to the platform and its core purpose.

## Key Features

- **Feature one**: Short description
- **Feature two**: Short description
- **Feature three**: Short description
- **Feature four**: Short description

## Core Benefits

### Benefit One

Brief explanation.

### Benefit Two

Brief explanation.

### Benefit Three

Brief explanation.

## Use Cases

### For Marketing Teams

Brief explanation.

### For Content Creators

Brief explanation.

### For Business Owners

Brief explanation.

## Platform Architecture

Brief overview of how the platform works.

## Data Collection Methods

Brief explanation of data collection approach.

## Next Steps

- Link to Getting Started guide
- Link to Dashboard Overview
- Link to FAQ


# Comprehensive Comparison: Benne Analytics vs Google Analytics

Choosing the right analytics platform is critical for understanding your website's performance and making data-driven decisions. This comparison helps you understand the key differences between Benne Analytics and Google Analytics to determine which solution better fits your needs.

## Overview

|                        | **Benne Analytics**                       | **Google Analytics 4**                        |
| ---------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| **Focus**              | Privacy-first, simple, lightweight        | Comprehensive, advertising-focused            |
| **Data Ownership**     | You own your data                         | Google owns and processes your data           |
| **Cookies**            | Cookie-free tracking                      | Relies on cookies and local storage           |
| **Compliance**         | GDPR, CCPA, ePrivacy compliant by default | Requires complex configuration for compliance |
| **Performance Impact** | <3KB script, minimal page load impact     | 45KB+ script, can impact page speed           |
| **Learning Curve**     | Minimal - usable in minutes               | Steep - complex interface and concepts        |
| **Open Source**        | Yes, with self-hosting option             | No                                            |

## Privacy & Compliance

### Benne Analytics

- **No Cookies**: Tracks visitors without using cookies or local storage
- **No Personal Data**: Doesn't collect or store personal information
- **IP Anonymization**: All IP addresses are anonymized by default
- **GDPR-Compliant**: No consent banners required in most cases
- **No Cross-Site Tracking**: Doesn't track users across different websites
- **Data Retention Control**: Configurable data retention periods

### Google Analytics

- **Cookie-Based**: Uses cookies and localStorage for tracking
- **Personal Data Collection**: Collects and processes personal data
- **IP Handling**: Offers IP anonymization but not enabled by default
- **Consent Required**: Requires cookie consent banners in many jurisdictions
- **Cross-Site Tracking**: Can track users across different properties
- **Data Sharing**: Data may be used to improve Google products

## Ease of Use & Setup

### Benne Analytics

- **5-Minute Setup**: Simple script installation
- **Intuitive Interface**: Clean, straightforward dashboard
- **No Configuration Required**: Works immediately after installation
- **Direct Metrics**: Shows what you need without complex navigation
- **Shareable Dashboards**: Easy to create and share custom views
- **Automatic Bot Filtering**: No configuration needed

### Google Analytics

- **Complex Setup**: Multiple steps, tag configuration, and property setup
- **Complex Interface**: Steep learning curve with numerous menus and options
- **Requires Configuration**: Needs custom setup for effective use
- **Deep Navigation**: Often requires multiple clicks to find basic information
- **Advanced Reports**: Powerful but complex reporting capabilities
- **Manual Bot Filtering**: Requires custom configuration

## Features Comparison

| Feature                     | **Benne Analytics**      | **Google Analytics 4**      |
| --------------------------- | ------------------------ | --------------------------- |
| **Real-time Dashboard**     | ✅ Simple, focused        | ✅ Comprehensive but complex |
| **Pageview Tracking**       | ✅                        | ✅                           |
| **Event Tracking**          | ✅ Simple API             | ✅ Complex event model       |
| **Custom Dimensions**       | ✅ (Pro/Enterprise plans) | ✅                           |
| **Ecommerce Tracking**      | ✅ Basic                  | ✅ Advanced                  |
| **Funnel Analysis**         | ✅ Straightforward        | ✅ Complex but powerful      |
| **Goal Tracking**           | ✅ Simple setup           | ✅ Complex configuration     |
| **User Flow Visualization** | ✅ Simplified             | ✅ Detailed                  |
| **Session Recordings**      | ❌                        | ❌ (requires integration)    |
| **Heatmaps**                | ❌                        | ❌ (requires integration)    |
| **API Access**              | ✅ RESTful API            | ✅ Complex APIs              |
| **Data Export**             | ✅ CSV, JSON              | ✅ Multiple formats          |
| **Custom Dashboards**       | ✅ Drag-and-drop          | ✅ Complex but flexible      |
| **Team Collaboration**      | ✅ Simple sharing         | ✅ Advanced but complex      |

## Performance Impact

### Benne Analytics

- **Script Size**: <3KB (minified and gzipped)
- **Requests**: Single request to load script, minimal data transfer for tracking
- **Page Load Impact**: Negligible (typically <50ms)
- **Resource Usage**: Minimal JavaScript execution
- **Configuration**: No additional scripts or configuration needed

### Google Analytics

- **Script Size**: 45KB+ (minified and gzipped)
- **Requests**: Multiple HTTP requests for script loading and data collection
- **Page Load Impact**: Can be significant, especially on mobile
- **Resource Usage**: Higher CPU and memory usage
- **Configuration**: May require additional configuration scripts

## Deployment Options

### Benne Analytics

- **Cloud Platform**: Fully-managed SaaS solution
- **Self-Hosted**: Open source community edition available
- **Data Residency**: EU and US hosting options available
- **Enterprise On-Premises**: Available for enterprise customers
- **White Labeling**: Available on higher-tier plans

### Google Analytics

- **Cloud Only**: Only available as a SaaS solution
- **Self-Hosting**: Not available
- **Data Residency**: Limited control over where data is processed
- **Enterprise On-Premises**: Not available
- **White Labeling**: Not available

## Pricing Comparison

### Benne Analytics

- **Free Plan**: Up to 10,000 pageviews/month, basic features
- **Starter**: $9/month for 100,000 pageviews
- **Growth**: $29/month for 1,000,000 pageviews
- **Scale**: $79/month for 5,000,000 pageviews
- **Enterprise**: Custom pricing for high-volume needs
- **Open Source**: Free for self-hosting, unlimited pageviews

### Google Analytics

- **Free Plan**: Up to 10 million events/month
- **Google Analytics 360**: $150,000+/year for enterprise features
- **Hidden Costs**: Potential GDPR compliance costs, developer time, consent management

## Integration Capabilities

### Benne Analytics

- **CMS Plugins**: WordPress, Shopify, Webflow, Wix, etc.
- **Tag Managers**: Google Tag Manager, Segment compatible
- **API**: Simple REST API for data access and management
- **Export Options**: CSV, JSON data exports
- **Custom Integration**: Simple JavaScript API

### Google Analytics

- **CMS Plugins**: Extensive ecosystem of integrations
- **Tag Managers**: Native Google Tag Manager integration
- **API**: Multiple complex APIs
- **Export Options**: Various data export formats
- **Google Ecosystem**: Tight integration with Google products
- **Third-Party**: Wide range of third-party tool integrations

## When to Choose Benne Analytics

- **You value privacy**: For businesses that prioritize user privacy and GDPR compliance
- **You want simplicity**: For teams without dedicated analytics experts
- **You need performance**: For websites where page speed is critical
- **You prefer ownership**: For businesses that want full control of their analytics data
- **You want transparency**: For teams that value open source and transparency
- **You have limited budget**: For startups and small businesses with cost constraints

## When to Choose Google Analytics

- **You need advanced analysis**: For complex businesses requiring in-depth data analysis
- **You use Google Ads**: For tight integration with Google's advertising ecosystem
- **You have analytics expertise**: For teams with dedicated analytics professionals
- **You need extensive integrations**: For complex marketing technology stacks
- **You require predictive analytics**: For access to Google's machine learning capabilities
- **You have enterprise requirements**: For very large organizations with complex needs

## Customer Testimonials

### Benne Analytics Users Say:

> "We switched from Google Analytics to Benne and immediately saw our page load times improve. The data we get is more than sufficient for our needs, and we no longer have to worry about cookie consent banners." - **Sarah T., E-commerce Store Owner**

> "As a developer, I appreciate how lightweight and simple Benne is. I can implement it in minutes and the API is a joy to work with." - **Mark L., Web Developer**

### Google Analytics Users Say:

> "The depth of data we can get from Google Analytics is incredible. It's complex, but once you learn it, the insights are very powerful." - **Jennifer R., Marketing Director**

> "The integration with Google Ads makes Google Analytics invaluable for our advertising campaigns." - **David M., Digital Marketing Manager**

## Conclusion

**Benne Analytics** offers a privacy-focused, simple alternative to Google Analytics that's perfect for businesses that value user privacy, website performance, and straightforward analytics. It provides the core metrics most businesses need without the complexity and privacy concerns of Google Analytics.

**Google Analytics** remains the more comprehensive solution with deeper analysis capabilities, particularly for businesses heavily invested in the Google ecosystem or requiring advanced marketing analysis.

The right choice depends on your specific needs, technical resources, and privacy priorities. Many businesses find that Benne Analytics provides all the insights they need while being simpler to use and more respectful of user privacy.

## Try Benne Analytics

Ready to experience the difference? [Sign up for a free Benne Analytics account](https://yourcompany.com/signup){rel="nofollow"} or [explore our open source community edition](https://github.com/yourcompany/analytics-ce){rel="nofollow"}.


# Understanding Your Data Usage Limits and Quotas

This guide explains how we measure data usage, what limits apply to your plan, and how to manage your analytics efficiently.

## How We Calculate Usage

### What Counts as a Pageview

A pageview is counted when:

- A user loads a page with your tracking script
- A single-page application (SPA) triggers a route change
- Your code manually triggers a pageview event

These actions do NOT count as pageviews:

- Bot traffic that we automatically filter
- Preview modes in website builders
- Your own visits when using the "Exclude My Visits" browser extension

### What Counts as an Event

Custom events are counted when:

- Your code calls our event tracking function
- A user interacts with elements you're tracking (e.g., clicks, form submissions)
- Automated events occur (e.g., file downloads, outbound links)

## Current Plan Limits

| Plan       | Monthly Pageview Limit | Custom Events | Data Retention |
| ---------- | ---------------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| Free       | 10,000                 | Limited       | 6 months       |
| Starter    | 100,000                | Unlimited     | 12 months      |
| Growth     | 1,000,000              | Unlimited     | 24 months      |
| Enterprise | Custom                 | Unlimited     | Custom         |

Your current plan is visible in **Account Settings** > **Subscription**.

## What Happens When You Reach Your Limit

### Soft Limits

When you reach 80% of your monthly pageview limit:

- You'll receive an email notification
- A warning appears in your dashboard

### Hard Limits

When you reach 100% of your monthly pageview limit:

- Data collection continues for all websites
- A banner appears in your dashboard
- You'll receive an email notification

When you reach 120% of your monthly pageview limit:

- Data collection continues but may be sampled
- Overages may be billed according to your plan terms

We do not suddenly stop collecting data or block access to your dashboard.

## Managing Your Usage

### Monitor Your Usage

1. Go to **Account Settings** > **Usage**
2. View current month's usage and trends
3. See breakdown by website

### Optimize Your Tracking

To reduce unnecessary data collection:

- Use the Exclude My Visits browser extension
- Configure IP blocking for internal traffic
- Use sampling for high-traffic pages
- Only track the events that matter to your business

### Split Traffic Across Properties

If managing multiple websites:

- Consider creating separate accounts for high-traffic sites
- Prioritize tracking on your most important pages
- Use event filtering to focus on critical interactions

## Upgrading Your Plan

If you regularly exceed your limits:

1. Go to **Account Settings** > **Subscription**
2. Click **Upgrade Plan**
3. Select a plan that matches your needs
4. Confirm your billing information

Plan upgrades take effect immediately, and your new limits apply right away.

## Special Considerations

### Seasonal Traffic Spikes

If you expect temporary traffic increases:

- Contact us for temporary limit increases
- Consider short-term plan upgrades

### Multiple Websites

Your pageview limit is shared across all websites in your account. Consider:

- Removing low-value websites
- Creating separate accounts for different projects
- Upgrading to a higher plan

## Need More Help?

Contact our support team at <support@youranalytics.com> or use the live chat feature in the bottom right corner of your dashboard.


# How to Upgrade, Downgrade, or Cancel Your Subscription

This guide walks you through the process of managing your subscription plan, whether you need more features, want to reduce costs, or need to cancel your service.

## Upgrading Your Subscription

### When to Upgrade

- You're approaching or have exceeded your current plan's website limit
- You need access to additional features like custom dashboards or API access
- Your team is growing and you need more user seats

### How to Upgrade

1. Log in to your account
2. Navigate to **Account Settings** > **Subscription**
3. Click the **Upgrade Plan** button
4. Select your desired plan
5. Confirm your billing information
6. Click **Confirm Upgrade**

Your upgrade will take effect immediately, and you'll be charged a prorated amount for the remainder of your current billing cycle.

## Downgrading Your Subscription

### When to Downgrade

- Your analytics needs have changed
- You want to reduce costs
- You no longer need certain features

### How to Downgrade

1. Log in to your account
2. Navigate to **Account Settings** > **Subscription**
3. Click **Downgrade Plan**
4. Select your desired plan
5. Click **Confirm Downgrade**

Your downgrade will take effect at the end of your current billing cycle.

**Important:** If you have more websites or users than permitted by your new plan, you'll need to remove excess websites or users before the downgrade takes effect.

## Canceling Your Subscription

### Before You Cancel

- All your data will be retained for 30 days after cancellation
- After 30 days, your data will be permanently deleted
- Consider downgrading instead if you still need basic analytics

### How to Cancel

1. Log in to your account
2. Navigate to **Account Settings** > **Subscription**
3. Click **Cancel Subscription**
4. Select a reason for cancellation (optional)
5. Click **Confirm Cancellation**

You'll continue to have access to your analytics until the end of your current billing period.

### How to Reactivate

If you change your mind within 30 days of cancellation:

1. Log in to your account
2. Navigate to **Account Settings** > **Subscription**
3. Click **Reactivate Subscription**
4. Select a plan
5. Update your payment information if needed
6. Click **Confirm Reactivation**

## Common Questions

### Will I lose data when upgrading or downgrading?

No, your historical data will be preserved when changing plans.

### Can I get a refund for unused time if I cancel?

We don't provide prorated refunds for cancellations, but you'll retain access until the end of your billing period.

### What happens if I need to track more websites after upgrading?

You can add additional websites as soon as your upgrade is complete.

### Do you offer custom plans?

Yes, for enterprise needs.


# How to Reset Your Password or Update Account Information

This guide covers how to manage your account credentials and personal information.

## Password Management

### Reset Your Password

**If you know your current password:**

1. Log in to your account
2. Go to **Account Settings** > **Security**
3. Click **Change Password**
4. Enter your current password
5. Enter and confirm your new password
6. Click **Update Password**

**If you forgot your password:**

1. Go to the login page
2. Click **Forgot Password**
3. Enter your email address
4. Click **Send Reset Link**
5. Check your email for a password reset link
6. Click the link and create a new password

The password reset link expires after 24 hours for security reasons.

### Password Requirements

Your password must:

- Be at least 10 characters long
- Include at least one uppercase letter
- Include at least one number
- Include at least one special character
- Not match your previous 3 passwords

## Updating Personal Information

### Change Your Email Address

1. Log in to your account
2. Go to **Account Settings** > **Profile**
3. Click **Edit** next to your email
4. Enter your new email address
5. Enter your password to confirm
6. Click **Update Email**

You'll receive verification emails at both your old and new addresses.

### Update Your Name or Company Information

1. Log in to your account
2. Go to **Account Settings** > **Profile**
3. Update the relevant fields
4. Click **Save Changes**

### Change Your Time Zone

1. Log in to your account
2. Go to **Account Settings** > **Preferences**
3. Select your time zone from the dropdown
4. Click **Save Preferences**

This affects how time-based data is displayed in your reports.

## Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

### Enable 2FA

1. Log in to your account
2. Go to **Account Settings** > **Security**
3. Click **Enable 2FA**
4. Choose your preferred method:

   - Authenticator app (recommended)
   - SMS verification
5. Follow the on-screen instructions

### Disable 2FA

1. Log in to your account
2. Go to **Account Settings** > **Security**
3. Click **Disable 2FA**
4. Confirm with your password
5. Click **Disable**

**Important:** Disabling 2FA reduces your account security.

### Lost Access to 2FA Device

If you've lost access to your authentication device:

1. On the login page, click &#x2A;*Having trouble?**
2. Select **Lost access to 2FA device**
3. Enter your email address
4. Follow the account recovery process

You'll need to verify your identity using the recovery codes provided when you set up 2FA, or through our manual verification process.

## Account Deletion

To delete your account:

1. Log in to your account
2. Go to **Account Settings** > **Account**
3. Scroll to the bottom and click **Delete Account**
4. Read the information about data deletion
5. Enter your password
6. Click **Permanently Delete Account**

**Warning:** This permanently deletes all your data and cannot be undone.

## Common Issues

### Not Receiving Reset Emails

- Check your spam/junk folder
- Add <support@youranalytics.com> to your contacts
- Try an alternative email if possible
- Contact support if emails don't arrive within 10 minutes

### Account Locked After Failed Attempts

After 5 failed login attempts, your account will be temporarily locked for 30 minutes. To unlock it immediately:

1. Click **Forgot Password**
2. Complete the password reset process

## Need More Help?

Contact our support team at <support@youranalytics.com> or use the live chat feature in the bottom right corner of your dashboard.


# Troubleshooting Tracking Code Installation Issues

This guide helps you identify and fix common issues with your analytics tracking code implementation.

## Verify Your Installation

### Check if the Tracking Code is Present

1. Visit your website in a browser
2. Right-click and select "View Page Source" or press Ctrl+U (Cmd+U on Mac)
3. Search (Ctrl+F/Cmd+F) for `<script src="https://cdn.youranalytics.com/tracker.js"`
4. If the code isn't found, it hasn't been added to your site

### Confirm Your Site ID is Correct

1. Check your tracking code contains your correct site ID:

   ```html
   <script data-site="YOUR-SITE-ID" src="https://cdn.youranalytics.com/tracker.js" defer></script>
   ```
2. In your dashboard, go to **Settings** > **Websites** to verify your site ID

## Common Issues and Solutions

### No Data Showing in Dashboard

**Possible causes:**

- **Script missing**: The tracking code isn't installed on your website
- **Wrong site ID**: You're using an incorrect site ID
- **Script blocked**: Ad blockers or CSP settings are preventing the script from loading
- **Script loading too late**: The script isn't being triggered before visitors leave

**Solutions:**

1. Confirm the script appears in your page source
2. Verify your site ID matches what's in your dashboard
3. Check your browser console for errors (F12 > Console)
4. Ensure the script is placed in the `<head>` section of your HTML

### Data Discrepancies

**Possible causes:**

- **Partial implementation**: Script only on some pages
- **Multiple installations**: Script installed more than once
- **Cross-domain issues**: Multiple domains not properly linked

**Solutions:**

1. Check multiple pages to ensure the script is site-wide
2. Verify the script appears exactly once in your source code
3. For multi-domain tracking, check domain settings in your dashboard

### Script Conflicts

**Possible causes:**

- **JavaScript errors**: Other scripts causing errors
- **Content Security Policy**: CSP blocking the script
- **Tag manager conflicts**: Implementation issues with tag managers

**Solutions:**

1. Check browser console for JavaScript errors
2. Add our domain to your Content Security Policy
3. Review tag manager implementation instructions

## Platform-Specific Instructions

### WordPress Issues

- Ensure plugin is activated
- Check theme compatibility
- Verify plugin settings

### Shopify Issues

- Check app installation status
- Verify theme contains tracking code
- Review app permissions

### Custom Site Issues

- Confirm script is in all templates
- Check deployment process
- Verify script isn't removed by build processes

## Using the Debug Mode

Add the `data-debug="true"` attribute to your tracking code to enable detailed console logging:

```html
<script data-site="YOUR-SITE-ID" data-debug="true" src="https://cdn.youranalytics.com/tracker.js" defer></script>
```

This will show detailed information in your browser console about the tracking process.

## Still Having Issues?

- Use our [validation tool](https://youranalytics.com/validate){rel="nofollow"} to check your installation
- Check if your site is using a service worker that might be intercepting requests
- Test with ad blockers disabled temporarily
- Contact our support team with your site URL and screenshots of any error messages

## Need More Help?

Contact our support team at <support@youranalytics.com> or use the live chat feature in the bottom right corner of your dashboard.


# How to Reset Your Password or Update Account Information

This guide covers how to manage your account credentials and personal information.

## Password Management

### Reset Your Password

**If you know your current password:**

1. Log in to your account
2. Go to **Account Settings** > **Security**
3. Click **Change Password**
4. Enter your current password
5. Enter and confirm your new password
6. Click **Update Password**

**If you forgot your password:**

1. Go to the login page
2. Click **Forgot Password**
3. Enter your email address
4. Click **Send Reset Link**
5. Check your email for a password reset link
6. Click the link and create a new password

The password reset link expires after 24 hours for security reasons.

### Password Requirements

Your password must:

- Be at least 10 characters long
- Include at least one uppercase letter
- Include at least one number
- Include at least one special character
- Not match your previous 3 passwords

## Updating Personal Information

### Change Your Email Address

1. Log in to your account
2. Go to **Account Settings** > **Profile**
3. Click **Edit** next to your email
4. Enter your new email address
5. Enter your password to confirm
6. Click **Update Email**

You'll receive verification emails at both your old and new addresses.

### Update Your Name or Company Information

1. Log in to your account
2. Go to **Account Settings** > **Profile**
3. Update the relevant fields
4. Click **Save Changes**

### Change Your Time Zone

1. Log in to your account
2. Go to **Account Settings** > **Preferences**
3. Select your time zone from the dropdown
4. Click **Save Preferences**

This affects how time-based data is displayed in your reports.

## Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

### Enable 2FA

1. Log in to your account
2. Go to **Account Settings** > **Security**
3. Click **Enable 2FA**
4. Choose your preferred method:

   - Authenticator app (recommended)
   - SMS verification
5. Follow the on-screen instructions

### Disable 2FA

1. Log in to your account
2. Go to **Account Settings** > **Security**
3. Click **Disable 2FA**
4. Confirm with your password
5. Click **Disable**

**Important:** Disabling 2FA reduces your account security.

### Lost Access to 2FA Device

If you've lost access to your authentication device:

1. On the login page, click &#x2A;*Having trouble?**
2. Select **Lost access to 2FA device**
3. Enter your email address
4. Follow the account recovery process

You'll need to verify your identity using the recovery codes provided when you set up 2FA, or through our manual verification process.

## Account Deletion

To delete your account:

1. Log in to your account
2. Go to **Account Settings** > **Account**
3. Scroll to the bottom and click **Delete Account**
4. Read the information about data deletion
5. Enter your password
6. Click **Permanently Delete Account**

**Warning:** This permanently deletes all your data and cannot be undone.

## Common Issues

### Not Receiving Reset Emails

- Check your spam/junk folder
- Add <support@youranalytics.com> to your contacts
- Try an alternative email if possible
- Contact support if emails don't arrive within 10 minutes

### Account Locked After Failed Attempts

After 5 failed login attempts, your account will be temporarily locked for 30 minutes. To unlock it immediately:

1. Click **Forgot Password**
2. Complete the password reset process

## Need More Help?

Contact our support team at <support@youranalytics.com> or use the live chat feature in the bottom right corner of your dashboard.


# Connect With Us on Mastodon: Expanding Our Community Presence

We're excited to announce our official presence on Mastodon, expanding our commitment to the open web and decentralized social platforms. As a company focused on privacy-first analytics, we believe in supporting open, user-controlled platforms like Mastodon and the broader Fediverse.

## Our Mastodon Presence

You can now follow us at:

**[@yourcompany@fosstodon.org](https://fosstodon.org/@yourcompany){rel="nofollow"}**

We chose Fosstodon as our home instance because of its focus on open source software and its alignment with our company values.

## Why We're Embracing the Fediverse

The decision to establish an official Mastodon presence was driven by several factors:

1. **Values Alignment**: Mastodon's decentralized nature and focus on user control mirrors our own philosophy about data ownership
2. **Community Presence**: Many of our open source contributors and power users are already active in the Fediverse
3. **Accessibility**: We want to be available to our community across their preferred platforms
4. **Open Standards**: We believe in supporting open protocols and standards for the web

## What to Expect

Follow us on Mastodon for:

- Product announcements and updates
- Open source development news
- Analytics tips and best practices
- Community highlights and user stories
- Technical insights and tutorials
- Faster, more direct support

## New to Mastodon?

If you're not familiar with Mastodon, it's a decentralized social network built on open protocols. Unlike traditional social media, it's not controlled by a single company and puts privacy and user control first.

New to the Fediverse? Here are some resources to get started:

- [Mastodon Getting Started Guide](https://joinmastodon.org/guide){rel="nofollow"}
- [Finding an Instance](https://joinmastodon.org/servers){rel="nofollow"}
- [Mastodon Etiquette](https://blog.joinmastodon.org/2018/07/how-to-make-friends-and-verify-requests/){rel="nofollow"}

## Join Us Across Platforms

We're committed to building community wherever our users are. You can also connect with us on:

- [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/yourcompany.bsky.social){rel="nofollow"}
- [GitHub](https://github.com/yourcompany){rel="nofollow"}
- [Discord](https://discord.gg/yourcompany){rel="nofollow"}
- [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/yourcompany){rel="nofollow"}

We look forward to engaging with you in the Fediverse!


# Follow Us on Bluesky for Analytics Tips and Updates

We're excited to announce that we've officially joined Bluesky! As part of our commitment to meeting our community where they are, we've established a presence on this growing decentralized social platform.

## Why We're on Bluesky

We're always looking for meaningful ways to connect with our users and the broader analytics community. Bluesky's focus on user control, data portability, and open protocols aligns perfectly with our own values around data privacy and transparency.

## What We'll Be Sharing

Follow us on Bluesky for:

- **Analytics Tips & Tricks**: Quick ways to get more from your data
- **Product Announcements**: Be the first to know about new features
- **Behind-the-Scenes**: Insights into our development process
- **Community Highlights**: Showcasing interesting uses of our platform
- **Industry News**: Important updates in the analytics and privacy space

## Find Us on Bluesky

You can find and follow us at:

**[@yourcompany.bsky.social](https://bsky.app/profile/yourcompany.bsky.social){rel="nofollow"}**

We've also created a dedicated analytics topic space where we'll be sharing more in-depth content and fostering community discussions.

## Join the Conversation

We're not just there to broadcast—we want to engage! Reach out to us on Bluesky with:

- Questions about our products
- Feature requests
- Your analytics success stories
- Interesting discussions about data privacy

No Bluesky account yet? The platform is now open for anyone to join. [Sign up here](https://bsky.app){rel="nofollow"} and come say hello!

## Our Complete Social Presence

You can also find us on:

- [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/yourcompany){rel="nofollow"}
- [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/company/yourcompany){rel="nofollow"}
- [GitHub](https://github.com/yourcompany){rel="nofollow"}
- [Discord](https://discord.gg/yourcompany){rel="nofollow"}

We look forward to connecting with you in this new space!


# Milestone Reached: 1 Million Daily Events Tracked Across Our Platform

We're thrilled to announce a significant milestone in our company's journey: our analytics platform is now processing over 1 million events every day across both our Open Source Community Edition and Cloud Platform!

## A Testament to Trust

Reaching 1 million daily events is more than just a number—it represents the trust that thousands of website owners place in our platform to accurately and privately measure their web traffic and user interactions.

Since launching our Open Source Community Edition in January and opening beta access to our Cloud Platform in April, adoption has grown exponentially. This milestone arrives several months ahead of our internal projections, demonstrating the strong market desire for a privacy-focused analytics alternative.

## What This Means for Our Users

This level of scale brings several benefits:

1. **Proven Reliability**: Our infrastructure has demonstrated its ability to handle substantial traffic with consistently fast performance
2. **Enhanced Accuracy**: Greater data volume helps us refine our bot filtering and traffic analysis algorithms
3. **Broader Benchmarking**: With more anonymized data, we can provide better industry benchmarks for our users
4. **Accelerated Development**: Increased usage helps us identify and prioritize the most impactful features

## Infrastructure That Scales

Processing 1 million events daily while maintaining sub-100ms response times required significant engineering work. Some highlights of our technical architecture:

- Distributed processing pipeline optimized for time-series data
- Efficient storage architecture that minimizes costs while maximizing query performance
- Automated scaling that adjusts to traffic patterns in real-time
- Geographic distribution for reduced latency worldwide

## Looking Forward

While we're celebrating this milestone, we're also focused on the future. Our roadmap includes:

- Enhanced reporting capabilities
- More powerful custom dashboards
- Additional integration options
- Advanced funnel and conversion analysis
- Expanded API capabilities

## Thank You to Our Community

This milestone wouldn't be possible without our amazing community of users, beta testers, and open source contributors. Your feedback, bug reports, feature suggestions, and code contributions have been invaluable in making our platform what it is today.

We're especially grateful to our early beta users who trusted us with their production analytics and provided critical feedback during our development.

## Join Us On This Journey

If you haven't tried our analytics platform yet, now is a great time to join thousands of other website owners who've made the switch:

- [Try our Open Source Community Edition](https://github.com/yourcompany/analytics-ce){rel="nofollow"}
- [Request access to our Cloud Platform Beta](https://yourcompany.com/cloud-beta){rel="nofollow"}

Here's to the next million events and beyond!


# Introducing Our Open Source Community Edition: Privacy-Focused Analytics For Everyone

We believe that privacy-focused analytics should be accessible to everyone, regardless of budget or technical resources. That's why we're thrilled to announce the release of our Open Source Community Edition - the same powerful, privacy-respecting analytics engine that powers our cloud platform, now available for anyone to self-host.

## What's Included in the Community Edition

Our Open Source Community Edition gives you:

- Complete web analytics dashboard
- Unlimited websites and pageviews
- Privacy-focused tracking with no cookies
- Simple event tracking
- Full data ownership
- Active community support

## Why We're Going Open Source

We've always believed in transparency, and open-sourcing our core platform is the ultimate expression of that value. By making our code public, we're:

- Allowing security researchers to verify our privacy claims
- Enabling developers to contribute improvements
- Making quality analytics accessible to those with limited budgets
- Building trust through transparency

## How to Get Started

Ready to try it out? Our Community Edition is available on GitHub with a straightforward Docker installation process that takes less than 5 minutes.

[→ View on GitHub](https://github.com/yourcompany/analytics-ce){rel="nofollow"}:br[→ Read the Documentation](https://docs.yourcompany.com/community-edition){rel="nofollow"}:br[→ Join the Community Discord](https://discord.gg/yourcompany){rel="nofollow"}

## What's Next

The Community Edition will remain free forever and receive regular updates from our team. In the coming months, we'll be adding more advanced features like:

- Custom dashboards
- Advanced event tracking
- Team collaboration tools

If you're using the Community Edition, we'd love to hear your feedback and feature requests!

## Community vs. Cloud

While the Community Edition offers great functionality for technical users, our Cloud Platform (coming soon) will provide additional features like automatic updates, guaranteed uptime, and managed backups for businesses that prefer a fully-hosted solution.

We're excited to see what you build with our open source analytics platform!


# Beta Access Now Open: Try Our Cloud Analytics Platform

After months of development and private testing, we're thrilled to announce that invite-only beta access to our Cloud Analytics Platform is now open! While our Community Edition has been a tremendous success for self-hosters, many businesses have asked for a fully-managed solution with enhanced features and support.

## Why Choose Our Cloud Platform

Our Cloud Platform builds on everything great about our Community Edition while adding:

- Zero maintenance with automatic updates
- Enterprise-grade security and reliability
- Advanced team collaboration features
- Custom dashboards and reporting
- Premium support with guaranteed response times
- Data sharing and export options
- Advanced event tracking

## How Beta Access Works

During this beta period, we're gradually onboarding new users to ensure everyone receives an exceptional experience. Here's how to join:

1. [Request an invite](https://yourcompany.com/cloud-beta){rel="nofollow"} with your email address
2. We'll send your invitation code within 1-3 business days
3. Create your account and add your first website
4. Provide feedback to shape our product development

Beta participants will receive:

- 3 months of free access to all premium features
- Direct communication channel with our product team
- Early access to new features before public release
- Opportunity to influence product direction

## Pricing and Plans

While detailed pricing will be announced closer to general availability, beta participants will be grandfathered into special pricing when we officially launch. We're committed to transparent, fair pricing with no surprise fees.

## Community Edition vs. Cloud Platform

We remain fully committed to our Open Source Community Edition, which will continue to receive regular updates. The Cloud Platform simply offers a convenient option for businesses that prefer a fully-managed solution.

## Timeline to General Availability

Our roadmap to public launch includes:

- April 2025: Limited beta access
- May 2025: Open beta with more participants
- June 2025: General availability with full feature set

## Request Your Invitation

We're accepting a limited number of beta participants each week. [Request your invitation today](https://yourcompany.com/cloud-beta){rel="nofollow"} to secure your spot!

We can't wait to hear what you think of our Cloud Platform.


# Custom Dashboard Views: Build and Share Personalized Analytics Dashboards

We're excited to introduce Custom Dashboard Views, giving you complete control over what metrics you see and how they're displayed.

## Build Dashboards That Match Your Needs

With Custom Dashboard Views, you can now:

- Select exactly which metrics appear on your dashboard
- Arrange metrics in the order that matters most to you
- Save multiple dashboard configurations for different purposes
- Share customized views with team members or clients
- Set a custom view as your default landing page

## Key Features

### Drag-and-Drop Dashboard Builder

- Intuitive interface for adding and arranging metrics
- Preview changes in real-time
- Choose from various visualization types for each metric
- Resize and reposition dashboard elements

### Saved Views Library

- Save unlimited custom dashboard configurations
- Name and categorize your views
- Quick-switch between different views
- Duplicate and modify existing views

### Powerful Sharing Options

- Generate shareable links to any dashboard view
- Control edit or view-only permissions
- Share with specific team members or make public
- Password-protect sensitive dashboards
- Set expiration dates for shared links

### Additional Customization

- Dark/light mode toggle for each dashboard
- Custom date range presets
- Filtering capabilities within dashboards
- Add notes and context to dashboards

## How to Get Started

1. Click the new "Customize" button in the top-right of your dashboard
2. Add, remove, or rearrange metrics using the builder interface
3. Click "Save View" to name and save your configuration
4. Use the "Share" button to generate a link for team members

## Perfect For

- **Executive Summaries**: Create simplified views for stakeholders
- **Marketing Dashboards**: Focus on campaign performance metrics
- **Content Analysis**: Group content engagement metrics together
- **Technical Monitoring**: Isolate performance and technical metrics

## Coming Next

In the coming weeks, we'll be adding scheduled exports for custom views, allowing you to automatically email dashboard reports to stakeholders on a set schedule.

---

Have you created an interesting custom dashboard? Share your use case with us at <stories@yourcompany.com>!


# Introducing Organizations: Logical Website Grouping for Teams

We're thrilled to launch Organizations, our most requested team collaboration feature that helps you logically group and manage your websites.

## What Are Organizations?

Organizations are containers that let you:

- Group related websites together (by client, department, purpose, etc.)
- Manage team member access at the organization level
- Apply settings across multiple websites simultaneously
- Create a structured hierarchy that matches your business

## Key Features

### Flexible Organization Structure

- Create unlimited organizations
- Nest organizations for complex team structures
- Move websites between organizations easily
- Custom naming and color-coding for visual management

### Streamlined Permissions

- Invite team members at the organization level
- Role-based access controls
- Manage permissions in bulk
- See all website access in a single view

### Consolidated Reporting

- View aggregated stats across an entire organization
- Compare metrics between websites in the same organization
- Export organization-level reports
- Schedule reports for entire organizations

## How to Get Started

1. Visit the new "Organizations" tab in your account settings
2. Create your first organization and give it a name
3. Add existing websites to your organization
4. Invite team members and set permissions
5. Create additional organizations as needed

## Real-World Use Cases

- **Agencies**: Create an organization for each client
- **Enterprise**: Group websites by department or business unit
- **Publishers**: Organize by content category or brand
- **E-commerce**: Separate production stores from test stores

## Looking Ahead

Organizations work seamlessly with our recently launched Site Switcher feature and upcoming custom dashboard views to create a powerful workflow for teams managing multiple websites.

---

Need help setting up your organizations? Check out our [detailed setup guide](https://docs.yourcompany.com/organizations){rel="nofollow"} or reach out to support.


# Seamless Site Switching Without Logging Out

We're excited to introduce our new Quick Switch feature that makes managing analytics for multiple websites faster and more convenient than ever.

## What's New

- **Site Switcher Dropdown**: Access all your websites from a dropdown menu in the top navigation bar
- **Instant Context Switching**: Change between sites without losing your place in the dashboard
- **Last Viewed Memory**: We'll remember which view you were using for each site
- **Search Functionality**: Quickly find the right site when you manage many websites

## How It Works

1. Look for the new site selector in the top navigation bar
2. Click to reveal all websites connected to your account
3. Select any site to instantly switch your dashboard context
4. Your session remains active across all your sites

## Why We Built This

Many of our users manage analytics for multiple websites. Previously, this required logging out and back in or opening multiple browser tabs.

Based on your feedback, we've streamlined this workflow to save you time and reduce friction when monitoring multiple properties.

## Coming Soon

This feature lays the groundwork for our upcoming Organizations feature, which will allow you to group websites together for even better management.

---

Have feedback on this feature? We'd love to hear it! Drop us a line at <feedback@getbenne.com>.


# How to Start Tracking Pageviews and Events in 5 Minutes

Getting meaningful analytics data doesn't have to be complicated. This guide will have you tracking website visits and important user actions in just five minutes, with no complex configuration required.

## What You'll Accomplish

By following this guide, you'll:

- Install our tracking script on your website
- Begin capturing pageviews automatically
- Set up basic event tracking for important user interactions
- View your first data in a real-time dashboard

## Prerequisites

- Administrator access to your website
- Ability to edit your website's HTML or access to your CMS
- A free or paid account on our platform (sign up [here](https://yourcompany.com/signup){rel="nofollow"} if needed)

## Step 1: Create Your Website in Our Dashboard (1 minute)

1. Log in to your dashboard at [app.yourcompany.com](https://app.yourcompany.com){rel="nofollow"}
2. Click **+ Add Website** in the top right corner
3. Enter your website's details:

   - **Name**: A label for your own reference (e.g., "Company Blog")
   - **Domain**: Your website's domain (e.g., example.com)
4. Click **Create Website**

You'll receive a unique Site ID that looks like `abc-123-xyz`.

## Step 2: Add the Tracking Script (2 minutes)

### Option A: Direct Installation

Add the following script to the `<head>` section of your website:

```html
<script data-site="YOUR-SITE-ID" src="https://cdn.yourcompany.com/tracker.js" defer></script>
```

Replace `YOUR-SITE-ID` with the Site ID you received in Step 1.

### Option B: WordPress

1. Install our WordPress plugin from the [WordPress Plugin Directory](https://wordpress.org/plugins/yourcompany-analytics/){rel="nofollow"}
2. Navigate to the plugin settings
3. Enter your Site ID
4. Save changes

### Option C: Shopify

1. Go to your Shopify admin panel
2. Navigate to **Online Store** → **Themes**
3. Click **Actions** → **Edit code**
4. Open the `theme.liquid` file
5. Paste the tracking script in the `<head>` section
6. Save changes

### Option D: Other Popular Platforms

We have one-click integrations for:

- Webflow: [installation guide](https://docs.yourcompany.com/webflow){rel="nofollow"}
- Wix: [installation guide](https://docs.yourcompany.com/wix){rel="nofollow"}
- Squarespace: [installation guide](https://docs.yourcompany.com/squarespace){rel="nofollow"}

## Step 3: Verify Installation (1 minute)

1. Open your website in a new browser tab
2. Navigate to a few pages
3. Return to your analytics dashboard
4. Click on your website
5. You should see your visit appear in the real-time view

If nothing appears within 1-2 minutes, check our [troubleshooting guide](https://docs.yourcompany.com/troubleshooting){rel="nofollow"}.

## Step 4: Set Up Basic Event Tracking (1 minute)

Our script automatically tracks pageviews, but you can easily track specific user actions like button clicks, form submissions, and more.

### Track Button Clicks

Add the `data-analytics` attribute to any element you want to track:

```html
<button data-analytics="signup-button">Sign Up</button>
```

### Track Form Submissions

Add the `data-analytics-form` attribute to your form:

```html
<form data-analytics-form="contact-form">
  <!-- Form fields here -->
</form>
```

### Track Custom Events with JavaScript

For more complex interactions, use our JavaScript API:

```javascript
// Track any user action
analytics.trackEvent('video-played', {
  videoTitle: 'Product Demo',
  videoDuration: '2:30'
});
```

## Viewing Your Data

Your dashboard now shows:

- **Real-time visitors**: Who's on your site right now
- **Pageviews**: Which pages are most popular
- **Referrers**: Where your traffic is coming from
- **Devices**: What devices your visitors are using
- **Events**: User interactions with tracked elements

## Next Steps

Now that you have basic tracking in place, consider these enhancements:

- [Set up conversion goals](https://docs.yourcompany.com/goals){rel="nofollow"}
- [Track ecommerce transactions](https://docs.yourcompany.com/ecommerce){rel="nofollow"}
- [Create custom dashboards](https://docs.yourcompany.com/dashboards){rel="nofollow"}
- [Set up automated reports](https://docs.yourcompany.com/reports){rel="nofollow"}

## Need More Help?

- [View our full documentation](https://docs.yourcompany.com){rel="nofollow"}
- [Join our community Discord](https://discord.gg/yourcompany){rel="nofollow"}
- [Contact support](mailto\:support@yourcompany.com)

## Privacy Considerations

Our analytics platform is designed with privacy in mind:

- No cookies required
- No personal data collection
- Compliant with GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy regulations
- Respects Do Not Track settings

For more detailed privacy information, see our [Privacy Guide](https://docs.yourcompany.com/privacy){rel="nofollow"}.